Nicholas Buc, conductor.
It’s not often a conductor begins a performance with the words ‘You’re going to see some serious shit!’
Far from being aghast, the Opera House audience fully understood that Nicholas Buc was simply quoting a line made famous by the mad professor ‘Doc’ Emmet Brown in the hit film Back to the Future.
Set in 1985, BTTF is a warmhearted time travel fantasy. Yes, it’s about powering up the DeLorean and recharging the flux capacitor, but it’s also about love and family and the choices we make. As Huey Lewis memorably sings in a song that was written for the film, it’s ‘The power of love’.
Watching this again on the big screen, and with full orchestral accompaniment, it’s easy to see why it was the year’s most successful film when it was released in 1985. And now it’s even more loveable because it has an added sugar-coating of nostalgia. We love the big hair, aerobics classes, and ‘life preserver’ puffer jackets. We have a new context for the ‘movie star in the White House’ humour, that was apparently vetted by President Reagan’s office before the film was released. And we have a deep affection for Michael J Fox for his lifetime’s screen-work and his personal battles.
The Concert Hall was filled to capacity with film fans intent on having a good time. There wasn’t quite the thrill of a sing-along Sound of Music or a dress-up Rocky Horror Picture Show, but still the audience was in the mood for fun. I doubt they needed Buc’s encouragement to clap and cheer because they did so with glee. It was like a giant children’s party for adults. The audience laughed, and clapped, and cheered in all the right places showing their appreciation for this delightful film.
The performance opened with an overture written by the film’s original composer Alan Silvestri to accompany this film with orchestra production that premiered at Lucerne (Switzerland) in May 2015. A gentle opening passage of strings began so softly that at first you didn’t even realise they were playing. A second overture was played after the intermission that has been added to the film after the famous skateboarding scene.
In all, some 20 minutes of new music has been added to the film. The overtures worked exceptionally well, and enhanced the theatrical experience. Originally, the music begins some 18 minutes into the film, adding impact to the big reveal of the time-travelling DeLorean. When it was written, this was the biggest orchestral film score, being composed for 85 musicians.
There was clearly some dissent amongst the serious BTTF fans about the decision to add music to scenes that were previously unscored, especially the wonderful bedroom scene were Marty fends off the amorous advances of his future mother.
The live music clearly added to the emotional impact of the film, whether it was the sentimental quality of the string section or the pace and excitement of the brass and percussion. But the film itself is so engaging that it was easy to forget the orchestra was right there on stage. That’s not to undermine the sterling performance by Nicholas Buc and the players of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
There is a particular skill beyond the usual demands of conducting in keeping the musicians in perfect sync with the film. In addition to page-turning the score, the conductor must also watch the visual timing cues on a monitor to ensure it’s done precisely. This is especially challenging when the film is as fast-paced as BTTF. Nicholas Buc has great experience as both a film composer and conductor, and his experience shone through in this performance. The orchestra’s seamless integration with the film deserves full applause. And whilst it seems hardly fair to name names when the orchestra played so cohesively, I did love the harp under the skilful playing of Louise Johnson. Is it karma that Johnson was appointed Principal Harp of the SSO in that fateful year 1985?
My quibbles with this performance are really only minor irritations. The sound quality on the film itself was poor, as if the film had been remastered but not the audio track. And the stage for the orchestra was too high, so that only the front of the string section was visible from the majority of seats in the stalls. Clearly the audience might appreciate the orchestra more if they could actually see the musicians and the intensity of the playing.
I’m never sure about the value of a classical orchestra doing these popular engagements, but it was a wonderful night of pure entertainment. The audience left happy, and perhaps that’s all that matters.
Rating: 4 ½ out of 5
Back to the Future | Film with Orchestra
Rated PG
Back to the Future © Universal Studios and U-Drive Joint Venture
SILVESTRI Back to the Future
Nicholas Buc conductor
Sydney Opera House
7-8 October 2016​
