Concert Reviews

Houston Concert Review

“JOHN WILLIAMS JOINS YO-YO MA”
December 5, 2013, Houston, TX
The Houston Symphony Orchestra conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
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Composer John Williams and cellist Yo-Yo Ma brought a yin-and-yang chemistry to the Houston Symphony concert devoted to Williams’ movie and concert music.

Williams, who conducted Thursday, was genial but self-effacing, Ma the ebullient one – waving to the audience with his first step onstage, smiling broadly, quickly giving a thumbs-up to audience members seated behind the orchestra. When they got down to work, Ma cut a more animated figure sitting behind his cello than Williams did standing at the podium. – Full review at the Houston Chronicle (includes pictures)

Awards, Lincoln

Williams Receives 63rd Grammy Nomination

John Williams’ score for Lincoln has been nominated in the “Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media” category for the 2013 Grammy Awards (for albums albums released between Oct. 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2013).

Argo, The Great Gatsby, Life of Pi and Skyfall were also nominated in that category (see all nominations in the visual media categories, and full list of Grammy nominees).

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on January 26, 2014 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Upcoming Performances

Boston & Tanglewood 2014 Concerts Announced

BOSTON (June 6, 7, 10 & 11, 2014)

Film Night with John Williams will return this June as a signature event of the spring season. Williams will lead the Pops in popular film themes from his blockbuster scores to Star Wars, Jaws, and the Indiana Jones and Harry Potter series. In addition to presenting his own beloved scores, Mr. Williams will lead the Pops in a tribute to celebrated film composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as selections by some of the up-and-coming composers working in the field today.

Tickets goes on sale tomorrow, December 5, 2013

FILM NIGHT:
Friday, June 6 – Saturday, June 7 – Tuesday, June 10 – Wednesday, June 11
(Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by John Williams)

TANGLEWOOD (August 2 & 5, 2014)

John Williams will lead Tanglewood’s Film Night, one of the most eagerly-anticipated evenings of the Tanglewood season, with special guests to be announced at a later date (8/2). The annual day-long musical celebration, Tanglewood on Parade, culminating in an evening concert with the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood Music Center orchestras, led by Keith Lockhart, John Williams, and Stéphane Denève will take place on August 5.

JOHN WILLIAMS’ FILM NIGHT: Saturday, August 2
(Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by John Williams)

TANGLEWOOD ON PARADE: Tuesday, August 5
(BSO, Boston Pops, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra; Stephane Deneve, Keith Lockhart, Leonard Slatkin, and John Williams, conductors)
Program to include Tchaikovsky (1812 Overture) followed by fireworks

Awards, The Book Thief

John Williams’ ‘The Book Thief’ Receives First Nomination

The International Press Academy (IPA) today announced its nominations for the 18th Annual Satellite Awards honoring Motion Pictures, Television, Blu-ray Discs, and Video Games. John Williams’ score for The Book Thief was named one of the top scores of the year along with Gravity by Steven Price, Her by Arcade Fire, Philomena by Alexandre Desplat, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by Theodore Shapiro, and Twelve Years a Slave by Hans Zimmer. The Satellite Awards ceremony will be held March 9 in Los Angeles. – Full list of nominees.

CD & Digital, Releases, Selected News, The Book Thief

‘The Book Thief’ Soundtrack Reviews (NEW UPDATE)

Film Music Magazine – If there’s one instrument that Williams has used to devastating effect, then it’s certainly the violin in the Hebraic scores to “Schindler’s List” and “Munich.” What’s interesting, and no less impactful about “The Book Thief” is that the solo violin is barely present. Instead, the predominant sound is harp, strings and piano, as mostly heard in a pensive, if not gently happy register reminiscent of Williams’ soundtracks to “Stanley and Irish” and “The Accidental Tourist” – one movie about a writer re-discovering his purpose in life, and the other about a unassuming man learning to read. – Full review *NEW*

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Miscellaneous, Williams/Spielberg

Steven Spielberg, John Williams Celebrate Lionel Newman at Building Dedication

Steven Spielberg, John Williams, Jim Gianopulos
Steven Spielberg and longtime artistic collaborator John Williams were among those attending Thursday’s celebration on the 20th Century Fox lot renaming the studio’s historic music building in honor of the late Lionel Newman, the prolific television and film composer. – Full article at The Hollywood Reporter — UPDATE: New report from The Film Music Society

Upcoming Performances

‘Home Alone’ Score to Be Performed Live to Picture

December 18, 2013 7:30 PM, Severance Hall
The Cleveland Orchestra – David Newman, conductor

Composer John Williams’s delightful score performed live by The Cleveland Orchestra
A true holiday favorite, this heart-warming classic comedy comes to Severance Hall for one night only — with renowned composer John Williams’s delightful musical score performed live by The Cleveland Orchestra. This will be the first time an orchestra is playing the music live with a showing of the film. – Full details at the orchestra’s website

Interviews, Star Wars: Episode VII

John Williams Looks Forward to Scoring New ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Indiana Jones’

John-WilliamsLOS ANGELES — At 81 years old, legendary composer John Williams is busier than ever, as he scores JJ Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII and is raring to work on Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones 5. John quipped that he expects to be working until he’s 100 and beyond.

“I’m quite a bit older than he,” John said of Steven, his frequent artistic partner. “It’s been, for whatever reason, always a wonderful relationship. Since he is younger than I am, I will try to keep up with him, do the music for Indiana Jones 5. I will try to keep up with the other gentlemen, including JJ Abrams, who’s doing Star Wars VII, and we will see how long my eyesight will hold out. —That’s the present state of things.”

- Full interview at Inquirer.net