The Wizard of Oz just got better. This Saturday the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Constantine Kitsopoulos, will perform every note of the full orchestral accompaniment to the film as it runs simultaneously on an overhead screen.
“This is a great program for families and film buffs,” said Kitsopoulos. “We performed it last Labor Day at the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra and 15,000 people showed up.”
“Oz with Orchestra is a great way to kick off the [BSO] summer season ? and a great way to expose kids to the symphony,” said BSO General Manager Kendra Whitlock.
What they came to see in Cleveland and what will be seen Saturday is the brain child of producer John Goberman.
Using modern technology, he spent years extracting the voices of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and the rest of the cast from the film?s original soundtrack, completely eliminating the original musical accompaniment but leaving the vocals in tact. This is where the BSO comes in as they provide all of the music for such classic songs as “Over the Rainbow” and “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.”
Pulling off this ingenious presentation is not without its own particular challenges for both conductor and orchestra.
“The soundtrack is complete” but coordinating the music with the film is the biggest challenge since there is no lead into the songs, said Kitsopoulos.
“All I have to guide me is an analogue clock and a small monitor of the film,” he said. “The timing is in my score.”
