Will

Here to the end of the cue is just awesome: I think the love theme variations here are even better than those in "Furies in Love"/"Romance in the Clouds." Speaking of the love theme, I think it's really cool how it's so unexpected in its form -- sure, the second part of the melody has some lovely classic romantic tropes, but the beginning is very different from what I usually expect in a love theme ... heroic, imparting perhaps even a sense of danger.

Yeah this is something I've always wondered myself. Unlike people like Giacchino, Desplat, and JNH, Powell credits not only orchestrators but also additional music composers. Which raises the question - does Powell himself write much less than those other aforementioned popular film composers, or is he simply being more candid in his credits and these are really just arrangers?

Here to 1:33 - Classic Powell, brought a silly grin to my face.

Well, yes, although even stuff like "Raiders Return" has some pretty wild trumpet stuff near the end. Took a few listens for me to be able to truly enjoy it (although I certainly do now!). High-register brass can sometimes feel kind of grinding before I really "understand" a piece's logic.

Yeah, like Solo this score sounded like a big mass of headache-inducing craziness on first listen, but then on later listens I'm really enjoying it. Terrific score.

Love it!

Wow! Great to finally have a video (if only in part) of JW conducting his superb "Happy Birthday Variations."

An awesome new performance of one of my all-time favorite works. One particularly great segment:

I'll second TGP - good to hear from you. Good luck with exams (mine are coming next week, although only high school ones thankfully!).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/as-a-classical-music-critic-i-used-to-think-the-star-wars-score-was-beneath-me-i-was-wrong/2019/01/17/80fe0744-18f0-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.051e39f560ea Some representative excerpts: I was particularly heartened to see this because just a few years ago (as she acknowledges) she had written a pretty harsh review of Air and Simple Gifts that I'd read! (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003560.html) (e.g., "It was functional, representational music, and it actually did serve a function: It allowed everyone some downtime before the main event of the oath and the new president's speech.") She's changed a lot! Hopefully she is able to now move even beyond SW and to JW's other work. Also, "Good means good, effective means effective" sounds like something TGP would say (and I mean that in a good way).

😍

Longer samples!!!

It took a few listens for me to really "get" the last couple minutes of this piece, but now I can see why you all have been praising it so much. It's absolutely glorious - sounds like something right out of the requiem, with an epic, religious grandeur.

Wow, just saw this thread! Hadn't realized he'd done a flute concerto - sounds very nice.

Wow, these sound great! The new melodies have such wonderful exuberance.

I believe the standard thing to try is to contact Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency (JW's agency). However, as others have noted, it is highly unlikely that the message would actually make it to JW himself. But I suppose it can't hurt to try! I don't have the agency mailing address with me right now but maybe someone else can post it here?

Same.

Indeed it is. I take it you just listened for the first time?

Wow, track titles have me hyped! Too bad we have to wait almost a month, though. At least they're releasing it before the movie on Feb. 22. That would have really been too long a wait.

I am virtually certain that the Yo-Yo Ma pieces were from a prior year's concert (probably the CSO suite recording that's long been available on CD). Ma didn't appear at any of the 2018 concerts (certainly not the one I went to!)

Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/leonard-bernstein-centennial-celebration-at-tanglewood-full-film/9295/ 27:00 - Williams interview 1:12:15 - emcee talks about Williams & Bernstein as well as Highwood's Ghost 1:26:45 - Williams comes on stage to conduct Highwood's Ghost

PBS will be airing the Bernstein centennial tonight.

Yeah, it's tricky because on the one hand we're really sensitive, almost "protective," about JW, so we're loath to see anyone leaking information and see it as distasteful. But on the other hand, anonymous sources are nothing new in reporting and, while it's prudent to be cautious about them, if the HP site has this right than I guess congrats to them. Getting the scoop is reporters' job, and while this report may seem distasteful to us, it doesn't appear to be grievously intrusive on privacy or anything.

Yeah, I agree with others here that there's absolutely no way JW stops composing before he's on death's door (which I'm going to assume is not the case right now). As others have noted, though, it does seem plausible that he could be done with film scoring and/or conducting soon. Which would be sad, but as long as he's still writing I'm satisfied. ---------------------------------------------- EDIT: Hmm...