Joe Brausam

Horner has plenty of trademarks of his own -- from crashing pianos to the layered string chord structure. I can probably recognize a Horner score within seconds. Silvestri too, but probably a few seconds more.
 
I did a tally of my collection -- appears I currently have 30 Silvestris and 73 Horners. I'm fortunate to have interviewed both; that's now crossed off my bucket list. Both are top 10 composers for me.

I knew i should have watched no time to die already….
 
damn

I just came back from seeing the film. I have to applaud Steven Spielberg and all involved with this adaptation. This was moving; I was in tears at the end. The production, the music, the acting, the choreography, everything. In my opinion, this in a lot of ways is better than the 1961 film. This adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical captures the spirit of the original Broadway book while breathing new life into this story that is, while timeless, as relevant today as it was when it first came out, going back to its Shakespearean roots. This was very well done, and I cannot wait to get this when it comes out on 4K Blu-Ray; I want to see how this was made. I’m going to get the soundtrack too. Steven Spielberg and crew did a fantastic job.  

I think its Spielberg's best film this century. 
He should have remade a weak film, he should not have remade a classic. 
 
All in all thats Bullshit. 
SS in my estimation pulled off what others couldn't, wouldn't have dared. I think the Ansel sucks bandwagon is...bullshit. There is that word again. 
I do get it. Musicals are not for everyone. My gay husband said no absolutely not.
 
The production values, the artistry, the acting, all top notch. Hell I will even slap Kaminski on the back.  I knew the story and knew it well yet it was Niagara falls when Rita Moreno sang somewhere.

It's getting straight up raves

Conceivably, it places you in the context of one of the communities in this film which is all about communities in conflict, depending on which languages you do or do not understand.

This clip is doing something that tends to grate on me on these nostalgic-reliant projects: showing reverence for some aspect which was never revered in the original film. The reverence was outside the movies, it existed only among the fans of the movie. Case in point, the ghost trap. Seems like a small thing, but normally it informs what the general aproach will be like

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.

Great write-up!
Lincoln and War Horse are still my favorite modern Williams, The Book Thief isn't far behind.  I always appreciate seeing these threads bumped up.

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

The orchestra is indeed having its FIRST rehearsal today.
 

 
 

I would blame them. If were the rights owner (Sony), I wouldn't care what the source was. I might be annoyed it had gotten out or been taken or whatever, but at the end of the day, the material belongs to Sony. They would obviously have every right to use it and the fact that someone might have possessed it illegally doesn't make the material itself any less valid. I wouldn't make some moralistic stand as if I'm sticking it to bootleggers/leakers by not using the material in my authorized release. Regardless, as Jay said, for whatever reason, the decision was made not to include it..
 
Even though we can cobble together a good experience with the sources available to us, a proper (ie, Matessino produced) version of Hook is right under Star Wars and Indy for me at this point. Hook is a Top 10 score for me from any composer. It's very special to me personally I hope it gets the presentation and preservation it deserves.

No problem!
 
1 - The actual Omni book only has two complete versions of "After Antietam", I see what they show on their site, but this is the breakdown in the book and what it all means:
1M2R Intro (Original) - The "R" leads me to this this is what they meant on their site as "After Antietam (Revised)".  This is simply an alternate introduction to the cue "After Antietam" and only lasts for 6 bars.  It features the "Reflection Motif" as Omni names it, a rising and falling figure in the strings.  This theme itself can be identified at 1:17 in track 2 on the LLL presentation, just for reference.  This cue is unused and not in any recording we have.  That leads us to the next cue.... 1M2 After Antietam (With Film Intro) - This is the one that lines up with the recording on track 2 of the LLL film presentation.  It features a new 6 bar introduction that replaced 1M2R.  Those 6 bars feature no melody, but the two chords in it are based on the first two notes of the "Reflection Motif".  This 6 bar intro is NOT on the LLL disc, I don't know if it's in the film or not.  The LLL presentation (and the OST) start on bar 7 of this cue, when the choir enters.  Other than missing the 6 bar intro, the LLL matches this cue exactly. 1M2ALT After Antietam - This is a shortened version of 1M2, which is 52 bars.  1M2ALT is only 13 bars and would have faded out earlier.  Its instrumentation is different - pulled back and scored for a smaller ensemble, 2 clarinets, trumpet solo, timpani, percussion, boys and men's choir.  The trumpet/bugle calls in this version different from the ones we hear in 1M2. It is also worth noting that the OST version of "After Antietam" does not appear in the Omni book, so there is indeed another version yet.  The OST features different trumpet calls that don't appear in any version in the book and different rhythms in the melody.
 
2 - The Omni book has "1M4R Flashback (Film Version)" and "1M4 Flashback Version 2".
"1M4R Flashback (Film Version)" - This is written as the first 12 bars of "Drei Klavierstücke" (disc 1, track 21).  The cue we hear on track 3 of the album overlays for 3 bars starting in bar 10 before continuing along on its own, the source music fading out.  The source music returns during the final bar of the chorus, so it overlays with the last bar of the track. "1M4 Flashback Version 2" - This matches Disc 2, Track 14 "Flashback Alternate 1".  The other alternate is not featured in the book. 3 - You are correct on how that lines up, yes.  The only difference is the Film Mix in LLL 1-24 does not include the orchestra entrance, and gradually fades out the field drums.
 
4 - Okay, so "54th Regiment" is partially source music and partially "Worth a Life".  "Hoist the Flag", LLL 1-25, is present throughout the cue, albeit with repeated phrases that are not represented in the written music for "54th Regiment".  "Worth a Life" overlays with the "Hoist the Flag" tune, and so it actually shares slate numbers.  The contents on the Omni website are listed differently than they are in the book, "Worth a Life" is actually the "Parade Overlays" listed on the site. 
This is complicated and a bit of a mess...so I'm going to just explain what we have on the CD first then follow up with what's in the book:
 
LLL 1-10 "Worth a Life" - This appears in the Omni book as "6M2 Worth a Life Version 2". LLL 2-15 "Worth a Life (Alternate 1)" - This appears in the Omni book as "6M2 Worth a Life Version 1 (Parade Overlay)" LLL 2-17 "Worth a Life (Alternate 2)" - This appears in the Omni book as "6M2 Worth a Life Version 2".  It seems to be musically the same as LLL 1-10, so any differences must be only slight instrumentation changes or the pacing of the take.  For example, at the climax in bar 12 the alternate takes a brisker tempo and the fadeout at the end takes longer.  But musically everything seems the same. Now here's some fun stuff from the Omni book to make things more complicated:
 
"6M2/6M3 Hoist the Flag" - This matches LLL 1-25 "Hoist the Flag". "6M2/6M3RA 54th Regiment (Film Version)" - "Hoist the Flag" beings the cue, with orchestra beginning at bar 53.  The structure of "Hoist the Flag" differs from any recording we have.  When the orchestra begins it starts similarly to "6M2 Worth a Life Version 2", however the melody at the beginning is elongated.  Structurally it features the same themes in the same sequence, again just elongated.  We do not have a recording of this as far as I can tell. "6M2/6M3R 54th Regiment" - Again starts with a version of "Hoist the Flag", followed by an orchestra entrance at bar 57.  Again, basically structured the same but with different variations of the themes presented in all versions of "Worth a Life".  Again, we do not have a recording of this as far as I can tell. "6M2 Worth a Life Version 1 (Parade Overlay)" - As said above, matches LLL 2-15 "Worth a Life (Alternate 1)". "6M2 Worth a Life Version 2" - As said above, this seems to match BOTH LLL 1-10 "Worth a Life" AND LLL 2-17 "Worth a Life (Alternate 2)".  
So...there is a lot going on with that cue.  Hope that all helps @Jay, and doesn't complicate things further! 🤣