Agreed – the theme may seem a bit obvious: Valentine’s Day and film music. But is it really? When you take a closer look at John Williams’s music, it quickly becomes clear that it’s not just cinematic emotion, but a fully developed symphonic work. The orchestrations are dense and refined, the thematic development masterful, the instrumentation worthy of Mahler or Strauss – no wonder his music has made its way into concert halls around the world.
John Williams is a legend of film music and one of the greatest composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. His work, spanning hundreds of scores for major Hollywood productions, has defined the sound of modern cinema. He holds the record for the most Oscar nominations among living composers (over 50 times). He has won the award five times – for Fiddler on the
Roof, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., and
Schindler’s List. His music combines symphonic mastery with extraordinary thematic clarity – Williams’s soundtracks often function as standalone pieces, performed by leading orchestras on every continent.
Admittedly, the favorite soundtrack of the author of these words is the one from the first
Harry Potter film – with its magical aura, bell-like motifs, and childlike wonder hidden in every phrase – but it’s hard to deny that the greatest strength of John Williams’s music is its incredible emotional range. It can be monumental like in Star Wars, moving like in
Schindler’s List, entertaining like in
Indiana Jones, or dreamy and intimate like in
Born on the Fourth of July.
On the stage of the Szczecin Philharmonic, for a Valentine’s Day evening, pieces will be performed from films that have touched audiences for years, both those in love with cinema and with music. At the center of attention will be the violin – an inherently emotional instrument – played by
Mariusz Patyra, a brilliant virtuoso and the first Pole to win first prize at the prestigious Paganini International Violin Competition in Genoa. The
Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will accompany him under the baton of
Przemysław Neumann.
So instead of a set of clichéd serenades, we will hear sounds that quicken the pulse no less than classic love stories – tales of sacrifice, longing, beauty, and hope. Because isn’t that what a good Valentine’s Day is really about?
