by FilmInk Staff
The battle for the galaxy intensifies in this thrilling fifth episode of the unfolding saga as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra brings John Williams’ Oscar-nominated score to life with five not-to-be-missed performances of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (21-24 October).
As Imperial Forces launch an all-out attack on the Rebel Alliance, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) flee to Cloud City where they are captured by Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) journeys to the mysterious, marshy planet of Dagobah, where the wise Jedi Master Yoda teaches the young hero the ways of the Force.
Little does Luke know that all his Jedi training will be called upon so soon. A stunning revelation – and a seeming life-or-death duel with Darth Vader – await.
“The Empire Strikes Back is, for me, the finest of the original three Star Wars films, and it also contains some of John Williams’ most extraordinary music for the orchestra. The score doesn’t simply accompany the action – it gives the story its emotional scale, its tension and its sense of adventure, and introduces some of the most iconic musical ideas in the entire saga.
Hearing that music performed live by a full symphony orchestra while the film unfolds is incredibly powerful; you become much more aware of just how much the orchestra is telling us about the characters, the drama and the world they inhabit.” – Benjamin Northey, Conductor in Residence.
