Takei and More Join the Pops for "Final Frontier" Season-Opener
There’s no music like space music. And no one plays it quite like the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
To open the Pops’ 2013-2014 season, conductor John
Morris Russell took the Pops boldly into “The Final Frontier” Friday night at
Music Hall. He had some distinguished company, including George Takei (“Star
Trek’s” Mr. Sulu), Dean Regas, co-host of PBS’ “Star Gazers” and outreach
astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory.
The late Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon, made an appearance via images from NASA as his son Mark Armstrong read John Gillespie Magee’s inspiring poem “High Flight” in honor of his dad.
Images from NASA and the Hubbell Space Telescope were projected onto a screen behind the stage, itself backed by a deep space, starry sky. Atmospheric lighting by designers Gary Kidney and E.J. Mechley ravished the eye and and a whole cast of characters from the “Star Wars” films appeared, courtesy of the 501st Legion (international organization of “Star Wars” fans). Unfortunately, the pre-concert tug of war between “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” fans in Washington Park had to be cancelled due to the rainy weather.
Most of all, the evening was about the music, given thrilling interpretations by Russell and the Pops.
The concert opened with what has become the signature “space music” theme, the introduction to Richard Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra” (used in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”). From there, Regas introduced the planets of our solar system, to the accompaniment of “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity” from another all-time space classic, Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.”
Russell reminded the audience that each astronaut was allowed to bring one personal item along on his or her journey into space. For Armstrong, it was an LP of Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.” Russell led excerpts from the “New World” Symphony to images from Apollo 11, the epochal mission that landed the first man on the Moon in 1969 (Armstrong).
Russell closed out the first half with classic ”Star Wars” fare, John Williams’ “Imperial March” from “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Anakin’s Theme” and “Duel of the Fates” from “The Phantom Menace.” The latter prompted an onstage light saber duel by volunteers of the 501st Legion and an encore, the “Cavatina Band” from the original “Star Wars,” which brought ten costumed characters to the stage for some groovy dancing, along with R2D2 and a robot friend.
There was much picture-taking with these denizens of space in the lobby at intermission.
The second half began with a spectacular video presentation of the Opportunity and Spirit Rovers’ missions on Mars, accompanied by Holst’s pulse-quickening “Mars: The Bringer of War.” Regas explained some of the topography of the Red Planet, including a volcano several times as high as Mount Everest and the size of the state of Arizona. He also traced the birth and death of stars from cosmic nebulae, with accompanying images from Hubbell. Contrasting with “Mars” was Holst’s “Venus: the Bringer of Peace,” to which Mark Armstrong read Magee’s inspiring poem.
After a medley of sci-fi television show themes, the focus of the show turned to the granddaddy of them all, “Star Trek.” Takei strolled out onto the stage to the strains of Alexander Courage’s main theme to “Star Trek” and enthusiastic applause by the crowd. Giving the Vulcan salute, he launched into a history of “Star Trek,” from its beginnings in the 1960s (to abysmal ratings) to its triumph in syndication as one of the most popular shows on television.
Laced with his talk, which also covered the making of the highly successful “Star Trek” films, were excerpts from the music written for them by Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Dennis McCarthy and Michael Giacchino. These were beautifully performed by the Pops. A standout throughout the concert was principal cellist, Ilya Finkelshteyn, whose warm, evocative solos lit up scores such as Patrick Doyle’s Suite from “Thor” and Giacchino’s music for the new (2009) “Star Trek.”
It was fun, also – and impressive – to watch the CSO percussionists (four) dash from one set of instruments to another in these percussion-rich scores.
The concert repeats at 8 p.m. tonight, 2 p.m. Sunday at Music Hall. Tickets begin at $25. Children (17 and under) are $10 for the Sunday matinee. Call (513) 381-3300 or visit www.cincinnatipops.org