A Dutch company called Cinema in Concert brings iconic movies live to picture with a full orchestra performing the original film score, while showing the movie on the big screen. Last week I went to the movie “Gladiator” at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and, knowing the soundtracks, I was so excited to experience it in a live performance!
Music
Not only does this movie have an amazing storyline, it’s the music that delivers the finishing touch. I could feel how much the main character loved his family through a slow and intimate melody sung by this warm and divine voice. The soundtracks during the battle scenes were so immersively composed that, for a moment, I was there in battle as well fighting for the same moral beliefs as the main character. I’m not ashamed to share that the liveness of this score performance definitely made me tear up more than when watching the movie at home on the couch.
The score of this movie was written by – the one and only – Hans Zimmer, together with Australian singer and composer Lisa Gerrard. The melodies were also sung by her. Fun fact, this concert was performed by the Noordpool Orchestra, the Dutch Concert Choir, and… Lisa Gerrard herself! It feels unreal witnessing such an angelic voice live in concert.
I definitely recommend this experience to anyone who loves movies and (orchestral) music. And of course, the movie itself!
