The Philadelphia Orchestra is famous for its strings, but not since Disney’s 1940 classic Fantasia have they been put to cinematic use. In Music From the Inside Out, a documentary finished in 2004 but only now getting its DVD release, we witness several examples of the orchestra’s greatness, none of them more supernal than a rehearsal solo by violinist Kim Fisher. Coming early in the film’s brief 90 minutes, it seems to cry out to us in longing.
Unfortunately, the musical voices do not fully come together—at least not on screen. The chief problem is that we never hear one extended orchestral piece without interruptions from the players themselves, who weigh in on such ineffable questions as “What is music?” To be fair, director Daniel Anker’s intention was not to reproduce an actual performance, but to explore the individual lives and stories comprising a musical entity that relies upon the illusion of togetherness.
In this measure he succeeds. Music From the Inside Out is replete with fascinating stories like that of David Kim, who was pushed by his mother into a career as a violin soloist, only to later renounce dreams of stardom for the more anonymous confines of an orchestra. Many players evince a whiff of frustration at having to sacrifice their musical individuality for the greater good, and even when David Kim says he feels like “the luckiest guy in the world,” we don’t quite believe him.
The doc is at its best when showing the diverse ways in which members channel their exploratory impulses: One plays in a salsa band, another teaches music to special needs children. Violinist Zack moonlights with a bluegrass outfit, while cello player Udi collaborates with brilliant Palestinian musician Simon Shaheen. In defiance of the title, some of the most luminous moments come “from the outside,” such as when orchestra members stand transfixed by a street performer whizzing through all of The Four Seasons on accordion. But the “Sum of the Parts” announced, tantalizingly, in the film’s third and final section rings hollow, promising joyful fulfillment and ending on a weak note.
