Williams Concert in Philadelphia – Review, Photos & Videos

“JOHN WILLIAMS IN CONCERT”
April 18, 2018, Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS and Stéphane Denève

CONCERT PROGRAM

Stéphane Denève conducting

  • A Hymn to New England
  • Suite from JFK (Theme; Motorcade; Arlington)
  • Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra
    I. Allegro moderato II. Andante III. Allegro molto

INTERMISSION

John Williams conducting

  • “Swashbuckler” (The Adventures of Mutt), from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  • A Child’s Tale: Suite from The BFG
  • Three Selections from Harry Potter (The Chamber of Secrets; Nimbus 2000; Harry’s Wondrous World)
  • Theme from Sabrina
  • Three Selections from Star Wars (The Rebellion is Reborn; Rey’s Theme; Main Title)

ENCORES

  • Han Solo and the Princess from The Empire Strikes Back (new arrangement)
  • The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back

Program notes (pdf)

EXTERNAL REVIEWS

  • The Philadelphia Inquirer – Wednesday’s concert divorced Williams’ film scores from their visuals and placed them firmly in the art house. If the Pulitzer judges wanted to open up to a wider range of American music, as Slate reported the program indicated in 1996 that it did, the passing of two decades without awarding the prize to Williams says more about the judges than the master of this distinctly American art form. Rather than using film clips, Williams set up each piece by talking through the action. He needn’t have bothered. The music says it all. – Full review

PHOTOS

From left to right: Conductor Stéphane Denève, composer Jennifer Higdon and John Williams

VIDEOS

JOHN WILLIAMS CONDUCTS THE IMPERIAL MARCH

REHEARSAL VIDEO