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


Ricard

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On 10/24/2018 at 4:46 PM, TGP said:

Und zis is how ve refund in Germany, Dr. Jones.

Actually, apart from being practically in tears when I read the bad news the day before yesterday (having been in joyful suspension since my birthday in June), this is a pretty funny line.

Thanks for brightening my sadness a little bit, TGP. Me being Austrian, the funniest line for me in that movie actually is "I like the Austrian way better." 😉

 

Anyway, dear fellow orchestral (movie) music lovers and devoted Williams afficionados:

 

I was about to hand the torch of musical passion over to our daughter with this extraordinary concert experience (in one of the finest concert halls, acoustics-wise, and with one of the finest classical orchestras of the world), since me and the woman in my life already had (a dream?) at the Barbican with Maestro Williams conducting the LSO in 1996...

 

...more of that (soon) in the other thread about the performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London...

 

...so DOES ANYBODY WANT TO MEET IN FRONT OF THE MUSIKVEREIN TO HONOUR JOHN TOWNER WILLIAMS, WISH HIM WELL (maybe we could somehow make him aware of our wishes through his agency, when he gets better?), SO DOCUMENTING OUR BEING THERE AND GOING SOMEPLACE AFTERWARDS?

 

I had in mind people like you, St0rMl0rD or others - like TownerFan or Marian Schedenig being in Vienna anyway - what do you think?

 

We could meet when there's still daylight, roughly at the beginning of this amazing concert in a parallel universe, or - if that's inconvenient (Vienna is a great city to explore) - in the evening when it would have ended.

 

So please let us people who live in Maestro Williams' musical dreams stumbling about in Vienna without him but his music in our heads and hearts somehow get in contact and do this.

 

Let us talk about our most magical moments concerning his music, let us celebrate - maybe those of us who have seen Maestro Williams conduct could enlighten the others (and our daughter); he is so different on the podium when compared to e.g. Morricone, Goldsmith, Bernstein, or let alone Michael Nyman. (some of the other concerts we attended - no daughter in existence yet)

 

Sorry for the long read - I only wanted to ask the question in upper case above, honestly. ;)

 

Most importantly, at the end:

 

PLEASE GET WELL SOON, MAESTRO WILLIAMS!

 

Ciao,

ML

 

READY.

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Here is a playlist I made of the planned concerts in Vienna. Anyone who still wants to hear the cancelled concerts on Saturday and Sunday can listen to the program here:


John Williams Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (spotify)


I wasn't sure about some versions of the tracks. For example, the program said just "Selections from Memoirs Of A Geisha". I added Sayuri's Theme, The Chairman's Waltz and Becoming A Geisha from the Suite for Cello and Orchestra, because I love them so much.

Hope you enjoy it!

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44 minutes ago, BuzzLightyear said:

Here is a playlist I made of the planned concerts in Vienna.

[...]
Hope you enjoy it!

That's very, very kind of you. Thank you, Buzz! :D

(I have almost everything on CD myself, except

the ones after 2015; just stopped right then)

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5 hours ago, Martinland said:

I have a dream: Maestro John Williams conducting the Vienna Philharmonic at their summer open air "Sommernachtskonzert" in front of tens of thousands of people in the beautiful gardens of Schönbrunn castle!

 

Please no! I want a proper concert, in a hall with decent acoustics.

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8 minutes ago, Marian2 said:

 

Please no! I want a proper concert, in a hall with decent acoustics.

Right. Naturally that's what we are all wishing for...

(it would've been the top of orchestras/halls!)

...my suggestion was tongue-in-cheek

and only "if all else fails".

Let's just hope.

*sigh*

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16 hours ago, TownerFan said:

The official info is that they looked for a substitute conductor when they got news of JW being unable to conduct, but nobody was available on such short notice. That being said, I guess one of the key factors that convinced the Wiener music direction to agree on a program of mostly film music was the fact JW himself would have been conducting.

 

They should have had a plan B, as Royal Albert Hall had done.

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On 10/31/2018 at 4:44 PM, Jurassic Shark said:

I guess they regretted having greenlighted a concert of "popular music" and just took the first and best oportunity to cancel the whole thing.

 

Not entirely sure if you’re joking a little - but I hardly think anyone regretted the decision having JW on. Sure, there might have been some grumbling from the traditionalists, but that would be the extent of it. Or so I hope! ; )

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19 minutes ago, rough cut said:

 

Not entirely sure if you’re joking a little - but I hardly think anyone regretted the decision having JW on. Sure, there might have been some grumbling from the traditionalists, but that would be the extent of it. Or so I hope! ; )

 

I'm just joking about the VPO being a ridiculously conservative orchestra. :)

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It’s a memento.

 

Not just the ticket. Picking it up, the girl in the counter knew exactly who I was when we started talking, she had the ticket right next to her in an envelope with my name on it. Her humbleness that the concert was cancelled.

 

It’s a good memory, all of it, sad that it may be.

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10 minutes ago, St0rMl0rD said:

I would have been 2 meters away from him...The tour guide said that apparently the Musikverein management is already in talks about the new dates...Fingers crossed!!!

 

Wow, that is great news! Hopefully it's true. Maybe Williams will seriously consider a different way of getting to Europe next time, if flying long-distance is too strenuous on his health.

 

Unfortunately I can't see it happening next year, as I expect he'll be devoted to Episode IX from January through October, given JJ's editing workflow.

 

The only reason he finished TLJ in July is because he started writing in September the year prior. It was still a 10 month writing/record schedule, like TFA

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I can't picture Williams ever returning to Europe. He was hesitant before, and he must certainly be now after what happened. But we can always hope, of course.

 

But Vienna is a nice city -- you who travelled there regardless should have a nice time.

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Wishing everyone well for the dinner tonight. Do post some photos!

 

After some discussion, it was decided that my mother would accompany my father to Bratislava and Vienna (just changed the name on the flights) rather than me surprising my Czech girlfriend with a trip to those cities.

2 hours ago, Marian2 said:

 

When I heard that they were supposedly seriously considering replacement dates, the comment also included that it wouldn't happen before autumn 2019. So it seems that the Ep9 schedule was already factored in.

 

Of course, with our luck, Abrams will require extensive last minute rescoring and Williams will have to cancel at the last minute...

 

 

If his illness really wasn't travel related, and if Vienna is indeed a bucket list item, I'd say chances actually don't look so bad.

The power of VPO will compel him to the city. 

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