In The Big Picture, Grammy®-nominated clarinetist David Krakauer takes audiences on an evocative, multimedia journey back to one’s cultural roots through the exploration of 12 classic movie scores and newly minted short films. Krakauer’s Jewish heritage inspires his re-imagining of these scores, which in turn encourages listeners to “step back” and see the “big picture”--to connect with their own backgrounds and heritages.
Find out how this performance connects with Jewish filmmaking.
According to The Village Voice, Krakauer spares no aspect of each score from his masterful arrangements: “Krakauer will lovingly render, or unapologetically mess with, music from such films as Cabaret, Lenny, Avalon, Love and Death, The Producers and Funny Girl. The moods range from pure balladic elegance to ballsy rocking out.” The musical expedition features scores by Academy Award and Grammy®-winning composers such as John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Randy Newman, and Mel Brooks. Additionally, short films from the New York-based creative studio Light of Day accompany Krakauer’s inventive musical works for an adventurous, unique experience that is not to be missed.
According to Krakauer, the emotional journey that The Big Picture has taken him on has been quite a process of self-discovery and reconnection with his past. “I've taken themes from iconic films with Jewish content and reimagined them with a band of world-class musicians. The Big Picture has become more special than I'd ever imagined. It brought me to a new emotional level, reminding me of the incredible resiliency of my great grandparents, arriving from Eastern Europe with virtually nothing and how they were able to overcome incredible poverty and anti-Semitism to succeed. I've never been prouder to be Jewish. But at the same time I think this project really speaks about how people across the ages have found ways to survive in the face of adversity. That's not just the Jewish experience. It's everyone's struggle."
Join David Krakauer and his jazz-inspired orchestra for a moving journey through music and film!
The Big Picture
David Krakauer and The 35mm Orchestra
Friday, March 2 at 8 p.m.