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The Sabrina theme. A hidden gem?


WilliamHorne97

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21 hours ago, Trumpeteer said:

My co-host Gianmaria Caschetto confirms on our episode of "The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey" that Williams was the pianist. It's the second time in a row he has performed his own music, coming after Schindler's List.

 

"Sabrina" podcast episode

 

But not the first. He also performed on IMAGES, and several others.

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On 5/12/2020 at 12:40 AM, Thor said:

 

But not the first. He also performed on IMAGES, and several others.

 

He also revealed in a Boston Globe interview from 2000 that he performed a bit of the piano solo part in Angela's Ashes.

 

I also think that he performed the "Theme from JFK" piano solo, at least the first half. It seems to bear some of JW's characteristic gestures.

 

 

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On 30/01/2021 at 10:03 PM, jorgegavila said:

Just recently watched Sabrina again (one of my wife's favorite romantic movies), and I still feel nostalgic, romantic and mesmerized for what it is one of my favorite JW scores. This JW work has two main themes (Theme from Sabrina and Moonlight), and each one is gorgeous, to say the least. 

 

The first one, with John at the piano, is not just romantic, but a theme that reflects the inner feelings of a girl/teenage woman who dreams about an illusion and it grows and learns that love is much more difficult and complex and beautiful that she ever imagined.  

 

This, and the Amelia's love them from The Terminal, are in my opinion some of the most beautiful themes John has ever written. Of all the Sabrina's theme versions, my favorite is still the original one, with John at the piano. The violin versions (Perlman and Mutter's) are good, but the nostalgic feelings created by the piano are priceless.

 


Absolutely agree with everything you said !
This morning I was actually wondering if there was a "JW romantic theme" I loved more than this one (or equally) and the only one I could think of was the love theme from The Terminal. 
Simply singing those in my head gives me goosebumps :)

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Back home, and just checked - it’s between the end of track 12 and the beginning of 13, and you need to listen carefully/use headphones/crank the volume up to hear it, but it’s definitely there.

 

Listening to it for the first time in a while, it definitely sounds like Him.

 

Mark

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I have always loved this score which is in the same area as Stanley & Iris, The Accidental Tourist, Pete 'N' Tillie and even Heartbeeps in Williams' output.

     The themes are not only delicious but the orchestration is feathery like chiffon and gossamer. So light. Really a beautiful little score. 

       I'm listening to the short playlist I have assembled which completely removes the vocals by "Sting" who I feel is the antithesis, the diametrical opposite of what this devine music sings to me. 

     If an expansion were ever to be released how much music would be added? Is the Original Album complete? Or is it a re-recording? 

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On 16/04/2022 at 1:52 PM, QuartalHarmony said:

That reminds me: there’s a little pre-gap to one of the later tracks on the Sabrina OST where the strings have just tailed off a quiet chord and you can just hear someone (surely JW himself?) just say ‘Lovely’ in the short time before the next track starts. I’m not at home at the moment, so can’t check, but I’m sure someone else will find it and post the exact chapter & verse.

 

It’s a lovely little example of something slipping through the editing net.

 

On 16/04/2022 at 4:50 PM, QuartalHarmony said:

Back home, and just checked - it’s between the end of track 12 and the beginning of 13, and you need to listen carefully/use headphones/crank the volume up to hear it, but it’s definitely there.

 

Listening to it for the first time in a while, it definitely sounds like Him.

 

 

Finally had a chance to check this out.  You're RIGHT!  It's totally there!  Definitely sounds like "lovely", and sounds like JW to me!

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On 29/7/2022 at 1:56 PM, Jay said:

 

 

 

Finally had a chance to check this out.  You're RIGHT!  It's totally there!  Definitely sounds like "lovely", and sounds like JW to me!


Absolutely hilarious find - he is right!

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On 29/07/2022 at 6:20 PM, Gibster said:

was it ever confirmed that he dedicated the main theme to his late wife? I heard that somewhere but don’t know the. Validity of it.

 

First time I hear such a thing, but I highly doubt it. Williams dedicated his Violin Concerto no.1 to his late wife, that's for sure. The Sabrina theme seems more to reflect his own recollection of Audrey Hepburn, who he knew well back in the day.

 

On 10/05/2020 at 2:48 PM, DKEN9 said:

Does anyone know who the pianist was on this piece on the original score?  Was it Williams himself?

 

Williams plays the solo that opens the album ("Theme From Sabrina"), while Chet Swiatkowski is the pianist on the rest of the score.

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