Every note, every action, every sound has to be exact when the Richmond Symphony performs Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar-winning score for Marvel Studio’s Black Panther at Altria Theater on April 13, at 8 p.m.
Visit Richmond Symphony for tickets.
“The music must match the film we are watching … it entails a different kind of awareness,” says the Symphony’s associate conductor, Chia-Hsuan Lin, who is Disney certified to conduct a live orchestra accompanying a Disney film.
This type of production is a very distinct performing experience for Lin and the Symphony. “We now have this super diva –the film – on stage that we have to accompany. It’s a big task for me and for the musicians. There is a lot of detail and concentration,” she says. “It’s very crucial for us to catch all the synchronization points.”
Often people get so enthralled in a movie that the background gets lost in the moment. Even Lin has that issue sometimes. But the background music serves as an “enormous, gigantic arc accompanying the film,” she says. “That was my experience the first time I went to see a film with a live orchestra.”
Richmond Symphony and Black Panther in Concert
Göransson’s incredible score, which depicts the fictitious kingdom of Wakanda, is backed by the composer’s detailed research in Senegal and South Africa. It melds together the cultural aspects of the area with local instruments and musical flavors, creating a score that is as tender as it is bold.
“The Black Panther score has very unique colors. It’s a very epic score, and I am excited to perform it,” Lin says.
Playing the score non-stop is its own challenge. Playing it live bit by bit is an “entirely different task,” she says. “You get to see more detail.”
For example, you may think a certain piece is played by the flute, but it’s really played by the oboe. “Or when the violins go to melody and the trumpets are blaring,” Lin says. “It’s a glorious experience because you are watching three or more dimensions.”
Playing the score live in synchronicity with the film requires a lot of preparation for Lin and the musicians. “Each film has unique spots that we need to pay attention to,” she says. “I have to be able to analyze the score. Every show has diverse musical styles. I have to make sure I know them very well and then put the whole orchestra and film together in a short amount of time. It is a challenge for me.”
The analytical strategy she uses is very similar to studying other music such as a Beethoven symphony but “there are different tasks and outcomes,” she says. “My goal when I am on the podium is to connect tradition and the musical arts with people.”
Lin loves sharing that connection through live music. “I feel the energy in a live concert. It’s so unique. To share that connection with the audience is the most incredible feeling for me.”
