Candlelight Concert Pays Tribute to Hans Zimmer
- Georgina America
- 32 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Conrad Nashville was illuminated for a Candlelight concert tribute to film composer Hans Zimmer Friday night.
Guests glimmered in their finest outfits and gathered for drinks as they anticipated an immersive experience of Zimmer’s most critically-acclaimed scores.
The doors of the event room opened to reveal an in-the-round seating arrangement encompassing a small stage veiled in candles.
Candlelight concerts most commonly take place in The Parthenon at Centennial Park, where seating and standing room are only limited to one side of the stage. Though The Conrad may not boast the same ambient structure, the seating layout provided for a larger audience and more of an intimate experience.
A blanket of candlelight danced about the room, causing the four large chandeliers on the ceiling to sparkle.
The excited chatter in the room fell to a quick hush as the lights dimmed and smooth classical music began to play on overhead speakers, signaling that the show would begin soon.
A slight interruption turned the romantic atmosphere of the room into a silly one as the overhead music began to cut in and out; the audience giggled as the choppy music persisted for a couple minutes before the issue was resolved.
Despite the quick disturbance, the rest of the night resumed steadily.
Four musicians entered the room and made their way down a candle-lit path to the stage.
They took their positions, facing each other in a small circle.
Brother and sister Jesse and Maggie Kasinger played first and second violin, with Carl Larson on the viola and Alex Krew on the cello.
A total silence filled the room as the quartet readied themselves to play.
With a nod from Krew, the stillness was broken by the opening of Zimmer’s “Time” from the 2010 movie “Inception.”
The energy intensified as the four musicians progressed their way into the score.
“Time” closed out with a unified sweep of their bows, and the audience gave a warm applause for their beautiful rendition of the piece.
Krew said a few words of thanks to the audience and gave a sneak peek at some of the other scores that would be played.
A suite featuring Zimmer’s Oscar-winning scores from the films “Dune” and “Gladiator,” and the song “This Land” from “The Lion King” were just some of the many prominent pieces that were performed.
From epic to eerie, the quartet brought each piece to life.
Transitions were seamless from the upbeat sounds of “Zooster’s Breakout” from the 2005 film “Madagascar” to the unsettling tones in “A Dark Knight” from the 2008 film “The Dark Knight.”
The audience shared a pleased expression as the Kasingers played in rapid unison and as all four musicians joined together to play the “Wonder Woman Main Theme.”
Short breaks between every few songs were taken for the performers to interact with the audience and to talk about what they were playing next.
The audience shifted excitedly in their chairs when it was announced that “Cornfield Chase” from the 2014 film “Interstellar”– one of Zimmer’s most beloved scores– was up next in the program.
The air brimmed with a magical energy that was made visible, audible and tangible by the beautiful music and gleaming candlelight.
A “Pirates of the Caribbean” suite left the end of the night at a high note, but the quartet came back for an encore with “Flight” from the 2013 film “Man of Steel.”
The audience gave a standing ovation to the small string ensemble as they took their bows, and with that the evening of candle-lit music came to an end.
This Candlelight concert was one of the most memorable live music performances in Nashville right now. Between the upscale atmosphere and live renditions of Zimmer’s most moving works, the event made for a night that felt like a fairytale.
Candlelight concerts provide an intimate experience to live music in Nashville, integrating classical music with different artists, genres and themes.
Candlelight tributes to The Beatles and Adele will take place at The Parthenon on September 13.
For more information about events and tickets, visit https://candlelightexperience.com/#experience.
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This article was written by Georgina America