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diskobolus

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  1. For some reason I thought I read something that made me think otherwise - making this is a pleasant surprise.
  2. If this is true then that's great. For some reason I thought it was only the score for the theatrical edition...
  3. You obviously don't have the Fellowship Complete Recordings set, do you? Actually I do have them, but I have them as an advance promo copy that I got through my college paper. That was just the discs without the liner notes. Does anyone else think it's a shame that the extended music isn't on the "Complete Recordings"? To me Houses of Healing is one of the most gorgeous cues in the entire work.
  4. Jason, this is really cool, I'll be following this. IMO the most useful thing missing here is a musical transcription of each theme / theme snippet here. Then people can look at those notes while going through the breakdown and have it in their heads.
  5. Great work. Just curious, why the decision to move all source music to Disc 3, as opposed to say a chronological compilation?
  6. First time I haven't been able to go to this concert in three years Best program of all, it seems like. Man.
  7. MIT's Tech night at the Pops tomorrow: Scheduled pieces include works by Tchaikovsky, Mozrt, and themes from Gone with the Wind, Out of Africa, Lawrence of Arabia, Days of Wine and Roses, the Godfather, THe LIttle Mermaid, and Star Wars. The full program is not yet known. Keith Lockhart will be conducting.
  8. That's annoying, I just bought the director's cut dvd a month ago.
  9. It looks to be the same as United 93... extremely upsetting. I hate the marketing though. How many people need to be reminded it's a true story?
  10. My formal review of the Pops concert follows. It originally appeared in the MIT Tech. One of the first concert series of the Boston Pops season at Symphony Hall has traditionally been film music conducted by John Williams. He has maintained this annual event since stepping down as conductor of the Boston Pops in 1993, with the exception of last year, when he was too busy composing. This concert’s program draws upon Williams’ most well known works in addition to his recent scores. It also incorporates film music from other legendary composers, creating a fine collection of rousing and passionate repertoire. The concert opened with “A Hymn to New England,” which Williams wrote for the opening of the Omni Theater at the Museum of Science two decades ago. It is pure Americana, with brass fanfares and triumphant string melodies that slightly recall Copland. Three pieces from “Star Wars” followed: “Main Title and Rebel Blockade Runner” was brilliantly performed, with its driving rhythms and enormous sound conjuring nostalgic images from the opening titles of Episode IV. “Anakin’s Theme” from Episode I and “Imperial March” from Episode V came next, a wise choice suggestive of how the innocent, lyrical tune for Anakin changes into Darth Vader’s theme through motivic borrowings and harmonic imitation, representing the character’s transformation from boy to Sith Lord. Williams continued through another of his grand fantasy epics with three pieces from his recent “Harry Potter” scores. The first film’s “Hedwig’s Theme” employs the quick, bell-like celeste to suggest a light, magically charged flight. To the joy of all, Williams chose to perform the full concert version of this piece, an extended arrangement that passes the celeste themes to the strings and horns, eventually erupting into a grand, full-bodied orchestral climax that the musicians captured flawlessly. “Aunt Marge’s Waltz,” from the third film, is a comical, chaotic piece underscoring the scene in which Harry casts a spell on Marge causing her to swell like a balloon, soon lost to the sky. The dance combines with heavy, low brass allusions to Rossini’s “The Thieving Magpie,” employing arpeggios and descending chromatic scales over shots of a cuckoo clock, resulting in a humorous, inflated feel. Finally, “Harry’s Wondrous World” incorporates a number of musical ideas from the first film, including both heroic and introspective themes for Harry, a Quidditch fanfare, and others. Unusual French to tonic harmonic progressions lend an exotic, sorcerous mood. It is perhaps the most majestic and satisfying piece from the last decade of Williams’ scores. Selections from two Spielberg films about children also appeared. “Jim’s New Life,” from “Empire of the Sun,” relays the youthful vigor of a boy imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp following the evacuation of Shanghai’s International Settlement during the Second World War. The appearance of this rare concert piece was a delight. “Flight to Neverland” from the less serious “Hook” is one of Williams’ most rousing flying themes, often performed by the Pops. Few of his compositions can send the listener soaring more than this sweeping, turning string melody. Williams recently composed the score to “Memoirs of a Geisha,” about the rarefied world of Japanese culture in which geisha are trained to entertain men with their beauty and artistic skills. Sayuri, a young geisha in training, is musically represented by a single cello, whose dark, rich timbre captures her deep longing for true love in “Sayuri’s Theme.” The Chairman, the man she yearns for, appears through sweet, tender violin solos in “The Chairman’s Waltz” that evoke his kindness towards her. Martha Babcock, cello, and Concertmistress Tamara Smirnova handled these solo passages with impressive grace. Finally, “Brush on Silk,” a brave concert choice, is largely athematic with plucked cello and wooden percussive effects that yield a seemingly authentic Japanese sound. With his usual calm disposition, Williams allowed his soloists expressive freedom while occasionally establishing a deliberate tempo when necessary. Interestingly, his conducting becomes most physical and involved during slow, tender passages, seemingly to coax maximum expression from his players. In the first of several pieces by other composers, Smirnova performed the main theme from Ennio Morricone’s “Cinema Paradiso,” a stunningly poignant score. This arrangement also integrated the love theme in the film that was actually composed by Morricone’s son Andrea. The beauty of this sweeping melody is simply beyond words. Reprising a tribute from last August at Tanglewood, Williams also showcased well-known scores from three film music giants who passed away in 2004. David Raksin drew inspiration for the tragic violin theme of the title character in “Laura” upon learning that his spouse was leaving him. Agonized ninth chords demanding resolution and Smirnova’s mastery recreated the beautiful woman Laura who captured hearts even after her death simply through her image. The rich melodies of Jerry Goldsmith’s “Star Trek” theme and Elmer Bernstein’s Western “The Magnificent Seven” also filled Symphony Hall gloriously. The single miscalculation of the evening was an arrangement called “Monsters, Beauties, and Heroes,” with short passages from “Jaws” and Steiner’s “King Kong”; “Casablanca” and “An Affair to Remember”; and “Superman” and Korngold’s “Robin Hood.” Marvelous concert selections on their own, they formed a piece overfilled with competing musical ideas. Accompanied by a film montage of poorly chosen characters with an absurd spiraling camera, the piece was lacking. A similar montage of athletes for Williams’ marvelous “The Olympic Spirit” again proved unnecessary and distracting. The masterpieces performed at these concerts capture the images within, relieving the listener from needing the film at all. Williams reciprocated tremendous ovations from the audience with two familiar, crowd-pleasing encores — the Raiders march from “Indiana Jones” and the Flying theme from “E.T.” Though wonderful to hear, they are old-hat encores that Williams uses virtually every concert. Less-familiar favorites like themes from “Home Alone” or even “Parade of the Slave Children” from the second Indiana Jones film would be wonderful encores. Nevertheless, any concert conducted by Williams is an experience to cherish, and this program brought out the best in the Maestro and the Pops.
  11. I've been lucky enough to have him sign A.I., HPSS, HPCOS, HPPA, and Schindler's. The next thing I'd like him to sign is a large photo of us.
  12. The Steiner theme in question was the "natives" theme originally used in the sacrifice scene.
  13. Congrats, Foxfan, I'm glad it worked out. Looks like BU people aren't huge Williams fans.
  14. A full, formal review of the concert will come in a few days. The Meeting John Williams Report The best way to meet Williams is to wait after the concert at the stage door at the end of the hall. While people sometimes wait outside for him to arrive, this is not a good way to meet him since he has little time before the start of the concert, and his driver has said he prefers not to meet people beforehand. FRIDAY - Roughly two dozen people waited for Williams to emerge afterwards, and after some time we were told he would quickly greet us on his way out. We proceeded outside to the external stage door next to his waiting Lincoln Towncar, BSO-1. We watched as ushers left, likely returning to Berklee or NEC. Tamara Smirnova and Martha Babcock, soloists, left while we waited and people congratulated them on an excellent performance. After roughly forty-five minutes, Williams came out to great applause. He took photos with people and graciously signed autographs, even though it was dark and rainy. SATURDAY - With much experience waiting for Williams, I decided just to linger around in the hope he would show up. My goal was to obtain a more aesthetic photograph that wasn't taken outside, and I had also brought Azkaban to be signed just in case. After about fifteen minutes, only a small group of people remained, half of which were led backstage by a man who was presumably family. Then the man guarding the door actually opened it and started to usher people inside. I had never seen this after a half dozen times of waiting for Williams there. Soon I found myself backstage and going upstairs. About a dozen of us stood there, waiting outside Williams' personal dressing room. I was stunned at this tremendous fortune. One by one, he signed autographs and took photos, chatting with each person. As a few people know, trying to speak intelligibly to one's personal lifelong idol is difficult at best. Stammering through, I told him that A.I. was my favorite of his scores, and in particular I mentioned the Reunion theme as his most beautiful melody. He then signed my Azkaban CD cover and graciously posed for photos with me in front of his piano, which was covered with sheet music. Still stunned at the surrealism of all this, I took more photos of his piano, the nameplate on the door of the dressing room, and the conductor's stand from backstage. The one thing all people realize when they meet Williams is his incredible humbleness. However inspiring his music is, his kindness towards strangers who love his music is simply overwhelming.
  15. Excellent concert. For those going to the BU Night concert on Saturday night, instead of Empire of the Sun, Memoirs, and Hook, he'll be doing March from 1941; Theme from Sugarland Express; Swing, Swing, Swing; Concerto for Clarinet; Clarissima (Go B.U.) Correction to the program I relayed to Ray: The first piece is its own entire piece, "A Hymn to New England" (found on "American Journey") and that selection was nicknamed "A Postcard to Boston."
  16. Why will your friend from NEC be able to hook you up?
  17. Awesome... I'm really looking forward to this. We've just talked about all of these scores in my film music class.
  18. film music at its peak Hardly... try 1939 through 1945.
  19. No luck getting the program yet, although I'm going to all the concerts except the BU Night so the latest I'll know is Tuesday or something like that. Looking forward to seeing all of you (again, in some cases). Foxfan, how many concerts have we actually met up at now? I've lost count.
  20. It's well-made and emotionally upsetting. Not a film I'd like to see again; then again I don't think anyone really has a desire to see it the first time.
  21. I saw this picture earlier this week. Tomorrow I interview the director, Paul Greengrass. If you have any suggested questions, please include them below.
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