ON THE WATERFRONT and THE GODFATHER Set for THE ART OF THE SCORE with the NY Phil, 9/18-21

The New York Philharmonic will present the third season of THE ART OF THE SCORE: Film Week at the Philharmonic September 18-21, 2015, featuring two complete Academy Award-winning films screened with live performances of their acclaimed scores: On the Waterfront and The Godfather.

Both films won Oscars for Best Picture, feature Marlon Brando in his two Oscar-winning roles, and were nominated for Best Score; the American Film Institute ranked both among the top 25 greatest film scores. Actor and Philharmonic Board Member Alec Baldwin continues his role as Artistic Advisor of THE ART OF THE SCORE.

"Film is a blend of writing, cinematography, editing, and music to create something that is much greater than the sum of its parts," said Alec Baldwin, Artistic Advisor of THE ART OF THE SCORE. "For the Philharmonic's annual THE ART OF THE SCORE presentations, we naturally choose films in which music plays a particularly powerful role, with scores that call for the virtuosity and passion of the amazing New York Philharmonic players. This season's films fuse music with visuals in the most powerful ways: the melancholy and passion of Bernstein's On the Waterfront score enhances Elia Kazan's direction and use of black-and-white film. The Godfather, in contrast, is truly Romantic in its proportions, operatic scope, the richness of the color, and the lushness of Rota's score."

ON THE WATERFRONT

THE ART OF THE SCORE will open September 18, 2015, with the World Premiere of a live performance of Philharmonic Laureate Conductor Leonard Bernstein's Academy Award nominated score to On the Waterfront, conducted by David Newman as the complete film is screened. Alec Baldwin will introduce Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, who will deliver welcoming and introductory remarks.

Bernstein was approached to write his only original film score when he was 35 and already a major figure in the music world. In 1959 Bernstein wrote in The Joy of Music: "When I was first shown a rough cut of the picture I thought it a masterpiece of direction; and Marlon Brando seemed to me to be giving the greatest performance I had ever seen him give, which is saying a good deal. I was swept by my enthusiasm into accepting the commission to write the score, although I had [until then] resisted all such offers on the grounds that it is a musically unsatisfactory experience for a composer to write a score whose chief merit ought to be its unobtrusiveness."

Bernstein transformed selections from the score into the single-movement Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront (1955). He conducted the Philharmonic's first performance of that work in May 1960 at Carnegie Hall; Alan Gilbert most recently led it in November 2008, also at Carnegie Hall, during a citywide celebration marking Bernstein's 90th birthday year, the 50th anniversary of his appointment as Philharmonic Music Director, and the 65th anniversary of his famed debut (when he stepped in at the last minute to replace an ailing Bruno Walter).

This Film Week performance unveils an adjusted orchestration to accompany the film in the live premiere presentation and includes music never before heard in the concert hall. Following this performance, the Orchestra will again perform Bernstein's score to On the Waterfront, conducted by David Newman, while the complete film is screened, as one of three concerts that are part of the Philharmonic's residency partnership with the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan, October 9-11, 2015. Mr. Newman made his Philharmonic debut in September 2011 leading Bernstein's score to West Side Story as the complete film was screened.

Winner of eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture, On the Waterfront is a Columbia Pictures presentation of an Elia Kazan Production starring Marlon Brando. The film co-stars Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb with Rod Steiger and Pat Henning, and introduces Eva Marie Saint. With music by Leonard Bernstein, the film was produced by Sam Spiegel from a screenplay by Budd Schulberg and was directed by Elia Kazan. The film explores violence and corruption among New York City's longshoremen and is considered to be a commentary on the morality of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

THE GODFATHER

The second Film Week program, September 19 and 21, 2015, will feature the New York Premiere of a live performance of Nino Rota's score to The Godfather, conducted by Justin Freer in his Philharmonic debut, as the complete film is screened. Mr. Freer, who spearheaded the production, is founder and president of CineConcerts, dedicated to the preservation and concert presentation of film, television, and media music set to picture. Premiered at London's Royal Albert Hall in December 2014, this production features both diegetic and non-diegetic music from the film - including music composed by Carmine Coppola, traditional Italian music, Bach, and jazz - and presents the score rebuilt for live performance for the first time. Mr. Freer rebuilt the score using materials from the Paramount and Coppola archives.

Italian composer Nino Rota's score to Francis Ford Coppola's three-time Academy Award®- winning film acts as a commentary on the characters and their situations. The American Film Institute ranked the score as the fifth greatest ever written, and the love theme has become one of the most enduring musical moments in film. Rota earned an Academy Award® for his score to The Godfather trilogy's second film, The Godfather Part II (1974).

Based on the novel by Mario Puzo, Paramount Pictures' 1972 film follows a decade in the life of the New York-based Corleone crime family. Starring Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his son, Michael, The Godfather is considered by many to be one of the greatest films in history.

The Philharmonic inaugurated THE ART OF THE SCORE, highlighting some of the genre's most distinctive uses of music, in September 2013 with two programs of film music: Hitchcock! - which celebrated Alfred Hitchcock and the music written for his films by composers including Bernard Herrmann, Lyn Murray, and Dimitri Tiomkin through film clips accompanied by live performances of the scores - and 2001: A Space Odyssey - which was screened in its entirety as the Orchestra performed the score live, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert. The second season featured La Dolce Vita: The Music of Italian Cinema and Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times: The Tramp at 100.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

David Newman (On the Waterfront) is one of today's most accomplished creators of music for film. In his 25-year career he has scored more than 100 films, ranging from War of the Roses, Matilda, Bowfinger, and Heathers to the more recent Tarzan and Serenity. Mr. Newman's music has brought to life the critically acclaimed dramas Brokedown Palace and Hoffa; top-grossing comedies Galaxy Quest, The Nutty Professor, and Throw Mama From the Train; and award- winning animated films Ice Age and The Brave Little Toaster. He holds an Academy Award® nomination for his score to the animated feature Anastasia. David Newman is also a highly sought-after conductor and appears with leading orchestras throughout the world. He has led subscription weeks with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall; regularly conducts the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl; and leads the annual movie night at the Hollywood Bowl. In July 2011, he premiered West Side Story (film with live orchestra) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and has conducted the work with numerous orchestras in the U.S. and abroad, including the New York Philharmonic. He has spent considerable time unearthing and restoring film music classics for the concert hall, and headed the Sundance Institute's music preservation program in the late 1980s. He continues that work while serving on the board of the American Youth Symphony since 2007. The son of nine-time Oscar®-winning composer Alfred Newman, David Newman was born in Los Angeles in 1954. He studied violin and piano from an early age and earned degrees in orchestral conducting and violin performance from the University of Southern California. From 1977 to 1982 he worked extensively in the motion picture and television industry. David Newman made his Philharmonic debut in September 2011 leading Bernstein's score to West Side Story as the complete film was screened.

Robert Osborne (On the Waterfront) has served as primetime host and anchor of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) since its launch in 1994. He also co-hosts TCM's weekly Essentials showcase, has filmed numerous specials for network, and serves as the host of TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and as the host of the TCM Classic Cruise. Born in Colfax, Washington, Robert Osborne graduated from the University of Washington's School of Journalism, appearing in local plays in his non-study hours. He eventually went to Hollywood as an actor and soon after was signed to a contract by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for their Desilu studios. It was Lucy who encouraged him to use his journalistic skills and interest in Hollywood history to pursue writing, which he considers "the best career advice" he has ever been given. Mr. Osborne was a reporter and columnist for The Hollywood Reporter for more than 25 years, and is the author of many books on Hollywood history, including his latest, 85 Years of the Oscar. On February 1, 2006, Mr. Osborne received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in January 2008 he received a special award from the National Board of Review for his contributions as a film historian. Among his "accomplishments" - he has been satirized six times on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

American composer/conductor Justin Freer (The Godfather) was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, and has established himself as one of the West Coast's most exciting musical voices. He began his formal studies on trumpet, playing in wind ensembles, marching bands, and community orchestras. He quickly turned to piano and composition and composed his first work for wind ensemble at age 11. Continuing trumpet performance while studying piano and composition, Mr. Freer attended multiple wind ensemble, choral, and big band performances of his music while still a teenager and gave his professional conducting debut at age 16. He earned both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in music composition from UCLA, where his principal composition teachers included Paul Chihara and Ian Krouse. In addition, he was mentored by legendary composer/conductor Jerry Goldsmith. Continually composing for various mediums, he has written music for world-renowned trumpeters Doc Severinsen and Jens Lindemann, and he continues to be in-demand as a composer and conductor for everything from orchestral literature to chamber music at some of the best-known venues in the world. Major League Soccer called upon Justin Freer to compose and conduct music for the 2011 and 2012 Major League Soccer Championship Cups in Los Angeles. He has served as composer for several independent films and written motion picture advertising music for some of 20th Century Fox Studios' biggest advertising campaigns, including Avatar, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Dragonball Evolution, and Aliens in the Attic. As a conductor Mr. Freer has appeared with orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, and in upcoming seasons he will guest conduct the Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis, London, Dublin, Toronto, and Montreal symphony orchestras, among others. As a record producer he has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra with Neville Marriner and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra with Carl St. Clair on recordings of Paul Chihara's orchestral works. As a composer/conductor he has collaborated with the wind ensembles, orchestras, and choirs of the Aries Composers Festival, Henry Mancini Institute, University of North Texas, UCLA, University of Illinois, and others. Mr. Freer has been recognized with numerous grants and awards from organizations including ASCAP, BMI, Society of Composers and Lyricists, and Henry Mancini Estate, and is the founder and president of CineConcerts, a company dedicated to the preservation and concert presentation of film, TV, and media music set to picture. These performances mark Justin Freer's New York Philharmonic debut.

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

Alec Baldwin (Artistic Advisor of THE ART OF THE SCORE) is the Radio Host of the New York Philharmonic. The actor last appeared onstage in the 2013 Broadway revival of Lyle Kessler's Orphans. Mr. Baldwin's other stage credits include Entertaining Mr. Sloane (Roundabout Theatre Company, 2006 production); Loot (Broadway, 1986); Serious Money (Broadway, 1988); Prelude to a Kiss (Circle Repertory Company, in 1990 (Obie Award); A Streetcar Named Desire (Broadway, 1992); Macbeth (New York Shakespeare Festival, 1998); Twentieth Century (Roundabout Theatre Company, 2004), earning him Theatre World and Obie Awards as well as a Tony nomination; and Equus (Guild Hall of East Hampton, 2010). Mr. Baldwin has appeared in more than 50 films, including Beetlejuice, Working Girl, Miami Blues, The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross, Malice, The Juror, The Edge, Ghosts of Mississippi, State and Main, The Cat in the Hat, The Cooler (National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Oscar nomination), The Aviator, The Departed, It's Complicated, Blue Jasmine, and Still Alice. On television Mr. Baldwin starred with Tina Fey on NBC's 30 Rock, winner of the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. For his portrayal of Jack Donaghy, Mr. Baldwin received seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globes, the Television Critics Award, and two Emmy Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. In 2011 Mr. Baldwin received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His company, El Dorado Pictures, has produced projects including Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial for TNT (Emmy Award nomination); The Confession for Showtime (Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay); and David Mamet's film State and Main. A dedicated supporter of public policy and arts causes, Alec Baldwin serves on the boards of the New York Philharmonic, People For the American Way, The Hamptons International Film Festival, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Guild Hall of East Hampton. He is an active supporter o The Radiation and Public Health Project, East Hampton Day Care Center, The Actors Fund, The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and The Water Keeper Alliance, among many others. His book, A Promise to Ourselves, was published by St. Martin's Press in paperback in 2009.

Single tickets for On the Waterfront start at $45; tickets for The Godfather start at $49. Tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office. The Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. On performance evenings, the Box Office closes one-half hour after performance time; other evenings it closes at 6:00 p.m. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. [Ticket prices subject to change.]