The Netflix hit series about the history of our planet live with orchestra
‘Life on Our Planet’, the groundbreaking eight-part Netflix documentary series, tells the incredible story of the epic, four-billion-year journey of life on Earth. With ‘Life on Our Planet in Concert’, it now takes on another dimension in the form of a spectacular audiovisual live experience that will go on tour in April 2025 and stop off in seven German cities.
The live realisation brings the power, drama and tension of the series to life on the big screen, rounded off by a performance of Lorne Balfe's rousing soundtrack by the Philharmonia Frankfurt.
‘Life on Our Planet’ is a joint production of Silverback Films and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television. ‘Life on Our Planet in Concert’ (by esk film in collaboration with Netflix and Silverback Films) allows audiences to experience the history of life on the big screen in its most important moments - from the first single-celled life form to the first animals to move from the sea to the land to the first creatures to fly.
‘Life on Our Planet in Concert’ is an exciting musical experience whose soundtrack captures the evolution of nature in an impressive way. ‘It is exciting to perform this stunning ‘Life on Our Planet’ score live in front of an audience. The music will accompany the audience on this journey through billions of years and the concept of the origin of life every step of the way,’ says Lorne Balfe, Scottish composer and producer of the film score. His numerous works (including ‘Top Gun Maverick’, ‘Argyle’ and ‘The Crown’) have earned him a Grammy and many other awards, including an Emmy and Bafta nomination.
The orchestras taking part in the ‘Life on Our Planet in Concert’ tour are themselves leading world-renowned cultural institutions. The London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra have recorded the orchestral score for the documentary series. The storyline is crucial to the composition of the score as it contains a variety of different motifs reflecting different creatures and evolutionary history. After careful research, Balfe chose some instruments based on their specific characteristics. The film score was therefore inspired by some of the oldest instruments (bone flutes found in caves) combined with state-of-the-art electronic production. For example, an organ in the Royal Albert Hall - a classical instrument through which air is pumped - symbolises the concept of life and breath.
For 90 minutes, the orchestras will perform music that tells the story of the five previous mass extinctions that have shaped our planet - and also anticipates the sixth that our planet is facing today. The series brings creatures known only as fossils to life in a dramatic, photorealistic way. Revisiting one of the Earth's longest-lived animal dynasties, the dinosaurs, viewers witness their catastrophic demise, which ultimately led to the age of mammals and the rise of the most dangerous animal the Earth has ever seen: man.
‘Life on Our Planet in Concert’ traces our human lineage on this legendary journey. It highlights our special status in the four billion year old history of the planet as the only species capable of understanding what is happening to our world and perhaps the only one capable of saving it.
Organised by: Bernd Aust Kulturmanagement GmbH