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Lights, Camera... Music! Six Decades of John Williams -- Keith Lockhart conducted CD of rarities


KingPin

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Always nice to hear of a future release.  If these two pieces are any indication, this collection looks to focus on the "lesser known" pieces by Williams. 

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26 minutes ago, KingPin said:

Even more intriguing is that the concert narrator mentioned that both pieces are being recorded for a future release celebrating John Williams' legacy, so certainly something to look forward to.

 

Huh ... very interesting. Must be distinct from the Spielberg/Williams Sony Classical one we already knew was coming out in 2017. 

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2 hours ago, Will said:

 

Huh ... very interesting. Must be distinct from the Spielberg/Williams Sony Classical one we already knew was coming out in 2017. 

well, I am sure Spielberg has seen both Midway and Dracula, so there is a clear Spielberg/Williams connection. 

 

ps. I am kidding. 

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18 minutes ago, Will said:

The actual link:

 

http://www.wgbh.org/programs/episode.cfm?programid=1641&featureid=65705&rssid=2

 

I have no idea where the Williams selections play though, and don't have time to find out tonight. 

The very first two pieces. Starts at about 2:40ish.

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@KingPin Nice catch!

 

6 hours ago, Will said:

 

Thanks for the exact link!

 

"The first part of the program offered a preview of the Pops' upcoming CD tribute to Lockhart's Pops predecessor John Williams with three pieces that the orchestra is recording. Two were little-known and well-worth hearing: "The Men From Yorktown" from the film "Midway" was expansive and heroic; "Night Journeys" from the 1979's "Dracula" offered Williams in a highly romantic mode that brought to mind Bernard Hermann. There was also a suite of five sections from Williams' score to last year's "Star Wars: the Force Awakens," which no doubt pleased the fans of that film.

Between these pieces was "Wizard," a tone poem by Boston Symphony trumpeter Michael Martin superbly performed by his colleague Benjamin Wright. Augmented by surtitles that told a story of a wizard that gains his powers, finds love, but prefers to fly, it was an appealing, lyrical piece that was right at home between the Williams' pieces."

 

Source: http://boston.edgemedianetwork.com/entertainment///198565

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11 hours ago, Will said:

Huh ... very interesting. Must be distinct from the Spielberg/Williams Sony Classical one we already knew was coming out in 2017. 

 

Yes, it's gonna be a distinct release, as Lockhart and Pops release their albums on their own label (BSO Classics).

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see it released around the same time in occasion of JW's 85th birthday.

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4 hours ago, Bespin said:

@KingPin

 

"The first part of the program offered a preview of the Pops' upcoming CD tribute to Lockhart's Pops predecessor John Williams 

 

YES!! :woop:

 

Is there a chance the TFA suite will be properly recorded?

 

Also, anyone know if the Jedi Steps concert arrangement (no Finale) was performed?

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4 hours ago, TownerFan said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see it released around the same time in occasion of JW's 85th birthday.

 

 You are correct, that's the goal.

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So, @Jay, @Bespin, or anyone else who's a Williams super-completist, is this Midway arrangement and/or Dracula arrangement actually new? 

 

In other words, does it seem like Williams is writing new arrangements specifically for this new CD? 

 

I don't really know either score so I can't tell if they're new or not. 

 

EDIT: Oh wow this concert is old! Didn't realize it was from May! This CD must have been in the works for a while then. 

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9 hours ago, Will said:

 

YES!! :woop:

 

Is there a chance the TFA suite will be properly recorded?

 

Also, anyone know if the Jedi Steps concert arrangement (no Finale) was performed?

These compilations tend to be a sampling of a variety of scores.  I doubt the whole suite would show up on it.  I could see the End Credits Suite making the cut, which would be cool. 

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While the Force Awakens suite performed at that concert seems to have been cut from the radio broadcast...

 

Music from the score will be on the new CD!!!!!!

 

Quotes from the radio host at intermission (somewhere around 53:13, give or take):

 

Quote

This concert opened with music by Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams. It's part of a recording project that will bring together several film score excerpts by Williams from the last 50 years, including a suite from the most recent Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. 

 

Is it likely that the Midway and Dracula selections were actually recorded live during that concert -- or are they recorded some other time in a more studio-like environment?

 

More:

 

Quote

And next year we can look forward to an entire recording by the Pops and Keith Lockhart in celebration of John Williams' 85th birthday. 

 

So there's some additional info to what others have already said. 

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The comments in the concert broadcast gave me the impression of a live-recorded CD too... But I can't compare the arrangements, sorry, that's out of my area of expertise!

 

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Yes, it's gonna be live recording for the most part. From what I know from reliable sources, it appears that Lockhart wants to put the spotlight on stuff rarely heard or recorded. He's looking into the BSO library and picking several pieces already prepared in concert form that JW performed at least once during his years as Pops' principal conductor.

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2 minutes ago, TownerFan said:

Yes, it's gonna be live recording for the most part. From what I know from reliable sources, it appears that Lockhart wants to put the spotlight on stuff rarely heard or recorded. He's looking into the BSO library and picking several pieces already prepared in concert form that JW performed at least once during his years as Pops' principal conductor.

Good man that Lockhart! :) 

 

Something like Gloria and Esplanade Overture would be more than welcome although a bit esoteric.

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14 hours ago, Will said:

So, @Jay, @Bespin, or anyone else who's a Williams super-completist, is this Midway arrangement and/or Dracula arrangement actually new? 

 

In other words, does it seem like Williams is writing new arrangements specifically for this new CD? 

 

"The Men of Yorktown" is surely extended compared to the piece as heard in the film and the Varèse release. I don't know if it's new though, it could very well be an arrangement prepared by JW years ago for the Pops and performed maybe just once.

 

"Night Journeys" is instead the same piece as heard in the OST.

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The prospect of (another) Boston Pops Williams CD is tantalizing, but I'll reserve my enthusiasm for when I actually see a track list. If it does indeed focus on the 'lesser known' material (of course, to Williams fans, neither MIDWAY nor DRACULA are lesser known), then it might be interesting. If it's yet another 'greatest hits', however, it's probably not for me.

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Even for Williams fans Night Journeys and The Men Of The Yorktown March are relatively obscure. How often is either discussed, really?

I for one would welcome a CD release featuring some of the more unusual suspects.

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22 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Even for Williams fans Night Journeys and The Men Of The Yorktown March are relatively obscure. How often is either discussed, really?

I for one would welcome a CD release featuring some of the more unusual suspects.

 

DRACULA is discussed all the time (sadly not so much the music or film itself, but rather people's craving for an expansion). MIDWAY less often, but often enough. Both should be wellknown to most Williams fans, and not only us hardcore researchers. If you don't know them, you ain't a proper Williams fan! ;)

 

But to the public at large, they do perhaps qualify.

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3 hours ago, Incanus said:

Good man that Lockhart! :) 

 

Something like Gloria and Esplanade Overture would be more than welcome although a bit esoteric.

 

What's Gloria?

 

And thanks for the info @TownerFan!

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I don't really expect a coherent album from Lockhart. I never listened to an album by him that is good from the beginning to the end!

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6 hours ago, Incanus said:

Something like Gloria and Esplanade Overture would be more than welcome although a bit esoteric.

The Esplanade Overture would be fantastic.  I have not heard the official concert version, only the Monsignor track.  Is it extended at all?

 

I realize the BSO is not the same as the Esplanade or Tanglewood Youth Orchestra, but it would be fitting to include the overture and Just Down West street as pieces he has composed for the larger BSO family 

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23 minutes ago, Tom said:

The Esplanade Overture would be fantastic.  I have not heard the official concert version, only the Monsignor track.  Is it extended at all?

 

I realize the BSO is not the same as the Esplanade or Tanglewood Youth Orchestra, but it would be fitting to include the overture and Just Down West street as pieces he has composed for the larger BSO family 

 

"The Esplanade Overture" runs 4:43 while "Meeting in Sicily" runs 3:56. But there are a number of differences in terms of orchestration. "Esplanade" is more exploratory, less concrete (more whimsical, if you will). I think the "Esplanade" also includes a choir, but the sound quality of this ancient bootleg recording is so poor, it's hard to make out. 

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3 hours ago, Tom said:

The Esplanade Overture would be fantastic.  I have not heard the official concert version, only the Monsignor track.  Is it extended at all?

 

 

3 hours ago, Tom said:

I realize the BSO is not the same as the Esplanade or Tanglewood Youth Orchestra, but it would be fitting to include the overture and Just Down West street as pieces he has composed for the larger BSO family 

 

Another recording of Just Down West Street would be awesome! 

 

I absolutely adore that piece. It's one of my frequently listened to ones. 

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Well it's not very complicated, if Lockhart recorded the songs live, we have a hint of what the album will contain by looking at some previous concerts where he directed some works:

 

Williams' 80th Birthday Gala Concert / Norman, Shaham, Ma, Montero, McGill, Lockhart, Slatkin, Sung, Boston Pops O (Koussevitzky Music Shed, Tanglewood, MA, 2012-08-18)

Olympic Fanfare and Theme; "With a Song in My Heart" (Rodgers & Hart); Concerto for Oboe, 3rd movement - Commedia; Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, 5th movement - Nocturne; Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra, 3rd movement; Adventures on Earth from E.T. The Extra-terrestrial; Sound the Bells!; Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Air and Simple Gifts (Trad., Williams); Going to School from Memoirs of a Geisha; Theme from Schindler's List; Main Title from Star Wars; Happy Birthday Variations. Broadcasted on wgbh.org (2012).

 

John Williams's Film Night / Newman, Lockhart, Boston Pops Esplanade O (Tanglewood, MA, 2014-08-22)

David Newman conducting: Suite from Forrest Gump (Silvestri); Suite from Sunset Boulevard (Waxman); Theme from Sabrina; The Wild Ride from North by Northwest (Herrmann); Selections from The Godfather (Rota); Opening Sequence from Star Trek Into Darkness (Giacchino); Theme from Mission: Impossible (Schifrin); Keith Lockhart conducting: Theme from Jurassic Park; The Barrel Chase Sequence from Jaws; Tango from Scent of a Woman (Gardel, arr. Williams); Theme from Laura (Raksin, arr. Morley); Excerpts from Fiddler on the Roof (Bock, adp. Williams); Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars; Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back. Broadcasted on wgbh.org (2014).

 

John Williams's Film Night / Lockhart, Williams, Boston Pops Esplanade O (Boston, MA, 2016-05-12/13)

Keith Lockhart conducting: Prelude to Ben-Hur; Love Theme from Out of Africa; Main Title, Fountain Theme, and Chez Maxim Waltz from Gigi; Opening Sequence from Star Trek Into Darkness; Harry's Wondrous World from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; The Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark; John Williams conducting: Star Wars Main Title from Star Wars; Rey's Theme from Star Wars - The Force Awakens; March of the Resistance from Star Wars - The Force Awakens; Princess Leia's Theme from Star Wars; The Asteroid Field from The Empire Strikes Back; Luke and Leia from Return of the Jedi; Scherzo for X-Wings from Star Wars - The Force Awakens; The Jedi Steps and Finale from Star Wars - The Force Awakens; Yoda's Theme from The Empire Strikes Back; The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back; Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Broadcasted on wgbh.org (2015).

 



 

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@Bespin:

 

1) Can't a concert that was not broadcast on radio have been recorded for a CD? 

 

2) Are you sure it's not possible that you missed any relevant concerts? I know your website is very comprehensive, but everyone missed the concert this thread discusses and didn't know about it until half a year later! 

 

On an unrelated note, man that Men of the Yorktown March is incredible (I'd never really heard it before).

 

Reminds me why I love JW! Stunning! 

 

Particularly this melody (here to 1:32):

 

 

Gorgeously romantic. 

 

I've listened to this piece repeatedly (the Pops version) since I got home from school today. 

 

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6 minutes ago, Thor said:

It's a good piece, but it's really the ONLY good piece in that score, IMO. Most of the rest is meandering, droney suspense cues.

 

What about the Midway March? (the only other piece from it I've heard)

 

I think it's marvelous!

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3 hours ago, Will said:

 

 

 

Another recording of Just Down West Street would be awesome! 

 

I absolutely adore that piece. It's one of my frequently listened to ones. 

Okay.  We need a quality recording of this piece STAT.  I love this version so much more than the Monsignor piece.  It allows itself room to breath, and oh that ending.  Thank you for the Youtube link.  I have searched for it before.  It looks to be a recent addition to youtube. 

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I haven't even heard the Monsignor version, but I love this version. 

 

I particularly love that romantic melody (as heard here):

 

 

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Great to hear some less often (never) performed JW pieces. I think the inclusion of more obscure pieces that cover different ground could really break up the greatest hits nature of most JW music concerts that present 1 full blast soaring melody after another. 

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wait, i just read this thread and listened to Men of the Yorktown march

 

Wow, this is a totally new arrangement . Did Williams  revise this piece himself ?

On 2016-12-07 at 5:12 PM, Will said:

So, @Jay, @Bespin, or anyone else who's a Williams super-completist, is this Midway arrangement and/or Dracula arrangement actually new? 

 

In other words, does it seem like Williams is writing new arrangements specifically for this new CD? 

 

  yes it's new, but there's no info if Williams re-arranged the  piece

 

On the Varese expanded Midway c.d there is the 3.15 minute "concert arrangement"  that used to be on the "Filmtracks" album, but there's more sections added to this new one and the ending is also new

 

There's also  a  "short version" of this piece on the Mc.Neely re-recording

 

There also seems to be minor revisions in the Dracula piece

17 hours ago, TownerFan said:

 

"The Men of Yorktown" is surely extended compared to the piece as heard in the film and the Varèse release. I don't know if it's new though, it could very well be an arrangement prepared by JW years ago for the Pops and performed maybe just once.

 

It sounds like one of his "new endings" though, like in Harry Potter or Crystal Skull End credits

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9 hours ago, Will said:

 

What about the Midway March? (the only other piece from it I've heard)

 

I think it's marvelous!

 

That's good too. I actually love me a good march, although the "Yorktown" one is fairly slow for a march.

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11 hours ago, Will said:

@Bespin:

 

1) Can't a concert that was not broadcast on radio have been recorded for a CD? 

 

2) Are you sure it's not possible that you missed any relevant concerts? I know your website is very comprehensive, but everyone missed the concert this thread discusses and didn't know about it until half a year later!

 

1) Yes, why not!
 

2) indeed, I don't list the Lockhart concerts on my website, but it give an idea of some tracks he directed in the past years, when sharing the podium with JW.

 

If someone had access to the programs of all Lockhart past concerts, it would be a good source of information!

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16 hours ago, Bespin said:

 

1) Yes, why not!
 

2) indeed, I don't list the Lockhart concerts on my website, but it give an idea of some tracks he directed in the past years, when sharing the podium with JW.

 

If someone had access to the programs of all Lockhart past concerts, it would be a good source of information!

 

He does have a website that has a calendar of all the concerts he's conducted (http://www.keithlockhart.com/), but it's not easily searchable for Williams pieces. :(

 

But just to show what we're missing, for example I just discovered that in December 2015, he conducted music from Star Wars with the Pops. (https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2015/12/21/the-force-and-santa-was-with-boston-pops-friday/09RWzQgHTkVtZynBt6mRtJ/story.html)

 

He actually conducted with a light saber. 

 

20 hours ago, king mark said:

Wow, this is a totally new arrangement . Did Williams  revise this piece himself ?

  yes it's new, but there's no info if Williams re-arranged the  piece

 

Of course it's a Williams arrangement, right?

 

The only question is whether it's actually an old arrangement that was performed only once or twice and maybe simply wasn't recorded. 

 

The more exciting alternative, of course, is that JW is actually preparing new arrangements specifically for this new CD. But TownerFan's sources seem to indicate that these are old arrangements (although perhaps this is an exception, who knows). 

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On December 8, 2016 at 7:22 AM, TownerFan said:

 

"The Men of Yorktown" is surely extended compared to the piece as heard in the film and the Varèse release. I don't know if it's new though, it could very well be an arrangement prepared by JW years ago for the Pops and performed maybe just once.

 

"Night Journeys" is instead the same piece as heard in the OST.

 

I'm finally getting around to listening to this and wow I love that "Men of Yorktown" arrangement. I also noticed how extended/developed it is compared to the album track.

 

Does anyone know if this is an existing concert arrangement? Has it ever been recorded before?

 

EDIT: I see that of course this question has already come up above a few times ;)

 

Im really looking forward to this release!

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While waiting to this new album to be released... here's my compilation of "rare" JW tracks (well, "rare" is relative in our case!).

 

 



 

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The Men of the Yorktown March is really expanded considerably in this arrangement and the melody passes through the orchestral sections in a classic JW manner plus there is a grander almost Star Wars styled celebratory march feel to the ending. Quite magnificent indeed!

 

And Night Journeys from Dracula is not half bad performance either. It is a great theme and variations on the main theme. Makes me wish for either a complete release of the original tracks or a re-recording of the whole score with modern sonics as this music simply oozes Gothic romance.

 

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