christer

Not often enough!

Sweden´s (I can´t believe nobody mentioned it already) is of course the most heartwarming national anthem there is. From a pure musical standpoint though I adore the lovely anthem of the Czheck republik. The USA anthem I´ve never heard I think. But then again, I never watch CNN.

..."Speaking of magic, just last week I finished working with John Williams and Steven Spielberg on the film “Munich” which comes out on December 24. What a gift!!!! I sang two solos that John wrote for me and basically spent the whole time in tears…it was all so moving. We recorded live with orchestra at Sony and I felt like I was flying, flying, flying on the wings of these inspired creative giants. My head is still up in the clouds somewhere."

I use the Senheisser HD-650 through Musical Fidelity´s X-CANv3 headphone amp. It´s a one way ticket to headphone nirvana. STRONGLY recommended.

The world will end because it´s ruled by faulty people! http://www.spacesoundtracks.com/spec/swars...s/swars-ep6.htm

First of all; If I remember it correctly the front cover of the CD edition of the original 1983 release, stated that it was indeed a DIGITAL recording? (on the little flap on the top right) So what happened to these original tapes? Clearly they are not the base for any of the re-releases. :? Second of all; I don´t think listening through a CAR audio system will be a fair treatment of an orchestral recording by any means. Using a high end audiophile system reveals the difference between the 1993 and the 1997 editions with heartbreaking clarity. The 1997 simply SUCKS!!! It´s a little uneven though, some tracks are better than others, but the overall sound quality is extremely low. this can´t be a seriously meant release. It´s an insult to us music lovers!!!

I think you must have meant what is our favourite JOHN WILLIAMS track!??? This is a JW board after all...? So of course it is "E.T. and me", as it always has been. But please don´t ask me to select one single track from all of my 800+ non-Williams classical CD´s! Because of my love for music as an artform, that would be impossible.

Friends, friends... Let´s just forget about these movies and concentrate on the MUSIC!!! I mean, that´s why we´re here after all. Right?

Where I´m from, quality beats quantity anytime!

The legendary Swedish conductor (and Julliard professor) maestro Sixten Ehrling has passed away at 86. He will be missed! I wonder if He ever met JW!? He got a lot of attention some 45 years ago when he conducted "Le sacre printems" without a score. Now that, if nothing else, is something to be remembered by. I can hardly even LISTEN to it without the score in front of me. LOL May he rest in musical piece! /CC

Esa-Pekka Salonen brought the Star wars concert suite to Stockholm a few years back and performed it in concert together with music by Kurt Weill. Believe me when I say that this was a big thing since music is practically an unknown art form north of Copenhagen. /CC

There is still hope though. I met with the head of Scandinavias largest record label a few weeks back. (http://www.bis.se) Our conversation moved into contemporary music and I told him about maestro Williams´s concertos. His eyes went saucer size (he´d only heard of the film scores) and asked me if I was joking. So I gave him a couple of cd:s to evaluate. Maybe it can be recorded by BIS. I haven´t heard anything yet but let us hope. /CC

This disc is a DISASTER! It is so bad that time stops when you listen to it... I fear that this recording may do more harm than good in the long run. I mean just imagine that someone who has never heard the maestros music before buy this CD out of curiosity... I promise he/she will NEVER want to hear the music of John Williams ever again. I´m not kidding. It´s that bad. I actually destroyed my copy a few years back. /C

I too join in the condolences Ricard! I´m very sorry! /CC

Q: -Tell me, is Harrison Ford married? A: -I don´t know. But yesterday I saw Hilary Hahn Solo. LOL