Which are John Williams's best concert pieces (non film music)?

[Josh500 1,615]

I know he wrote several concertos.... Alas, I'm not very familiar with these works yet. Which are his best concert works, excluding all the film works and Olympic music?

 

Also, tell us what makes these pieces great!

[Thor 7,466]

We've done a few threads like this in the past.

 

In terms of the longer pieces, my favourite is unquestionably "The Five Sacred Trees". It's programmatic, it has Williams doing woodwinds (which is always one of his strengths) and it's just majestic and reflective all at the same time. It has dissonance, but not too "out there" like a lot of his other recent pieces.

 

In terms of the shorter pieces, I'd say "Celebrate Discovery". It sounds sorta like a cross between an adventure theme and a western theme, but MAN that rhythm. Gets me every time!

[Josh500 1,615]

The Five Sacred Trees! 

 

I remember listening to it once. Can't say it stuck with me. Gotta go back to it.

[SteveMc 2,674]

@Josh500, I'm partial to the Violin Concerto.  

I'd highly recommend the Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra, the Horn Concerto, and the occasional piece Tributes! For Seiji. 

[Josh500 1,615]

11 minutes ago, Steve McQueen said:

@Josh500, I'm partial to the Violin Concerto.  

I'd highly recommend the Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra, the Horn Concerto, and the occasional piece Tributes! For Seiji. 

 

Were these released on CDs?

 

I don't have these....

[Jay 37,287]

No

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/John-Williams-Concerto-Karl-Pituch/dp/B0044WUG1S/

[Josh500 1,615]

Great, thanks! @Jay

[SteveMc 2,674]

17 minutes ago, Josh500 said:

 

Were these released on CDs?

 

I don't have these....

The Horn Concerto is available on digital download.   https://www.amazon.com/John-Williams-Concerto-Karl-Pituch/dp/B0044WUG1S

The Violin Concerto has been recorded a couple of times.  There's the rawer original recording, performed by Mark Peskanov https://www.amazon.com/Violin-Concerto-Flute-John-Williams/dp/B0000014SJ

And the '98 revision, recorded here by Gil Shaham https://www.amazon.com/John-Williams-Treesong-Concerto-Schindlers/dp/B00005M05E.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,498]

I prefer the Slatkin/L.S.O. VIOLIN CONCERTO, but that's just me.

[Josh500 1,615]

Great! 

 

I'm gonna download these.

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 minute ago, Richard said:

I prefer the Slatkin/L.S.O. VIOLIN CONCERTO, but that's just me.

Yes, like I said, it is rawer, more emotional.  More bite.  The second movement especially, it really sounds like the music is trying to sing, but is too heavy to do it.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

My favorite is the trumpet concerto.  There are so few truly great trumpet concerti, and if you ask me not many composers of the last 60 years are as sympathetic to the needs and desires of trumpeters as Williams.  It’s a work of crystalline beauty and manages to be both modern and romantic at the same time.

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

My favorite is the trumpet concerto.  There are so few truly great trumpet concerti, and if you ask me not many composers of the last 60 years are as sympathetic to the needs and desires of trumpeters as Williams.  It’s a work of crystalline beauty and manages to be both modern and romantic at the same time.

That is a great piece, especially as performed by Jouko Harjanne.  

 

[Lewya 360]

I say none - none of his concert works are great in my book. Some of them are good yes, but not great. They have some things that stick out positively sometimes, mostly about orchestration. They certainly pale compared to what the best contemporary concert composers are writing at their best. The biggest problem is probably that I don't find them interesting to begin with, so who cares if it is wonderfully orchestrated when it is pretty dull and uninteresting to begin with.

 

I easily rank certain solo albums by other film composers way higher than Williams's concert work. In some ways, I wish Williams didn't write most of his concert works - it makes me look at him less kindly as a composer taken as a whole. Quite a few of them are why did you bother dull.

 

If forced to pick something I would probably say violin concerto and the piano suite Conversations, especially movement three.

5 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

My favorite is the trumpet concerto.  There are so few truly great trumpet concerti, and if you ask me not many composers of the last 60 years are as sympathetic to the needs and desires of trumpeters as Williams.  It’s a work of crystalline beauty and manages to be both modern and romantic at the same time.

That is one of my least favourite. It is basically just warmed-over Arutiunian which is dreadful to begin with.

[karelm 2,903]

Has anyone posted "For Seiji"?  I totally forgot I have it (thanks petercelli) if we need to post it.  Some call it John Williams' Concerto for Orchestra.

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 hour ago, karelm said:

Has anyone posted "For Seiji"?  I totally forgot I have it (thanks petercelli) if we need to post it.  Some call it John Williams' Concerto for Orchestra.

I mentioned it and Jay posted the video for it above.  It is indeed like a Concerto for Orchestra.  Delicious piece, that one.

[King Mark 3,625]

I like the Celebratory Fanfares and Soundings

 

The concertos are too weird for me although I like to hear them at least a few times

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sounding

[Demodex 557]

On 8/1/2018 at 10:13 AM, Josh500 said:

Which are his best concert works, excluding all the film works and Olympic music?

 

I've never heard anything he's done EXCEPT for film and the Olympics. 

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 minute ago, Demodex said:

 

I've never heard anything he's done EXCEPT for film and the Olympics. 

Why don't you start with the new piece he's premiering tonight?

http://www.classicalwcrb.org/post/world-premiere-yo-yo-ma#stream/0

It will be the third piece played, so you might want to come over to the thread about it in fifteen minutes time.

[Demodex 557]

Maybe I will listen to it later. Thanks. 

[artguy360 1,843]

I'm a big fan of JW's recent concert works. Conversations for solo piano, Rounds for solo guitar, and that new violin piece whose name I can't recall. Conversations is a wonderfully meditative series of works. Rounds is what I like best about JW's concert works. It explores the unique sound qualities of the instrument, it has nice changes in pace, and there is a subtle, sweet melodic figure that holds the whole piece together. I remember really liking the recent violin concert work but I haven't been able to track down a recording so I've kind of forgotten it.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

42 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

I remember really liking the recent violin concert work but I haven't been able to track down a recording so I've kind of forgotten it.

 

 

[artguy360 1,843]

Yes! That is the piece. Thank you. Markings. I had forgotten the name. I enjoy it very much. It has all the color and range I expect from a really good JW concert piece. Very easy to listen to.

[The Five Tones 302]

TreeSong (Violin Concerto No. 2) is it for me by quite a bit. Not least for Gil Shaham's performance and the detailed sonics of the DGG recording. I also love Soundings, the Cello Concerto and The Five Sacred Trees and a few others less passionately.

[artguy360 1,843]

Every time I listen to Elegy I think of cold, snowy winters in the flat American midwest. I find it head and shoulders above most of JW's concert work. 

[_deleted_ 203]

All of them!!! 🤤

Though you can probably tell which is my favorite 😊

 

[Pawel P. 738]

 

Maybe not the best, but it's definitely one of my favorites

[_deleted_ 203]

It took me so long to get the CD with Essay for Strings!!! Totally worth it. Beautiful!

[zoltan_902 141]

The final section of Soundings ("The Hall Rejoices") is a rhythmic wonder. Easily my favourite JW concert piece. We did have to wait 10 years for it to get a decent, commercially available recording when the LA Phil John Williams tribute gala was released on blu-ray disc. It was worth the wait.

[_deleted_ 203]

I think Soundings really marked a shift in John Williams' writing. Gustavo Dudamel was great.

I hope we get another recording/interpretation of Soundings because I just love this piece so much 😂

[karelm 2,903]

On 8/22/2018 at 2:18 AM, A Ghost From Highwood said:

I think Soundings really marked a shift in John Williams' writing. Gustavo Dudamel was great.

I hope we get another recording/interpretation of Soundings because I just love this piece so much 😂

There is a great performance/recording by Carl St. Clair (Leonard Bernstein trainee) and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.  It was broadcast on the radio/internet.

[Will 2,215]

8 minutes ago, karelm said:

There is a great performance/recording by Carl St. Clair (Leonard Bernstein trainee) and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.  It was broadcast on the radio/internet.

 

Wait are you thinking of the Pacific Symphony "Tributes! For Seiji" recording, or did they also do "Soundings"?

[karelm 2,903]

6 minutes ago, Will said:

 

Wait are you thinking of the Pacific Symphony "Tributes! For Seiji" recording, or did they also do "Soundings"?

 

Thanks for reminding me!!!! Here is what happened.  This was a multiple night concert.  On the evening I attended, they did indeed perform Soundings.  The concert that was broadcast was "For Seiji" and I forgot that they didn't broadcast what I attended.  It isn't unusual for concerts to switch the "overture" on a multi-night concert.

6 minutes ago, Will said:

 

Wait are you thinking of the Pacific Symphony "Tributes! For Seiji" recording, or did they also do "Soundings"?

Edit: I am totally wrong!  i wrote about the performance here and it was infact Tributes! for Seiji so no, it isn't Soundings!

 

I just returned from this excellent concert. Elliot Goldenthal was there and looked pretty good (he's had some health issues in the last years but seems to be taking better care of himself). I greatly enjoyed the piece by John Williams, Tribute for Seiji. I wasn't familiar with it so didn't know what to expect. It felt somewhat like a mini concerto for orchestra with orchestral sections given a moment to themselves exploring the material virtuosically though with less overtly sentimental moments than his film scores. I believe that since JW is a modest and reserved man, when he writes music for the concert hall, this restraint is reflected in the music he writes for his own inspiration. Some of his film music fans might find this greater restraint disappointing. It is still extremely well crafted - as is everything he does - and full of exciting moments with well structured climaxes. The brass sounded terrific and the strings were warm and resonate. Next was the Howard Shore Cello Concerto "Mystic Gardens". It was scored for a small orchestra and somewhat lacked the clarity of thought that JW's piece had. It felt longer than it was and had a more limited pallet of technique than Williams (which is not a surprise). Some of Shore's tonal fingerprints were there so if you like Shore, you'll probably like this too. After the intermission was an exciting performance of James Horner's "Flight" - think Apollo 13 meets Rocketeer and you'll get the idea. A thrill ride and full of exuberance but somewhat missing a contrasting section. That might have made it more satisfying as a twelve minute concert piece. It was still excellent and very thrilling. Last up, Goldenthal came on stage to talk a bit about his new symphony. It is in two movements and the general sound world is of "Sphere", "In Dreams" and "Final Fantasy". The first movement is a long anxious and atmospheric adagio. There are quotes from Sphere so imagine the quiet moments of sphere and In Dreams. The second movement is some of the most violent music he's ever written. It is like the ending of Sphere and the nightmare sequence from Final Fantasy. I found it to be quite unsettling and disturbed. I wonder what thoughts are in Goldenthal's head to produce such intensity and rage. The work was a big winner and the audience gave him multiple standing ovations which he was clearly touched by. I actually wanted to relisten to all this music again just to get my hands around the Goldenthal piece most especially. It was an excellent concert full of variety. Did anyone else manage to attend?

Try to hear the broadcast on July 27, KUSC.com.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

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[_deleted_ 203]

For me, the thing that stands out in Tributes! For Seiji is the brass writing. More reserved than his big fanfares ✅and just about right👏. 

Quote

 It felt somewhat like a mini concerto for orchestra with orchestral sections given a moment to themselves exploring the material virtuosically though with less overtly sentimental moments than his film scores.

 

It is more celebratory than Soundings (with the focus on the different combinations of orchestral "sound effects"?) I think. 🤗Very interesting piece!!!

 

👻

 

 

😂it's also on YouTube... 👏

Seems like it's also taken from a broadcast🙂

 

👻

[Will 2,215]

18 minutes ago, A Ghost From Highwood said:

For me, the thing that stands out in Tributes! For Seiji is the brass writing. More reserved than his big fanfares ✅and just about right👏. 



 

Yeah I really love the half-restrained, half-exuberant character of the piece. Moments like this strike just the right balance:

 

 

It seems somewhat dissonant (I think??) but still celebratory. 

[_deleted_ 203]

Wow, I gave it a few more listens and it really is based on the interval of a major second!

It's so fascinating that JW could discover so much from so little😭🤩

 

the use of dissonance here somehow reminds me of TPM... and the strings writing... Anakin Defeats Sebulba?

 

If it's wrtten in 1999 = awesome becuase 1999 Williams = awesome, it's like it's a fact🤩🤩

[The Five Tones 302]

On 8/22/2018 at 5:05 AM, Pawel P. said:

 

Maybe not the best, but it's definitely one of my favorites

The Essay is a solid work, surprisingly mature considering he was in his comedy period in scoring. Reminds me a bit of the Epilogue from the Fury or Dracula in places, and not a little Herrmannesque.

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 minute ago, The Five Tones said:

The Essay is a solid work, surprisingly mature considering he was in his comedy period in scoring. Reminds me a bit of the Epilogue from the Fury or Dracula in places, and not a little Herrmannesque.

Really enjoy that piece.

I think he was compensating from the lighter character of his scoring assignments by writing much more "advanced" material for the concert hall.  The Essay, Flute Concerto and Prelude and Fugue seem to be written in a considerably different language than his later concert works.

I feel that in Heidi and especially Jane Eyre, Williams started to inject his scoring assignments with a little more seriousness, perhaps because his concert efforts did not bring him what he desired at he time, whether that was recognition or a major concert career or what not.  At any rate, he started going by John in Hollywood, too. 

[_deleted_ 203]

He wrote that during his "comedy period"? 🤯

JW is amazing😭

I have the LSO recording of Essay for Strings... great performance!

I personally like to listen to Essay for Strings and Heartwood back to back because they are great examples... showing the variety of JW's strings writing. In fact, I would argue that they are (sort of) of the opposite end? In Essay, dissonance is used to create tension while in Heartwood, it's the reverse I think. 

 

👻