Oregon Symphony Makes Magic with “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
“Welcome, wizards, witches and muggles!” conductor Ron Spigelman proclaimed with a flourish. His greeting was met with enthusiastic applause at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Friday, February 28. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses were all represented in the audience, some of whom arrived in full costume, and all ready to enter the world of Harry Potter and his magical teenage friends in the full “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” film on a 35-by-15-foot screen, with Oregon Symphony providing the live iconic score, composed by Patrick Doyle. The experience was tantamount to two performances in one—an evening at the movie theater and at the symphony. The combination was more than the sum of those two parts, even with a sudden conductor change (Justin Freer is listed in the season program) and apparently only one rehearsal.
The symphony’s strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion all enjoyed their moments in the limelight throughout the course of the 2 1/2 hour movie, and the audience provided a delightfully raucous fifth section, cheering when Cedric Diggory (played by a pre-vampire Robert Pattinson) entered the frame and when Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) slayed the dance floor at the Yule Ball.
Unlike any typical movie theater performance, the film’s end credits were a special dessert appending the performance, with Oregon Symphony showcasing its full magic without any need of actors, costumes or special effects.
Oregon Symphony plans to continue the Harry Potter saga with a live performance of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” in addition to similar performances of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi” and “The Goonies” as part of their 2020-21 season, which runs October 2020-May 2021. “Popcorn Packages,” including tickets to all above films accompanied by a live score, are already on sale at www.orsyphony.org/concerts-tickets/subscribe.
Featured photo: HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s20)
