John Williams' Film Night, Boston, May 12 & 13 2016

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

And some nice words from Lockhart.

 

[nightscape94 965]

Really great hearing him conduct Jedi Steps and Finale.

[Tom 4,640]

The TFA pieces seamlessly blend in with the classic pieces--that is quite a remarkable thing.  I might venture to say they fit better than the prequel pieces (which I love--not a diss). 

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

I actually have a question for those who attended the concert... Since the BSO was on tour in Europe from May 3 to 12, was the ensemble really labeled as Boston Pops Orchestra? Or rather Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra? I ask this, because after all, the Boston Pops is made up of the BSO musicians minus their 13 principals -- which couldn't be the case this year.

[justaguy 68]

Very nice concert, surprisingly good recording quality, lovely speeches, positive audience! I liked very much how audible woodwinds were (and brass section "calmer" - but that might have something to do with 16 kHz cutoff of the stream I received) in Force Awakens music selection, especially flutes, compared to CD version.

 

The only nitpicking I am going to do is to point out obvious and pretty hardcore tempo changes in E.T. Flying Theme and Rey's Theme.

 

I have also recorded the whole thing, so if it doesn't show up on the radio's site hit me with PM.

 

zaddini

[Jay 37,318]

31 minutes ago, Miguel Andrade said:

I actually have a question for those who attended the concert... Since the BSO was on tour in Europe from May 3 to 12, was the ensemble really labeled as Boston Pops Orchestra? Or rather Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra? I ask this, because after all, the Boston Pops is made up of the BSO musicians minus their 13 principals -- which couldn't be the case this year.

 

Wasn't a picture of the program posted a few pages back? If not I can post pics.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

8 hours ago, Mari said:

Here's a new interview posted on the WGBH website and is also available on Soundcloud (The first 21 minutes contain the JW section):

 

Some items covered: Daisy Ridley, Anthony Hopkins, Jerry Goldsmith

 

According to the interviewer Brian McCreath, the concert will be available on demand after it is broadcast.

 

Williams basically kinda/sorta-ish implies he's doing the Star Wars sequels in this interview.

[artguy360 1,843]

JW also says he had a back problem last year which is fine now. It seems more and more that he is healthier now than when he was working on Ep. 7. Bodes well for his future.

 

Edit: Listening to the concert now. The arrangement of the theme from Out of Africa is beautiful except for some strange choices with percussion instruments. Whatever is making that over-mic'd *ping! sound needs to stop. 

[justaguy 68]

It's officialy here:

 

http://www.wgbh.org/programs/The-Boston-Symphony-Orchestra-in-Concert-1641?episode=63461

[jocores 96]

Link to the streaming mp3, for those who want to keep it: http://streams.wgbh.org/online/clas/bso/bso160521.mp3

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

6 hours ago, Jay said:

 

Wasn't a picture of the program posted a few pages back? If not I can post pics.

I remember seeing a picture of the program just showing the Williams pieces... Maybe I missed some other picture. Anyway, just wanted to double check how the ensemble was labeled. For me, seems obvious this isn't the usual Pops roster of musicians, both because of the European tour I mentioned earlier, and because I can see clearly from the pictures posted on facebook, this aren't the orchestra's regular faces.

 

As for the Barry piece, this is an arragment by Joe Reisman, recorded by Williams and the Pops in the late 80's and does includes that odd percussion. 

The thing with the predominance of the woodwinds as probably more to do with mic placing than anything else.

[The Psycho Pianist 216]

18 hours ago, Mari said:

Here's a new interview posted on the WGBH website and is also available on Soundcloud (The first 21 minutes contain the JW section):

 

Some items covered: Daisy Ridley, Anthony Hopkins, Jerry Goldsmith

 

According to the interviewer Brian McCreath, the concert will be available on demand after it is broadcast.

 

There's an absolutely classic "Williams on Star Wars" monologue in there:

 

Quote

We thought it was a one off film, and it seemed to be good, and I did what I could with the music. And like dozens of other films I have done, I thought well that's great, it'll go out and play for a few weeks and then we'll go onto the next film.

 

But of course, we all know that it touched something across, even cultures I suppose. You start with this idea of the Force, and of good and evil, and heroes and heroines and so on - all classic stuff; but wrapped in a quasi and original mythology, where George created these fantastic characters of Yoda and Darth Vader and so on, and then it began to seem to be Grecian in a way, mythic. And we began to feel that we recognised the myths in some kind of long, lost atavistic communal memory if you like - and it touched corners of our mystic side.

Somebody has written that human beings need science, and there is science and there's mysticism, and the thing about being human is the fact that we need both - and I think Star Wars somehow touches on both levels: the idea of scientific imagination of what could be practically done in the future, combined with mysticism and mythology of a kind of originality, that took the audience almost unconsciously to a play that they didn't expect to go.

 

[JacksonElmore 69]

11 hours ago, zaddini said:

Very nice concert, surprisingly good recording quality, lovely speeches, positive audience! I liked very much how audible woodwinds were (and brass section "calmer" - but that might have something to do with 16 kHz cutoff of the stream I received) in Force Awakens music selection, especially flutes, compared to CD version.

 

The only nitpicking I am going to do is to point out obvious and pretty hardcore tempo changes in E.T. Flying Theme and Rey's Theme.

 

I have also recorded the whole thing, so if it doesn't show up on the radio's site hit me with PM.

 

zaddini

i was there, and the tempo changes in rey's theme were indeed quite odd, but they are definitely purposeful. 

[The Psycho Pianist 216]

Is that the concert version of Luke and Leia's theme? Seems to be a chunk missing from the beginning, some midway through, and then that great rising dissonant clarinet/flute line at the end. Never heard that arrangement before.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

He's been doing that version for some time now. I asked about that years ago when I heard it live and was taken aback by the edits. I believe it was shortened for the Star Wars concert tour.

[Jay 37,318]

Yea he's done that short version in Boston before.

[SzPeti42 49]

Thank you for all the links!

Great concert, it's lovely to hear the EPVII stuff and that he seems healthy.

[Biodome 714]

It's not a full recording, is it? The Star Trek opening sequence theme seems to have been cut off.

[Jay 37,318]

It wouldn't have made sense to play that on the radio, as it was performed live to picture (meaning the film's dialogue and sound effects were played in the theater)

[Biodome 714]

3 minutes ago, Jay said:

It wouldn't have made sense to play that on the radio, as it was performed live to picture (meaning the film's dialogue and sound effects were played in the theater)

Ahh, I see. I wasn't aware of that, thanks!

[Jay 37,318]

If you're interested you can read my review a few pages back where I describe everything that happened.

[Ricard 2,243]

11 minutes ago, Jay said:

If you're interested you can read my review a few pages back

 

Or here:

http://www.jwfan.com/?p=8955

[EhTar 63]

Thank you Jay for your superb report!

[aviazn 273]

17 hours ago, zaddini said:

The only nitpicking I am going to do is to point out obvious and pretty hardcore tempo changes in E.T. Flying Theme and Rey's Theme.

Loving the faster tempos for Rey's Theme—and Scherzo for X-Wings (wow), and even Leia's Theme! March of the Resistance sounds just a bit brisker, too. After hearing so many recent live concerts where JW slowed the tempos down, plus the uneven tempos in the OST, I was wondering if he was letting off the gas pedal in old age, but this is fantastic. OTOH, The Asteroid Field sounded inexplicably slow. Ah well.

[justaguy 68]

7 hours ago, JacksonElmore said:

i was there, and the tempo changes in rey's theme were indeed quite odd, but they are definitely purposeful. 

Yeah probably, but for me it sounded like John, after starting out the piece, thought to himself "Oh no! It doesn't sound half as good as I hoped for being played that slow - I will just start waving my baton faster..." and half of the musicians were looking at the score instead of the conductor, resulting in "dispersion" of music for few seconds.

3 minutes ago, aviazn said:

Loving the faster tempos for Rey's Theme—and Scherzo for X-Wings (wow), and even Leia's Theme! March of the Resistance sounds just a bit brisker, too. After hearing so many recent live concerts where JW slowed the tempos down, plus the uneven tempos in the OST, I was wondering if he was letting off the gas pedal in old age, but this is fantastic. OTOH, The Asteroid Field sounded inexplicably slow. Ah well.

I don't mind the faster tempos, I also loved Scherzo and faster parts of Rey's Theme, but - read above please.

[aviazn 273]

 

13 minutes ago, zaddini said:

18 minutes ago, aviazn said:

 

I don't mind the faster tempos, I also loved Scherzo and faster parts of Rey's Theme, but - read above please.

Are you talking about that shaky moment in the horns when they enter with the first statement of the theme (58:06 in the mp3)? It's a natural place for an accelerando, but sounded like someone wasn't paying attention.

[justaguy 68]

12 minutes ago, aviazn said:

Are you talking about that shaky moment in the horns when they enter with the first statement of the theme (58:06 in the mp3)? It's a natural place for an accelerando, but sounded like someone wasn't paying attention.

That and about 1:40:30 in E.T. - violins and pulsating horns/trombones don't align very well after the "accelerando". It kind of kills the mood for me , because I am used to rather constant tempos of soundtrack recordings. (EDIT: As apparently are players?)

[ocelot 508]

OMG I love X Wings Scherzo at that speed!!! 

[Will 2,215]

And March of the Resistance! It has such an energy in this performance. I actually broke into a smile when listening. Such a good piece!

[mrbellamy 6,272]

Yeah I thought both the "Scherzo for X-Wings" and "March of the Resistance" outdid their OST versions. So much more fun at those speeds, I have an increased appreciation for the Scherzo especially.

[TownerFan 4,983]

On ‎21‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 7:51 PM, Mari said:

Here's a new interview posted on the WGBH website and is also available on Soundcloud (The first 21 minutes contain the JW section):

 

Some items covered: Daisy Ridley, Anthony Hopkins, Jerry Goldsmith

 

Very nice interview! Always great to hear JW talking about his early days in H'wood. Loved the bit where he said he had to ask his wife how he did end up accepting the post at the Boston Pops back in 1980  Interesting also hearing him about doing several passes of the "Rey meets BB8" sequence.

[Will 2,215]

1 hour ago, TownerFan said:

 

Interesting also hearing him about doing several passes of the "Rey meets BB8" sequence.

 

Wow! What exactly did he say about that?

 

Also, do we know if Williams decided the program for Lockhart's part of the concert? 

 

(EDIT: I'm listening to the interview now, I'll hear it for myself the answer to that first question - although maybe not the second so if you know the answer to that one please post it!)

[Will 2,215]

1 hour ago, Bill said:

 

Wow! What exactly did he say about that?

 

Also, do we know if Williams decided the program for Lockhart's part of the concert? 

 

(EDIT: I'm listening to the interview now, I'll hear it for myself the answer to that first question - although maybe not the second so if you know the answer to that one please post it!)

 

On the cue "BB-8 Meets Rey," Williams basically said that it was a simple scene, but not so simple to score, so he wrote two or three different versions of the cue, trying both lighter and darker approaches. This, I think, lends some credence to my theory that this - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxQSwI5aPja9ZG41dVRqaVlhLWs/view?pref=2&pli=1 - is an unused version of the "BB-8 Meets Rey" cue. Although that's still just speculation.

 

The interview left it unclear whether Williams programmed Lockhart's part of the concert. Does anybody here know whether Wiliams typically programs the whole thing or just the part he conducts?

[Jay 37,318]

If you read my review, when Lockhart spoke he specifically said he wanted to play some Williams pieces.  He could have been covering up that Williams asked him to, but I think Lockhart chose his own selections, or at least collaborated with Williams.  Who knows.

[Will 2,215]

3 minutes ago, Jay said:

If you read my review, when Lockhart spoke he specifically said he wanted to play some Williams pieces.  He could have been covering up that Williams asked him to, but I think Lockhart chose his own selections, or at least collaborated with Williams.  Who knows.

 

Well, it makes sense. Why would Williams choose Giacchino's STID opening? I think he's said in interviews that he doesn't really listen to modern scores by others. 

[Jay 37,318]

Last summer at Tanglewood, STID's opening sequence was conducted at a Williams concert during the David Newman half of the show.

[nightscape94 965]

Giacchino would probably shit himself if Williams conducted one of his pieces.

[Jay 37,318]

Actually, that's a curious thing we should figure out:  What the most recent piece of film music by another composer Williams has ever conducted.

 

What year did he first record Goldsmith's Star Trek TMP theme?

[nightscape94 965]

Dances with Wolves perhaps?

[Jay 37,318]

I wonder if from 2000 onward he's conducted anything live by another composer that wasn't pre-90s.

[Stempel 136]

Now I listen to the Concert.

Wow! It's great.

I would buy it on CD.

[JacksonElmore 69]

15 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

Yeah I thought both the "Scherzo for X-Wings" and "March of the Resistance" outdid their OST versions. So much more fun at those speeds, I have an increased appreciation for the Scherzo especially.

same, after being there and seeing it live, i hear a completely different piece than i used to when listening to Scherzo. I also loved the asteroid field  performance. Great tempo, and such a lively presentation. I loved hearing the live drum hits on that track, since it is buried in the mix and barely audible on the OST version. 

[KingPin 201]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

Actually, that's a curious thing we should figure out:  What the most recent piece of film music by another composer Williams has ever conducted.

 

What year did he first record Goldsmith's Star Trek TMP theme?

 

He conducted the theme song from "Ted" (Walter Murphy/Seth Macfarlane) at the Hollywood Bowl in 2014, but I doubt that would have ever happened if Seth Macfarlane wasn't the guest performer.

[Jay 37,318]

Ah, good call on that one!

That surely is a rare example of him conducting something so contemporary.

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

5 hours ago, Jay said:

Last summer at Tanglewood, STID's opening sequence was conducted at a Williams concert during the David Newman half of the show.

 

Williams didn't conducted at Tanglewood last year. The concert was conducted by Newman and Lockhart.

[Jay 37,318]

It was two years ago then - I know I've seen it live, and conducted by Newman ( @Stefancos and @Foxfan were at the show, too)

 

 

EDIT: Ah yes I remember now, it was last year, but Williams canceled a month before the show and we went anyway

 

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/24869-tanglewood-film-night-aug-22-2015-update-williams-cancels-appearance/&do=findComment&comment=1162126

 

I think that program was about the same as it would have been if Williams was there.

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

It wasn't in 2014 either... I was there and Williams did the whole show. I do believe they did it last year, though since there wasn't any broadcast, and I wasn't there, I can't really be sure.

[Jay 37,318]

Yes, see my edited post

[Ricard 2,243]

3 hours ago, Jay said:

Actually, that's a curious thing we should figure out:  What the most recent piece of film music by another composer Williams has ever conducted.

 

“Remember” from James Horner’s Troy (2004)

 

Quote

What year did he first record Goldsmith's Star Trek TMP theme?

 

 

1983 for Out of This World

[Jay 37,318]

Hey Remember doesn't really count, that's a song not a film cue