The New York Times has a wonderful new feature, talking about the New York Philharmonic Orchestra‘s live performance of the Manhattan score live. The New York Philharmonic performed most of the 1979 film’s original soundtrack. And some of the players from that performance are still in the band.
Manhattan is perhaps Allen’s best soundtrack, and certainly his most famous. The lush orchestral score features the music of George Gershwin. The use of music has been parodied endlessly.
There’s lots of great bits we didn’t know.
The original soundtrack was recorded in the “worst storm in half a century”, causing concert pianist Gary Graffman to miss the session. The orchestra’s pianist – Paul Jacobs – filled in for the film, but Graffman performed on the soundtrack.
That recording took place at Avery Fisher Hall on 19th Feb 1979. In the mostly empty theatre was Allen, Diane Keaton and his lawyer Irwin Tenenbaum. The photo above is Keaton, Allen and conductor Zubin Mehta.
Viola player Irene Breslaw played on the 1979 session. This weekend’s show is her final shows. Alan Gilbert is the music director, and his parents also played on the original sessions.
Read lots more at the New York Times article.
The performance is part of the Art Of the Score series, overseen by Alec Baldwin, who has appeared in three of Allen’s films (Alice, To Rome With Love and Blue Jasmine). It will take place at David Geffen Hall in New York. You can still get tickets for Saturday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izgOEpugXRk