Gurkensalat

The BFG film contains 88 minutes of John Williams score.
 
The OST album is 64 minutes, but a bunch of material on it is not in the film, and a surprising amount of what you hear in the film is repeated tracked material, so much more than 24 minutes remains unreleased!
 
Some of what's unreleased are definite highlights of what he recorded, such as Bedtime Story and The Queen's Helicopters.

The orchestration alone may be the best of his entire career, which is saying something. He wields the orchestra like Mickey Mouse conducting the sea, new colors come in from all directions, and is that 6 flutes in "Blowing Dreams?" I'm not sure he's been this intent on color for color's sake since Close Encounters.
 
Stylistically, it's in the same wheelhouse as Hook and Harry Potter, with a dash of E.T. and the lighter parts of Star Wars, and while it has no shortage of themes compared to those scores, it is more cohesive. The themes are more subtle, and easier to "lose" in a sense, but the orchestration and complex harmony make up the difference.
 
The score is as harmonically complex as the orchestration, and while JW has always been a sponge when it comes to the Russian masters (Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky specifically) the harmonies on this score sound more personal and "true," if that makes any sense. He doesn't seem to be writing "in a style." It just sounds like John Williams.
 
As always, his counterpoint and polyphonic writing separate him from almost every film composer in history. He has few equals, in this regard, in the last two centuries and it is on full display in the BFG.
 
Music critic for the New York Times, Harold C. Schonberg wrote a review of Vaughn Williams's 9th Symphony, which I will quote here, but seems to fit The BFG nicely.
 
"the symphony is packed with strong personal melody from beginning to end ... A mellow glow suffuses the work, as it does the work of many veteran composers who seem to gaze retrospectively over their careers ... the Ninth
Symphony is a masterpiece"
 
If this is John Williams looking back, well, what a view.

I will continue to beat the drum for BFG whenever it comes up because I truly believe it is a latter day masterpiece, only hampered in its appreciation by being attached to a pretty good (but not great) film.
 
I'm glad to see some people give it another shot. I always try to get back to scores that didn't click with me the first time, maybe every few months, just to see how it hits. I've found quite a few favorites that way.

I only listened to the BFG OST once, probably over a year ago. It felt boring then.
 
I am relistening to it now, and every track feels great, on par with tracks in E.T., The Last Crusade, Shore's LOTR, and other such.
 
Classy flow and orchestration that sounds refreshingly elegant compared to the "Christmas Tree" fests of Rimsky-Korsakoff and Co., and yet is as accomplished. It would sure make for some catchy orchestration textbook examples  #FreeTheScores

Gurkenslat - I love it. I think I first heard of him from a thread on JWFan, but I love it!!! The main titles are just oozing JW.

Anybody heard of him? He is a young German composer known especially for his music for Europa-Park, the largest Theme Park in Germany (and many say, the best in the world…). He obviously is very influenced by Hollywood soundtrack from the last 20 or so years, from Williams over Desplat to Powell (I think). 

Here the complete soundtrack for an animated short movie made by Europa-Park for its 4D cinema: Happy Family 4D short film
 
And here music for one of the larger coasters, themed to nordic saga and vikings: Wodan
 
Playlist on Spotify: 
 
 
And here are some samples of the music he wrote for the park itself (did not find it on Apple Music): https://shop.europapark.de/en/Europa-Park+Classic+2016+-+Download.htm
 
What do you think of it? I like a lot of his music, although it is often very similar to Hollywood sound. 
 
 
 

Greyhound is a super great 90 minute WW2 naval battle action flick.  Check it out!

Idk about 1989 digital tech being bad. The CD quality digital audio standard has been the same since the early 80s. Elfman's Batman was a digital recording from 1989 and it still sounds fantastic, to the point where the original CD sounds better than attempts to remaster it 10 year ago.

After egomaniacally securing tickets on Monday at 9, I checked the portal early this morning, just for interest. There were 1-3 single tickets going for Friday, which vanished in minutes. But it may be worth checking Kalender (berliner-philharmoniker.de) regularly this week. The subscriptions will be charged tomorrow and perhaps some payments won't be made or others may back out - so some residual tickets may show up.

I just hope they added just a bit of compression!

I know that many people think like that, and that's their right by all means, but I don't agree at all. A work of art should be judged for what it is, regardless of who created it. That's what I strongly believe in. 
 
Otherwise... Let me give you an example. Let's take the score of Home Alone. This probably isn't in your Top 10 John Williams scores, so you don't consider it a masterpiece. But if a lesser composer, say, Patrick Williams had written Home Alone, the exact same score, you'd all of a sudden consider it a masterpiece? Because all of Patrick Williams's other scores are just forgettable trash? That doesn't make sense at all. Either a work of art is a masterpiece or not, regardless of the name of the composer. 
 
Consequently, I submit that John Williams has written dozens and dozens (perhaps as many as 50!) masterpieces during his long, long career.... Not just what somebody considers his Top 10.
 

Official ticket prices for each concert: 
 
35 to 98 €, special prices for subscribers
https://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/concerts/calendar/details/53783/

Star Wars 8 and 9
 
 
Then you would not consider the violin concertos by Beethoven or Brahms as masterpieces? The last 3 string quartets by Mozart? Bruckners 7th Symphony? Bartoks concerto for orchestra? etc. etc. They are absolutely great, but I do not find very much surprise or experimentation in them, compared to earlier works. Just pure musical genius. 

Some compare the 2 violin concertos, often preferring the first. While this is a viable opinion, I want to point out that the 1st concerto is very much in debt to 20th century concerti from Bartok and Prokofiev. While the 2nd is pure Williams, unmistakable. This lets me rank the second higher, since I enjoy both equally. 

Some compare the 2 violin concertos, often preferring the first. While this is a viable opinion, I want to point out that the 1st concerto is very much in debt to 20th century concerti from Bartok and Prokofiev. While the 2nd is pure Williams, unmistakable. This lets me rank the second higher, since I enjoy both equally. 

Some compare the 2 violin concertos, often preferring the first. While this is a viable opinion, I want to point out that the 1st concerto is very much in debt to 20th century concerti from Bartok and Prokofiev. While the 2nd is pure Williams, unmistakable. This lets me rank the second higher, since I enjoy both equally. 

Anne Sophie said in a recent interview that she wants to record the concerto. Not sure if live or studio.
 
 
There will be encores from the Across the stars album and arte will stream the full concert 
 
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/104491-000-A/anne-sophie-mutter-und-john-williams-mit-einer-urauffuehrung/

This is the exact reply I got for my query:
 


We looked into that but it wasn't an option for the service that manages the delivery of our digital files.  The SACD is the only way to get the 5.1. Thanks for the question.

Jeff 

This is now available as digital download. But can I get it in 5.1? That is the big question here. https://intl.varesesarabande.com/products/the-matrix-the-complete-score

I found this the one concert with the least amount of annoying public sounds I ever experienced (hundreds). The concentration and dedication of the listeners was palpable. I do not remember any coughs or other noises except the clapping at the beginning of Imperial march. 

This is the exact reply I got for my query:
 


We looked into that but it wasn't an option for the service that manages the delivery of our digital files.  The SACD is the only way to get the 5.1. Thanks for the question.

Jeff 

It's a recurring joke in What We Do In The Shadows
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C02two9Anlw

Since there is nowhere else to put it... I love this so much. ❤️
 
 
Karol - huge fan of the channel 

In my opinion the real sound differences between well made SACD, DVD-Audio and Blu-ray Audio are not significant, although I hear them (SACD of the same 5.1. recording sounding a bit rounder, warmer, the Blu-ray a bit clearer and brighter). The main drawing point for me is a good multichannel mix which can elevate a recording very much, see the JW Vienna Blu-ray. 
 
For the matrix release I would have also welcomed a Blu-ray audio sold separately. Doing a backwards  to CD compatible SACD and selling it separately is just trying to extract more money from the audiophile customers. Several classical recording companies like Bis show, that it is perfectly find to just release one SACD for all for the standard CD price. People without SACD player just pop it into the CD or DVD/Audio player and do not notice a difference to a normal CD. 
 
Therefore I am a bit miffed about Varese´release policy, but am willing to pay the premium just to give a sign that multichannel is a point of interest to some. Providing the mix is good, which it seems to be according to @Jim Ware. Although it is not clear to me if there is just a lot of ambience in the surround or discreetly placed instruments. Well, I think I will just hav to bite the bullet and order the SACD for myself and hope for the best. 

The rears are primarily orchestral ambience, but there is some discrete synth placement. Chorus has a particularly enveloping quality too.