New concert work: "A Toast!"

[MovieMusicMaestro 38]

According to the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Principal Trombone, Mr Toby Oft, the Gala Concert celebrating the arrival of Mr Andris Nelsons as the BSO's new Music Director was opened by the BSO brass performing "A Toast!" composed by John Williams.

The highlight of the Gala concert for me was the new John Williams composition written for the event, "A Toast!" which used the full BSO brass section plus a few extras. The trombone voicing called for an extra bass trombone which allowed us to utilize a former Tanglewood Fellow, David Hagee, who just one week prior, won a permanent local job as Bass Trombone of the Boston Ballet. Per usual John Williams, the piece was rhythmically and harmonically exciting and stylistically perfect to kick off the Gala event that functioned as a welcome celebration to our new music director.

http://www.tobyoft.com/blog/2014/9/23/this-trombone-life

[Jay 43,044]

Wow, that came out of nowhere!

Neat!

[Not Mr. Big 4,835]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

Buttered or unbuttered?

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

I'd love a chance to hear it. Any time there's a call for "more bass trombone" by somebody not associated with RCP, I'm interested.

[King Mark 3,848]

So a new Fanfare to add on the unreleased list

I expect there's zero chance of a video on you tube for this

[Thor 9,312]

Cool! Yeah, that DID come out of nowhere. Now begins the hunt to actually hear it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

Might be a one time occasion piece, so we'll never hear it.

Ever!

[Thor 9,312]

I refuse to believe that.

[fommes 161]

Cheers, everyone!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

I refuse to believe that.

Why? If it was a piece written especially for the occasion?

[Miguel Andrade 1,584]

While it wasn't advertised prior to the actual premiere, I don't find it a bit surprising that Williams would contribute with a little thing like this to the arrival of maestro Nelsons to the BSO family.

Hopefully, we'll get the chance to listen to it sometime soon.

I refuse to believe that.

Why? If it was a piece written especially for the occasion?

So was the Olympic Fanfare and "Air and Simple Gifts" and so many others...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

Those were for public events, that were broadcasted.

Will this be broadcasted?

Maybe thats why it was never announced that JW wrote a new piece. It was for in-house use only.

[WilliamsStarShip2282 326]

Scour the wgbh archives!!! But I do know the BSO records almost every concert. They have a library that only the members of the orchestra have access to.

[Miguel Andrade 1,584]

The gala concert wasn't broadcast by WGBH, I'm afraid.

Those were for public events, that were broadcasted.

Will this be broadcasted?

Maybe thats why it was never announced that JW wrote a new piece. It was for in-house use only.

A concert is a public event...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

Not always

[King Mark 3,848]

Scour the wgbh archives!!! But I do know the BSO records almost every concert. They have a library that only the members of the orchestra have access to.

Let Operation Toast begin

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

We must assemble a team!

[indy4 159]

This is fantastic news! I'm sure we'll hear it in the near future...modern JW concert pieces tend to be recorded, if only unofficially, in some capacity.

[Director of Poltergeist 8,220]

A !

[King Mark 3,848]

This is fantastic news! I'm sure we'll hear it in the near future...modern JW concert pieces tend to be recorded, if only unofficially, in some capacity.

That's just overoptimistic wishful thinking

Lots of JW fanfares have remained unheard for deades

[Incanus 5,858]

Another small celebratory piece! Neat! Johnny just keeps the pencil moving.

[BloodBoal 7,544]

We must assemble a team!

We already have a team!

[Incanus 5,858]

At least Thor has the right name to go with the picture.

[King Mark 3,848]

Just put a Darth Vader helmet over Iron man's body

I am team leader

[Incanus 5,858]

Just put Darth Vader in the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" position in the middle. That would be in essence the same thing. It would also decribe the innermost feelings of KM about the situation of the missing fanfare.

[BloodBoal 7,544]

There you go:

[Incanus 5,858]

Now it is perfect! Or actually you could have been looming benevolently in the background. I endorse this mission.

[Maurizio 6,052]

The original article mentions that the whole concert was filmed, so it's very likely we'll get to hear this new piece soon.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

Will Bob Costa talk over it?

[indy4 159]

This is fantastic news! I'm sure we'll hear it in the near future...modern JW concert pieces tend to be recorded, if only unofficially, in some capacity.

That's just overoptimistic wishful thinking

Lots of JW fanfares have remained unheard for deades

But what recent ones are unrecorded, even if unofficially? Music for Brass doesn't count because it's going to be recorded and released

[Jay 43,044]

BB!

... wouldn't it be JWFanners, though?

[Thor 9,312]

Ha, ha....thanks for the reminder, BB. Great photo!

Even if this piece was a one-off, there were no cameras and there were no one who sneakily recorded it on their smart phones or whatever, I hope it will receive a recording eventually. Or if Williams himself doesn't, someone else will pick up the score sheets and do their own version.

With each new concert piece he writes, my "quest" gets prolonged. Between that and his tv music, I think I'll be occupied for the rest of my life.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,077]

Lol!

[BloodBoal 7,544]

[Miguel Andrade 1,584]

The original article mentions that the whole concert was filmed, so it's very likely we'll get to hear this new piece soon.

I got the impression that the filmed concert was not the gala one, though I sincerely hope you're right.

[EdwardHall 30]

Perhaps a YouTube video of "A Toast" will show up at some point. Williams has been cranking out the brass pieces lately.

[RedBard 71]

Aww...

I couldn't assemble with the jwfanners?

...

...

...

...

Fine. I work better solo, anyway.

[Thor 9,312]

Any news on this?

[Miguel Andrade 1,584]

Nelson's opening concert as BSO music director will be broadcast on PBS sometime soon. Not sure if that's the same concert in which the Williams piece was performed.

[Naïve Old Fart 11,854]

Buttered or unbuttered?

is that brown, or white?

[Jilal 628]

So ... are we ever actually going to witness the release of a recording of this piece? 

[Tom 5,734]

I would not count on anything soon (if ever). 

[Thor 9,312]

Bumping this again! Anyone come over a recording in some form, or know of any way to hear it, or have news of an upcoming recording?

[Thor 9,312]

Apparently not. So who do we contact? 

[filmmusic 2,682]

How come there is no recording of this (official or unofficial) but we have for later pieces?

[Thor 9,312]

It's what we all want to know....

[Miguel Andrade 1,584]

The concert where that one was premiered wasn't subject of a broadcast. That's all. No big secret there.

People are just used to get things faster, and most Williams muisc gets to be available one way or another quite fast... Not a thing that happens with most composers.

[Thor 9,312]

But not a single person recording on their iPhones? Oh, how the mighty bootleggers have fallen....

[Miguel Andrade 1,584]

I'm not sure most people around here would go to a high priced gala, featuring a classic music program, just to record a couple of minutes long fanfare...