Boston Pops' July 4th Concert to Include Selections from "Lights, Camera, Music!" - Also Will Premiere New Alan Menken Work

[Will 2,215]

http://bostonpopsjuly4th.org/new-details-announced-for-2017-boston-pops-fireworks-spectacular/

 

Quote

Alan Menken, the iconic American musical theater and film score composer best known for his scores for films by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Tony Award-winning lyricist Jack Feldman are composing a new work, “The Sum of Us,” for soloist, chorus, and orchestra, to receive its world premiere at Boston’s famed Independence Day celebration. 

 

[...]

 

The program will also spotlight musical selections from the Boston Pops’s recently released album, “Lights, Camera…Music! Six Decades of John Williams.”

 

This concert sounds like it's going to be totally awesome. Wish I lived in Boston! 

 

Might forgo watching the National Symphony one on TV this year so I can check out this. 

 

There are of course the usual pop stars booked (a Hamilton singer, etc.) but it sounds like there will be a lot of orchestral stuff which is terrific (can't really say that about the NSO one these days, unfortunately). 

 

Lockhart has said that with the new sponsor and everything this year they're hoping to have a chance to get back to the Pops' roots a little more. And it looks like they'll be doing just that. Great that we'll get high quality video of some of those album selections being performed. And the Menken piece sounds very intriguing. Name sounds corny, but remember, I love "The Dream Goes On," so... 

[Tom 4,654]

Men at Yorktown here we come. 

[Will 2,215]

Yep, that's what I think too! 

[Will 2,215]

This is happening now - can't watch though. I'll watch replay later. 

[King Mark 3,631]

damn it's playing on a channel called The Bloomberg Network and I don't have it in my cable package

 

where's PBS when you need them

 

PBS is playing A Capital Fourth and NBC the Macy's Fireworks

[Will 2,215]

1 hour ago, king mark said:

damn it's playing on a channel called The Bloomberg Network and I don't have it in my cable package

 

where's PBS when you need them

 

PBS is playing A Capital Fourth and NBC the Macy's Fireworks

 

It was streaming online too for free (at least in the U.S.).

 

I only got to watch the end, though, and missed the Williams stuff and Menken piece. Hopefully a replay will become available within a few days. 

 

All I could find out for sure was that "The Patriot" was played. 

 

Several recorded Williams pieces were piped out of the loudspeakers during the ending fireworks show, amidst pop songs, including "Men of the Yorktown."

[Thor 7,495]

A Menken concert work! Wow, didn't notice this before. As a longtime superfan, that sounds absolutely exciting.

[Will 2,215]

7 hours ago, Thor said:

A Menken concert work! Wow, didn't notice this before. As a longtime superfan, that sounds absolutely exciting.

 

What'd you think of the new Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, Thor? 

 

I absolutely adore it. All the new melodies are so good, e.g. the beautiful "How Does a Moment Last Forever" and the epic "Evermore." 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I think it's mostly fine except Watson's voice bothers me like nails on a chalkboard.  Not that you asked me  

[Will 2,215]

I actually quite like her voice. Then again, I don't even notice the autotune that others claim is obvious, so I'm not exactly an audiophile. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Her voice is thin, untrained, and clearly she has trouble with pitch and key.  That might be fine for some musicals, but Beauty and the Beast demands professional singers IMO.

[Thor 7,495]

On 5.7.2017 at 5:01 PM, Will said:

 

What'd you think of the new Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, Thor? 

 

I absolutely adore it. All the new melodies are so good, e.g. the beautiful "How Does a Moment Last Forever" and the epic "Evermore." 

 

Haven't seen or heard that yet. But I have VERY high expectations for it.

[Will 2,215]

49 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

Haven't seen or heard that yet. But I have VERY high expectations for it.

 

Listen as soon as possible! If you're already a Menken fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed!! 

[Will 2,215]

Here's the Menken piece, @Thor!

 

 

Pretty great, although I'll have to listen more. Note that the first couple minutes of the video are interviews. 

 

Pretty intense liberal political message could be perceived, so conservatives might cringe a bit at this one. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

9 minutes ago, Will said:

Pretty intense liberal political message could be perceived, so conservatives might cringe a bit at this one. 

 

Did you see where NPR tweeted out the Declaration of Independence one line at a time on the 4th and a bunch of dumbasses thought it was anti-Trump "propaganda"?

 

Pretty funny.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/05/some-trump-supporters-thought-npr-tweeted-propaganda-it-was-the-declaration-of-independence/?utm_term=.146005e81e5a

[Will 2,215]

Man I really love that new Menken song. 

 

By the way, does anyone know whether Menken orchestrates himself? He definitely employs orchestrators, but does he give them some idea of the orchestration, or just the melodies? Beauty and the Beast was incredibly and lushly orchestrated, and I'm wondering who's responsible. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I remember seeing a video from the early-90s where James Horner publicly said that he didn't think Menken deserved Best Score for Beauty and the Beast because the orchestrators did the work for him.  I miss Horner.

[Thor 7,495]

As far as I know, Menken does all his orchestrations himself (at least the same way Williams does).

 

I'll listen to that video of the Menken piece as soon as opportunity allows. Thanks for the link!

[Will 2,215]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

As far as I know, Menken does all his orchestrations himself (at least the same way Williams does).

 

Yeah, that's what Christian Clemmenson at Filmtracks seems to believe as well. In his recent Beauty review, he raved about Menken's underscore without mentioning orchestrators (and he's a critic that will usually mention it if he believes orchestrators had heavy involvement), despite several orchestrators being credited. 

 

So perhaps he really does have a Williams-like process. But there are still Horner's comments... 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I managed to find that Horner video after much effort with JWFan's search:

 

https://ia600206.us.archive.org/34/items/calauem_000217/calauem_000217_access.HD.mp4

 

It's Horner talking to a college class, he starts talking about 19 minutes in.

[Will 2,215]

Complete broadcast now available, @king mark!

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2017-07-06/boston-pops-fireworks-spectacular-video

 

I can't watch now but later I will watch the Williams bits. 

[Will 2,215]

"The Patriot" starts at 22:00. They took out my favorite part (only like 10 seconds long), added in a very short transition -- must have been too difficult for an outdoor performance? 

 

That part played properly can be heard here:

 

 

They also took out like 20 seconds near the end. 

 

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At 56:00 they play "Liberty Fanfare."

 

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And that's all for Williams. Disappointing they didn't do "Men of Yorktown."