Intro
The Orchestra
What is the first thing that you think of when someone mentions orchestral music? Chances are, you think of one of the following images.
"Portrait of Ludwig von Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis" by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820. Image is in the public domain.
BUT, what if the following images depicted how you thought of orchestral music?
Image "Harry Potter 7 premiere movie poster" by princesspumpernickel is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Orchestra music as we know it started during the Renaissance in the 1500s. But, orchestra music has changed tremendously since then. While modern orchestras still perform the music of Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, they also perform music for blockbuster films, video games, and even appear in music videos.
John Williams working on the film score for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Image by TashTish is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
You can watch the video below to see an orchestra perform the music from many popular movies, including the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises. These musical scores were all composed by John Williams.
Tribute to John Williams on Vimeo.
