Bill Conti makes that beautiful, old-time movie music

16-May-2009 • Bond News

Even if you don't recognize his name, you'll recognize the music on his resume, says NJ.com.

From the do-or-die theme of "Rocky" to the James Bond bravura of "For Your Eyes Only" and his recurring role as music director of the Academy Awards, Bill Conti is one of Hollywood's harmonic heavyweights, and the maestro who was recruited by the State Theatre to develop this weekend's gala celebrating movie music.

"It was last year I think that (State Theatre president) Wes Brustad came out and we had lunch. He was looking to have a show about cinema and he wanted to know what I thought," says Conti, 67, from his home in Los Angeles. "It sounded like he wanted something bold, so we started talking big. I mean symphony, dancers, singers -- something that would truly wow people."

What has taken Conti and company more than a year to mold arrives at the State Theatre Saturday for a benefit gala, "Hollywood at the State." In addition to the concert (which can be attended separately), the complete program also includes a black-tie reception, cocktail party and dance.

Bringing film scores into a performance space is rather common, but Conti says what will set this evening apart is the scale of the program.

"From the beginning I told (Brustad): Last year, you did a show about Broadway, but when you start talking about doing a show on cinema, I'm afraid the size is going to be a little different. You can't fake the sound of a big movie symphony -- that in its golden age would have 85 players -- of going into a movie theater with a 35-foot screen, with speakers as big as your house, filling the room with music. That's a thrill you can't fake."

Relying on his experiences at the Oscars and at symphony venues around the globe, Conti has recruited a full orchestra. They will join him in reviving the scores from such films as "The Sound of Music," "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Right Stuff," as well as in performing a tribute to Walt Disney.

"Of course, if I'm going to take a job, there are two things you can be sure of: It's going to be big, and it's going to include some of my hits, like 'Rocky' and 'For Your Eyes Only,'" Conti said.

Broadway singers Judy McLane and George Dvorsky will join Conti on stage, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Youth Chorus, and the New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble.

Audience members will be handed a list of movie themes and asked to vote for their favorite. "Someone will tabulate the winners and then we'll play the piece right there on the spot," Conti said. "It will be a fun way to demonstrate how we have to prepare at the Oscars, learning five pieces of music for every category. At the Academy Awards, all the musicians need to know the music by heart, so depending on who wins, you can jump right in."

From the orchestra pit at the Oscars, Conti has had a unique vantage point to witness what he considers the devolution of movie music. That's why he considers events like "Hollywood at the State," which reach back to celebrate the most majestic melodies of generations past, must-see affairs.

"I'm not impressed much by what I hear today. There aren't those great melodies that you were used to in the '40s, '50s and '60s, and some years now at the Oscars, there's no music worth remembering." Conti said. "Today, it sounds like music is being made for small TV screens, to be heard on DVD, but back in the days of David Lean, it was all about creating an experience on a whole different scale."