Review: MAESTRO OF THE MOVIES, Royal Albert Hall

The words 'genius' and 'iconic' are overused these days, but for certain people, there are no more appropriate accolades. Composer John Williams is one such person. Arguably the most famous film composer in history, he has won five Academy Awards, earned over 52 Oscar nominations and won 27 Grammys. But more than that, he has created the soundtrack to many of our lives, creating the magical scores for films such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List.

As director Steven Spielberg put it so brilliantly: "Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes. There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth, we do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe." Maestro of the Movies: A Tribute to John Williams was a touching and thrilling celebration of the great man, featuring clips from some of his most well-known films, with the scores performed live by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Anthony Gabriele.

The concert covered all Williams's most famous work, opening with those five notes from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This was followed by Jaws, which used just three notes to create that sense of dread that still holds today. The clip shown featured the line "we're going to need a bigger boat", although arguably, the opening of the film itself shows off more of Williams's mastery of creating suspense and fear through what is unseen, more than what can be seen.

The thrilling cave sequence from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Arc followed, then a magical montage of Harry Potter and then Star Wars which demonstrated the diversity of the composer's skill in creating bombastic adventure, the magic and wonder of childhood and the symphonic majesty of other worlds. The London Symphony Orchestra recorded the original soundtrack to Star Wars, so this was a lovely full-circle moment.

The track played under the second inaugural address from Lincoln was a deft illustration of the very American influence that runs throughout much of Williams's work: epic, reflective and expansive, featuring a dexterous cello solo from David Cohen.

The epic theme from Jurassic Park followed, then a suitably sombre rendition and intensely emotional of the theme from Schindler’s List, which showed an exquisite balance of reverence for the subject, combined with quiet gravitas and heartbreaking poignancy.

It is safe to say there were few dry eyes left in the house with the performance of the end of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg re-edited the film to match Williams's music rather than the other way around, showing the respect and value he placed on the work. What is striking is the realisation that Williams's work touches on every part of the human experience: from childhood to adulthood, pain and death, adventure and excitement, fear and success.

Williams's work covers much more than films; his theme tune plays out nightly in the US during NBC's nightly news and he has also composed four themes for the Olympic Games. One of these fanfares was performed and, although a majestic and wonderfully evocative piece, it seemed oddly placed in the context of the concert as a celebration of Williams's film work. 

The montages worked best, particularly a wonderful edit of Williams himself; writing, conducting, accepting awards and throughout his life which opened the second half, appropriately set to the theme from Superman. One of the highlights of the Films in Concert series is the quality of the sound mixing, with perfect balance between music and speech. Here a decision had been made for the music to dominate all clips with voice tracks; understandable during a celebration of the score, but it sounded a little messy.

As always with these concerts, you are starkly reminded of the sheer power that a soundtrack can have on a  film: without the music, it simply does not work in the same way. Conductor Anthony Gabriele has a wealth of experience in these kind of performances and his energy and enthusiasm never wavered. The London Symphony Orchestra also rose magnificently to the occasion. Our lives would be poorer without the work of John Williams: it doubtful that anyone left the Royal Albert Hall without a sense of pure wonder and elation.

The Royal Albert Hall continues its Films In Concert series with Home Alone In Concert on 5-6 December