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The happy news I cryptically alluded to last week is now something I can make official: I just signed a book contract with OUP for 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴! It's a book it feels like I've been writing in my head for a long, long time -- since middle school, kinda? And unless Williams somehow returns to write another entry in the series, I'm treating it a chance to provide a properly 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 investigation into these scores, all nine of them. Even Rise of Skywalker?? 𝘌𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 Rise of Skywalker! My hope is this book does some justice to the complexity, challenge, and sheer magic of this music. Now, back to the grindstone! https://www.facebook.com/Falstaft/posts/pfbid0L6wUjeDDxj6AmhwHh1f9obrVMJfYbPx4GJM8YaEWiZtqxwp37A88monPFVDxBQ26l Congratulations, @Falstaft!

Wow, thanks everyone! Obviously, the most important question to address is how I got those italics. Simple! https://lingojam.com/FacebookFonts As for the timeframe: I have over a year to hand in the finished manuscript, but my goal is to have it completed well before that. It's a big book, and publishing is a very slow process. But everything so far is proceeding as I have forseen... It's not a guide to the scores really, but something more holistic, with each chapter looking at cues from all three trilogies from some angle: musical referentiality, thematic transformation, concert arrangements, and so on. There will be a ton of music examples (all my own annotated transcriptions as usu.), hopefully presented in an accessible way that draws in people who can't read sheet music. I know notation and music-theory jargon can be intimidating, and I'm hyper-aware of the potential gatekeeping effect it could on an already niche readership. But at the same time, I think we can all agree this music warrants deep and serious analysis! It's a balancing act for sure... Alas, I don't have special access to recordings, and can't speak to official expanded album releases, as amazing as they would be! Incidentally: I don't see it trumpeted nearly enough on these boards but Chloé Huvet came out with a book on SW music (mainly the OT and PT) a couple years ago that is absolutely brilliant and similarly synthetic in approach. The book is in French, which limits the audience, but it's worth getting your hands on if only for the fantastic music examples and charts. The amount of insight in her prose is incredible too, and it's been a major source of inspriation to me.

A 5 minute track was recorded to play throughout the scene, the walk through Diagon Alley was meant to be scored by the woodwinds and witchy fiddle. Then a "Reveal insert" was recorded to change the start of the reveal into an orchestral swell because it wasn't magical and awe-inspiring enough. Williams liked the music he wrote and expanded it into a longer, slower tempo concert piece in his Harry Potter Children's Suite for Orchestra, "Diagon Alley". For the original 1 disc soundtrack album release, Williams replaced the opening portion of his full recorded track with part of the Diagon Alley concert piece, this is "Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Vault" as you know it. For the movie, the filmmakers decided the reveal needed more of a warm happy reveal and excitement than a weird new world, so they replaced that same opening section with a latter track that Williams wrote for entering the Great Hall. (Confusingly, the track on the 1 disc soundtrack album called "Entry into the Great Hall and the Banquet" does NOT contain this entry music, only the banquet music.) The film also appends part of "Hermione's Feather" to the start of the track for the bricks moving out of the way. The LLL expanded release linked above has the original recorded track combined with the Reveal Insert in Disc 1 track 7, "Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault [Extended Version]", the Great Hall entrance in Disc 1 track 13, "Through the Doors", and the concert piece in Disc 3 track 8, "Diagon Alley". The original recorded opening of the track for Diagon Alley, the Reveal Insert, the full unedited concert piece and Through the Doors all premiered on the set, they were never before released, they were only available in a recording sessions leak with the exception of the Reveal Insert. I've done two videos about how the original opening and the reveal insert opening would've worked in the film:

From the print edition of the 2024/2025 Berlin Philharmoniker season book Found on: https://www.facebook.com/groups/904229429654872/posts/7527258017351947/ I'll add links to the official website here when it gets added there.

No jokes today, just an unfortunate apparent reality.

Its all fun and games now, but remember your enthusiasm for this when you read the following blurb next year. "Due to overseas conducting commitments, Williams had to pass on scoring Spielberg's highly anticipated new UFO movie. Spielberg admitted that he was disappointed but looks forward to working with Zimmer for the first time."

Per Cinema Herald: Legendary composer John Williams has been tapped to score Oliver Stone's upcoming film, "Donald Trump," set for release in 2027. The film will explore the life and presidency of Donald Trump. Stone, known for his provocative and politically charged filmmaking style, is expected to bring his unique perspective to this highly anticipated project. Williams expressed his excitement for the collaboration, stating, "Working with Oliver Stone is always a creatively fulfilling experience, and I am thrilled to be a part of this project." Williams revealed that he has already written the main theme. “Oliver wanted me to write an ambiguous theme that could be played in either a major or minor key, depending on the context. So I wrote a motif that goes up a major second, down a perfect fifth, and then up a perfect fourth. Hopefully, I’ve written something that might contribute in some way to the audience’s listening experience, if only on a subconscious level.” This collaboration is set to deliver a captivating musical narrative, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the film's release.

This was many Halloweens ago. Here's my daughter and her friend. And with apologies to @Mr. Hooper, here's me: Hey I don't need this working class hero crap. And Here's the family dog, with 3 barrels on 'em: Quint gets revenge: Aboard the Orca.... Thanks for indulging me!

The film and score are so masterful and deeply moving, this sequence always brings me to tears. This film exemplifies two masters of their medium at the pinnacle of their craft. Sublime, mature, rich, complex, efficient, and ultimately deeply moving. This is from a moment in the film where so much is happening subtextually. A masterpiece of film making, scoring, and storytelling. The film never scores the action, only the subtext or inner thoughts of the characters. Something Spielberg and Williams hinted at in all their prior collaborations but here it is in full display. A few reasons why this film hits me so hard - I think it was 2014, I was flying back from Baltimore, Maryland, after performing there. That was after a wonderful experience performing with Marin Alsop and the amazing musicians and friends in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Since I had to fly with my trombone in a seat without it blocking any passengers in case there was an evacuation, I was boarded first and in the front row. Next were a group of 20 senior citizens that were all part of the Honor Flight Network (a non-profit organization whose mission is to transport Veterans to Washington DC to visit memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice). This was one of the most enjoyable flights I had ever taken making the five-hour flight feel like only 30 minutes it was over so quick. The man sitting next to me was known as the “kid” because he was the youngest one at 87. He was a rear gunner on a B-17 bomber. I told him I was a pilot which excited him as we began talking about what he saw and experienced flying dozens of dangerous missions, the fright of the Luftwaffe, friends he lost, and the incredible randomness of great tragedies. He almost started tearing up recalling a routine mission with several of his friends where all on board died because the plane simply flew into a mountain. I could feel the cold, noise, smell, fear, cramping, claustrophobia inside the rear and belly turret of these long missions over enemy terrain. He said the introduction of the P-51 Mustang was a game changer because they would now have armed escorts on their dangerous missions who were as agile (probably more so) as the Luftwaffe. They frequently didn't even know what happened to their friends. After difficult missions, they simply returned and noticed airplanes missing or bunks unoccupied. No word of what happened to their friends...are they now POW? Did the plane ditch in the sea? Were there any survivors? They had no easy answers. How terrifying it must have been to fly these missions before the P-51 where it must have felt like they were a large sitting duck! Now at least, they had a chance. Halfway through the flight, many of these men had to go the bathroom so my front row chair became a rotating door of great stories from these incredible veterans. One consistent story I heard was how much they all revered one of the passengers on the flight above all else. Finally, he made his way to the front row seat awaiting the bathroom. When he sat next to me, we started talking and I saw his cap "101st Airborne Screaming Eagles" Infantry division. My jaw dropped. He was a paratrooper on D-Day who jumped from a glider behind enemy lines in the middle of the night during the Invasion of D-Day. Against incredibly bad odds, he survived the battle telling me that night, he lost half his company. Just imagine, in a 24-hour period losing one out of two people you trained and bonded with. These guys were around 17 to 22 years old at that time and I couldn't believe I was looking them directly in their eyes hearing them recount these horrific experiences firsthand. This scene from Saving Private Ryan, the 101st is crossing paths with Captain Miller's (Tom Hanks) character as they look through the dog tags of paratroopers killed. I met those men. It was incredibly humbling to meet these true heroes and I was reminded of them each time I see this film. I will never forget meeting them and hearing their stories firsthand.

In 1983, the Return of the Jedi OST track "Rebel Briefing" actually contains music from the end of the movie. The cue for the rebel briefing is not on the album. In 1988, the Accidental Tourist OST track "Wedding Scene" actually contains an alternate Main Title cue. In 1989, the Last Crusade OST track "Escape From Venice" contains the music for a boat chase that happens entirely within Venice, a place they continue to be in for a while after the chase. The cue for when they leave Venice for Austria isn't on the album. In 1997, the Lost World OST track "Rescuing Sarah" is for the second half of the trailer sequence, after Sarah is already rescued from the glass and they are working as a whole to get out of the trailer together. The actual cue for her being rescued from the glass isn't on the album. In 1997, the Amistad OST track "Mr. Adams Takes the Case" combines the start of the cue for Adams' introduction scene with a cue for later in the film when he's talking to Joadson in his home. Both of these scenes take place before he's decided to take the case (he decides to take the case off-screen, there is no cue for it). In 1999, the Phantom Menace OST track "Star Wars Main Title and the Arrival At Naboo" only contains the very start of the the arrival cue, almost immediately segueing to music from later in the film to end the track. In 2002, the Attack of the Clones OST track "Star Wars Main Title and Ambush On Coruscant" only contains the very start of the ambush cue, almost immediately segueing to music from later in the film to end the track. In 2005, the War of the Worlds OST track "Confrontation with Ogilvy" combined music from the "bodies in the river" scene (which is before the group has met Ogilvy) and the "Red Planet" scene (which begins after Ogilvy is already dead). The actual cue for Roy killing Ogilvy isn't on the album. In 2015, the Force Awakens OST track "Rey Meets BB-8" combines the "Finding The Map" cue from the very end of the movie with the "I've Found The Droid" cue from the middle of the movie. Williams recorded 5 different cues for the scene of Rey meeting BB-8, but none of them are on the album. (The film did track in "Finding The Map" into the scene where they met, so this is sort of an exception I guess).

Decided to start a thread to list all of these since I've started documenting them. There are a surprising number of these available to the public. From ANH, everyone knows about takes 16-20 of 1m2 Star Wars on the 1997 set, and the alternate takes throughout the 1993 album are pretty well known as well (though not necessarily documented). But I was surprised to find that the 1997 and 2018 albums actually have alternate takes too! Here's a few that I've found already: 1M3 The War has an alternate take on the 1993 set from 2:15-2:58, the 1997/2018 sets have the correct one. 2M3 The Little People has an alternate take in a couple spots. The 1993 and 1997 sets both have the wrong take from 3:12-3:16, where the 2018 has the right one. However, the 1993 and 2018 sets have the wrong take for the ending Imperial statement, where the 1997 set has the correct one. 2M5 More Little People has an alternate mix for 1:25-end on the 1993 and 1997 sets, where the 2018 has the correct mix. I thought this was a different take originally but @Manakin Skywalker noticed that the 1997 and 2018 versions do indeed phase, so it must be a different mix and not a different take. I'll keep updating this thread as I find more. Feel free to include ones from other Star Wars scores, they don't have to just be ANH

We're all very pleased with the final program, keeping it mind that there were factors that lead into some decisions, such as compact disc length, composer preference, fee increases for tracks over 10 minutes long, etc Programming any expansion includes deciding what to do when there are multiple versions of cues in terms of which goes in the main program and which in the bonus tracks, and by and large sticking to having all the versions used in the film in the main program, and all the versions that were not as bonus tracks, made a lot of sense and led to each program being really strong. Additionally, the careful selection of which score alternates should go at the end of disc 2, instead of disc 3, in order to make disc 3 be the best album it can be, worked out really well. The one change a lot of people will probably do of taking those disc 2 tracks and adding them to the disc 3 album (as John Takis laid out somewhere here earlier), to basically make a longer Songs & Alts program, which is really just as valid as the structure we ended up with. However, when released as three physical discs, I am glad that a big bonus program didn't start on disc 2, have a disc break, and then have it continue on disc 3. It's kind of nicer to have disc 3 be more of its own thing. Like Mike has said, everything just kind of took a life of its own and came out perfectly in that regard. The goal was to make a program that pleased us, the composer, and the lyricist, while adhering to the stipulations we had, and of course presenting the songs in the best way possible. Since most of the songs are piano demos, if they were just lumped together in a row, they don't speak nearly as loudly as they do in the current album 3 configuration where you hear lushly orchestrated versions of the song melodies before or after those demos in the score alternates; it just makes everything work so well that way! Now, when it comes down to it, the die hard fans are going to change things around the way they want anyway, and it's impossible to make a program that pleases everyone. And sure, I'm a diehard fan as much as anyone, so I don't think there's any harm in stating some of my own preferences. For Hook Trailer (Prologue), as much as I like the viola version of Peter's theme, I ultimately think the final performance edit made for the released trailer in 1991 is the strongest version of this music. I am glad that the new track is completely different takes from that version throughout (instead of sticking the different sections into an otherwise same track), but for me it plays better as a bonus track opener, and keeping the 1991 performance edit version as the main version. Just my preference. For Yuppie Sounds (Banning Back Home), I prefer Williams' original version, with the fun improv section, over the revision that was recorded at the last minute because of a picture change. We actually discussed making the original version be main program version, but there actually wasn't space on the discs to swap them, since the original version is a minute longer than the revised one! But since the revision is what's in the film it worked out nicely in that regard anyway. For the first part of Looney Wendy (The Stories Are True), I prefer the original version with the twisted version of the "Childhood" theme, over the later revision that is just a re-done Forgotten How To Fly with the "Mothers" theme mostly removed. This version actually was in the main program for a while, but having the "Childhood" version on disc 3 ultimately made that disc so much stronger. And again because the revision is what's in the film it worked out nicely anyway. For The Lost Boy Chase, I really like the percussion insert section. But John Williams wanted the album version in the main program. I don't really think it matters much either way. If anything, having to present the first two minutes of this cue three times (because it was used in the end credits) is the biggest issue with the final product, but also an issue that just has no workaround. At least each instance is on a different disc! For the entire grand finale, I prefer to have from Tink Grows Up through The End of Hook to just be one single 24 minute track with all cues seguing directly into each other, instead of broken up into 4 tracks. Just my preference. One thing I still haven't decided on after all this time is my final thoughts on the Kensington Extension (the final part of Farewell Neverland (Short Version / Alternate)). At first it was so jarring to hear, but I kind of love it more and more every time I hear it, and am now expecting it when I get to the end of the score. And yet there's something about the simplicity (for lack of a better word) of the original version's ending that can't be denied. So, I'm still undecided which I like better! I think that's about it. I still haven't fiddled with trying to put God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Take Me Out To The Ballgame in the main program or anything. And I don't think there's any merit in trying to put the other songs into the main program, not even "Low Below". Not having Bob Hoskins performing as Smee there would be too weird I think (and you'd have to lose Show Us The Hook, which is one of my favorite parts of the score). Moira's Lullaby seems like it would fit in well if not for the fact that the Saying Goodnight cue effectively replaces it.

I mean shit. One of the best cues in KOTCS is the departure. JW writes UFO themes for breakfast.

You don't. The handful of folks that like "film edits" for whatever reason would inevitably be a bit disappointed, but editing together the music as-recorded is quite simple actually, and still provides a relatively good listening experience. It's the sequel scores that I'd be more concerned with.

And the goal is met

You mean images?

I love JWFan

It's called representation Yavar. Cal Kestis was a godsend for us Gingers. 😉

That, had they cast MENA actors, the same people would make the opposite criticism: "Look at how they hired MENA people only to put them in roles that ridicule Muslim religious fervour (Stilgar), demonise it (pretty much all the others), fetishize them and put a white saviour at their head."

David Lynch finally gave a few quotes about taking the role

Another beloved 80s blockbuster with a classic John Williams score is celebrating 4 decades of existence this year: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which was released in the US on May 23, 1984. If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones I love the classic Indy movies! How will you celebrate ToD's 40th birthday? Re-watching it? Listening to the epic John Williams score? Doing all of those things?

Indeed. I know certainly there are Indians who may not have appreciated the portrayal (notably the Indian government at the time), and, well, fair enough. But frankly, most of the people I've seen take great offence at this film haven't been Indians, but rather the usual sort who are eager to take offence on behalf of someone else. I think it's just as silly to expect that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom be a complete, and accurate portrayal of Indians as it is to expect The Godfather to be a complete and accurate portrayal of Italians. I grew up watching wuxia films but I never thought every Chinese person was a martial arts expert who spent their days fighting. The great Amrish Puri (Mola Ram), put it best... "It's based on an ancient cult that existed in India and was recreated like a fantasy. If you recall those imaginary places like Pankot Palace, starting with Shanghai, where the plane breaks down and the passengers use a raft to jump over it, slide down a hill and reach India, can this ever happen? But fantasies are fantasies, like our Panchatantra and folklore. I know we are sensitive about our cultural identity, but we do this to ourselves in our own films. It's only when some foreign directors do it that we start cribbing."

Released 4/11/2024: https://www.thirdeditions.com/first-print/603-l-oeuvre-de-john-williams-le-chef-d-orchestre-des-emotions-first-print-9782377844371.html Press release pdf (in French): https://www.thirdeditions.com/index.php?controller=attachment&id_attachment=199

1M4

My favorite Indiana Jones movie. I had the foldout poster magazine, I had the Marvel adaptation, and I got the collectors edition movie program when I saw it opening day. Here are the original newspaper clippings I've saved from over the years (there's some Raiders in there too) I remember my sister had a job at the local (brand new) multiplex theater, so she saw everything back then. She hated the stuff I was into, mostly Spielberg and Lucas stuff. I remember opening up the poster mag to the gatefold image of Indy on the rope bridge surrounded on both sides, and even my sister admitted "Yeah, I gotta admit that was pretty cool". High praise from her back then. I wear a fedora daily. It is based on Temple of Doom style, and has an image of the 3 Sankara stones inside the sweatband, with the inscription "Fortune and Glory" I'll watch it again.

John Williams will be in the city I live in ON MY BIRTHDAY. WHAT COULD I WANT MORE

OMG! A video of Seth directly confirming that more Orville is coming! (start at 17:26, the play button should bring you right there) Hopefully it's a season 4, and not a followup movie, but I'll take either!

Don't know if this should go here or in a score thread in the John Williams section proper. But I put on the complete(ish) Return of the Jedi today. (Some sort of mish-mash of sources. I think it's probably one of the ABC editions.) I don't know that there is another score, not even a Star Wars score, that takes me to THE first time that I saw a film the way Jedi does. I hear that intro of the Star Destroyer and Vader's approach as JW teases the Imperial March through the first minutes and I can feel the air conditioning and I can smell the popcorn. I can feel the summer heat when the doors open at the end. I can remember the cheers at the Fox and Lucasfilm logos, the hush during "A long time ago" and the cheers again at Star Wars. The Jabba music in particular can make me "hear" the ambiance of a cinema. We're film music nerds, and for many of us part of the appeal is re-experiencing a beloved film. But this isn't just the film, this is that exact DAY. I wonder why this one?

And here I was hoping they'd be incompetent enough to dump the complete recording sessions on CD by mistake.

1M3

I think some forums do have moderators that don't like bumping old threads for any reason, but I've always thought it made sense to continue to use existing threads for new discussions of the same topic. The only thing I haven't liked if if some old thread is bumped for a similar but not exactly the same topic that would just make more sense to be a brand new thread, or when its bumped only to make a really bad, not funny to almost anyone joke.

My mantra while writing it out was "make Daddy Jay proud"

I'm happy for us and the terrific music we'll be getting, but I'm just delighted for Young, who has effectively been shut out of Hollywood, seeing how many people enjoy his music. Nobody (or hardly anyone) has seen the film with his music, but so many wanted to own what he wrote for it. I hope he's moved; I'm sure he is.

Seems hard to believe, with no other news sources saying anything yet, but lets hope this is real!

Huh? You don't mean literally merging the OSTs and FYCs and pressing a disc do you? What a pointless exercise - any of us can do that. At a minimum they should release expanded prequels - surely not too much editing or mastering needed, relative to the work involved for the OT.

I made a slightly different version for those who prefer it not just refering to the video game, since it was originally a score to accompany the reader of the book. and another one using a source from the comic book series

The liner notes should be included digitally for every digital release on every platform, why the fuck is that not a common basic given thing

Hey guys, Been a while since I posted here, but I just thought I’d drop by to let you know of a soundtrack concert report site that I started recently. I’ve actually just posted my report of John Williams in Milan! Here’s the link: https://soundtracks-in-concert.com/concerto-straordinario-john-williams-2022/ You can also find these reviews (previously posted by me on JWFan): JW in Tokyo https://soundtracks-in-concert.com/deutsche-grammophon-125-years-special-gala-concert/ Boston pops tribute to JW (Tokyo) https://soundtracks-in-concert.com/boston-pops-on-tour-2023-john-williams-tribute-2023/ Thanks for looking 😎

John Williams - Minority Report (LLL) This listen convinced me that this is one of Johnny's masterpieces. The blend of brooding introspection, unreachable memories of happier times, thrilling action and chase music, and vocals crying for justice is unparalleled in any other scores I've heard. I love how you can tell from listening that this fits right in between his prequel and Harry Potter scores, and is very post-AI pre-War of the Worlds, yet doesn't feel like it steals from any of those, its its own thing. And its fantastic from start to finish, especially the main program of the LLL edition. I forgot how much I like the alternate openings to The Crime and Freezing Water, so I'll probably swap those with their main program counterparts next time around. What a score!

I listened to the full score again after a few months and the music is just too good. There isn’t a single dull or uninteresting moment, and the way he weaves the themes together so seamlessly makes it feel like you’re listening to a concert work rather than something written to picture. This may be Williams’ most complex score, and definitely remains one of my favourites.

There's a difference between being sensitive and over-sensitive. It's a wonderful film.

The thread bump reminded me, I wrote up my recollections of the concert and have been meaning to post them. ---- I arrived about an hour early, and walked around the first, second, and third floors and looked at all the handwritten music by famous composers, and autographed photos of famous performers. I eventually made my way to my seat, on the fourth floor balcony. I was almost all the way on the far right, close to the stage. People filed into their seats, many arriving last minute. The orchestra members were all warming up, and you could catch occasional strains of Williams tunes. Finally the first chair violin came out, to applause. Then Deneuve. He said something like "Yes... (pause) John Williams is here!" He introduced Just Down West Street and they performed it. He then introduced the cello concerto, with much discussion of Seiji Ozawa (who died recently) and saying that Ozawa encouraged Williams to write the concerto in the first place. He introduced Yo Yo Ma, who took the stage to big applause. I enjoyed hearing a lot of hallmarks of Williams' early-2000s writing in the concerto. At the end, Ma held his bow a long time, holding off the applause, and finally everybody went nuts. Then the stage door opened and I could see Williams standing square in the middle of it! He came out, hugged Yo Yo, waved at everyone, there was big clapping and ovating. He left again, Ma sat back down and did Schindler's. After an intermission, the lights dimmed and it was time for the second half. Williams took the stage, to big applause of course. After every piece he conducted, there was quite a bit of applause, and ovations at least half the time. He moved around slowly, but was otherwise very enthusiastic, in introducing the pieces, waving to the audience, gesturing to orchestra members to stand for applause, and in conducting. He often used gestures to get the feeling he wanted, and to encourage specific sections of the orchestra during key moments. Olympic Fanfare and Theme > A great opener! Excerpts from The Book Thief > I like this score and was excited to hear this piece. Nice oboe solo! Williams introduced the piece with a long description of the plot, saying the music they were about to play was mostly for scenes of the children in the story reading books together. Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra > He introduced this and the two following Indiana Jones pieces all together, saying Harrison Ford was in his 70s, which made him a teenager in Williams' eyes. He joked that the insurance companies were nervous about Ford's stunts. He told his anecdote about the Scherzo, firstly that a scherzo meant a little joke, but that it was challenging to perform. He said it took a brilliant orchestra to record it, but when he saw the final movie, all he could hear was the motorcycles. So now he was going to have his revenge, playing it without the movie. Which is a great thing about this and the other Williams concert I saw at Carnegie Hall previously (with Anne-Sophie Mutter) - no video screen the entire time! He introduced the other two pieces as well, not really explaining Marion's Theme, and calling the Raiders March "the Indiana Jones march", close enough right? He told an anecdote about that one, saying Ford told him he hears the theme everywhere he goes, and he even heard it when he was getting a root canal, and hates the music! Williams got a chuckle out of that. The Scherzo, I've heard live quite a bit in recent years. But it was still cool to hear it again, and it's a very nice showcase for the orchestra. Marion's Theme > While this piece is lovely, it just kind of drifts by, with the concert arrangement spreading the theme a little thin. And it became redundant with the long excerpt of the theme appearing again in the Raiders March. The Raiders March > This one somehow never really gets old, even after 1000000 listens. I focused more on the brass this time, and noticed they were really respecting the dynamics of the piece. Princess Leia's Theme > He introduced this piece with his anecdote I've heard several times, that George Lucas didn't tell him there'd be a second movie, and he figured Luke and Leia would end up living "happily ever after" and had good action scenes and comedy scenes together, so he wrote them a love theme. Then George made more movies and it turned out they were brother and sister, so he had to write a new love theme to correct the situation. He emphasized that he didn't know, so he was innocent! I was excited to hear the piece, which I think is one of his best concert arrangements of a film theme. And HOLY... SHIT did the Philadelphia Orchestra perform the hell out of that piece. This was the biggest highlight of the night for me. A series of absolutely stunning, BEAUTIFUL solos. Williams pointed out the soloists during the applause at the end, though I think only the flute player stood up. Adventures on Earth > Beautiful of course. I may have heard this one a couple too many times in concert, but there were still many excellent moments that I enjoyed... both the obvious "hooks" and some of the more meandering parts that I don't have memorized. Helena's Theme > The first encore. Big introduction about Helena, Phoebe, Lauren Bacall, and the idea that it was a femme fatale theme, although I kind of question that. But it was nice to hear, especially after getting more familiar with the Dial of Destiny soundtrack. Star Wars (main title/end credits combo) > This one was more welcome than usual, since I've been having a moment with the Star Wars 1977 score lately. Hearing this piece performed live, you would really never know he edited together the main title/Imperial Attack stuff right into the end credits... it flowed perfectly in this performance. Great to hear the material feeling fresh after my revisiting of the score. The Imperial March > Got the biggest cheer of the night at the start when people recognized it. As usual when hearing this in concert, I got the biggest kick out of the flute solo. Who knew flutes could convey pure evil. After each encore, he walked to the stage door and a guy gave him a sip of bottled water, then he came back out for the next piece. But after Imperial March he did his usual sleepytime gesture, to the usual laughter, and walked off for good. Really a nice, enthusiastic, and highly professional performance from himself, the orchestra, and the soloists. A well-behaved and appreciative audience too. I'd say there's something special about the atmosphere of a Williams concert at Carnegie Hall compared to some other places. I daresay New York City and Carnegie Hall foster a climate of appreciation for the arts that leaves no need for gimmicks and keeps the focus simply on quality programming and refined musicianship. Serious Williams fans, see him at Carnegie if you can!

Honestly, it's like looking into a mirror!

Meanwhile I'm still waiting for more complete versions of the Hobbit scores..