LA Philharmonic Kicks Off Season with ‘A John Williams Celebration’ at Walt Disney Hall, 9/30

[Ricard 2,242]

I posted this on the main page a couple of weeks ago but I just got new details of the event.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, kicks off its 2014/15 season in grand fashion with a celebration of the greatest film composer of all time at the Opening Night Concert & Gala: A John Williams Celebration, Tuesday, September 30, 7 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The all-Williams concert program is highlighted by an appearance from legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman joining the orchestra to perform works including music from Schindler’s List.

The program features several elaborate video installations created by projection designer Netia Jones and critically acclaimed creative studio, LIGHTMAP. Jones is producing new video content for the performance of Williams’ Soundings, first performed at the 2003 opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall. For the show’s thrilling conclusion, Jones is designing a unique video installation featuring concept art from the Lucasfilm archive, to accompany the orchestra’s performance of the iconic Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars.

COMPLETE PROGRAM (no intermission):

• Olympic Fanfare and Theme
  U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
• Soundings (with video)
• Three Pieces from Schindler’s List
  (“Remembrances”, “Jewish Town – Krakow Ghetto 1941″, “Theme from Schindler’s List”)
  Mr. Perlman, violin
• Tango from Scent of a Woman (Gardel, arr. Williams)
  Mr. Perlman, violin
• The Duel from The Adventures of Tintin (with film)
• Escapades from Catch Me if You Can
  (Closing In, Reflections, Joy Ride)
  Mr. Higgins, alto saxophone; Mr. Paulson, vibraphone; Mr. Valerio, double bass
• Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars (with video)
  Netia Jones/Lightmap, projection design; with concept art from the Lucasfilm archive

http://www.jwfan.com/?p=7027

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

Very nice program! I'm excited to hear how this will sound under Dudamel's direction.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Nice, but looks like quite a short concert

[Score 770]

It's very nice that another very important and talented "classical" conductor is going to perform music by John Williams. Apart from the recording of the Star Wars suite by Zubin Mehta and the performance of three pieces (again from SW) by the Wiener Philarmoniker directed by Franz Welser-Most in 2010, I am not aware of other cases.

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

Leonard Slatkin has been championing Williams music for decades, and since his appointment with the Detroit Symphony he started a project to record all of his concertos.

Christoph von Dohnanyi (Trumpet Concerto), Kurt Mazur (Bassoon Concerto), James Levine (Harp Concerto) and Seiji Ozawa (Tributes, Song for World Peace...) have all commissioned and premiered works by Williams.

Recently, David Robertson as also conducted all Williams concerts both at St. Louis and Sydney (with the respective orchestras, for which he serves as music director).

And that's a lot of talent, and those are just the ones I instantly remembered... as I know there are more.

[Score 770]

Leonard Slatkin has been championing Williams music for decades, and since his appointment with the Detroit Symphony he started a project to record all of his concertos.

Christoph von Dohnanyi (Trumpet Concerto), Kurt Mazur (Bassoon Concerto), James Levine (Harp Concerto) and Seiji Ozawa (Tributes, Song for World Peace...) have all commissioned and premiered works by Williams.

Recently, David Robertson as also conducted all Williams concerts both at St. Louis and Sydney (with the respective orchestras, for which he serves as music director).

And that's a lot of talent, and those are just the ones I instantly remembered... as I know there are more.

You are absolutely right, but I was actually thinking about film music (I did not specify it in my message). I did not know about Robertson, though.

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

Both Ozawa and Slatkin have conducted Williams film works. Recently Alan Gilbert lead the New York Philharmonic with soloist Itzhak Perlman on Schindler's List.

[Thor 7,474]

OK program, but mostly tried and true stuff.

The nice thing here is that the "serious" LA Philharmonic / Dudamel is doing it.

I've been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, btw, but only for the tour. Haven't seen a concert there. It's a pretty cool auditorium, though.

[King Mark 3,626]

Why Tintin music?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Because it's great!

[Hlao-roo 389]

What's next? The London Symphony Orchestra performing John Williams music? Symphony orchestras used to have STANDARDS. Now they just whore themselves out to the lowest common denominator.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Give a dog a bone, bruv!

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

Why Tintin music?

It's gonna be like this, with the same video I assume, so it's a sure audience pleaser:

Beside it's an awesome piece, one of the best from recent years.

[TLCKAYAK 0]

I only wish a Williams-music concert like this could be more frequently recorded and released to the public in some way - limited release DVD or downloadable file, something, anything! I know the expense involved with commercial releases of any kind (which makes it cost-prohibitive right off the bat), but it's too bad that it can't happen even once in a great while. I have some video recordings of his Boston Pops film nights that appeared on PBS back in the day, and they are priceless, and of course were never released in hardcopy by PBS in any way, shape or form. Williams is a National Treasure, he's up there in years, and he's got a huge fan base - if only more of his live music performances were recorded and released for either film music fans (we, band of brothers/sisters), or well, for posterity -- to paraphrase Henry Clay: "[John Williams' artistic output] was made not merely for the generation that [now] exist, but for posterity- unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity."

It's very cool that this concert is happening -- can't wait ultimately for a recording of "Soundings". Vive la JW!

[Mari 279]

Reviews:

LA Times- Ellen Olivier

LA Times - Mark Swed

Orange County Register

The confetti fluttering down at the end came in the shape of C3PO and R2D2. The concert was recorded by cameras for broadcast at a later date. Watch it to see how good music and fun can fit nicely together.

Variety

The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and Angeles Chorale joined in during selections from “Amistad” during the encore, and got to stretch their acting skills, screaming and running off stage while the orchestra played the “Jaws” theme.

[TownerFan 4,983]

Thank you, Mari!

Caption Contest of the Year:

[Romão 2,274]

That's such a great photo

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Thank you, Mari!

Caption Contest of the Year:

One of the best photos ever!

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

"Your place or mine?"

[Miguel Andrade 1,262]

That's such a great photo

Two of my favorite Johns

[Mari 279]

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

It's too bad they have to dumb it down with all that stormtrooper gimmickry.

Dat ideal string seating though....

[Thor 7,474]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but who is that other 'John' in the photo? John Adams?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Yep.

[MikeH 768]

I wonder if John Adams has seen Jaws 2?

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

And if so, what do Brian Eno and Jeremy Soule think about that?

[karelm 2,903]

Nice! I wish Vader would have hauled off JW in hand cuffs though (or do a force choke on him).

[InTheCity 140]

I was there it was great.

[Jay 37,305]

Can you elaborate?