The NYPO's "Art of the Score" series continues next September 18th with a "live with film" presentation of ON THE WATERFRONT, conducted by David Newman. It's an appropriate choice, given the composer's association with this orchestra.
Less comprehensible is the companion screening (twice!) of THE GODFATHER on the 19th and 21st. Everybody loves Nino Rota, and the movie does have one memorable theme. But does anybody really consider is a masterpiece of film scoring? It just shows how these events have more to do with general audience popularity than true film music appreciation. Justin Freer conducts this one.
"The Godfather" has several very memorable themes, and I think it's fantastic. But what's strange to me is that the film has maybe a half-hour of scoring (if that) in its three hours, not counting the source cues (which I can't imagine would be performed live). Seems like a lot of an orchestra waiting around to me.
