Saxbabe

Hey! This is shaping up! Okay, I'm going to get my tickets for Saturday the 26th as well. I'm from 2 hrs away and my parents aren't fond of my driving I-10 at night so I'm going to stay the night as well. Do you guys know where you're going to stay yet? I can do a bit of research and maybe we could stay at the same place. (Somewhere nice, but uh, cheap lol) I'll see what I can rustle up. This is going to be fun! -Greta

You have exams on Saturday and Sunday night? If so, now that does royally suck...

A Texas JWFan Party, that would rock. Any of the days would probably work for me. It would be great if we could meet before and hang out/go out to eat downtown near the hall. Doable? Are there any other Texas JWFans interested? I'm trying to remember who we've got on here from this area, Hlao-roo (Alan) and new member TheDarkOrb come to mind.

Mark, we're coming in from 2 hours away, if we can you can too. Seriously, Houston doing the march from Superman isn't something I'd want to miss! When you find out Mark, let me know what day you're going... Greta

I saw the Houston Symphony doing Wagner this weekend, and saw in the program the lineup for their upcoming film music concert. Oh yes...loving it... "Hooray for Hollywood" May 25, 26, 27, 2007 (and May 24 in The Woodlands Pavilion) Jones Hall, Houston, TX Houston Symphony Michael Krajewski, conductor Hooray for Hollywood! - J. Mercer/R. Whiting Selections from The Wizard of Oz - Arlen/C. Sayre The French Collection arr. Mancini Scott Holhouser, piano "Sicilian Pastorale" and "Love Theme" from The Godfather - N. Rota "Viktor's Tale" from The Terminal - J. Williams David Peck, clarinet Theme from Schindler's List - J. Williams Angela Fuller, violin March from "Superman" - J. Williams (!!) -Intermission- Goldfinger - J. Barry/N. Raine "The Creation of the Female Monster" from The Bride of Frankenstein - F. Waxman/Gerhardt-Vaughan High Anxiety - M. Brooks/A. Bass Robert Froehner, theremin for both of above Suite from The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - H. Shore/J. Whitney Theme from On Golden Pond - D. Grusin/G. Prechel The Great Westerns Suite - arr. J. Tyzik Great pick of JW pieces!! I'm so excited to hear all of them, but especially Superman! Their Wagner concert this weekend showed a powerful brass section in top form. Almost drowned out the strings, hehe, but beautiful intonation and tone. So many other great pieces too, equally looking forward to Goldfinger and the LOTR. And a real theremin? Now that should be interesting. Too bad they're not doing any Herrmann, with theremin The Day the Earth Stood Still would've been cool. There's also something special about this concert. In 2001, the Houston Symphony's music library was lost in Tropical Storm Allison, literallly wiped out in the floodwaters, priceless parts with markings going back to Previn, Barbirolli, and Stokowski. Since then, donors have slowly helped build the library, but sadly and unbelivevably no one has coughed up for most of their John Williams music. Here's the list of what they still lack: Focus On The Music Campaign The pieces on this program have been recently donated for, and the donors' names are printed on the program and will be forever printed on the score. If I had a couple of thousand extra, my god, that could buy Battle of the Heroes, CE3K, Adventures on Earth, Flight to Neverland. Only a few hundred for a score is nothing if several people go in on it. Anyway, so it looks like an awesome concert, I'll definitely be there, but was curious if any other Texans would be going before I buy my tickets... -Greta

I've been keeping my eye on these, but the date's too far away to really know what'll be going on. Those programs do sound interesting, but for someone who's never seen JW live, or even heard much JW live, I'd be more excited if it had some CE3K (!), Jaws, Superman, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones... (Hey, a girl can dream! And it's a major trip for me, so $$$ is always an unknown. Maybe I'll save up for a future Boston appearance... -Greta

I believe he meant "concert" music of film composers, if that's the interview I'm thinking of from Scorenotes.com. If he said chamber music, he was referring to his own - McNeely's few concert works so far have been chamber pieces, his latest of which I'll be going to see him conduct in a few weeks in Houston. Greta

OT: But has anyone seen the Wikipedia entry for Rite of Spring? It's has this big indirect JW bash, making "note" that the SW OT scores "borrow heavily from The Rite, Stravinsky's other ballets, and myriad other composers." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring Yeah, sure Tattooine clearly was temped with Rite, but Indy and CE3K were ripped from it too?

HAHA! I think they were high. Seriously. Man, they must've been really bored. And maybe that white powder wasn't fake... Speaking of weird shorts, here are two to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring: Another girl in the city, with a gunman Oh, and this is the most bizarre Rite performance I've seen: I would've choked on my reed for laughing. (BTW, the conductor himself actually uploaded the video!)

Also Option 2. He's by far my favorite film composer, but not absolute favorite composer. I have favorites lists for film and classical composers, separately. Classical favorites are Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Haydn, Sibelius, Elgar, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Ravel. I like him as much as some of these, but consider film composing a separate genre. -Greta

It's pretty rare I don't listen to at least some JW most every week, at least a few tracks. I listen to a ton of other stuff though so I don't really get withdrawal. But it's a breath of fresh air to hear JW after being away for a while. It's like coming home. Lately I've been listening to a lot more classical, I've focused on film music so much I realized with a shock recently how many great symphonies I've never even heard, or composers I've never heard a single work of, and am trying to rectify that. I've found a lot of new things I really like. -Greta

Great thread! I adore this piece. The Handley/Royal Phil recording is really quite good, I just recently heard it. I've been on a Planets kick this year - I'm setting out to hear, well, pretty much all the recordings out there. (Long-term project for sure...) I highly recommend getting the score if you like this piece, it's only ~$13 at Amazon. I got a whole new appreciation of the latter movements after seeing the score. Also for a more in-depth look, a very interesting book is the Cambridge handbook by Richard Greene: http://www.amazon.com/Holst-Planets-Cambri...&sr=8-13%20 It gets into the history and reception of the work, the music theory, and analyzes a few recordings. There are a literally a TON of good recordings, to quote Neil: "It's a hard one to mess up." But I feel like Mars and Jupiter shouldn't be too loud and too fast, respectively, though. JW's isn't my favorite either, he does a few interesting things, but it's basically pretty average. The Dutoit/Montreal is wonderful, it's practically perfect technically and sonically impressive, it isn't necessarily definitive but comes close. Sir Adrian Boult was friends with Holst, and is who Holst asked to premiere this piece - he recorded and performed it many times throughout his career, the best in terms of sound quality and years of experience is his last, the one listed above on EMI coupled with Elgar's Enigma Variations (another great piece!) He brings out some inner details and colors in the score that others miss. A few other favorites with differing interpretations: Bernstein/New York Phil/Sony - This was my first Planets, and my only one for a long time. Dramatic, lush, and fiery, just what you'd expect out of Bernstein. Full of passion. His Jupiter Hymn is sublime. Great balance and sound quality. (This is also on SACD now.) Mackerras/RLPO/Virgin - Fantastic. Full of excitement and energy, the RLPO have a lot of life and presence under Mackerras. Fast at times, but all-around super performance. Mars blazes, Jupiter dances, slow movements are great too. The RLPO brass are impressive. Gardiner/Philharmonia/DG - Stunning in sound and performance. Jupiter is very fast, but the playing is unreal. A more analytical approach, focusing on rhythmical and technical precision. Tasteful, intelligent interpretation. Planning to get this one on SACD. Previn/Royal Phil/Telarc - Classy and dignified. Crisp, clean powerful playing. He pays close attention to crafting the melodic lines, which pays off in his lovely slow movements. Other neat ones: Previn/LSO/EMI - Great display of the blazing LSO brass. It's on DVD-A coupled with two other great Holst works, The Perfect Fool and Egdon Heath, but also on CD by itself used. Awesome for its sheer power. Holst/LSO - A very early electrical recording has the composer conducting his own score. Sound quality is bad of course, and his conducting is fast and quirky at times. Interesting though. Boult/Vienna State Opera Orch/Westminster - This is the one with the R-rated cover above. On CD with a different more tasteful cover. Subpar playing but Boult's interpretation is searching. Intimate, heart-on-sleeve. My favorite Venus. The Mehta/LA Phil recording coupled with SW and CE3K (which a lot of people probably have) is also high quality. Two on record I would like to hear are Bernard Herrmann's, supposed to be really slow and and a bit odd, and Haitink/Concertgebouw on Philips, with a ruthless Mars. Also, Ozawa's with Boston I haven't found, maybe it's only on LP. See what happens when you get me started? -Greta

Okay, "Amok Time" just came on TV...so- How did McCoy know to bring a neurotranquilizer to Vulcan, when he and Kirk didn't even know what the marriage ceremony would involve (The Challenge) and even if McCoy had researched it, it was a complete surprise that Spock's bethrothed chose Kirk? TriOx would make sense perhaps, but..a neurotranquilzer, it seems McCoy produced it from thin air LOL Am I missing something? (First time, I thought McCoy had just lied that Kirk was dead to get The Challenge over with and get them off the planet, and really that would have made more sense than an ultra-convenient neurotranquilizer...)

Beat me to it. Marc, you would probably like this one, this was my first introduction to the stunning Famke Janssen, who plays every man's dream woman, see she molds herself to her mate, so therefore whatever you're interested in she's an expert at... I'll second pretty much all the TNG mentioned, the Borg episodes especially and "The Inner Light" is a favorite of mine. Data is really a great character, he and Spock, probably my two favorite characters from all of Trek. Brent Spiner, what an actor. "The Offspring" and "Brothers" are standouts, "In Theory" is also a nice one for Data. For my money, you can skip most of his Sherlock Holmes though... A couple of other TNG not mentioned: Remember Me - Season 4 Friends slowly disappearing, one by one... The Host - Season 4 Poignant episode...and we discover the Trill (who you see in DS9) Reunion - Season 4 Oh yes, Worf CAN love, fleshes out his character nicely Family - Season 4 Fleshes out Picard a bit The Game - Season 5 Awfully fun game, it seemed...also features a young Ashley Judd Frame of Mind - Season 6 Jonathan Frakes was great in this one I always did like the character episodes. I'm in the process of rewatching TOS, "City on the Edge of Forever" and "Space Seed", very good ones, this week I saw again "Devil in the Dark" which I also quite enjoy. Greta

Terribly boring Oscars this year. We all know Best Score has become a big joke, but it still makes you disgusted. A three note score on guitar wins an Oscar twice when somebody like Thomas Newman still doesn't have one. What an absolute farce. Glad for Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker, two fantastic actors. And thank GOD Marty finally got his Oscar! It was worth sitting through all that to see him up there with his old friends getting his deserved props. And Best Pic too! Great. Rest of it was dreadful dreary though. I felt a bit sorry for Morricone, he looked ill at ease during the tribute (did Eastwood forget to take his medicine?) and the whole thing was so awkward. The tribute was lovely however, and richly deserved, he got a nice long ovation and truly seemed moved in his acceptance, even though we don't know quite what he said. Well, that's it for another year, I found a few films tonight that are on my list to see, and spent the night chatting with JWFans, so it wasn't a total loss. Maybe next year will be better... Greta

We had David Holsinger too for All-Region in '98! We played "Fanfare for the Uncommon Man" (which was written in tribute to a past director at my college) and "American Faces". We were joking he reminded us of JW, balding with the white hair, and glasses. Fantastic guy. He had so much energy on the podium, funny story - when he was conducting "American Faces" he got very into it at rehearsal and actually injured his forehead with his baton and it was bleeding! That was a first for me. ) Anyway, back to the topic lol.... creative arrangement by Smith, even if the performance was a little rough. Always nice to hear bands trying some of JW's less played cues. Thanks for the link! Greta

I was looking for somethig completely unrelated and found these two pages of The Terminal recording sessions. These were taken by David Weiss, a retired oboist of the L.A. Phil. Great pics of JW and Spielberg, I had never seen these before. A bit sad though to see the pics of Emily Bernstein (the clarinet soloist) who died soon after. Her playing was beautiful on that score. Page 1 Page 2 I liked these especially... JW conducting Spielberg and JW with Sandy DeCrescent Orchestra applauding clarinet soloist JW and Spielberg (aww...) Greta

They already gave the awards out earlier today or maybe yesterday. I found it on their website, all the classical, jazz and movie results are there already. Best Score Soundtrack Album - Memoirs of a Geisha Best Instrumental Composition - "A Prayer for Peace" from Munich Yay!!

I've never been big on Star Wars, the movies are fun (at least the OT) but the score is the best part. Star Trek, oh yeah, I'm a totally huge TNG fan, it rocks. Especailly when I was younger, around 1992-94. I had the biggest crush on Cmdr. Riker (thought it was so cool he played trombone lol) and thought Picard was hot. I read TNG books, I dreamed about what it would be like to have a Holodeck. Yep, I was a big fangirl. I used to watch TOS sometimes when I was really young, before TNG, and have seen most of the epsiodes on TV throughout the years, it's great as well. I watched Voyager some but could never get into it, and DS9 seems good (though not as good as TNG) but I never got the chance to watch it consistently enough to follow the plot lines. Enterprise had a few good episodes, but that's it. I also like the movies, even if the TNG movies often felt like just an extravagant TNG episode. But still, my two favorites of those would be Generations and First Contact. Yep, there's no comparison between SW and Trek, for me. Greta

Wish you were still here, Jerry. I hope you know up there how many people are thinking about you today. Already listened: Anna and the King (first hearing) The Blue Max Next: ST: TMP (expanded) Later: First Knight, Star Trek: First Contact, Timeline (full score) Your presence is sorely missed... Greta Celebration of Hollywood (concert from BBC Radio, Royal Albert hall) Great to hear him speak.

At around 3:45 in the video, you can clearly see him holding it in his left hand and looking down at it during the tracked sections. (Somehow didn't notice it first time around ) This is a chronometer, essentially a very accurate pocket watch...was he using this to see the reverberation time as the hall "sings" or just to keep time to know when to cue the orchestra back in? I heard this recording (Dharma at Big Sur) on a BBC Radio feature yesterday on Adams and it is indeed a very good one. It also has Tracy Silverman as soloist.

Happy 75th to one brilliant man. May there be many more music-making years to come! I echo the sentiments expressed here - John Williams' music opened me up to a whole new world and has meant so much in my life. When I was young and learning music, it was a joy to play arrangements of his scores, his themes left me filled with awe and wonder. What better introduction could a child have? Over the years, I have only come to fully appreciate his genius. Without his music, there would be one empty hole in my heart. Here's to one of the truly great composers of our time. We are so ever grateful for you sharing your musical gift with the world, and touching so many lives, including mine. My best wishes to the Maestro, Greta

That's so sad, and she had that little baby girl.... Somehow I always felt sorry for her. Anna, I'll miss seeing your crazy adventures. Tragic for her to have died so young. Greta

Most of the PBS video of the inaugural concert of Walt Disney Concert Hall is now online at Google Video. Interviews and Introductions JW conducting "Soundings" with Spielberg introducing A cracking Rite of Spring with conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen Scene d'Amour (Vertigo), Death Hunt (On Dangerous Ground) - Herrmann, How the West Was Won - Newman (Salonen conducting) Gosh, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is gorgeous. This is the first time I've ever heard "Soundings" and it's quite a cool piece. It has a lot of trademark JW-isms (like odd meters a la CMIYC) but updated. Especially the latter half is a lot of fun and the L.A. Philharmonic do a great job with it. And it's always a treat to see him conduct! Rest of the concert is fabulous too.

He'd rather have anal warts than lose a job to Gorfaine-Schwartz He makes me feel like a dunce, Cause I can't write two scores at once, And I won't work in groups Like Hansie Zimmer and his troops HAHA! Great stuff