ft92027

Copley Symphony Hall is not the ideal venue. The best place for sound (and I've sat in every location in that facility) is upstairs in the balcony. The "Grand Tier" is the best location in my opinion. As far as the comment about the brass playing, the brass section is not particularly strong, so it's not surprising to hear some of the critical aspects. I did confirm with one of my friends who plays in the orchestra that they had just one rehearsal with John Williams the morning of the concert. He said that Mr. Williams was "very complimentary and gracious" to the orchestra and that the experience for the musicians was "one of those rare events...to be cherished for many years." Speaking of brass, I remember a live concert on PBS where Williams was honored with an award and conducted the National Symphony in his "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" and the brass section came in what seemed like one bar too early at a point during the piece. Williams kept everything together though and got the entire orchestra eventually completely together. At a Boston Symphony Orchestra Tanglewood concert five or six years ago things went very awry during a performance of the Mahler 1. The entire string section was in a different place in the music than the woodwinds. I thought it was all going to come to a halt, but the conductor got everyone back together somehow. It just goes to show you that things can happen even in the best of orchestras.

Just announced in this morning's "San Diego Union-Tribune": John Williams, Hollywood's most celebrated film composer and the Boston Pops' laureate conductor, will return to the San Diego Symphony for his first performance with the orchestra in 21 years. Williams will donate his services for a pension-fund concert Feb. 10 – two days after his 75th birthday – that will benefit the ensemble's musicians. “I fondly remember appearing with the San Diego Symphony quite a few years ago,” said the musician, who led the orchestra in 1986 and conducted the Boston Pops here in 1985. “I'm excited about reconnecting with the orchestra and lending my support to their mission of bringing great music to San Diego.” Though repertoire has yet to be announced, the Copley Symphony Hall program is expected to showcase works by Williams, who has won five Academy Awards, 18 Grammys and four Emmys. He retired from the Boston Pops in 1993 after 14 seasons as conductor. The prolific composer has written everything from a cello concerto for Yo-Yo Ma to themes for the Olympic Games. He has composed the scores for more than 100 films, including such hits as the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” trilogies, “Jurassic Park,” “Home Alone,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.” and, more recently, several of the “Harry Potter” movies. San Diego Symphony executive director Edward B. “Ward” Gill, who calls himself a “huge fan of all of John Williams' music,” said the symphony is “truly honored and privileged” to have Williams perform. Tickets to the 8 p.m. benefit concert – priced from $30 to $500 – go on sale to symphony subscribers today and to the general public Nov. 24. (The $500 package includes a reception, autographed CD and dinner with birthday cake for Williams.) Tickets and information are available at (619) 235-0804 or www.sandiegosymphony.com.

I received an email from the BSO newsletter recommending that people arrive plenty early for Saturday's concert as they are expecting a very large crowd (probably more than 13,000 people). The grounds open at 5:30. Whomever has lawn tix, you should have sprung for actual seats in the Shed! Sorry.

I woke up at 5 am the day tickets went on sale to get mine online. I'll be there!

Why would the Academy have asked Yo-Yo Ma to intersperse music from two dead composers in the middle of the Bach that he played? Mr. Ma is one of the finest interpreters of the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Bach. It was fine.

It is said that conducting an average orchestra concert is equal to playing six sets of tennis. This is attributed to why most conductors live as long as they do. As far as his having a "fake beard," that's the stupidist thing I've ever heard.

I have seen Williams conduct at Tanglewood twice, and he has not signed autographs after either concert. If the concert and rehearsal is in the shed, the backstage is best accessible to the right of the shed. The artist entrance is there and that has been where the autograph line has been. Tanglewood is a beautiful place. Enjoy it!

Oh to be young again! I was going into the 6th grade when SW came out. My friends and I went to the movies every weekend in San Diego (where I still am) and watched SW throughout that summer. It was intoxicating and I was obsessed. I still have my LPs. I wish I had kept all of the SW toys, gadgets, posters and trading cards I got back then. The only things I've hung on to are the LP soundtrack and a book called "The Star Wars Album" (which I purchased at my 6th grade book fair). It was an amazing experience with incredibly long lines of people waiting to go into the theater. It wasn't uncommon to have to wait for hours to get in. I was made to feel my age when SWII opened, I was waiting in line talking to a MUCH younger person who asked me, "what was it like seeing Star Wars way back then."

With regards to Steven Spielberg playing clarinet on the Jaws soundtrack, I have heard Williams say in interviews that Spielberg's clarinet work can be heard in the brief portion in the movie where the school band is in the parade marching down a street. Apparently, it is Spielberg playing the clarinet part in that little section.