More Information About Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Website

http://www.pacificsymphony.org/main.taf?p=9,5,6,6&ProductionID=8715

Description

A spine-tingling tale of alter egos becomes the center of Pacific Symphony’s evening of Halloween horror, when renowned organist Dennis James provides the soundtrack to the 1920 classic film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring the legendary John Barrymore in the notorious title roles.

Performing on the 4,322 pipes of the magnificent William J. Gillespie Concert Organ, silent film scholar James brings a haunting and historically authentic silent film experience to the 21st century, using musical accompaniment to provide every sonic dimension to the screen. James opens the concert with Bach’s eerie Toccata in D minor followed by Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” the theme used in Alfred Hitchcock’s television series.

For more than 40 years, James has played a pivotal role in the international revival of silent films with live music. He began professional film accompaniment at Indiana University while he was a music student in the late 1960s and was appointed Hollywood’s International Ambassador of the Silent Film in 1998. James now tours under the auspices of the Silent Film Concerts production company, performing to silent films with solo organ, piano, and chamber ensemble accompaniments in addition to presentations with major symphony orchestras throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

James is renowned for providing the most comprehensive selection of authentic silent films with live music presentations available today, using his extensive personal scoring library—the largest such private collection in existence, with contributions from musicians, studios and libraries around the world. James also serves as house organist for the Historic Everett Theatre in Everett, Wash. and as theater organist for the San Diego Symphony.

About the Ticket Supplier: Pacific Symphony

Pacific Symphony, celebrating its 34th season in 2012-13, is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair. The largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 40 years, the Symphony is recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scene, as well as in its own burgeoning community of Orange County. Presenting more than 100 concerts a year and a rich array of education and community programs, the Symphony reaches more than 275,000 residents -- from schoolchildren to senior citizens.

The Symphony offers a popular Pops season led by Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman. The Pops series stars some of the world's leading entertainers, and is enhanced by state-of-the-art video and sound. Each Pacific Symphony season also includes Café Ludwig, a three-concert chamber music series, and "Classical Connections," an orchestral series on Sunday afternoons offering rich explorations of selected works led by St.Clair. Assistant Conductor Maxim Eshkenazy brings a passionate commitment to building the next generation of audience and performer through his leadership of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra as well as the highly regarded Family Musical Mornings series.

The Symphony offers moving musical experiences with repertoire ranging from the great orchestral masterworks to music from today's most prominent composers, highlighted by the annual American Composers Festival. The Wall Street Journal said, "Carl St.Clair, the Pacific Symphony's dynamic music director, has devoted 19 years to building not only the orchestra's skills but also the audience's trust and musical sophistication so successfully that they can now present some of the most innovative programming in American classical music to its fast-growing, rapidly diversifying community."

In addition to its winter home, the Symphony presents a summer outdoor series at Irvine's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, the organization's summer residence since 1987.