We have an innate attraction to rhythm and melody and hold a powerful connection to music. It can evoke such strong emotions and bring forth memories that fewer other art forms or mediums can. So when it comes to movies, filmmakers know the huge impact a great soundtrack can have. It can set the tone of a scene and allow characters to convey their stories, which might be difficult to articulate solely through dialogue.
Nowadays, film music is starting to gain more recognition and rightfully so. This acknowledgment has lead to more tributes in San Francisco, including performances by the world-famous Candlelight series. These concerts celebrate iconic anime, sci-fi, space, and horror movie soundtracks, as well as themes from beloved TV shows that have left an indelible mark on pop culture.
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Featured Candlelight soundtrack concert
Candlelight: Tribute to A.R. Rahman
In the US, A. R. Rahman is best known for his hugely successful hit “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire. However, the Indian music composer and singer-songwriter has recorded 20 studio albums, AND has six National Film Awards, two Oscars, two Grammys, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe under his belt, and the list keeps going.
This season, Candlelight is celebrating Rahman’s greatest works with an enchanting string quartet tribute. Hear “Yeh Haseen Wadiyan/Pudhu Vellai Mazhai Roja”, “Ishq Bina”, “Jashn-E-Bahara”, and many more at the Bayview Opera House.
All upcoming Candlelight soundtrack tribute concerts
Where to see live film score concerts in San Francisco?
From the Davies Symphony Hall and The Warfield to the International Art Museum of America and The Chan National Queer Arts Center, there are plenty of spaces that oftentimes welcome the melodies of popular scores. Some of these gorgeous locations also feature Candlelight concerts that blend the magic of the movies with classically-trained musicians and an enchanting setting provided by the sea of flameless candles. These performances allow you to travel back to important movie moments, binge-worthy TV series and legendary video games.
How do great soundtracks help storytelling in film?
Character emotion
One of the most important functions of film music is expressing the characters’ emotions, personalities and intentions, adding depth to the characters and making them more multidimensional. After all, a movie is not a long book where authors can fully develop a character. So simply with the use of specific scores and soundtracks, audiences can immediately identify the heroes and villains, and their drives.
Rhythm and Pacing
Particularly in action movies or thrillers, filmmakers use music to give the sense of movement and action. It can be as literal as a car chase or someone making a run for it. Take the Mission Impossible franchise. Anytime you hear the “dun dun, da da, dun dun, da da” notes, you know that it is on and things are about to get exciting. It immediately warns the audience that you might even see Tom Cruise running through sand storms and busy Shanghai markets.
A Fun Film Score Fact
Did you know that the score for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) used actual gunshots, cracking whips, whistling and yodeling? It was written by Italian master Ennio Morricone, known for his distinctive style that in this case blended unconventional sounds with orchestral elements.