Scores have always played a key role in generating the full cinematic experience. Even during the silent era of film (1894-1929), many movie theaters hired in-house pianists or orchestras to perform live music that would accompany the action on screen. Nowadays, film music is as important as ever, and there are even tribute concerts in Denver dedicated to iconic movie soundtracks that have helped shaped how we experience film.
The Candlelight series pays tribute to all music genres, including film scores and soundtracks. Discover upcoming concerts here.
Dramatic Effect
Adding music to a film is one of the most effective ways of creating tension for the audience. Think of any famous scene from a horror movie, and there’s probably a composition or sequence of notes that’s just as famous. Take the Psycho shower scene. The bloodcurdling, high-pitched sounds of string instruments are as iconic as the scene itself. And of course, the menacing notes heard when the man-eating shark rears its head in Jaws is enough to get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up.
Mood and Atmosphere
From the playlist at a party to live piano performances in a restaurant, music helps set the scene for any situation, and movies are no different. When we hear a certain song or melody from a film, we’re immediately transported to fictional worlds. Scored by Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings is a great example of this. Scenes of The Shire’s rolling hills and quaint houses are accompanied by cheery Celtic-influenced melodies, while eerie, sinister sounds land us right in the heart of the dark, gritty lands of Mordor.
A Fun Film Score Fact
We’ve all busted a move to “Stayin’ Alive” from the 1977 hit film Saturday Night Fever, but did you know that it’s also the perfect song to listen or sing to when performing CPR? The song is one of the Bee Gees’ best-selling hits, and it also has the ideal rhythm of 100-120 compressions per minute to perform the maneuver correctly. Pretty ironic, right?
Immerse yourself in an evening of cinema and music at a unique Candlelight soundtrack concert in Denver. Tributes to famous soundtracks and film scores deserve the dramatic backdrop of breathtaking venues in the city as well as a sea of candles, and that’s exactly what Candlelight provides. The spectacular atmosphere it creates somehow brings the magic of legendary films and TV series to life in a new and unexpected way, and you don’t want to miss out.