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Williams Concert - Bridewater Hall


aj_vader

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Well you certainly got your wish, AJ! One of the many pieces the orchestra performed splendidly tonight, 'The Imperial March'. Other brilliantly executed pieces (IMHO): Jurassic Park, The Raiders' March, Close Encounters and all four of the Star Wars selections.

I'm not sure which musicians make up the Manchester Concert Orchestra. I do wonder if some/many of the players actually play in the Halle and are simply freelancing when performing in the MCO. Any ideas? They were, on the whole, excellent. The minor mistakes occurred where I've come to expect them to occur: English/French horn solos. I guess Williams maybe writes difficult stuff for these instruments.

It said in the programme that the conductor, Anthony Inglis, arranged the E.T. Flying Theme and this one could certainly tell - a great many changes had been made to the piece and not for the better; it really felt rushed to me. Moreover, though, a number of other pieces had clearly been 'played with' - notes and other flourishes added/invented, pieces literally rearranged (Sayuri's Theme especially). Perhaps you noticed this too.

I must share another highlight. I was seated in the Choir Circle, looking down onto the orchestra from the side but also looking down on the audience in the stalls to a degree. It was brilliant fun watching people respond to the music played: plenty of big smiles as the opening notes of people's favourites were played; plenty of feet tapping and bodies swaying; and there was one girl 'air conducting' for much of the Star Wars medley. It was really heartening to see the music that I/we love being enjoyed by so many others. Outside of these boards, it's easy to think you're the only one who cares for film music and JW... but not tonight.

Trust you enjoyed it. Would be good to hear your thoughts.

All the best.

APBez

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I'm not sure which musicians make up the Manchester Concert Orchestra. I do wonder if some/many of the players actually play in the Halle and are simply freelancing when performing in the MCO. Any ideas?

I believe you are right, Bez. Raymond Gubbay's Christmas concerts are generally performed by orchestras corralled from local freelance musicians specifically for the occasion (the London Concert Orchestra and Scottish Concert Orchestra being other such examples). I would be interested to see what the full programme was in Manchester. I would like to visit Bridgewater Hall for a concert one day, as I have read that the acoustics are pretty good.

On a related subject, did anyone attend the London concert last night and, if so, what was it like? I was rather put off in the end by the ticket prices after a rather expensive Christmas. :wacko:

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I'm not sure which musicians make up the Manchester Concert Orchestra. I do wonder if some/many of the players actually play in the Halle and are simply freelancing when performing in the MCO. Any ideas?

I believe you are right, Bez. Raymond Gubbay's Christmas concerts are generally performed by orchestras corralled from local freelance musicians specifically for the occasion (the London Concert Orchestra and Scottish Concert Orchestra being other such examples). I would be interested to see what the full programme was in Manchester. I would like to visit Bridgewater Hall for a concert one day, as I have read that the acoustics are pretty good.

On a related subject, did anyone attend the London concert last night and, if so, what was it like? I was rather put off in the end by the ticket prices after a rather expensive Christmas. :wacko:

Thanks for the clarification re. RG's concert orchestras.

The full programme in Manchester last night was as follows:

- Main Theme from Jaws

- Main Theme from Jurassic Park

- Sayuri's Theme from Memoirs of a Geisha (though this was more like a 'cut 'n paste together' piece comprising quotes of Sayuri's theme from throughout the entire score)

- Hedwig's Theme, Nimbus 2000 and Harry's Wonderous World Suite from HP and the Philosopher's Stone

- Suite from Far and Away

- Main Theme from Schindler's List

- Flying Theme arr. Inglis from E.T.

Interval

- Raiders' March

- Excerpts from Close Encounters...

- Main Theme from J.F.K.

- Main Title, Princess Leia's Theme, Imperial March and Throne Room & End Title from Star Wars

Encore

- March from Superman

For what it's worth, I think the acoustics at Bridgewater Hall are actually superior to those of Symphony Hall in Birmingham (often cited, it seems to me, as the best venue in terms of acoustics in the U.K.). Festival Hall in London was pretty awful, again to my ears. I haven't been to the Barbican.

Cheers,

APBez

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Thanks - I wonder if the programme at the other venues was / will be identical?

For what it's worth, I think the acoustics at Bridgewater Hall are actually superior to those of Symphony Hall in Birmingham (often cited, it seems to me, as the best venue in terms of acoustics in the U.K.). Festival Hall in London was pretty awful, again to my ears. I haven't been to the Barbican.

The acoustics at the Royal Festival Hall were indeed abysmal but are much improved since they did a major refurbishment in 2007, so give it another shot if your experience was before that. The views across the Thames from the balcony aren't too shabby either. The main drawback I find with the RFH is that the rake of the rows of seats is very shallow and the rows are not staggered, meaning that you cannot see much if you have someone tall sitting in front of you. The acoustics at the Barbican are very good (I recall they were improved about 5-10 years ago), if not quite as good as those at the most modern concert halls.

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Well you certainly got your wish, AJ! One of the many pieces the orchestra performed splendidly tonight, 'The Imperial March'. Other brilliantly executed pieces (IMHO): Jurassic Park, The Raiders' March, Close Encounters and all four of the Star Wars selections.

I'm not sure which musicians make up the Manchester Concert Orchestra. I do wonder if some/many of the players actually play in the Halle and are simply freelancing when performing in the MCO. Any ideas? They were, on the whole, excellent. The minor mistakes occurred where I've come to expect them to occur: English/French horn solos. I guess Williams maybe writes difficult stuff for these instruments.

It said in the programme that the conductor, Anthony Inglis, arranged the E.T. Flying Theme and this one could certainly tell - a great many changes had been made to the piece and not for the better; it really felt rushed to me. Moreover, though, a number of other pieces had clearly been 'played with' - notes and other flourishes added/invented, pieces literally rearranged (Sayuri's Theme especially). Perhaps you noticed this too.

I must share another highlight. I was seated in the Choir Circle, looking down onto the orchestra from the side but also looking down on the audience in the stalls to a degree. It was brilliant fun watching people respond to the music played: plenty of big smiles as the opening notes of people's favourites were played; plenty of feet tapping and bodies swaying; and there was one girl 'air conducting' for much of the Star Wars medley. It was really heartening to see the music that I/we love being enjoyed by so many others. Outside of these boards, it's easy to think you're the only one who cares for film music and JW... but not tonight.

Trust you enjoyed it. Would be good to hear your thoughts.

All the best.

APBez

Yes! 'Imperial March' was great!

i beleive they were some members from the Royal Northern College Of Music and yes I think some of them are freelancing Halle members.

the E.T. arrangement was terrible, didnt like it at all.

I was on the left front row of choir circle behind trombones, was that you sat behind the tuba?! :)

Also I agree that Bridgewater Hall's acoustic floors Birmingham's Symphony Hall. (never been to the barbican)

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No, that wasn't me; I was sat opposite the tuba player - to the left of the audience in the stalls as they look at the orchestra. You definitely get a very 'brassy' experience being sat there. On our last visit to Bridgewater Hall, my father and I were sat centrally, in the Circle, where the experience - as you'd expect - was much more balanced. But we noticed the brass 'reverberating' or bouncing off the surfaces to our left, thus, out of interest, we decided to sit to the left two nights ago.

The other thing I love about concert attendance is how the old friends that you take for granted (or which threaten to bore you somewhat as you've heard them so often) have new life breathed into them when you hear them live (and performed well, of course!). The Star Wars Main Title would be a great example for me; I think to myself, "How, idiot, can you have ever tired of the section beginning at 2:03 in the concert version?"

I really can't wait for my next JW concert in the UK. There do seem to be a few each year but one's got to go hunting for them, it seems.

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Thanks - I wonder if the programme at the other venues was / will be identical?

For what it's worth, I think the acoustics at Bridgewater Hall are actually superior to those of Symphony Hall in Birmingham (often cited, it seems to me, as the best venue in terms of acoustics in the U.K.). Festival Hall in London was pretty awful, again to my ears. I haven't been to the Barbican.

The acoustics at the Royal Festival Hall were indeed abysmal but are much improved since they did a major refurbishment in 2007, so give it another shot if your experience was before that. The views across the Thames from the balcony aren't too shabby either. The main drawback I find with the RFH is that the rake of the rows of seats is very shallow and the rows are not staggered, meaning that you cannot see much if you have someone tall sitting in front of you. The acoustics at the Barbican are very good (I recall they were improved about 5-10 years ago), if not quite as good as those at the most modern concert halls.

As I recall, the RAH sounds fabulous.

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I'm assuming this wasn't Bridgewater as in near Taunton?

:lol:

Yes, for the following reasons:

a) There is no 'e' in the Somerset town Bridgwater;

b) There is no culture of any kind in Bridgwater, unless you're referring to the growth of bacteria on derelict concrete.

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No, that wasn't me; I was sat opposite the tuba player - to the left of the audience in the stalls as they look at the orchestra. You definitely get a very 'brassy' experience being sat there. On our last visit to Bridgewater Hall, my father and I were sat centrally, in the Circle, where the experience - as you'd expect - was much more balanced. But we noticed the brass 'reverberating' or bouncing off the surfaces to our left, thus, out of interest, we decided to sit to the left two nights ago.

The other thing I love about concert attendance is how the old friends that you take for granted (or which threaten to bore you somewhat as you've heard them so often) have new life breathed into them when you hear them live (and performed well, of course!). The Star Wars Main Title would be a great example for me; I think to myself, "How, idiot, can you have ever tired of the section beginning at 2:03 in the concert version?"

I really can't wait for my next JW concert in the UK. There do seem to be a few each year but one's got to go hunting for them, it seems.

I try to catch as much Williams music as I can afford. Saw SW-Musical Journey at the O2 (london) and saw SW in concert twice! :)

yeah the Tuba was very loud where I was sat. im usually in the stalls, but I couldnt quite afford it.

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