Desplat scores a perfect ten….
ALEXANDRE Desplat talks of flying when he composes.
And watching him conduct the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican last week, there were around 1,000 other people flying with him.
I’ve never seen an orchestra perform before, shameful really, but true. I was excited to not only see how an orchestra worked in full motion, and hear the incredible sounds I knew it would make. But I also knew, with Desplat at the helm, I’d be hearing something very special.
We had the privilege of sitting in on a free Q&A with the man himself beforehand, where he talked about his influences (John Williams), his experiences (sometimes not even getting a version of the film to watch before composing) and his techniques. Interviewer Gareth Davis, the chief flutist for the orchestra, asked him if it was true the score for The Imitation Game was done in three weeks. “Oh yes, he said. Written and recorded actually. But I loved the film so much it was, without wanting to sound bad, easy to do. I just flew.”
The concert itself was more than two hours long and, sadly for us Imitation Game fans, just the one moment reserved for the Cumberbatch masterpiece. But what a moment it was.
He saved it until the second half of the show, having conducted the theme from Twilight: New Moon, and suites from Philomena, The Queen and the King’s Speech as well as a really nice section from The Girl With The Pearl Earring which I particularly enjoyed.
He paused and took the microphone before The Imitation Game score. “This is from a little film doing quite well in the UK at the moment, please do go see it if you haven’t yet. This is The Imitation Game.”
And then it began. It opened with Running, and morphed into Alan Turing’s Legacy, six or seven minutes of total bliss, just building and building, enveloping your soul. Anyone who had already seen it would have attached the weight of emotion to it, those who hadn’t will have just adored its soaring nature and majestic end.
Rapturous cheers came at the end, people – including myself – stood to applaud. And the only time in the entire concert apart from the end, did Desplat make his orchestra stand to welcome the plaudits. He grabbed the microphone and said simply: “Ladies and gentlemen, the magic and majesty of the London Symphony Orchestra.”
I would have been happy had the concert ended there – as it was they moved into a huge section from the final Harry Potter movie, and two small pieces from some French films I’m afraid I don’t know!
But overall, it was the best £10 I have probably ever spent. And I hope and pray that one day, Desplat and the LSO will reconnect at the Barbican and play the entire Imitation Game score. It was really special to be one of the few people ever to have heard that mesmerising score live.
Now, for those who want to know, let me tell you a bit about what I found about the Barbican. It’s an INCREDIBLE space! A complete maze which has several layers and little corners for food and drinks and funky shops, and huge! When we all meet for Hamlet there’ll be plenty of space. Albeit they might need more staff at the several bars to cope with demand. We weren’t allowed to peek into the actual theatre, but judging by the concert hall I cannot imagine a bad view. The bars have fair prices for London, with soft drinks at around £3, bottles of beer and cider from £5 and cocktails/spirit and mixer, at around £10. The Gin Joint has a daily event called the Gin Democracy between 5pm and 8pm each day where you can get any gin and mixer for £7.50.
In terms of getting there, you can get there by getting off at Barbican or Moorgate, both are very close, although the surrounding area is very business-led with, from what I could see, few places to eat and drink. They have a huge cloakroom for coats and cases (myself and Rebecca had overnight bags which we stored there) and it’s free!
The next time I will be there, it will be the opening night of Hamlet. And I cannot wait…
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