New York Philharmonic Hits All the Right Notes at the Movies

April 12, 2018 5:59 p.m. ET

The Philharmonic is showing the Oscar-winning 1984

Miloš Forman

film “Amadeus” with live orchestral accompaniment.

“The orchestra makes the movie better and the movie makes the orchestra better,” said

Adrianne Silver,

a longtime Philharmonic attendee who was on hand for this past Wednesday’s “Amadeus” presentation. (The program will be repeated through Tuesday.)

For the Philharmonic, such cinematic undertakings are becoming a key part of its programming. For the past five seasons, the orchestra has offered the screenings on an occasional basis as part of its the Art of the Score series, under the artistic advisory of the actor, classical-music enthusiast and Philharmonic board member

Alec Baldwin.

Past presentations have included “The Godfather,” “West Side Story,” “Manhattan” and an

Alfred Hitchcock

event incorporating clips from several of the director’s films. The orchestra also has featured four of the “Star Wars” movies separate from the Art of the Score series.

Fans dressed as characters from the “Star Wars” movies at Lincoln Center in Manhattan last year. The New York Philharmonic performed the “Star Wars Film Concert Series.”
Photo:

John Taggart for The Wall Street Journal

Philharmonic officials see the cinematic programming as a good way to reach audiences who might not go to a classical event. The idea is that once they experience a live orchestra, they will return, perhaps to a concert sans film.

The cinematic events are “a gateway drug,” said Mr. Baldwin. “We will capture some people.”

Either way, the events are proving plenty popular. During its five-season history, the Art of the Score series has drawn an audience of 98% capacity.

The series doesn’t necessarily help the orchestra’s bottom line in that the Philharmonic, a nonprofit institution with a $77 million annual budget, still loses money on the concerts, said

Deborah Borda,

the orchestra’s president and chief executive officer.

But Ms. Borda, who came aboard in 2017 and has been charged with trying to stabilize finances after years of the Philharmonic running in the red, said the movies are a powerful form of outreach. “This is genuine crossover,” she noted.

The events pose technical challenges. When an orchestra plays to a film, synchronization becomes critical. “There is no gray area. It’s either in sync or not in sync,” said

Richard Kaufman,

who is conducting the Philharmonic in the “Amadeus” presentation and leads orchestras world-wide in similar film programs.

Just as challenging, say Philharmonic officials and others, is picking the right films. Many great pictures don’t have great scores. Or the score isn’t a significant enough part of the movie.

That leaves the Philharmonic with a relatively limited number of choices. The orchestra is reprising “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the classical-heavy

Stanley Kubrick

film, next September, just five years after the ensemble first presented it.

At a recent “Amadeus” screening,

Bill Silver,

a regular attendee of the Art of the Score series, said he has learned to stay in his seat when the final credits roll. Otherwise, he said, “you’ll miss some of the best music.”