John Williams' Symphony

[nicholas 1]

In liner notes JW's Symphony is always mentioned amongst his other concert hall compositions yet there seems to be remarkably little known about it. Does anyone know when it was written? who commissioned it? and has it ever been performed?

Has anyone actually ever HEARD it???

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

The first and only symphony by John Williams was composed in 1966, with the suport of the late Bernard Herrmann. The Symphony was dedicated to André Previn, who premiered it with the Houston SO on October 21, 1968. Previn gave the European premiere in July 9, 1972 with the LSO. No further performances are known.

After the London performances, and some criticizing to which Williams seems to agree, he removed the work from his list of performable works to re-work it. A performance of the revised version was schedulled to be performed in April 1987 with the Houston SO under Williams, but was replaced at the last minute by some film music.

In the Symphony premiere notes Williams described it to be in three movements, the second one being more jazzy, and influenced by the playing of jazz flutist Eric Dolphy.

There are unsuported rumors that in the late 60's he begun work in a second symphony, which seems unlikelly, since he removed his first one from his catalogue of work. Probably this rumors refer to the Sinfonietta for Winds.

[nicholas 1]

Thanks for the information. Perhaps a lost masterpiece? We may never know...

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Miguel do you know why it was critisized?

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Williams notes on the Symphony:

Since science fails to provide all of modern life's solutions, I prefer, like Robert Graves, to believe in myths…at least where music is concerned. My music contains no truisms of musical relationship nor other scientific "conceit". My first symphony was composed in 1966, partly because of a life long affection for the orchestra as a medium of expression and partly because of my admiration for the vital and energetic qualities of my friend, André Previn.  

The first of the work's three movements is worked out on two basic themes, in simple metres of four, respectively. The second movement has jazz as its inspiration and features a flute solo written somewhat in the style of the late Eric Dolphy. The third movement features a fugato based on intervallic material taken from the first movement and proceeds through a parody waltz to the work's conclusion.  

And a review of the London premiere by Stanley Sadie:

John T. Williams's Symphony No. 1…shows a masterly grasp of two essentials: he uses the orchestra vividly and effectively, and can control tensions and architect climaxes…And yet—I hope I am not prejudiced by knowledge of his film background—there seems to be a lack of discrimination in his music, a lack of consistency, basically a lack of discipline that at abstract, symphonic composer must posess. The material is excessively diverse: a post-Webernish beginning, then a sentimental trumpet tune, next, an idea built on shifting chromatic chords—how do these ideas relate in a functional, dialectical way basic to symphonic growth? They do not: each is developed, and each recurs, to form a symmetrical shape, but not a whole. The Andante starts off with a fashionable glitter of vibraphone, glockenspiel and the like, and moves on to an impovisatory flute theme over ostinato blues chords; then comes a well architected climax, as if to form a `contrasting middle section'; there is an ingeniously orchestrated, but ingenuously conceived, recapitulation with high violins and horns playing to jazz chords while trumpets and trombones take over the flute idea. The finale is built round a fugue, which works up spaciously to a big tutti; but the pace is unsurely judged, the climax an event without a musically motivated cause.  

[Datameister 2,042]

Interesting stuff. Pity it's not available for us to judge for ourselves.

[John McClane 1]

Pity it's not available for us to judge for ourselves.  

It is. Try eMule.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Idiot!

[John McClane 1]

Indeed.

[nightscape94 965]

How would it be available if no one ever recorded it, even as a live bootleg? I think it's time to accept that some things just don't exist.

Tim

[CYPHER 1]

Thanks for all the info, Miguel. You're still the font of all Williams knowledge, especially when it comes to concert pieces.

Do you think that, given the scheduled performance of the work in 1987 was deferred at the last minute, that it would be reasonable to assume that there exists somewhere a written copy of the 'final' and 'complete' work? It's doubtful that John will have a chance to revisit it again in his lifetime but wouldn't it be nice to know that sometime in the future, it might actually be performed again and recorded for posterity? And released to the masses too of course!

CYPHER

[John McClane 1]

How would it be available if no one ever recorded it, even as a live bootleg?  I think it's time to accept that some things just don't exist.

Damn, so the 182 Mb file called "John Williams - The Symphony.rar" I'm downloading from eMule must be a fake!!

Mirko - who downloaded the recording session bootleg of Indiana Jones IV even if it was quite evidently a fake.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Thanks for all the info, Miguel. You're still the font of all Williams knowledge, especially when it comes to concert pieces.

Do you think that, given the scheduled performance of the work in 1987 was deferred at the last minute, that it would be reasonable to assume that there exists somewhere a written copy of the 'final' and 'complete' work? It's doubtful that John will have a chance to revisit it again in his lifetime but wouldn't it be nice to know that sometime in the future, it might actually be performed again and recorded for posterity? And released to the masses too of course!

CYPHER

You're very welcome.

While I don't think Williams will take the time to rewrite it at this point, and so it won't likelly reocrd it, I'm sure the manuscripts are at his home in LA.

In some years from now, when he's gone, I'm sure someone will pick it up and arrange a performing version of it.

In recent years there as been a groing interest not only in serious reocrdings of film music, but on the private, concert works of this composers. Koch has recorded several music by Rózsa and of course, Williams has had several of his music recorded as well -- two diferent versions of the Tuba Concerto at Albany, for example. So there is hope, as interest seems to keep growing.

As for the file your downloanding, you never know... Maybe the the LSO performance was recorded by BBC... You never know.

[SeekUYoda 0]

Miguel, do you know in what year Williams made the comments on his Symphony? I'm being a type A and compiling everything I can get, and the year would be helpful.

Thanks!

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

The notes I posted above were writen for the 1968 world premiere with the Houston SO.