Mark P. Thomas conducts the Anthracite Philharmonic to a scene from "Star Wars." PHOTO BY WES CIPOLLA
Originally published in the Pottsville Republican-Herald on September 25, 2022.
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Being in a concert hall is like being in space. You are suspended in darkness and silence, surrounded by others but alone with the music and your thoughts.
Sitting in Schuylkill Haven Area High School’s Zwerling Auditorium on Saturday night, those listening to the Anthracite Philharmonic’s “Planetary Pops” concert were free to dream.
The fascinating and terrifying enormity of our solar system and what lies beyond it, the imagination of science fiction stories and the childlike wonder of exploring new worlds were brought to life by the technical skill of the musicians, the impassioned direction of Dr. Mark P. Thomas and an inspired choice of repertoire.
The size and scale of the music was epic, as were the images of outer space and distant planets projected on the auditorium walls.
The concert opened with selections from Gustav Holst’s famous suite “The Planets.”
Each movement depicts the personality of the mythological god or goddess for whom that planet was named.
“Mars, the Bringer of War” is suitably tempestuous, with thundering drums and horns and strings like the clashing of swords and shields. The music is as bold as the blood iron surface of its namesake.
“Venus, the Bringer of Peace” lives up to its name, a romantic work fitting for a planet named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
“Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” is a jubilant coronation anthem for the king of the Roman gods.
“Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age” is wise and distinguished, the sound of an old man contemplating his life, his long-lost youth and his creeping mortality.
Repetition is key to all movements of “The Planets,” creating a larger-than-life sense of the inevitable. In “Venus,” it is the buildup to an outburst. In “Saturn,” it is the impending sense of dread before an unstoppable decline and an ultimately peaceful departure.
In the second half of the concert, the philharmonic performed more recent works that owe a great debt to Holst.
Impressively synced up to clips from the films, they performed Michael Giacchino’s score from “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and John Williams’s iconic score from the first six “Star Wars” films.
“Darth Vader” himself made a special appearance, swinging his lightsaber in the aisles. Williams’s “Star Wars” music is at times so similar to “The Planets” that some go as far as to call it a “rip-off” of Holst. More charitably, Holst’s musical evocation of real planets inspired Williams’s evocation of fictional ones.
At a time when films were still silent, Holst’s work was full of personality and storytelling, which every good film score needs. The clips shown on stage had no audible dialogue, but they didn’t need any.
Just like the silent movies of old, the visuals and music got the story across. Hearing the iconic music of “Star Wars” live is far more thrilling than hearing it through movie theater speakers.
Even when the quality of the films themselves started to sag with the prequel trilogy, Williams’s themes were universally and deservedly praised.
It is the most beloved and influential film franchise of all time, and the Anthracite Philharmonic powerfully reminded us that Williams’ music is a major reason why. The second you hear that music, those indelible characters and scenes appear in your head.
People of all ages were in the audience, including children on the edge of their seats.
We were all those children once. We all discovered something so beyond our grasp, so much larger than any of us. Human ingenuity has allowed us to gather the knowledge required to master both sound and spaceflight.
The most fitting image projected on the wall as the music played was a photo of men landing on the moon.
Both the photo and the music are symbols of human creativity, and of people choosing to embrace the unknown instead of fearing it.