Tim Burten interviews album producer Mike Matessino to coincide with the new 2CD limited edition release of John Williams’ Empire of the Sun, discussing the movie and music in detail, with numerous cue commentaries and revealing the unique scoring and spotting approach that Spielberg and Williams took. – Interview intro and comments at Film Score Monthly.
Full audio interview:
(More photos at Gloria Cheng’s Facebook page)
Pianist Gloria Cheng has announced that her album ‘Montage’ featuring John Williams’ ‘Conversations’ for piano solo will be released on CD on February 10, 2015. The album will also include piano works by Bruce Broughton, Don Davis, Michael Giacchino, Randy Newman and Alexandre Desplat.
See also:
- Gloria Cheng Starts Project to Fund the Release of Williams’ Conversations’
- John Williams’ ‘Conversations’ Premiered (Reviews & Program Notes)
Press Release:
The Academy Steps Behind the Score with Composers Gustavo Dudamel, Gustavo Santaolalla and John Williams
LOS ANGELES, CA – Composers Gustavo Dudamel, Gustavo Santaolalla and John Williams will gather at the Academy for “Behind the Score: The Art of the Film Composer,” on Monday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bing Theater in Los Angeles. In a conversation hosted by Tavis Smiley, the illustrious trio will discuss significant musical moments in film that have inspired their work as they examine the art and process of creating a film score as well as the director-composer collaboration.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN:
BRINGING BACK A LOST BOY
by Mike Matessino
Producing the “Expanded Archival Collection” of Empire of the Sun for La-La Land Records and Warner Bros. has been a privilege and a delight of the highest order. As much as I had already admired the work of composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg prior to 1987, I knew when I first experienced Empire of the Sun that this was a very ambitious and profound work of art, one which inspired me personally as well as professionally.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN – Cue List and Additional Notes
by Mike Matessino
The following CD track list for Empire of the Sun includes each cue’s reel and part number, session slate numbers (in order of editorial usage), 1987 recording date, orchestrator and indicates, where applicable, the original manuscript titles. Additional notes are included regarding edits made for the film or for the original 1987 album and other points not discussed in the essay accompanying the La-La Land Records “Expanded Archival Collection” release.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET) LLLCD 1300
Music by John Williams
Limited Edition of 4000 Units
STARTS SHIPPING JUNE 24
RETAIL PRICE: $29.98
ORDER “EMPIRE OF THE SUN: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)” on 6/24 starting at 12pm (PST) at www.lalalandrecords.com
Last week, Consequence of Sound website kicked off their monthly tournament in search of the Greatest Film Composer of All Time… – Read more at CoS
JWFan presents the first ever audio sample from La-La Land Record’s Empire of the Sun 2CD set, coming June 24th at Lalalandrecords.com. The clip is a 60-second excerpt from the track “The Return to the City (Alternate)”, a nearly 8-minute previously unreleased cue that will be available on disc 2 of the album. Enjoy!
Play embedded file:
Download the MP3:
The Return to the City (Alternate)
On July 1, the China Philharmonic Orchestra with pianist Lang Lang will debut “Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra”, a new work by John Williams specifically composed for this concert. The event will take place at the Poly Theatre in Beijing, China. – More details at conductor Long Yu’s Facebook Page
BSX Records has released Three Studies for Harp – The Music of John Williams, a 3-track digital EP featuring arrangements for solo harp of “Hedwig’s Theme” and “Fluffy’s Harp” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and “The Lanes of Limerick” from Angela’s Ashes. The individual tracks can be purchased in MP3 or WAV for $0.99 each ($2.97 for the full EP). Also available from Amazon.com.