Leaderboard

These were once again outstanding concerts. I attended the Thursday and Saturday performances, both times close to the stage - on Thursday I had a seat in row 3, 2nd place from the left, with a good side view of Williams; on Saturday again row 3, but almost in the middle, only slightly to the left (which was in fact the 2nd row because the middle blocks start in row 2). That was the closest I've ever been to Williams. For some reason, I was under the impression that the hall was known for problematic acoustics, so I got a bit worried when I realised I was sitting to the left of even the rear violins on the first day. Needlessly, because the hall turned out to be stunning, and I could hear everything perfectly (plus extra harp, which was nice). My personal highlights were the Olympic Fanfare (always wanted to hear that live), Far and Away (much more fun than I'd expected, because I realised when the expansion came out that after all these years I don't enjoy the full score/album as much as I used to - but it's a fine suite), possibly the best live Raider's March I've heard (I usually find it a bit too much on the heavy side in concert - not this time), Throne Room (because it's Throne Room and because it wasn't in the previous Williams concerts I'd attended), and the three pieces that I thought suited the orchestra and the hall best: Nimbus 2000, Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra, and The Adventures of Han. Comparing it to Vienna, I'd say both concerts were sufficiently different that I don't feel the need to pick a "better" one. Pieces that relied on precision (like the three standouts I mentioned above) were spot on here, while the more lush and lyrical pieces stood out in Vienna. There simply is no match for the Viennese horns (the Berliners were excellent, but they just don't have the same instruments), but the Berliner trumpets were fantastic. The halls complemented those different strengths as well - the Musikverein with its warm, luxurious sound, and the Philharmonie with its incredibly powerful yet transparent acoustics. In Vienna, I could hear every tiny detail, which is a rare thing when you know the pieces more or less by heart (and also, as I mentioned at the time, something that I've very rarely experienced at the Musikverein). In Berlin, the balance wasn't always perfect to that effect (it may have been better with a little more distance to the orchestra than my seats, where I got the most direct sound of the strings), but the spaciousness was stunning (not just left and right, but also a three dimensionality between the strings up front and the various winds in the back). I've also never heard instrumental doublings so clearly, especially when the horns and celli were doubled. The Viennese Imperial March remains unmatched (both for its tempo and for the incredible horn section), while the Berliner Raider's March easily beats Vienna. Jurassic Park, despite a few inaccuracies, was a marvel in Vienna (and again the horn parts stood out in particular), whereas the Berliner version was excellently phrased in the B section of the main theme, but perhaps even faster than the usual (too) uptempo version. On the other hand, the Berliner precision in the Motorcycle and Han scherzos was marvellous. I'm especially happy I picked those two days because I got an excellent Leia's Theme on the first day and the insane closing ovation on the last day. Williams was in very good shape on the first day (notably fitter even than in Vienna, I would say). From comparing notes after the last concert, it seems that he was much more energetic on Saturday than on Friday, but the difference to Thursday was still apparent. I couldn't help getting a bit worried and distracted whenever he turned to the left to propel the violins and looked like he'd run out of breath any moment. I think he deliberately shortened his last few speeches, and didn't even turn around for the applause between Yoda and the Imperial March to make sure he'd get through the concert before running out of energy. But on the other hand, the actual energy he invests in these concerts is incredible, and at times he seems to work even harder than the orchestra. And it seems obvious to me that he does it because he is aware of what he can get out of these pieces with the orchestra if he doesn't compromise and gives them everything he can. I still find it hard to believe that only three years after I thought I'd just missed my last chance of ever seeing him live, I have now attended five Williams concerts, with perhaps more yet to come. I think he just realised that it takes too much energy. I'm glad I caught one excellent performance on Thursday - I hope it was properly recorded.

Some people have asked me how this concert was different from the Vienna one. Vienna was my first ever JW concert in person, so it blew me away and left me in such a shock that I couldn’t listen to a note of music for a whole week after. That being said: Better in Vienna: - venue - smaller, tighter stage so the sound was more direct, which was an aspect of the sound I loved there - magic of Vienna (it also started to snow a few hours before the concert) added to its already historical significance - I preferred the program there Better in Berlin: - orchestra - as much as I like Anne-Sophie, I preferred the original arrangements of the pieces - orchestra again; really worth repeating as they played with less mistakes than VPO, and especially the string section was incredibly warm and pleasant sounding Both incredible concerts, as a whole I preferred the Vienna one because of the whole experience, but playing-wise, this one was better.

After the concert, at the hotel: "Are they still clapping?"

How many times will I have to conduct this piece...?

Everybody seems to have forgotten how awesome Vienna was, in terms of the musicians (instrument signing session, asking to play the Imperial March, all those happy strings players, the mighty horns..., Anne-Sophie Mutter joining for Raiders, commissioning of a new Ball processional...), the perfection of CE3K, Dartmoor, Devil's Dance, and the now legendary rendition of the Imperial March at the end. The audience was just about the same as in Berlin, standing up after every other piece, hollering, thumping and so on. It was the proper continental debut that generated nearly 4000 comments in its thread, and had an awesome feel of a second chance after the 2018 health fiasco. I am not saying one concert is better than the other, but looking at this poll, it seems strangely lopsided. It will make more sense to compare albums released once we get the Berlin one.

I thought this was cute.

This is the most impressive part about all this. The man is doing more concerts now than ever before. What a legend

Another nice pic to see us all safely home!

.

Yes. I'm sure I've seen and heard the real Berlin Philharmonic. I don't care if someone important was missing or not, everything was done perfectly. And the Saturday concert was absolutely amazing! Maybe even more than the Friday one. I was sitting in a row behind Anne-Sophie Mutter, a chair next to her. She reacted like a true Williams fan, she even enthusiastically screamed after every piece.

This is a terrific post and I largely agree. Vienna was the first.. which will always be significant. It had grandeur, elegance, formality, and the peerless Mutter. Vienna is gorgeous. But Berlin was joyous, free, emotional and overwhelming. The audience was like nothing I’ve ever seen - 15 or so standing ovations, cheering - one felt overcome with happiness. For that, and my little cherry on the cake singing Raiders to him, Berlin wins for me overall.

I think also there might be season ticket holders who aren’t interested in John. There was a lady sat next to us on Thursday who was utterly baffled by the concept of a film music concert. But by the end she was loving it.

Great place to have after concert drinks. Both for forum members but also for about 10 of the orchestra who came and sat on a big table upstairs at about 11pm!

The substitutes did well. Couldn't have sounded better with the other players....

I dedicated my extended applause to jwfan.com and this wonderful fan community!

Here's my only half-usable photo of yesterday's concert (my phone's camera is lousy, and I didn't dare take out my DSLR):

I can tell as one of those who applauded there, I guess hardly anyone there applauded just on the performance of the evening, but used the first (and maybe only) opportunity in their life to stand in front of John Williams and pay a little tribute to all the joy, pleasure and enrichment that Williams music has given to them all those years to date.

Well of course he did, it's a signature edition!

I have a feeling that, looking purely quantitatively, Berlin had more technical errors throughout the three concerts. However, the Berlin Phil seemed much more passionate, John Williams was happier, and the audience was out of this world, especially on Saturday. They were standing up after every piece! The eye contact between the players and the conductor, the constant smiles in every section - it looked like they were enjoying what they're doing, and this enjoyment was passed on to the audience. It made me really emotional, and I was on the verge of crying several times on Saturday. John Williams was much more talkative in Berlin. It didn't feel like he was reciting a script, it didn't have that aura of being formal. I cannot wait to see the La Scala concerts. I don't think it's quite possible to beat the experience of Berlin Phil. Then again, I thought the same about Wiener Phil right after those concerts.

Soloists are soloists. Orchestra/ensemble players are orchestra/ensemble players. If a member of an orchestra (or an ensemble, or a choir) performs like a soloist, you won't get a balanced and coherent orchestra (ensemble/choir) sound. That's not to say that orchestra players can't also be excellent soloists, but they're only good orchestra players if they don't stand out individually from the orchestra (except in solo passages, obviously).

JW knows not the sound of the best soloists from Berlin. If they had played, JW would never fly to Los Angeles. He would stay in Berlin for the rest of his life

I'm wishing for a selection of pieces from Prisoner of Azkaban

Can't wait to hear that extended clapping epilogue in Dolby Atmos.

has it been posted before? Here you can listen to Saturday's concert. https://www.rbb-online.de/rbbkultur/radio/programm/schema/sendungen/berliner_philharmoniker/archiv/20211016_2000.html Hedwig's Theme was my fav. Today and on thursday.

My friend and I straight out cried several times doing this last concert. We shortly afterwards agreed that this was the greatest experience of our lives. Guys, let’s meet up in Milano next year. This experience is insane!!! Edit: I am slightly drunk now and I also was drunk typing that message, but I’d love for someone to share this experience with in the future. It’s euphoric!

(If anyone would like to hear the whole video, he can send me a Pm.)

Okay, here we go. I wanted to review the concert immediately, but family came first, which in this case meant a Breaking Bad episode. Half of the notes I made during the concert don’t make sense to me anymore as they’re all in caps lock and full of typos, so this might just end up being a random rant. We’ll see. I don’t care. The orchestra was just fantastic. I loved the trumpets and the prominent percussion in the mix. I loved the woodwinds. The flutes were so moving. I loved the way they were almost… afraid to overdo notes and were so gentle with them. I loved The way they executed their scales so beautifully. I loved the strings and their truly flawless rendition of Hedwig’s theme and their stunning transition from Quidditch to Harry’s theme in HWW. I loved the harp transforming Harry’s Wondrous World into the gateway to Hogwarts itself. I loved the prominent low notes in the Adventures of Han, even if it might have been a little slow. I loved everything. And then there was the joy. There was so much palpable joy every single minute. I don’t want to start bashing Vienna immediately – well, I do, really – but maybe that was the most striking difference between the two concerts. Vienna sounded like a chore. Like a group of good musicians who suddenly realised they were going to have to play notes – together, even! – and who tried to make the best of an awkward situation. This orchestra played on an LSO level, they spoke one language to each other, the language of music, and they had a blast while doing it. Yes, there were some flubs, notably in the percussion, but the Berlin people made mistakes while being wrapped up in the pieces while Vienna was discovering the music as they were playing it. (WHAT HAPPENED IN VIENNA?) Also, did anyone else listening to RBB Kultur notice a particularly weird thing going on where the sound would continually become sharp and muffled, as if someone was constantly adjusting something, or are my headphones broken already? (Please let them not be broken, they cost €150 and I only got them last year.) It was especially prevalent during the applause and there was occasional crackling on the left channel too. Then, there was JW himself. Was he tired from Star Wars in Vienna? My God, he was great today. What I loved the most is how he took so much time introducing so many of his pieces and, even more importantly perhaps, how he seemed to love the audience as much as they loved him. He was so relaxed and lively and happy. If they release… no, sorry, WHEN they release! – this concert, hopefully in one proper edition this time, they absolutely have to include everything he said. It made it all even more special. Why did he say ‘thank you, that’s fine’ when the audience clapped as he mentioned Harry Potter, though? Speaking of speeches, is it only me who never ever needs a radio presenter during live concerts? I can understand what JW is saying in English, thank you very much, and no, I don’t need you to remind me 500 times that this is the Berlin Philharmonic playing, just describe what’s happening in the venue and otherwise just shut up. Also, she would not stop repeating how young the audience was. Well, if they want more young people, I would say the way is clear for this orchestra. I don’t need LSO re-recordings that badly anymore either, these musical wizards will do just fine. Are you reading this, Simon Rattle and Riccardo Muti? Then, Far and Away came. Is it me, or did JW shorten a section (the string bit that leads the love theme from C major to E major), which, again, was played just perfectly? Also a note about the program in general. I loved this one much, much more than Vienna. (No,, I’m not dropping this!) Even though Anne-Sophie Mutter was undoubtedly the best performer in that concert, I didn’t need all the arrangements on that occasion. They’re a fine curiosity and she’s a marvellous musician who was on fire back then, but they shouldn’t have been included in the Maestro’s first concert in Europe since ages. This program was the way to go and, God, was I moved by the elegy for orchestra. I don’t particularly like the repetition of themes, like Nimbus 2000 and Marion in multiple pieces, and I might even say that I didn’t miss Leia as an encore either for that reason. (If the orchestra’s management ever reads this, please note I obviously do want it on the commercial release as it is your duty and my wallet’s wish to preserve every second of this blissful evening.) I am so grateful this concert could go ahead. I am glad that John Williams finally got the European concert and recognition he deserved. Glad he is still around after covid. Glad I am not interested in Indy 5. Glad Vienna was not the end of his adventure on our continent. Glad the orchestra exceeded all my expectations. Glad they made the end of this year even more special than it already is for me. Thank you, Berliner Philharmoniker, for a truly glorious evening. Thank you. Bring on the CDs and more re-recordings. And Vienna, stick to Strauss waltzes and whatever other crap you keep playing at that new year’s thing, will you?

About 40 years ago our neighbor played in the Berlin Philharmonic and he told us, what an issue it was for many players when the first woman joined the orchestra, because they found that totally inappropriate. If you think about the classic purists in those classic forums, who claim, there might not have existed any relevant composer since Stravinsky, you might find those in such orchestras as well. Surely not the majority, but still it exists. Maybe that's one of the reasons for the low attendance of soloists.

Which movies Karam has done with Horner? I want to know which Horner scores I'm going to delete from my collection.

Lovely pic! Anyone travelling home today, have a safe journey home! Fittingly enough Berlin looks extremely moody today.

Only that many fans? Damn, that's not a lot

One note on the final applause in Berlin: at nearly 14 minutes, it was closer to the 20 minutes long ovation at the premiere of Mahler's 8th symphony than to a typical applause after even a good concert.

Williams says the Jurassic Park piece is the last 5 minutes of the movie: do we all agree that is not the case?

At least better than the VPO!

My jaw dropped at that first BAM of the Berlin CE3K too, and I didn't pick it up until they finished it, when I could drop it again for F&A which was also perfect.

Quite and interesting review (in German) https://www.rollingstone.de/kritik-john-williams-live-in-berlin-philharmoniker-musik-besiegt-motorrad-2367873/

Legend has it they are still applauding!

Guys, that applause at the end... I don't go much to concert halls, but I've never seen something like that. I noticed on Thursday that the applause went on for 10 or 20 seconds longer than usual after the musiciens started packing, but tonight it just didn't stop. A good measure of our love and appreciation for that man. I nearly believed he would return ! And he will, next year !

This has been truly one of the most special experiences of my entire life. It almost felt surreal... The orchestra were outstanding and John Williams was smiling, enjoying and really invested in directing. That final applause... when the pace of the applause changed all together was really magical. I will never forget this evening, I am having dinner while smiling.

That 14-minute standing ovation at the end. John Williams has left the building, the orchestra is gone, the lights are dimmed, but half of the remaining seats are clapping like crazy. I've never experienced anything like this in my life.

Let's bash V... Uhm, I mean, let's vote some more!

Better pencils?

I think the movie looks great. But then again, I am huge fan of the Nolan films. I think The Dark Knight is a masterpiece and the best superhero film ever made.

You wonder how long it would take you to listen to all the material JW recorded? Estimated from my FLAC folder of John Williams which contains all of my CDs and LP rips... Almost 13 days. So over 300 hours of music. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williams_discography

Yet another FLUB!

I was going to, but had to take care of my sick family. Luckily, @GerateWohl stepped in and did his best Jurassic Shark impersonation.

I thought you were attending?

no you will! It will be archived and it's accessible in a couple of days.

Nope. They have their own academy and it’s totally normal that their scholars join the orchestra. I think it’s a wonderful thing. They are listed here. https://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/academy/scholarsgraduates/