Conductor talks about film and music, and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ with the Utah Symphony

When Indiana Jones cracks his bullwhip in Abravanel Hall this week, he’ll be doing it over the heads of the musicians of the Utah Symphony.

The Utah Symphony launches its Films in Concert series Thursday and Friday with two live orchestral performances of John Williams’ score of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” accompanying the film projected behind the musicians.

“Raiders” is the first of four films in the series. The orchestra will perform to the animated holiday mash-up “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on Oct. 24, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” on Dec. 21, 22 and 23, and the Western classic “High Noon” on Feb. 17.

Guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos will lead the orchestra for the “Raiders” performances. In an email interview, Kitsopoulos talked about music and film, and how they connect.

Are there particular challenges to conducting film scores, as opposed to other orchestral works?

The primary challenge of conducting film scores live to projection is synchronizing the music with the film as the composer and director intended it to be. My training is as an opera conductor. In the theater, the music and the stage have to be coordinated in much the same way as with film. The major difference is that in opera and American music theater (it’s all music in the theater, if you ask me) the performance can vary more from night to night. In some ways it can with live orchestra to film but the parameters are much narrower.

Do the particular rhythms of film scores — which have to match action on screen — differ from symphonies, which don’t have to accompany a visual element?

As with live theater, a good score is always supporting the story and the action. Even if you look at some of the pieces written by composers who have never written for film or theater, you’ll find pieces with a story. Take Mahler, for instance — listen to his Sixth Symphony or even his First. Bach didn’t write for the theater, as far as I know, but the B Minor Mass has a story to tell. He uses a variety of rhythms to depict that story.

With “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” you’re playing the music of John Williams, who so famously has written so many classic movie scores. Is there something particular about Williams’ music that’s appealing?

Williams is a master composer with the ability to write in many different styles. He has a keen sense of the visual and how to help drive a plot forward. “Raiders” is a terrific score, for sure. I’d suggest also watching the film “Catch Me If You Can.” Listen to that score to hear how different it is from “Raiders.” Williams gets inside the characters to help the audience understand what they may be feeling. “The Terminal” is another example of his mastery of style. 

When you were first learning about music, were there any particular film scores that meant something special?

The first film score that I went nuts over was “Star Wars: A New Hope.” I saw it in the theater when it was first released in the 1970s. It blew my mind. I followed Williams’ career from then on and bought the soundtracks to any score by him that I could get my hands on.