Angela's Ashes in Williams' Cello Concerto

[Pelzter 0]

I just heard the final movement of Williams' Cello Concerto, "Song," as performed by Ma for the "Plays the Music of" CD. Suddenly I heard something familiar. Roughly from 0:50 through 1:40, the cello bars are taken straight out of a track from the Angela's Ashes score. This cannot be a coincidence, as it is a direct lift, with only minor orchestrational tweaks - any thoughts on why these bars were included?

--Pelzter, who loves the "Song" movement, as well as Williams' Elegy.

[Erik Woods 572]

I just heard the final movement of Williams' Cello Concerto, "Song," as performed by Ma for the "Plays the Music of" CD. Suddenly I heard something familiar. Roughly from 0:50 through 1:40, the cello bars are taken straight out of a track from the Angela's Ashes score. This cannot be a coincidence, as it is a direct lift, with only minor orchestrational tweaks - any thoughts on why these bars were included?

--Pelzter, who loves the "Song" movement, as well as Williams' Elegy.

I don't see the problem here. Korngold, for example, included many of his film music ideas into later concert works. And didn't inspiration for another Williams concert work come from a tiny motif in Seven Years in Tibet that he wanted to explore further... actually, I think it was Williams' "Elegy for Cello and Orchestra" which is on the same disc.

-Erik-

[Pelzter 0]

Yes, the Elegy is based a Tibet theme, and is absolutly stunning, as it is the treatment that theme deserved. the AA inclusion in the "Song" movement seems odd however, since no further references are made to AA that I can hear. It seems to just be an incidental reference.

[RomanticStrings 10]

Could anyone give the track number and time of Angela's Ashes from which the lift came? I didn't recognize that music at all.

~Conor

[tpigeon 3]

He uses very similar melodies to themes from Far and Away and Amistad in his American Journey, which I think is more than appropriate. The moment he lifted from Far and Away is from a scene about people claiming land in America and its for Immigration and Building, which is more than coincidence I think. The bit from Amistad is used in the Civil Rights' and Women's Movement section (albeit slightly altered), which is fitting since this theme, representing freedom or liberation, also turns up in the Patriot, again signifying freedom. I call this Williams' freedom motif.

Ted

[Miguel Andrade 1,294]

The Cello Concerto was written in 1994. The Angela's ashes score was written in 1999.

[RomanticStrings 10]

Perhaps that makes more sense? Still, I'm not sure I have found the similarities yet.

~Conor

[Luke Skywalker 1,824]

He uses very similar melodies to themes from Far and Away and Amistad in his American Journey, which I think is more than appropriate. The moment he lifted from Far and Away is from a scene about people claiming land in America and its for Immigration and Building, which is more than coincidence I think. The bit from Amistad is used in the Civil Rights' and Women's Movement section (albeit slightly altered), which is fitting since this theme, representing freedom or liberation, also turns up in the Patriot, again signifying freedom. I call this Williams' freedom motif.

Ted

There is some Jim new Life i think from EOS, i dont know if it has a relation.

I always thought williams referenced the patriot in American Journey, but i notices the latter was from 1999 so its the contrary 8O