John Williams concert in Paris yesterday

[Arnaud 6]

I was lucky to attend the concert of John Williams music for Steven Spielberg films given yesterday (friday) at Salle Pleyel in Paris.

Franck Strobel was conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

The program was as follows:

Jurassic Park: Theme

Jaws Suite: Shark Theme - Out to Sea - Shark Cage Fugue

Shindler's List: Jewish Town - Theme

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Suite): Adventures of Mutt - Call of the Crystal - A Whirl through Academe - Raiders of the Lost Ark: End Title

Hook: Flight to Neverland

War of the Worlds: Escape from the City - Epilogue

Close Encounters of the third Kind: Suite

Empire of the Sun: Jim's new life

The terminal: The Tale of Viktor Navorski

E.T.: Adventures on Earth Suite

There were three encores:

Munich: A Prayer for Peace

1941: March

Star Wars: Main Titles

The concert was excellent. The LSO is a beautiful orchestra. Only two pieces were originally created with it (Raiders End Titles and Star Wars Main Titles) and I expect it is difficult to hear better concert versions. The LSO is just perfect for them.

All the pieces are extremely familiar to me with the exception of War of the Worlds that I hardly ever listen to. I felt Close Encounters, E.T., Raiders End Titles (especially Marion's Theme) and Star Wars stood out in concert. I understand better why Williams often cites CE3K as one of his favorites.

The Terminal and Munich greatly benefited from being heard live and were excellent surprises. I also never expected to hear the 1941 March in concert and it was a blast.

There was only one drawback: film clips were projected on a big screen sometimes accompanied by poor lighting effects. I found it extremely distracting. The music doesn't need any help from images or effects and this is not what we were there for. I wish film music was taken seriously in concert halls and organizers didn't feel a screen was needed. There is also something slightly condescending to it.

Two weeks earlier I attended a Prokofiev concert and Lieutenant Kijé was played. This was originally a movie score but no one in their right mind would suggest to show clips from the film as the music is played!

The hall was packed full and the audience was very enthusiastic (hence the three encores!). It's a shame 300 seats were lost due to the presence of the screen behind the orchestra. Many people were looking for tickets but didn't manage to get in.

Anyway, music wise, I guess it was the best concert possible in the absence of the master himself holding the baton. He's never conducted in Paris and I fear he never will.

[Incanus 5,715]

Looks like an amazing programme.

Strobel and LSO should come to Finland already!

[Quintus 5,399]

I wonder why neither John nor anyone else never ever have Parade of the Slave Children on the program. Such a rousing, crowd pleasing piece, perfect concert fair.

[Omen II 1,235]

I wonder why neither John nor anyone else never ever have Parade of the Slave Children on the program. Such a rousing, crowd pleasing piece, perfect concert fair.

Good shout. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra played the end title suite from Indiana Jones at the Temple of Doom in their 80th birthday tribute concert to John Williams at the Royal Albert Hall last year, but in all the John Williams concerts I have attended (and there are many) I do not remember hearing Parade of the Slave Children played as a stand-alone piece. The fact that Williams himself recorded the piece for one of his Spielberg / Williams albums suggests that the score is available for performance.

EDIT: Having resurrected a thread about the CBSO concerts last year, I notice from Crocodile's review that the CBSO played it last year in Nottingham!

[scissorhands 16]

Here is an interview in French with maestro Williams, if some kind soul is willing to translate it into English...

[Incanus 5,715]

Thanks for the link scissorhands! I used google translator and got a pretty much the gist of the interview. Unsurprisingly a lot of very familiar questions in there. Interestingly Williams is very complementary to both Mychael Dannas' and Alexandre Desplat's music.

[Marian Schedenig 8,208]

I wonder why neither John nor anyone else never ever have Parade of the Slave Children on the program. Such a rousing, crowd pleasing piece, perfect concert fair.

At least Muse took care of that.

[eitam 364]

I was there too. Wonderful experience, the LSO sounded flawless to my untrained ear. The highlights for me were War of the Worlds (love the Epilogue), CEot3K, and The Terminal (perfect!). I also rediscovered the greatness of Call Of The Crystal (but Adventures Of Mutt, not so much, unfortunately…).

There was only one drawback: film clips were projected on a big screen sometimes accompanied by poor lighting effects. I found it extremely distracting. The music doesn't need any help from images or effects and this is not what we were there for. I wish film music was taken seriously in concert halls and organizers didn't feel a screen was needed. There is also something slightly condescending to it.

Indeed. The screen was pointless (no synch between sound and music, except for A Whirl Through Academe), and it was way too distracting from the music. That was the biggest disappointment of the evening – that, and they cut out the middle part of Adventures On Earth !

[MovieMusicMaestro 33]

Let me reply to some of your comments.

"Adventures on Earth" as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra is the concert version of the last fifteen minutes of the musical score from E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. John Williams himself recorded the piece with the Boston Pops Orchestra for the Sony Classical release "The Spielberg / Williams Collaboration". The music for the entire finale is not available for performances.

"Parade of the Slave Children" from INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (which can be found on the same CD) has not been published yet officially. The only piece from INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM that can be performed in concerts are the End Credits which combine the Raiders March with the music for the children, with Short Round's theme and the love theme.

[crocodile 8,018]

Strange, because I heard Parade of the Slave Children on a concert last year. And it was the version from the CD you're talking about, not the end credits.

Karol

[Thor 7,519]

Let me reply to some of your comments.

"Adventures on Earth" as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra is the concert version of the last fifteen minutes of the musical score from E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. John Williams himself recorded the piece with the Boston Pops Orchestra for the Sony Classical release "The Spielberg / Williams Collaboration". The music for the entire finale is not available for performances.

When I saw Williams at the Bowl last year, he performed that entire finale to the film onscreen.

[Arnaud 6]

Let me reply to some of your comments.

"Adventures on Earth" as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra is the concert version of the last fifteen minutes of the musical score from E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. John Williams himself recorded the piece with the Boston Pops Orchestra for the Sony Classical release "The Spielberg / Williams Collaboration". The music for the entire finale is not available for performances.

When I saw Williams at the Bowl last year, he performed that entire finale to the film onscreen.

I was expecting they would play the entire finale from E.T.. I'm not familiar with concert versions. The one they played the other night was cut and segments were played in a different order. I don't think that it adds to the piece for the specific purpose of a concert version. On the other hand I have to admit that the film version is so familiar that I am obviously biased.

Parade of the Slave Children would be great to hear in concert. I was kind of hoping to get Cadillac of the Skies from Empire of the Sun when I checked the program but it needs a choir so that didn't happen. Has anyone here ever heard it in concert?

The program is built to give the opportunity to each group of instruments to shine at least once. When the time for percussions comes I think Rescuing Sarah from Lost World would be very impressive.

Bonsoir Eitam! I agree with you regarding Crystal Skull though Adventures of Mutt is growing on me like all the first cues from the album release. Give it another chance! ;>)

The program didn't feature anything recent. I thought Lincoln would be the last encore. Star Wars, not being related to Spielberg, was a big surprise.

[Tom 4,670]

Regarding ET, the 10 minute suite typcially performed is the only commercially available version. Obviously Williams himself can perform whatever version he wishes. Moreover, although the glorious statement of the flying theme does not occur after the orchestral build-up after the three minute mark, it does appear in its full form towards the end of the piece, which is different from the film-version that has only a partial statement. Each has their own respective merits.

[Incanus 5,715]

Strange, because I heard Parade of the Slave Children on a concert last year. And it was the version from the CD you're talking about, not the end credits.

Karol

I can attest that Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra played the film version of the Parade of the Slave Children (and Escape from Venice from TLC) in a concert a few years back so I guess they had some kind of special access to that music.

[Quintus 5,399]

The concert arrangement of the E.T. Chase/Finale was always so... jarringly anti-climatic. The flying theme SHOULD kick in after the shotguns are shown, end of story! Williams robs the audience of one his most thrilling moments ever and with one crazy great arrangement of the main theme, no less.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah it feel like you about the orgasm, getting there...getting there....and the the phone rings.

[MovieMusicMaestro 33]

Well, there are transcriptions of "Parade of the Slave Children" and "Escape from Venice" - basically take-downs done by ear and not authorized by John Williams. (I know where to get them.) Be sure: The London Symphony Orchestra will never ever perform any music that is not officially authorized by John Williams.

If you refer to the Oslo Philharmonic's performance, you may have used John's private performance set as Lucas Richman who conducted this concert has a special relationship with him.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah it feel like you about the orgasm, getting there...getting there....and the the phone rings.

That's literally the most aggravating thing on the planet.

[Jay 37,373]

Sounds like an absolutely amazing concert! The Terminal, Munich, and WOTW live, wow!

How was Jim's New Life?

[wanner251 17]

I wonder why neither John nor anyone else never ever have Parade of the Slave Children on the program. Such a rousing, crowd pleasing piece, perfect concert fair.

I think if I could hear that live, I'd die happy.

Let me reply to some of your comments.

"Adventures on Earth" as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra is the concert version of the last fifteen minutes of the musical score from E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. John Williams himself recorded the piece with the Boston Pops Orchestra for the Sony Classical release "The Spielberg / Williams Collaboration". The music for the entire finale is not available for performances.

When I saw Williams at the Bowl last year, he performed that entire finale to the film onscreen.

Yup...

[TownerFan 4,983]

Here is an interview in French with maestro Williams, if some kind soul is willing to translate it into English...

Thank you scissorhands! Interesting interview, with some interesting comments from the Maestro. This should be linked on the main page.