Pawel P.

Interestingly enough, I did see a guy with a large industrial-level camera and light standing in the backstage area just off the stage when the concert ended. No idea what that means - I didn’t see any filming notices anywhere - but they at least filmed something backstage after.

There were a few built in cameras that they seem to have at Tanglewood (I saw one to the left of the orchestra, and other at the back of the Shed behind the percussion). I think (but did not see it) that they were showing a live video on the big screens that are behind the Shed so that people on the lawn could see what was going on. Thus, I would guess there was video made - but I doubt it will be released - there were not cameras on the platforms in the audience area where I think those go for produced shows. Someone who has been there before can probably comment on that. This recording would be more serviceable than something actually directed (such as the Bernstein concert last year, for example).
 
I was hoping - wrongly - that they would replay the concert on Live from Tanglewood last night on Classical WCRB radio so we would get audio. However, they aired a concert from last year instead. I suspect rights issues and wanting to keep these performances for the CD release kept that from happening. As a counter example, Saturday night's BSO show was broadcast live. But maybe after the CD comes out, WCRB will air this concert at some point in the future. 
 
The usher in my aisle kept shooing my wife and I (and others) from even taking photos - and that was just during the bows! So, someone told the ushers to be vigilant I guess. I thought about trying to clandestinely record some of the show, but I really wanted to focus on the experience and not technology. So, alas, only have echoes in my head, but happy I was so engaged with the show. Others may have been more adventurous. 
 
I saw that person too. I suspect b-roll footage to support the album launch and maybe also promote the German concert in September.

Perhaps I'm still just reeling from the experience of seeing Williams live but I feel like that arrangement of Leia's theme is my favorite take on the piece. Like rpvee said, and I hadn't really thought about, it seems to nicely sum up Leia's character as a whole. I can't help but think that some of the more intense violin parts were written with Carrie's passing in mind. 
 
When Williams came out, he gushed quite a bit about Mutter and how wonderful she was but all he said about David Newman, who conducted the first half, was "That fucker has to work on West Side Story. I really dodged a bullet on that deal," which I thought was a rather crass and surprisingly tasteless thing for him to say. 
 
Joking aside, concert was fantastic, as was to be expected. Williams seemed in good spirits and health. Was super impressive seeing how deftly and energetically he manned the podium. When it came time for him to conduct "The Duel" from Tintin, his baton was nearly a blur. He gave four encore performances. First one was the new arrangement of Yoda's Theme, followed by his Star Wars main titles/end credits arrangement from ANH that he usually plays at concerts, third was the new arrangement of "Remembrances," and then he closed up shop with some good ol' Indiana Jones. Williams came out a fifth time and mimed with his hands under his head like a pillow that he needed to go to bed.

One neat little bit of trivia is that Alan Silvestri was in attendance with his wife in the third row or so to watch Williams. 

Plus the Chairman's Waltz, though I suspect this was similar to the existing arrangement? 
 
Has anyone kept a comprehensive list of everything Mutter has mentioned vs what's actually included? There's Markings and Remembrances (on the vinyl) plus Prayer for Peace, Leia's Theme, Han Solo and the Princess, Chairman's Waltz, Devil's Dance all missing. We know several of these were recorded, check this out:
 
Neither track anywhere to be found on the CD.  Fancy getting a cello soloist to record these pieces only to omit them... 

Don't have time to go into that much detail, but I can summarize a few things.
 
First, with the exception of the Sabrina arrangement, the two from Memoirs of a Geisha, and the Schindler's List encore, every violin arrangement was new. Even the pieces he's arranged for violin before are considerably expanded and transformed, especially the Far & Away and Witches of Eastwick scherzi. The versions of Rey's Theme and Yoda's Theme were the same as the YouTube previews that were released last week. The Hedwig's Theme arrangement is lengthier than the YouTube version, with most of the newer material coming towards the end, including a mini cadenza and some broad material for orchestra when the opening theme returns, IIRC. The treatment of Leia's theme was, as many have noted, a real revelation, even though structurally, only the opening really differs hugely from the original arrangement. Eagle-eared listeners may have noticed a very brief allusion to the Han & Leia love theme in solo horn in measure 4. Notably, the ending is quite shortened following the arrival at the big climactic B-major chord, essentially bypassing some of the accustomed woodwind material transitioning immediately to where the solo violin comes in in the original arrangement.
 
Of special interest to me, since I gave a pre-concert talk on it, was that the Across the Stars arrangement. The version premiered at Tanglewood was a slightly different, updated version compared to the YouTube version w/ A-SM that we've been listening to for a month or so now. The opening introductory passage is ever so slightly modified such that the penultimate chord is a straight G-Minor rather than the E-halfdim from before. (Why, I cannot imagine.) More substantially, the second rotation of the Main Love theme is stated more fully before the climactic middle section, where it had sounded clipped and developmental before. There may have been a few more spots with alterations, but those are the two big ones I noticed. It's a *big* improvement for an already stellar reimagining of this theme.
 
Galaxy's edge was basically the same as the commercially released suite, including the presence of the opening fanfare. The one big difference is the trimming of everything from 3:18-3:38, for brevity's sake I guess.
 
Amazing concert!

My understanding is that he made this decision after the 5 days he worked with Ms. Mutter in LA. They apparently just clicked, and he wanted to do it. Perhaps, he was already going to be present for the concert in any case as an audience member, especially with the Koussevtizky sculpture dedication a few days before? (I made it a point to see all 3 busts JW has donated - see images.) As I wrote earlier, you could definitely feel the chemistry between Anne-Sophie and John. My wife and I were just on the aisle about 10 rows back on the left with a great view of both of them.
 
The concert was long - 2.5 hours or just over depending on if you count that they started the normal 5 mins late (at 2:35 instead of 2:30 pm). Williams was out there for 100 minutes, Newman just for 55. (25 min interval.) Anne-Sophie was probably on stage over an hour in total. Must have been more with applause etc. I loved after The Duel from Tintin that she and Williams sort of shadow sword fought - baton vs. bow. I also loved that JW got a standing ovation just for showing up to start the 2nd half. (I think I might have been the first on my feet in our section!) JW seemed energetic and with it. He had some issues with the step to the podium, but once atop, his energy and attention to everything the Pops were doing was intense. You get the sense of his skill as a conductor watching from up close and also seeing how rapt the players are in following his lead, Ms. Mutter included.
 
It's hard to say what was my favorite part. First, JW told some nice stories which is always great. Second, Leia's theme was lovely as written about by others on this thread, and as Falstaff mentioned (sorry to miss your talk - did not know about it!), Hedwig's Theme was longer than the release so far, and I liked it more as this longer version. Ending on Raiders is always special for me as an Indy fan. But really, it was this sense that something amazing was on stage. These new pieces have a chance to enter the general concert repertoire in a way that only Schindler's List and Geisha have in terms of "serious" pieces of hard to play music that can show up in concert programming. And more over that aspiring musicians may try to master and learn from. I love most of Williams' concerti, but they are just played that often. I think these may become more likely to be heard, and I expect Anne-Sophie will use them as encores and parts of her program for years to come. Most are not just orchestrations - they are truly arrangements of themes we love. Let's never forget that JW spent many an hour arranging for the likes Shelly Mann and Henry Mancini. These may not be jazz like his pieces for them, but there is still fundamental quality to how to treat and develop material. Plus, he had to work in cadenza challenges for Ms. Mutter in a way that might parallel a jazz solo.
 
Concert attendance was a bit sparser than I would have thought - although certainly well attended. Lots of empty seats around, but with the lovely weather, the picnic grounds were packed. (My wife and I attended the Saturday night BSO concert which included the Previn concerto written for and played by Anne-Sophie, and it was raining, so only people under the Shed were in attendance.) At dinner Sunday night, we overhead two couples discussing Sunday's concert, and one of the four said he was happy to sleep through it! I wanted to have a word with him, if you know what I mean. Happily his wife, who clearly is the smart one in that family, came to the rescue and told him she enjoyed hearing these themes on violin and the artistry of the playing.  
 
What else to say? As a first weekend ever at Tanglewood, my wife and I were blown away by the beauty and fun. She's wearing her Tanglewood t-shirt today as we fly home. We have spent many nights at the Hollywood Bowl, and this beats it. We actually stayed after the concert just to walk the grounds for an hour and soak in the views and ambience. And who knows when we will get to see JW conduct again? So, if this is the final time, it was one for the ages - amazing music, great atmosphere, world premiers, a glorious soloist and a magical summer afternoon.
 
(And to let the Williams fun continue, we are seeing live performances by the Seattle Symphony of E.T. Wednesday and Prisoner of Azkaban Friday - which is also my birthday!) 
 
 
 
 

Yes, the pattern seems to be that she performs three pieces and then goes for a break. I think you're right that all the above mentioned pieces will be the standard versions. The only one which could be adapted as a violin piece is the Devil's Dance (which was already adapted by JW for violin and piano for Gil Shaham).
 
As for the pieces recorded that will not end up on the album, who knows... it could be for a wide variety of reasons. I think Markings could appear on a separate release together with other concert pieces performed by ASM. I certainly won't expect a Volume 2 anytime soon.

I’m sure that Theme from “Jurassic Park”, Harry’s Wondrous World from “Harry Potter”, The Devil’s Dance from “Witches of Eastwick”, Superman March and The Flying Theme from “E.T.” will be performed as regular arrangements we’ve known and love for years. Also Just Down West Street... Anne Sophie will need breaks between the performances, this is normal. 
 
We''ll definitely hear Princess Leia’s Theme, which will not be on the album. That's good news.  
 
I still hope that the concert in Tanglewood will be recorded in HD, like many others that took place there.

I’m sure that Theme from “Jurassic Park”, Harry’s Wondrous World from “Harry Potter”, The Devil’s Dance from “Witches of Eastwick”, Superman March and The Flying Theme from “E.T.” will be performed as regular arrangements we’ve known and love for years. Also Just Down West Street... Anne Sophie will need breaks between the performances, this is normal. 
 
We''ll definitely hear Princess Leia’s Theme, which will not be on the album. That's good news.  
 
I still hope that the concert in Tanglewood will be recorded in HD, like many others that took place there.

They recorded a lot more, including Markings. Maybe there will be two editions, a special limited 2CD?

ACROSS THE STARS
Anne-Sophie Mutter / John Williams
The Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Release Date: August 30, 2019
 
TRACK LIST
 
01. Rey's Theme (From "Star Wars: The Force Awakens")
02. Yoda's Theme (From "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back")
03. Hedwig's Theme (From "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone")
04. Across The Stars (Love Theme) (From "Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones")
05. Donnybrook Fair (Based On "Blowing Off Steam" From "Far And Away")
06. Sayuri's Theme (From "Memoirs Of A Geisha")
07. Night Journeys (From "Dracula")
08. Theme (From "Sabrina")
09. The Duel (From "The Adventures Of Tintin")
10. Luke And Leia (From "Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi")
11. Nice To Be Around (From "Cinderella Liberty")
12 .Theme (From "Schindler's List")
 
Available on August 30 on digital, CD and 2LP.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Sophie-Recording-Orchestra-Angeles-Williams/dp/B07SM9GCH6
 

While obviously another apples and oranges situation, Akira Ifukube went in and out of scoring Godzilla films over the course of 41 years, continuously incorporating themes from earlier installments in new ways and all while adding to the franchise's musical lexicon with new thematic material that seemed to stem from Ifukube having, like Williams with Star Wars, an infinite number of things to say about his defining franchise. After scoring his last Godzilla film at 80, Ifukube concluded a musical relationship that had lasted more than half of his life and that comprised approximately 15 scored entries. 

Again, to compare Williams to Ifukube is pointless. Apples and oranges and what have you. Some may scoff at even attempting to draw a parallel between the two. Regardless of personal opinion, Ifukube's relationship with Godzilla highlights a unique music career distinction shared with the likes of Williams and his relationship with Star Wars, a distinction that makes the Star Wars scores so largely tantalizing to me.

This is to say, you have a composer who defines their career with a single film and throughout the course of multiple decades (that see both the franchise and the composer grow and change in ways not realized during the inception of the first installment) that same composer repeatedly comes back and somewhat literally has to confront the writing style of an older incarnation of themselves that no longer exists. How the composer chooses to deal with that confrontation of a previous musical identity, either through embracing it and trying to write in a style reminiscent of those years of old or by adapting and updating that identity to conform to the new musical norm for the composer, is a dilemma both Williams and Ifukube had to deal with. One of the greatest benefits in being an observer to this unique relationship as a listener is being able to more directly than usual realize and appreciate the growth a composer has had. For example, Crumbs has said before, and I agree, that Rey's theme is representative of a piece Williams couldn't have realized even 15 years ago. Yet, at least to me, Rey's theme, while being a creation deeply entrenched in the writing sensibilities Williams is currently in possession of, fits perfectly within the Star Wars musical landscape. You get to be witness to great musical moments like the build to the Rebel Fanfare statement followed by the perfect segue into Rey's theme in The Battle of Crait, whereby you have a seamless bridging between the music of new Williams and the Williams of old. Those moments, those decisions the composer had to make in trying to consolidate different sensibilities, are so delicious to be able to observe. 
 
Once again, as is usually the case when I decide to create a post on here consisting of more than two sentences, I have taken to rambling. I guess ultimately what I'm trying to say is that, while we can all find instances that are at least partially comparable to the journey Williams has taken to crafting and now having to conclude a three trilogy saga, such instances are incredibly limited. As others have put more eloquently than myself, we are witness to a very unique musical occurrence and it'll be a treat to see how Williams chooses to conclude such a journey in just a few short months. 

That's me!! (not that you would know...)
 

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sandy-decrescents-impact-motion-pictures-industry-paksy-plackis-cheng

Awesome news! So MM was actually referring to the recording sessions when he said the schedule was still being worked out and suggested June was Williams' start date.
 
So if we assume Williams has written ~50 minutes thus far, he should be well over an hour by the start of June. That means enough score for a two day batch of 2x3 hour sessions (based on Sandy's estimate of John averaging 15 minutes recorded per 3 hour session).
 
Just think, an hour of new Star Wars music is only a month away from being performed by the Maestro's hand. Brilliant!
 
... and that leaves him 4 months to finish all JJ's rewrites! 

Information - yes (although press agencies, which usually provide information, don't work for free), but this is not information or news, it's a press interview  that appears in a newspaper that's not an online service or web portal – The Sunday Times draws a large part of its profits from sales. Therefore, it is perfectly understandable that most of their exclusive content is available online for additional payment. Why would it be different? If we want the press to survive, let's keep paying the journalists and publishers for the content they prepare for us.
 
By the way, it's great that Williams has already started writing music for TROS!  TFA and TLJ are fantastic and I have no doubt that the last episode will also be at the highest level.

I'm sure he takes that into account. He will still have plenty of time.

Great point! And if he's started writing the score proper, that means he's already mapped out all the new themes (and is probably "writing backwards," which hopefully means the most extroverted material is being written first, maybe the climax).
 
It's amazing to think how close Williams is to completing this monumental nine act, 4+ decade long achievement.
 
Presumably the timeline also means he saw a rough cut in the middle of March, which is a lot earlier than I expected -- only about a month after shooting wrapped. TFA definitely didn't have a rough cut that quickly (Williams only got to watch a few reels at those early spotting sessions).

I've been thinking... According to the interview, it took place just after the Hedwig's Theme recording session with Anne-Sophie Mutter's, and that was about a month ago. So, we can safely assume that Williams has already written about 50 minutes of music to TROS!

Information - yes (although press agencies, which usually provide information, don't work for free), but this is not information or news, it's a press interview  that appears in a newspaper that's not an online service or web portal – The Sunday Times draws a large part of its profits from sales. Therefore, it is perfectly understandable that most of their exclusive content is available online for additional payment. Why would it be different? If we want the press to survive, let's keep paying the journalists and publishers for the content they prepare for us.
 
By the way, it's great that Williams has already started writing music for TROS!  TFA and TLJ are fantastic and I have no doubt that the last episode will also be at the highest level.

Promotional video including footage from the recording sessions:
 
 

This is a masterpiece There is so much going on in this, it’s so vibrant and full of ideas. I would pay the price of a double CD only for these 5 minutes. Do you think there is a chance for a CD? And do we have a confirmation that Williams composed something more for Galaxy's Edge?
 

This is a masterpiece There is so much going on in this, it’s so vibrant and full of ideas. I would pay the price of a double CD only for these 5 minutes. Do you think there is a chance for a CD? And do we have a confirmation that Williams composed something more for Galaxy's Edge?