Joe Brausam

A good friend of mine is in the orchestra, and was really kind in letting me come back stage.  An amazing concert!

Born On The Fourth Of July!

Maybe when Prince Philip was taking in the monstrosity that is Boston City Hall.
 
http://gizmodo.com/bostons-most-controversial-buildings-prove-that-concret-1740078037

Holy shit!
 
Oh.

 
It's all just rumors, there are no confirmed facts whatsoever

 
 
It's also important to note that this is part of their regular subscription concert season.  This is not a summer concert or an outdoor event, this is geared toward the classical music crowd.  Obviously it's open to anyone who purchases a ticket once they're open to the public, but this year and next year mark a landmark in playing Williams music at the Philadelphia Orchestra, who had never once played one of his works on subscription until recently.
 
It'll be cool to see it performed in their hall!

 
More so - even though a published version may be scored for 4 horns, anything that would have been doubled in a 6 horn version would likely be doubled anyway. It's rare for you go to a major or even second tier orchestra concert and not see 6 horns sitting in the section, between having the assistant principal and one other.

 
More horns are not more powerful.  They are more enveloping.  2 horns cut, 8 horns envelop. 

Andrew Bain, principal horn for the LA Philharmonic and on this score, discusses playing for The Force Awakens with the International Horn Society.
 
http://www.hornsociety.org/295-newsletter/990-andrew-bain-interview

Andrew Bain, principal horn for the LA Philharmonic and on this score, discusses playing for The Force Awakens with the International Horn Society.
 
http://www.hornsociety.org/295-newsletter/990-andrew-bain-interview

 
Why? Because he has hardly ever actually done that.
 
While TESB brought back most (but not all) of the SW themes, only Luke's theme and The Force Theme can be said to have given any "development".
 
Same actually for ROTJ.
 
None of the themes introduced in the Prequels actually get much of a restate, let alone any development of any kind in subsequent entries.
 
I never understood where this idea comes from. John Williams is NOT Howard Shore. He has never shown any sign that he's particularly sentimental about certain themes and will only use them if he sees fot. But more then often he will try to write new material.
 
With the exception of the Raiders March all the Indy films have different themes.
 
CoS reuses a lot of themes from the first Potter films, but mainly because of scheduling issues. POA uses almost nothing apart from Hedwigs theme. Its all new.
 
With the exception of a few statements The Lost World is a score completely unrelated thematically from Jurassic Park.
 
Jaws 2 doesn't reuse much outside of the Shark Theme.
 
Only CoS and Home Alone 2 come to find as examples where Williams relies heavily on previously established themes. And in either case you can question if those themes are developed or just restated.

We have a winner

This is what's going to happen for the next 2 years now isn't it. You're all gonna pick it apart like fucking nerds till you forcibly break it and you won't be happy till you do.

Actually, for the first time, I'm really feeling this as Williams. To me it sounds like it could be tracked music from a concert arrangement. The contour of the melody and harmony is more Williams-y to my ears than generic trailer music.

Huh... To my ears, it's a very elegantly constructed theme, with a sense of balance I don't often hear from living composers other than Williams.
It's lyrical, poetic and immediate, but there's also something clever about it, something artificial (in the best sense); it feels like the work of a craftsman. It feels sculpted, and not the result of happenstance while noodling away at the keyboard.
I think the simplicity is a matter of purposeful design (much like Luke's theme almost 40 years ago). There's also an emotional quality to it that feels refreshingly austere. It's a very solitary theme. Ruminative and desolate. I find it very interesting. It has me intrigued. It's not a broadly romantic theme, there's nothing lush or really otherworldly about it. Still, it's completely star wars-ian, and sits comfortably among the other themes in the glossary, while at the same time offering something we haven't quite heard before.

Even nearly 3 months later I'm listening to Horner more than any other composer right now. That was even the case in the month or two before his death, which freaked me out a bit. Thinking about this now, it's still hard to believe. My mind doesn't really want to comprehend that he's passed, you hear his music and its so alive and so human that he must still be alive too.

Not surprised. He's still working on TFA in Los Angeles and as long as he's there he won't be coming to the east coast.
I felt really bad when he cancelled his May concerts, but in the end I'm glad I went. Richard Kaufman was a wonderful, energetic conductor and I ended up having a really great time in Boston.

What would have been a nice little surprise is now ruined (for anyone who gave a shit about this shit).

You can also buy this DVD/blu-ray to encourage them to produce more these kind of brilliant live concert recordings.

Casper's Lullaby always made me well up, who knows what it will do now?
Braveheart
The Final Word when it comes to epic Horner IMO. A handfull of excellent themes, beautifully undulating orchestrations that range from achingly beautiful to savagly brutal. Performed to perfection by the LSO. This is one of my alltime favorite scores. Brilliantly showcases Horner's mastery and idiosyncracies.

You wouldn't know what Neoclassicism meant if it bit you on the arse.

Matessino did this too!!

He can't retire until after Philly next year. He can spend the next 12 months resting and composing!

Damn you, I'm only going on Saturday!