NEW | "John Williams: Conductor" 20 CD box coming from Sony on January 2018

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

What do you mean it's been improved? The playing?

[Bespin 8,480]

The solo part is a bit different.

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

Didn't notice. Too distracted by the playing.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

The Skywalker Symphony album isn't very good, IMO.

 

Of course, some members on this forum say everything with JW's name attached is worth owning. But if you're a discerning listener, there's better SW compilations out there.

 

I like it better than the Kojian album, and I like the ESB stuff much better than Gerhardt's. Before Vienna it had the best commercially available Imperial March (that I'm aware of).

[Jay 37,346]

I like the Gerhardt Imperial March with the Carbon Freeze opening

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

I like the Gerhardt Imperial March with the Carbon Freeze opening

 

That's a great intro to the march.

 

13 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

I like it better than the Kojian album, and I like the ESB stuff much better than Gerhardt's. Before Vienna it had the best commercially available Imperial March (that I'm aware of).

 

The Vienna recording of the march indeed sounds good, but it's just too slow for my taste.

[Andy 4,118]

I'm a bit confused... I understand this Box Set doesn't contain the Geisha Suite for Cello and Orchestra, Birthday Variations, Air and Simple Gifts, which were recorded under Sony [I think] ... (any others I've left out?)

 

What is the best way to compliment this box set with those pearls that fall under the Sony Label, but are absent from this collection?

 

This looks like a good start, no? : The Music of America

[GerateWohl 4,354]

59 minutes ago, Andy said:

What is the best way to compliment this box set with those pearls that fall under the Sony Label, but are absent from this collection?

Try this 4-CD Box. It at least has the Geisha suite and Air and Simple Gifts.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

I expect the Happy Birthday Variations are still only available on that anniversary album which aside from this piece is just a compilation of tracks from other albums?

[Andy 4,118]

As others have mentioned, when it dawns on you how a bonus disc of all of these singular pieces could've elevated this to an essential set.... it is astonishingly frustrating.

[Jay 37,346]

3 hours ago, Andy said:

I'm a bit confused...

 

You're not, though - you explained everything perfectly!

 

3 hours ago, Andy said:

I understand this Box Set doesn't contain the Geisha Suite for Cello and Orchestra, Birthday Variations, Air and Simple Gifts, which were recorded under Sony [I think]

 

Exactly right.  Sony owns all those recordings, could have easily included them in this box set, but did not.  

 

~

 

The 6-part "Memoirs of a Geisha: Suite for Cello and Orchestra" premiered on this crazy 90-disc Yo Yo Ma collection in 2009: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IC10Y8

 

In 2010 Sony included it on a 3-CD John Williams compilation called "The Music of America": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JH0LGE

 

In 2015, Sony included it on a 4-CD John Williams compilation called "John Williams: The Great Movie Soundtracks": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0129YBQTI

 

Yet they did not included it in this box set

 

~

 

"Happy Birthday Variations" was recorded for some album from the 90s (I forget which one) but then dropped from the final release.

 

In 2012, Sony debuted it on a 1-CD John Williams compilation called "A Tribute to John Williams: An 80th Birthday Celebration": https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WDHDA4/

 

And that remains the only place you can get it, they did not include it in this box set.

 

~

 

"Air and Simple Gifts" debuted in January 2009 for Obama's inauguration, and then showed up on iTunes as a single not long after. 

 

Sony eventually included it on the same 3 place mentioned above - The 90-CD Yo Yo Ma box in 2009, The Music Of America in 2010 and The Great Movie Soundtracks in 2015.

But they did not include it in the box set.

 

~

 

3 hours ago, Andy said:

... (any others I've left out?)

 

There is one other that I know of: In 2006, Sony released a 3-part Memoirs of a Geisha suite exclusively to iTunes called "Memoirs of a Geisha (iTunes Session)": https://music.apple.com/us/album/memoirs-of-a-geisha-itunes-session-ep/159778453

 

This 3-part suite is different from the 2009 6-movement suite, and to this day has still never been released on a pressed CD.  However, in 2007, 1 of the 3 parts (Going to School) was included on the Yo-Yo Ma album "Appassionato": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KWZ7DS

 

But Sony did not include any of the 3 parts in the box set.

 

EDIT: As mentioned below there is one other track as well: The "American Collection" theme, only released on the Yo Yo Ma album "Classic Yo-Yo": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005OAY5/

 

3 hours ago, Andy said:

 

What is the best way to compliment this box set with those pearls that fall under the Sony Label, but are absent from this collection?

 

This looks like a good start, no? : The Music of America

 

Yes, I would say The Music Of America is the primary additional purchase you need to make beyond the box set, and then you also need the 80th Birthday CD if you want Happy Birthday Variations.  And then, you can digitally purchase the Geisha EP on iTunes as well if you want that.

[LaloCoyoacan 46]

46 minutes ago, Jay said:

There is one other that I know of: In 2006, Sony released a 3-part Memoirs of a Geisha suite exclusively to iTunes called "Memoirs of a Geisha (iTunes Session) "": https://music.apple.com/us/album/memoirs-of-a-geisha-itunes-session-ep/159778453

 

And John Williams is playing the piano in this one

[The Lost Folio 183]

Sony also has the Yo-Yo Ma recording of the American Collection Theme, first released on Classic Yo-Yo (and never reissued since?): https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Yo-Yo-Ma/dp/B00005OAY5/

[Jay 37,346]

2 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

Sony also has the Yo-Yo Ma recording of the American Collection Theme, first released on Classic Yo-Yo (and never reissued since?): https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Yo-Yo-Ma/dp/B00005OAY5/

 

Aha, thanks for that - I forgot about that one!

[Andy 4,118]

Thanks everyone. And @Jay thank you for the clarification. I was under the impression that the iTunes sessions were an excerpt from the six part suite, but now I understand the distinction.  Thanks for helping me sort it out. 

[Jay 37,346]

The 3-part suite from 2006 is like a duet with Yo Yo Ma on cello and John Williams playing piano himself -- so it's more like a "stripped down" version of music you know from the score

 

The 6-part suite from 2009 uses the whole orchestra, so is more like a collection of concert arrangements that expand upon music you know from the score

[Andy 4,118]

Thanks. I’ve got some good listening ahead of me.  I’ve been so laser focused on OSTs and Expansions, so catching up is going to be a really wonderful journey. 

[Jay 37,346]

On the "Joy to The World" album, did they just pull those 3 Home Alone tracks directly off the OST album, or are they re-recordings?

[Bespin 8,480]

Re-recordings with an adult choir... less magical.

[Holko 9,516]

They're even more terribly over the top than the HA2 recordings.

[Bespin 8,480]

I don't know a weirder Christmas album than this one, all genres combined.

[Jay 37,346]

Thanks!

[Martin B. 16]

I think I'm right but just want to double check.

 

If I have the 4 disc Great Movie Themes and the 80th Tribute to sets, along with the boxset then I have everything from Sony. There is nothing on the 3 disc Music of America that isn't already on the Great Movie Soundtracks set. From the titles it would appear to be just duplicats but just wanted to make sure there were no unique versions or anything.

[Luke Skywalker 1,794]

Missing the 3 pieces piano-cello duets from memoirs of a geisha, though they have never been released on physical format. 

[Jay 37,346]

One of them has

[Luke Skywalker 1,794]

O yes i forgot you mentioned it

[Juanki 23]

Got the chance to get it for around 60 euros. I only miss the following albums:

 

- Star Wars Trilogy

- The Green Album

- Joy to the World

- Night and Day: Celebrate Sinatra

- Music for Stage and Screen

- It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing)

- The Hollywood Sound

 

Would you say it's worthy to get it or just try to search for the original used albums?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Bespin 8,480]

18 minutes ago, Juanki said:

Got the chance to get it for around 60 euros. I only miss the following albums:

 

- Star Wars Trilogy

- The Green Album

- Joy to the World

- Night and Day: Celebrate Sinatra

- Music for Stage and Screen

- It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing)

- The Hollywood Sound

 

Would you say it's worthy to get it or just try to search for the original used albums?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Personally, I had all the original CDs and still bought the box set, mainly for the beauty of its cover. Moreover, the sound is exactly the same. Among what you listed and are missing, I consider 'Star Wars Trilogy,' 'Music for Stage and Screen,' and 'The Hollywood Sound' as must-haves. It's certain that you can probably find these CDs secondhand for a low price.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

7 hours ago, Juanki said:

Got the chance to get it for around 60 euros. I only miss the following albums:

 

I got it in December for €40 (so maybe if you wait you'll get a similar deal). For me, the following albums were new:

 

- I Love a Parade

- The Green Album

- Joy to the World

- Night and Day

- Unforgettable

- It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

- Gershwin Fantasy

 

Most of these are nice enough but not essential. Joy to the World is supposed to be excellent, but since I got the box set at the beginning of the year (just like with the Philips box a year ago), I'll save that for next Christmas before listening to it. Gershwin Fantasy is very good, and of course features Williams on piano. The swing album is a lot of fun, as expected. In general, I find all of these much better than the earlier Philips recordings, both the performances and the sound (many of these are from Shawn Murphy's best years - I've always loved the sound on Summon the Heroes, and the swing album - just as an example - sounds equally great).

 

The Star Wars Trilogy is indeed essential (unlike the copy from this box, which along with the others is currently my newest CD, my original copy of it was the first CD I ever bought - just a few months shy of 30 years ago). Music for Stage and Screen is essential for the Reivers and BOTFOJ suites (although I've always felt the latter doesn't live up to the OST). The Hollywood Sound has what some consider to be the best Star Wars main title - and a wonderfully fluffy E.T. Flying Theme.

[Jay 37,346]

fluffy?

[QuartalHarmony 542]

12 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

The Hollywood Sound has what some consider to be the best Star Wars main title

I certainly do!

 

Aside from any more objective considerations, it was recorded less than 48 hours after I saw the same (world class) band play the same (timeless classic) piece under the same (awesome, let’s be honest) conductor. Difficult not to think of it as special.

 

Mark

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

18 minutes ago, Jay said:

fluffy?

 

The woodwinds sound like puffs of cotton wool.

[Erik Woods 555]

32 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

The Hollywood Sound has what some consider to be the best Star Wars main title...

 

Yup!

 

-Erik-

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

37 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

The woodwinds sound like puffs of cotton wool.

 

Ecological?

[Schilkeman 961]

On 16/01/2024 at 3:11 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

my original copy of it was the first CD I ever bought

Hey me too 

 

On 16/01/2024 at 3:11 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

Music for Stage and Screen is essential for the Reivers and BOTFOJ suites

And the fantastic Red Pony suite and The Quiet City from Copland.