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ACROSS THE STARS - Williams / Mutter collaboration album


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Then every disc so far will be released on CD, bluray and vinyl each in the Ultimate Edition. Still no Devil's Dance.

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While we're all waiting a week (or more properly a month) for this album, tide yourself over with this nifty "Hedwig's Theme" quintet I just stumbled upon—if we define "stumble" as "perform my semi-annual Spotify search for 'Hedwig's Theme.'" B-)

 

https://open.spotify.com/track/532QgEPfL3Z09Gf7k0kljL?si=vQ9Hdn6hSOGwxK9JwNi_gw

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I wonder what their process was like, working out which pieces to choose from. They've assembled an impressive mix of new, old, famous and relatively unknown. Jane Eyre is definitely another theme that would've worked a treat in a violin arrangement. 

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On 8/17/2019 at 1:16 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

Pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition at Amazon UK, where it is considerably cheaper (even with shipping charges) than Amazon DE.

 

No extra customs fee after brexit?

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I have to say, this sounds like a world-class recording. Brilliant work from Murphy.

 

Love those updated strings in Across the Stars, interesting change from the original version. The Duel sounds great as well, fast tempo and really fresh. The fragment of Night Journeys definitely sounds true to the original piece but ASM fits in perfectly.

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If you like violins arrangements, go for these two albums of Angèle Dubeau and La Pietà.

 

No fireworks and not too much vibrato.

 

Well, that's for you if you can hear the difference between a boldly hyper-virtuosic, ultra-inflected interpretation and a more subtile one.

 

 

 

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Got my VPN set to New Zealand and now listening to the album.  Wow, Donnybrook Fair is superb!  That’s the first one that jumped out at me that I hadn’t heard previously.  Can’t wait for the deluxe edition!

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Only 4 tracks in but this album is stunning! The additional material for Hedwig's Theme isn't the lush orchestral presentation I expected, but something far darker and twisted. Suited to the more violent aspects of the Potter series post-Williams; I had to keep reminding myself this was a theme from film one because this arrangement for violin has great echoes of Azkaban far more than either Columbus score.

 

Across the Stars is a revised version of the arrangement we heard last year. The tweaks are subtle in places, more obvious in others, but they're still interesting! Haven't done a direct comparison with the last performance yet, but just so taken aback by the clarity of this gorgeous recording. Again, a far darker and more melancholic interpretation of this piece than originally envisioned for AOTC. This version has an extended violin solo towards the end I don't recall hearing in the previous revision. This makes me yearn for more exploration of this theme, beyond the customary cameos we got in ROTS. This arrangement is far less a love theme, far more an elegy.

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8 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Amazon UK doesn't list any new tracks for the deluxe edition at all.

Um, Amazon UK absolutely does have the proper tracklist now.

 

Disc: 1

  1. Rey's Theme
  2. Yoda's Theme
  3. Hedwig's Theme
  4. Across the Stars (Love Theme)
  5. Donnybrook Fair
  6. Sayuri's Theme
  7. Remembrances
  8. Night Journeys
  9. Theme
  10. The Duel
  11. Princess Leia's Theme
  12. The Chairman's Waltz
  13. Luke and Leia
  14. Nice to Be Around
  15. Theme
  16. Markings
  17. A Prayer for Peace

 

Disc: 2

  1. Anne-Sophie Mutter in Conversation With John Williams - Anne-Sophie Mutter
  2. Menu/Across the Stars - Various Performers

 

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Just started listening to this. It's certainly an experience! Not everything in Rey's theme is played perfectly, but it's quite special to hear it all. If this level of music is kept up, I'm buying the deluxe. I'll do one half today and then continue with Boston Film Night.

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Interesting!

 

Quote

Finally, with so many memorable themes that he has written across the decades, were there any particular favourites that you weren't able to fit on this album, and is there perhaps scope for a Volume Two? I would love to hear you play, for example, the Devil's Dance from The Witches of Eastwick!

That’s a very good question! I did play Devil’s Dance in Tanglewood, and he’s rewritten it to the extent that it’s almost like a new piece. I’m going to perform it here in Munich soon, but he was in the process of rewriting it for me when we were recording in April, and I have to confess I was so overwhelmed by the 16 or 18 other pieces that I just wasn’t able to get it ready - but Volume Two, who knows!

 

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Presto Music has the digital version of Across the Stars for sale (price in Euros - €13.13) including 96/24:

 

I expect HDTracks, ProStudio Masters and all the streaming sites to go live in the next few hours or overnight.

HD Tracks - 96/24. $17.98 (Use code HiResSummer until 9/2 11:59 PM EDT for 20% off - $14.38)

ProStudio Masters - 96.24 $14.39 on sale

Tidal streaming - Master quality

 

Standard quality

Amazon MP3 and Amazon Unlimited Streaming ($9.49 purchase)

Apple Music AAC (or $9.99 purchase)

 

Google and others will all have links too.

 

 

(Also, Amazon shows my physical CD as having shipping with a delivery tomorrow.)

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12 hours ago, TownerFan said:

Interesting new interview with Anne-Sophie:

 

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/2824--interview-anne-sophie-mutter-on-john-williams

 

She also reveals why the Devil’s Dance isn’t on the album.

Thanks for sharing this Maurizio! 

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One wonders why JW keeps bothering with Star Wars if he doesn't even remember his love themes...

 

Finished the second half of the album, a lot less engaging. I'm not going to buy this I think.

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22 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

One wonders why JW keeps bothering with Star Wars if he doesn't even remember his love themes...

 

Finished the second half of the album, a lot less engaging. I'm not going to buy this I think.

 

What if the five additional tracks on the deluxe edition are great?

 

1 minute ago, Thor said:

Nice featurette, but I always cringe when there's a constant back-and-forth of compliments. Doesn't sit well with me, nor the Norwegian "national spirit".

 

Yeah, it would be much more engaging if they thrashed each other!

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Only listened to Luke and Leia so far out of the new tracks, and I will say I’m a bit disappointed that it’s just Anne-Sophie playing on top of what is essentially the concert suite. This was a chance for Williams to totally reinterpret it, perhaps expand on the haunting, sadder statement of it from Last Jedi, but instead, it’s hardly different at all. :(

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