ARA Christmas concert at L’Auditori, with soundtracks by John Williams

2023-12-23 23:40:55

The ARA Christmas concert

The Franz Schubert Philharmonic performs music from films such as ‘Star Wars’ at the ARA’s Christmas concert

BarcelonaThe force and the public accompanied this Saturday the Christmas concert dedicated to soundtracks by John Williams at L’Auditori, and organized by the ARA with the sponsorship of TRAM, the Barcelona tramway. The music was provided by the Tarragona orchestra Franz Schubert Filharmonia, directed by Tomàs Grau, a formation that is culminating a great year in which it made its debut at Carnegie Hall in New York, and well acquainted with the scores of the American composer.

A significant space in the program, at the beginning and at the end, was occupied by the music of The war of the galaxies. To start the suite that brings together different pieces, the most popular in the universe Star Wars, with strings and winds sharing melodic phrases and Williams’ signature rhythmic sense driving each movement forward. Grau, the orchestra’s principal conductor, conducted well marking the contrasts between Princess Leia’s theme, with delicate moments of flute and violin, and the imperial march, eternally associated with absolutist and obscurantist power. Curious, the fascination exerted by the music that represents evil… A more serious epic has appeared in the final section, when the chorus has intervened to amplify the impact of The battle of the heroes (from the movie Revenge of the Sith) i Duel of destinies.

The central part of the concert has gone through the playful symphony of Harry Potter, E.T. i Hookfor the grandeur of Jurassic Park and for the collection of Schindler’s list, in which the violins and especially the concertino Krzysztof Wisniewski shined. After receiving the ovation from the audience that filled L’Auditori, Tomàs Grau said that in the encore there would be people who would identify him “at the first beat”. In the first no, but in the second measure some spectators ventured to shout “Indiana Jones!”, a decision corroborated in the fourth measure by an audience that even clapped their hands rhythmically for a few more measures. Merry Christmas!