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John Williams & the Vienna Philharmonic: January 18/19 2020


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12 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Out to Sea / The Shark Cage Fugue.

I meant if you think the whole title was played bad.

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Right, just listened to a bit of Blu-Ray and I think having JW talking and the people clapping might actually add to the enjoyment and possibly change my opinion a bit. Dare I ask why they couldn't just put all that on 2 or 3 CDs, shall we not go there or will that eventually happen after the cassette and laserdisc edition?

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10 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I don't care much about flubs, it's the bad timing that annoys me. Especially the flute quite early in the track.

LOL. I listend to both the Dudamel and the Vienna recording just now. Dudamel is much faster, in the last two minutes to fast for my liking. Timing isn't better. Both great versions overall.

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47 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I think most people will agree that the flutist on the Dudamel recording has the better timing.

I agree about that. However on the Dudamel recording there are some timing issues before the 1st flute solo.

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38 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

So you fanboys attended the concert NOT for the MUSIC; but in the hopes you can see YOURSELF on the DVD?

 

That is so sad!😒😞

 

Of course. In 2020, ego is king.

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2 hours ago, Mr. Breathmask said:

I found myself. Hurray!

 

20200815_184038.jpg

 

Good thing I wore red. :lol:

 

I've already spotted some other JWFanners who had seats more in view of the cameras too. ;)

After all these years, we finally know to whom the word "excerpts" refers.  

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8 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

surround mix seems to have very natural acoustics

Which one? The DTS 5.1 or the Dolby Atmos? I have to decide - when I plug in the loaned BD drive for the very first time next week - which tracks to use for my BD-to-something-else transfer. ;) (either first and second half of concert stand-alone video files or one or two DVDs, will decide later; but it's "only" those 2 hours and 3-5 minutes I'm interested in, which would fit nicely on a DVD, if I would not waste space for best audio quality)

BTW: Which tool to use? FabDVD or something else? Never had this problem. (and hopefully will have never again) ;)

 

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I'm kind of fascinated by this performance of The Rebellion is Reborn. It seems notably slower than the OST version. The orchestra sounds wonderfully lush but the slower tempo is throwing me off. 

Edit: yeah despite the great acoustics and the extra oomph of the bass, the slower tempo really takes the bite out of this piece. It just lacks that harsh edge that the OST version has, at least in the Luke in Exile portions and the exciting rush to the finish. This Vienna version is almost lazy by comparison. 

 

On the other hand, I'm not sure I've ever heard a more heartfelt concert performance of Like and Leia. The horns and strings are tugging at my heart.

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On 8/12/2020 at 5:46 PM, Jay said:

I'm so grateful that not only is he still scoring feature films this late in life and career, but that these late scores are all so good! 

 

It would be one thing if these new scores coming after 2005 (when he was freaking 73 already) were just OK-ish scores that are exciting for a little bit, then quickly forgotten... but for him to still be putting out so many bangers is astonishing and most welcome!  Some of these newer scores I love so much more than some of his scores from his peak years.

 

 

 Yep, I listened to some of recent tracks with as much amazement as some of the stuff from the 80's . Rebellion is Reborn, Revised Han Solo and the Princess, Galaxy's Edge Orchestral Suite and The Rise of Skywalker are now among my favorite tracks ever. Indiana Jones 4 is also a lot greater than some people say. Then there's War Horse, Tintin...

 

And I think The Rise of Skywalker is the best of the Sequel scores and a shame if it was his last score

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I don't know why people are saying Williams is losing his touch as a conductor. His tempo choices, while slower, are exactly what I want: surprising and grand. Even I will admit I am curious about his decision regarding The Shark Cage Fugue but everything else is benefited by some push and pull from him. Not least of which Close Encounters, which hasn't sounded this magnanimous since Gerhardt conducted it as it was a Bruckner movement.

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16 hours ago, Tydirium said:

Anyone else have any thoughts on the chord at 0:34 of E.T.?

 

It's definitely meant to be F sharp (i.e. concert B natural, not B flat) for fourth horn in the score (at least, in the manuscript; I haven't seen the published Adventures on Earth Hal Leonard score). So I'm assuming it's just a mistake that wasn't spotted (I think I read somewhere that they only had two rehearsals, which might explain some of the other small ensemble issues here and there given the Vienna Phil's unfamiliarity with this repertoire). 

 

Speaking of errors in E.T., I'm pretty sure the timpanist also cocks up by coming in two bars early at 7:37 - it doesn't quite fit what's going on, and then he does it again, correctly, two bars later at 7:42. He also very slightly anticipates the final chord at 9:47. But, I realise I'm being very picky...

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Marion’s Theme: perfect, but I still don’t understand why we need both this and the Raiders March. Play one of the two or remove Marion’s theme from the march. Or here’s another idea: include all the Mutter tracks on the CD to make it less repetitive. Oh wait, what am I saying? That would be the logical thing to do.

Main title from Star Wars: ARGH! HOW DO THE TURMPETS MISS THEIR BEAT AGAIN AT SUCH A CRUCIAL POINT?! What exactly did they record during those pickups? And the rest is just so languid and slow. The LSO absolutely nailed the beginning of the end titles (twice!), but I just don’t hear it here. No joy, no energy. Leia’s theme is good. More shrill horns. More woodwinds mistakes too.

The Rebellion is Reborn: What’s that weird sound right before the horns begin? But overall, everyone is doing great here. I don’t understand why the quality of these tracks is so varying. This is a truly lovely performance. One could wonder why they didn’t do Rise of Skywalker too. This orchestra seems to flourish much more in those kind of pieces. Oops, brass come in too late again, but the trumpets are amazing.

Luke and Leia: So this is the shortened version? Very nice. Not sure which one I prefer.

Imperial March: I really like the flutes here, but again, where is the urgency? Horns and strings not perfect, but trying very hard.

Raider’s March: Why can’t Mutter play in all the tracks? I love the emphasis on that one violin in Marion’s theme. Timpani a bit too loud in the beginning. Mostly good, but… is this a march or a nice walk?

In conclusion: I want a release of that 2018 LSO concert. I want more LSO re-recordings, with or without Mutter. I realise that this is a historically important performance, but the LSO is just better. The Boston Pops too, for that matter. I am missing so much speed and energy in most of the tracks. I don’t feel the satisfaction I felt in 2018. Questionable though the radio quality of that concert was, at least those performances were all nearly flawless and overflowing with joy and magic.

 

 

 

 

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19 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Marion’s Theme: perfect, but I still don’t understand why we need both this and the Raiders March. Play one of the two or remove Marion’s theme from the march. Or here’s another idea: include all the Mutter tracks on the CD to make it less repetitive. Oh wait, what am I saying? That would be the logical thing to do.

Main title from Star Wars: ARGH! HOW DO THE TURMPETS MISS THEIR BEAT AGAIN AT SUCH A CRUCIAL POINT?! What exactly did they record during those pickups? And the rest is just so languid and slow. The LSO absolutely nailed the beginning of the end titles (twice!), but I just don’t hear it here. No joy, no energy. Leia’s theme is good. More shrill horns. More woodwinds mistakes too.

The Rebellion is Reborn: What’s that weird sound right before the horns begin? But overall, everyone is doing great here. I don’t understand why the quality of these tracks is so varying. This is a truly lovely performance. One could wonder why they didn’t do Rise of Skywalker too. This orchestra seems to flourish much more in those kind of pieces. Oops, brass come in too late again, but the trumpets are amazing.

Luke and Leia: So this is the shortened version? Very nice. Not sure which one I prefer.

Imperial March: I really like the flutes here, but again, where is the urgency? Horns and strings not perfect, but trying very hard.

Raider’s March: Why can’t Mutter play in all the tracks? I love the emphasis on that one violin in Marion’s theme. Timpani a bit too loud in the beginning. Mostly good, but… is this a march or a nice walk?

In conclusion: I want a release of that 2018 LSO concert. I want more LSO re-recordings, with or without Mutter. I realise that this is a historically important performance, but the LSO is just better. The Boston Pops too, for that matter. I am missing so much speed and energy in most of the tracks. I don’t feel the satisfaction I felt in 2018. Questionable though the radio quality of that concert was, at least those performances were all nearly flawless and overflowing with joy and magic.

 

Loving your sincere reviews, Bolle. Keep up the good work! After listening to the album on Spotify I'm considering to cancel my order - not sure I need to own this. But if I do buy it, it will primarily be because of The Devil's Dance.

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Haha, I regret to inform you that this is the end of that album review. Might check out the Blu-Ray later since Mutter seems to be on fire, but like you, will certainly not be buying this, especially since a complete CD release was too much and, well, fuck everyone who doesn't have a Blu-Ray device.

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37 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Marion’s Theme: perfect, but I still don’t understand why we need both this and the Raiders March. Play one of the two or remove Marion’s theme from the march. Or here’s another idea: include all the Mutter tracks on the CD to make it less repetitive. Oh wait, what am I saying? That would be the logical thing to do.

Main title from Star Wars: ARGH! HOW DO THE TURMPETS MISS THEIR BEAT AGAIN AT SUCH A CRUCIAL POINT?! What exactly did they record during those pickups? And the rest is just so languid and slow. The LSO absolutely nailed the beginning of the end titles (twice!), but I just don’t hear it here. No joy, no energy. Leia’s theme is good. More shrill horns. More woodwinds mistakes too.

The Rebellion is Reborn: What’s that weird sound right before the horns begin? But overall, everyone is doing great here. I don’t understand why the quality of these tracks is so varying. This is a truly lovely performance. One could wonder why they didn’t do Rise of Skywalker too. This orchestra seems to flourish much more in those kind of pieces. Oops, brass come in too late again, but the trumpets are amazing.

Luke and Leia: So this is the shortened version? Very nice. Not sure which one I prefer.

Imperial March: I really like the flutes here, but again, where is the urgency? Horns and strings not perfect, but trying very hard.

Raider’s March: Why can’t Mutter play in all the tracks? I love the emphasis on that one violin in Marion’s theme. Timpani a bit too loud in the beginning. Mostly good, but… is this a march or a nice walk?

In conclusion: I want a release of that 2018 LSO concert. I want more LSO re-recordings, with or without Mutter. I realise that this is a historically important performance, but the LSO is just better. The Boston Pops too, for that matter. I am missing so much speed and energy in most of the tracks. I don’t feel the satisfaction I felt in 2018. Questionable though the radio quality of that concert was, at least those performances were all nearly flawless and overflowing with joy and magic.

 

 

 

 

Funny review once again. Made my day 😂 Nitpicking at its best. Funny how people hear one flaw and say the whole title was poorly performed. Seems they dont know much about performance. 

 

The Star Wars Main Title is, even with the one timing thing, the best interpretation ever recorded! 

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35 minutes ago, Demondm810 said:

What are the 6 extra tracks in the blu-Ray? 

 

Notice the interesting wording... sounds like all the bonus tracks will be part of the CD album! Perhaps that's why the deluxe edition is delayed until October.

 

JOHN WILLIAMS – Live in Vienna – Deluxe Edition (CD Audio + Blu-ray Disc)

Deluxe Edition features 6 additional tracks as well as a Blu-ray Disc with the concert.

 

Tracklist:

  1. Flight to Neverland from “Hook
  2. Excerpts from “Close Encounters of The Third Kind
  3. Hedwig’s Theme from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  4. Theme from “Sabrina” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  5. Donnybrook Fair from “Far and Away” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  6. Devil’s Dance from “The Witches of Eastwick” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  7. Adventures on Earth from “E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial
  8. Theme from “Jurassic Park
  9. Dartmoor, 1912 from “War Horse
  10. Out to Sea and the Shark Cage Fugue from “Jaws
  11. Marion’s Theme from “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of The Lost Ark
  12. The Rebellion is Reborn from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  13. Luke & Leia from “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
  14. Main Title from “Star Wars: A new Hope”
  15. Nice to be Around from “Cinderella Liberty” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  16. The Duel from “The Adventures of Tintin” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  17. Remembrances from “Schindler’s List” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  18. The Raiders March from “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of The Lost Ark” (with Anne-Sophie Mutter)
  19. The Imperial March from “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”
  20. [BONUS] John Williams and Anne-Sophie Mutter in conversation

From: https://soundtrackfest.com/en/news/deutsche-grammophon-releases-the-concert-john-williams-live-in-vienna/

 

25 minutes ago, Steve said:

The Star Wars Main Title is, even with the one timing thing, the best interpretation ever recorded! 

 

The most geriatric version, clearly.

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Skimming through a few tracks on Spotify, and I notice it's been mastered like a proper album, with no applause or anything. How does that work in a live setting - did they just ask the audience to not applaud (or delay applause) after each track?

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1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Notice the interesting wording... sounds like all the bonus tracks will be part of the CD album! Perhaps that's why the deluxe edition is delayed until October.

 

Sorry to disappoint but the CD in the deluxe edition is the same as the stand-alone CD, i.e. only 13 tracks (I know because I have a copy!). I agree it is ambiguously worded, though. The blu-ray has six extra tracks but only as part of the live concert video (it also has the 13 tracks from the CD in blu-ray audio format). The six extra tracks are all with A-SM and are all present on her Across the Stars disc, which I presume is why DG didn't include them on the CD (I realise they are different performances, but I guess they didn't feel the need to double up on the repertoire). The six are Hedwig's Theme, Sabrina, Donnybrook Fair, Cinderella Liberty, Duel from Tintin, and Remembrances. Anything referring to a "2-disc" release simply means one CD plus one blu-ray. The tracklist you've given is the running order for the blu-ray (including the video conversation between A-SM and JW). It looks like Universal have run out of the deluxe edition (UK Amazon is saying despatched within 1-2 months, which would sort of tally with US Amazon saying it's not out until October). There also seems to be a further product coming in December with catalogue number 4839156, which as far as I can tell is just a jewel-case version of the current digipak single CD release. 

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5 hours ago, UK_Tubist said:

 

It's definitely meant to be F sharp (i.e. concert B natural, not B flat) for fourth horn in the score (at least, in the manuscript; I haven't seen the published Adventures on Earth Hal Leonard score). So I'm assuming it's just a mistake that wasn't spotted (I think I read somewhere that they only had two rehearsals, which might explain some of the other small ensemble issues here and there given the Vienna Phil's unfamiliarity with this repertoire). 

 

Speaking of errors in E.T., I'm pretty sure the timpanist also cocks up by coming in two bars early at 7:37 - it doesn't quite fit what's going on, and then he does it again, correctly, two bars later at 7:42. He also very slightly anticipates the final chord at 9:47. But, I realise I'm being very picky...

 

I just took a quick trip through "Adventures on Earth" recordings on Spotify; you're right, they pretty much all have a B-natural at that spot. However, I'd like to note that at least the City of Prague Philharmonic recording features a B-flat too, just like this Vienna version. Of course CPO isn't the best orchestra in the world, but I'm thinking there might a published version out there that has a B-natural for whatever reason. Possibly a misprint, but still.

 

EDIT: Funny enough, just found some guy's MIDI realization of the piece (as in, he sat down and put in all the notes), which also features a B-flat. Must be a couple versions out in the wild(?).

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1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Skimming through a few tracks on Spotify, and I notice it's been mastered like a proper album, with no applause or anything. How does that work in a live setting - did they just ask the audience to not applaud (or delay applause) after each track?

Probably recorded without an audience before or after.

If you don't hear any morons coughing its live without Udience

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5 hours ago, UK_Tubist said:

 

It's definitely meant to be F sharp (i.e. concert B natural, not B flat) for fourth horn in the score (at least, in the manuscript; I haven't seen the published Adventures on Earth Hal Leonard score). So I'm assuming it's just a mistake that wasn't spotted (I think I read somewhere that they only had two rehearsals, which might explain some of the other small ensemble issues here and there given the Vienna Phil's unfamiliarity with this repertoire). 

 

Speaking of errors in E.T., I'm pretty sure the timpanist also cocks up by coming in two bars early at 7:37 - it doesn't quite fit what's going on, and then he does it again, correctly, two bars later at 7:42. He also very slightly anticipates the final chord at 9:47. But, I realise I'm being very picky...

I would much rather he program " E.T. and Me".

" Adventures" just doesn't work as a concert piece- you need the visual accompiament.

Plus, the OST can't be matched musically

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