JW is writing a new violin concerto for Anne-Sophie Mutter - "Violin Concerto No. 2"

[crlbrg 382]

14 minutes ago, Michael G. said:

https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2021-06-11/a-world-premiere-with-anne-sophie-mutter So this link ist only for audio stream? Can I watch it live as a video broadcast anywhere 

I don't think it will be available anywhere as a live video broadcast.

 

I'm contemplating whether to stay awake until 2AM and hear the premiere live or go to sleep and hear it fresh in the morning...

[Mikal Grigorowitsch 473]

Same😂

14 minutes ago, carlborg said:

I don't think it will be available anywhere as a live video broadcast.

 

I'm contemplating whether to stay awake until 2AM and hear the premiere live or go to sleep and hear it fresh in the morning...

 

[Miguel Andrade 1,381]

2 hours ago, carlborg said:

I don't think it will be available anywhere as a live video broadcast.

 

I'm contemplating whether to stay awake until 2AM and hear the premiere live or go to sleep and hear it fresh in the morning...

 

It will be live on video on BSONow. Though you have to be a subscriber.

Tomorrow evening DG Premium will have it on demand for a couple of days.

[crlbrg 382]

1 hour ago, Miguel Andrade said:

It will be live on video on BSONow.

My bad...forgot about that for a moment.

1 hour ago, Miguel Andrade said:

Tomorrow evening DG Premium will have it on demand for a couple of days.

And arte.tv

 

Reading the program notes in preparation for the concert, I can't help but wonder what JW means when he says "sound dissolve"...looking forward to see what he has in store for us!

 

Quote

The final movement is approached “attacca” by the violin and harp, where the two instruments reverse their relative balances in a kind of “sound dissolve.”

 

[Sunshine Reger 3,609]

The second movement is a love at first sound 

 

It's basically what I am looking for in contemporary classical.

[Will 2,254]

Well, I really liked Rounds! Not such a huge fan of Prologue, though. I'm reserving judgment on the other two movements until I hear them more.

 

EDIT: They're doing "Across the Stars" as an encore! Williams gets some laughs saying he hasn't "the vaguest memory which" Star Wars film it's from -- "one of the nine," he says.

[Sunshine Reger 3,609]

"We are going to play Across the Stars; a theme from one of the Star Wars films, and I have not a vaguest memory which one it was from".

 

[Tom 5,148]

Oh man, his Across the Stars announcement.  I love this man!

[Marian Schedenig 9,151]

"One of the nine"

[Tom 5,148]

2 minutes ago, Will said:

Well, I really liked Rounds! Not such a huge fan of Prologue, though. I'm reserving judgment on the other two movements until I hear them more.

I thought third was really powerful.  But, yes, repeated listens will help.  

[Sunshine Reger 3,609]

2 minutes ago, Tom said:

Oh man, his Across the Stars announcement.  I love this man!

Williams would make a great JWFan poster.

[lairdo 740]

My first impressions of VC#2 is similar to a few comments above. I enjoyed the start (mostly) but then really enjoyed it as it moved forward and quietly ended. JW sure loves combining instruments together in duos and trios and that was very cool to hear throughout. I cannot wait to hear the whole thing again (hopefully my recording worked as I am watching on BSO but catching the stream on my laptop). I also think ASM will also find more and more in the piece and improve it further. 

 

Also: Was across the stars somewhat updated from the album?

 

Future release: I suspect the performance in late September to kick off the Boston Symphony season when they play this again will be the one that gets released. Perhaps they can record VC1 too to fill out the album or a few of the missing arrangements from Across the Stars (that are not on the Live in Vienna) - aren’t there 1 or 2 left?

[SteveMc 2,675]

1 hour ago, Will said:

Well, I really liked Rounds! Not such a huge fan of Prologue, though. I'm reserving judgment on the other two movements until I hear them more.

Rounds was the highlight, yes.  Prologue was a bit heavy and serious, perhaps straining a tad under its own weight.  It was quite different from what I expected.  There were interesting moments of flair and intensity though. 

 

The final movements tended to blur together in my mind.  Perhaps that's just my mind, this being relatively challenging music (although I am in no way adverse to challenging music).  But I still felt that perhaps those movements, and the piece in general, could have had some more overt motifs to help to anchor it.

 

Honestly, I was expecting something just a little more lyrical, not necessarily romantic, but something more overt in terms of melodic element and more tight in terms of structure.  Perhaps those expectations affected my initial response to an excessive degree, although certainly I was more comparing the piece to JWs first Violin Concerto and Markings than his film style. 

Watching the video tomorrow should give me a more clear and accurate set of impressions. 

[crlbrg 382]

2 minutes ago, lairdo said:

Also: Was across the stars somewhat updated from the album?

Definitely.

Loved the concerto! Need to listen to it a few more times, but loved the typical Williams touches along with the newer stuff. Sublime playing by ASM - she always performs at the highest level to the point where it's easy to take it for granted. Amazing stuff!

[Tom 5,148]

The piece really does require a virtuoso performer.  I am unsophisticated enough to always want a clear theme to hook me (hence my love of JW film music in general), but I was happy with the concerto nonetheless.  I assumed this would be his approach, as it just seems to be his authentic concert voice.  Really cool orchestrations throughout.  A couple of callbacks to the first violin concerto (at least to my years), but it has its own identity.  My guess is that once the dust is settled, I will like 2 more than 1 (and Treesong), but I will listen several more times before that point.  

[crlbrg 382]

I really need to listen to this again, but I couldn't agree more about the orchestration - many little gems scattered throughout the piece. Can someone else confirm that the arrangement of Across the Stars was different just so that I don't go crazy wondering?
Now it's time for sleep!

[Sunshine Reger 3,609]

Across the Stars followed by Rounds & Dactyls can form an elegant tri-movement concerto of their own. Especially fortunate to have them recorded on the same occasion.

[bespinGPT 8,853]

"NICE!"

 

- Me still trying to find an affordable copy of the Duo Concertante.

[Jay 39,755]

I liked the bit that reminded me of Images

[Miguel Andrade 1,381]

Really loved the Concerto. Prologue is certainly the hardest of the movements, at least to my ears. The rest just flowed so naturally... Really lovely and just amazing how it quietly ended.

 

Across the Stars is indeed a revised version.

[Marcus 390]

A lovely work!

 

The cantilena that also closes the piece sounds almost like a contorted version of "Moonlight" (from Sabrina). Makes me wonder if it could have been intentional?

 

As much as I love his first violin concerto, this is (obviously) the more mature work of the two.

 

Bravo, Maestro.

 

[Miguel Andrade 1,381]

2 minutes ago, Marcus said:

A lovely work!

 

The cantilena that also closes the piece sounds almost like a contorted version of "Moonlight" (from Sabrina). Makes me wonder if could have been intentional?

 

As much as I love his first violin concerto, this is (obviously) the more mature work of the two.

 

Bravo, Maestro.

 

 

Couldn't agree more. And yes, I also noticed the "Moonlight" kind of quote...

[David Story 58]

I loved the entire concert - brilliant performances from beginning to finale!

 

First time I heard Montgomery, she's good. Fun, accessible, modern.

 

I enjoyed the Concerto No. 2 on first listen. I agree the 2nd movement is a highlight, I also thought the orchestral effects and interplay in the 4th movement are a whole world to explore. It took a while for me to warm to the Concerto No.1, while this is one of William's strongest concerti, again on first listen.

The Across The Stars encore is a new arrangement, a touch more dramatic.

 

Quiet City is a much beloved work and this performance brought out the gentle grandeur.

 

Firebird is genius from bar 1 and tonight's performance was exceptionally clear and evocative. A showpiece for a great orchestra.

 

John Williams has worked with many of the greatest violinists of the past 6 decades. I hear more passion and virtuosity from Mutter today She's evolved into one of his historically important interpreters - and muses!

Looking forward to seeing this live. A memorable premier.

 

 

[SteveMc 2,675]

I remember being entranced with the Violin Concerto No.1 on my first listen to it, so a bit of a different thing for me than some of y'all where I'm going to need to warm to this one.

 

There did seem to be some call backs to the first concerto as mentioned above, in the first and second movements particularly.  

[WilliamsStarShip2282 321]

1 hour ago, Bespin said:

"NICE!"

 

- Me still trying to find an affordable copy of the Duo Concertante.

Is it not for sale or something anymore?

 

27 minutes ago, Marcus said:

A lovely work!

 

The cantilena that also closes the piece sounds almost like a contorted version of "Moonlight" (from Sabrina). Makes me wonder if it could have been intentional?

 

As much as I love his first violin concerto, this is (obviously) the more mature work of the two.

 

Bravo, Maestro.

 

Funny I also hear some Sabrina sounds in the concerto in more than one part actually! I wonder if it was just in the back of his mind from the arrangements.
 

I loved the concerto, absolutely need more than one listen. It is absolutely amazing to me how one composer can have such a diverse repertoire. Stravinsky and Schonberg are really the only two other composers that come to mind like that. It's interesting that this piece also featured a big harp solo, less so than Highwood, but he's done that a few times in his works. There is a big harp solo in the Viola Concerto as well. This piece has his finger prints on it, but it is very different from Highwood, or the other concerto and Treesong....or any of the other concerti actually. 

 

The orchestra was off tonight though, and I think everyone was a little off, including the audience. Maybe that is just me. 98% of the people inside the shed were over 1000, so it was a little depressing haha but the program was excellent. Tanglewood, although the atmosphere is perfect for for a concert, acoustically is not the best venue for pieces like this that have refined sounds, so we all might hear more in the recording. They also don't have a ton of rehearsal time. Highwood was similar, I think I recall the BSO running the piece once before the recorded concert and that was it. Can't wait to hear more performances of the concerto!

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,357]

Although I haven't visited the forum in a little while, I have very much been anticipating the premiere of this piece. While it has always been a dream of mine to see Williams conduct live and in-person, listening along on WCRB tonight was still a very special experience of its own.

 

I find that the most meaningful encounters I've had with Williams' music are the ones that are beyond my ability to articulate in words. While these pieces never fail to exude the greatest sense of wonder, inspiration, and passion, I am ultimately left speechless. For the better part of my life I have continuously developed a deep and intimate connection to the maestro's music, but as anyone who regularly immerses themselves in a great artist's work will know, it is easy to become numb to greatness when one is so intensely familiar with it. There has never been any doubt in my mind about my love for John Williams and his music, but I feel it is required to occasionally step back and regain the feeling of discovery that started the journey so many years ago in order to truly grasp it all. This can often be achieved by approaching something old as if for the first time, or by hearing an entirely new piece, one with the opportunity to confidently reaffirm the admiration, appreciation, and immense gratitude that has always been there. For me, hearing the violin concerto tonight has done precisely that.

 

On first listen, the premiere piece ranges from quiet and subtle displays of emotion to vibrant but grounded flashes of the abstract. While I am not particularly familiar with much of Williams' concert repertoire, there are so many touches here that are instantly recognizable as the work of the maestro. Structure is not always of the greatest prevalence, but the more free-flowing nature of the piece allows for a number of particularly ear-catching passages to flower. The slow movement is undoubtedly the highlight, with some of the more yearning angular violin passages, in tandem with the great crescendos and brass swells that emerge thereafter, bearing some strong similarities to A.I. (at least to my ears).

 

It goes without saying that Mutter has an astounding command over the violin, and her talents could not be more perfect in this central role. The energy in the performance is palpable, even on the radio broadcast; a consistently powerful piece played to the fullest extent. Harp and flute play significant secondary roles, with pockets of brass and timpani further establishing the atmosphere. There's a lot to explore and unpack from the very beginning, and while there are stretches that may take some warming up to, it becomes easy to share in Williams' description of "healing and renewal" as the conclusion provides a reflective final touch to what I'm sure will prove to be a very rewarding piece in the coming years. 

 

I will never really be able to explain the deeply spiritual effect that Williams' music inherently possesses, nor will I ever be able to comment on how that has then translated into my own life. However, I think I ultimately want to express my admiration for him as not only a composer and an artist, but as an active source of life and joy for me and so many others. On that note, I would also like to further thank the JW Fan community for sharing in this very exciting moment!

 

It means a lot.

 

Cheers!

[artguy360 1,908]

I liked the concerto but will need to listen to it many times over to really dig in. The new version of Across the Stars is interesting. To me it sounds lighter and more spritely. Brighter and maybe even less tragic than the album version.

[Holko 10,396]

On first listen, i love it!

[karelm 3,099]

It's crazy to think that at 89, he is creating new works as rich and demanding as this.  I found it to be a virtuosic work worthy of the soloist and her formidable talents.  One of my favorite aspects of John Williams is his sense of long form.  I loved this from the earliest film scores how they develop their themes over time but in concert music, it is especially apparent.  He has an innate sense of drama.  How to tell a story or how to reveal ideas over time.  This is gorgeous music.  Something he clearly put much care in to and I look forward to revisiting and studying. 

 

JW is a melodic genius but his harmonic and structural brilliance are just as substantial.  This concerto is a wonderful companion to his Violin Concerto No. 1 which I felt had a bold climactic flourish, but here we have an equally substantial work that is more nocturnal.  That doesn’t mean comforted, there is an inner turmoil but it is more reflective and introspective.  It’s a deep and meditative work.  I loved it and look forward to revisiting it.   My favorite movements were the darker, longer outer movements but I also enjoyed the inner movements with their whirlwind effects.  The ending felt like a beautiful lament.  It's hard not to think there is some other, deeper meaning to music.

[artguy360 1,908]

Listening to this more, I still think the most satisfying original music JW has written for ASM is Markings. I love that piece so much. It has a mysterious, at times tense mood, great color, and feels compact enough to enjoy without losing focus.

[lairdo 740]

I listened again last night, and I found that I was already enjoying the first movement more and loving the

rest. In fact, I found it easier to focus on the music without actually watching it being performed. I guess I could put all my attention into the notes and not split that with observing Anne-Sophie's amazing playing and tracking every movement of JW to ensure he is ok. (As written on another thread, he looks great.) VCNo2 is on the playlist for this morning's run too! Looking forward to it.

 

And great write ups as well! Very enjoyable to read other people's thoughts. 

 

11 hours ago, WilliamsStarShip2282 said:

It is absolutely amazing to me how one composer can have such a diverse repertoire. Stravinsky and Schonberg are really the only two other composers that come to mind like that.

 

I've been spending a lot of time with Stravinsky's music as of late. (The 50th anniversary of his passing has caused labels to put out much of his work again.) The above point is very apt in another way as it relates to good old Igor and maybe even to Arnold. The radio announcer alluded to this point as well but in the context of the lucrative nature of the Firebird. Stravinsky is widely known and played for just a few of his works - Firebird, The Rite of Spring, Petrushka. All of those are from the earliest phases of his work. He composed another 50 years after those were released. Other pieces such as The Solder's Tale Suite, The Violin Concerto, Dumbarton Oaks and a few others do get played too, but much less frequently. Bernstein recorded a number of them. Schoenberg is really only remembered for 12 tone writing and not even so much for specific pieces (Verklärte Nacht and  Pierrot Lunaire are examples that are played - and those are really pre the twelve-tone method).  

 

Williams too is known, widely, for a handful of pieces. That group is larger than IS and AS given the films he has scored and their mass popularity and the subsequent concert arrangements. However, when an orchestra does a Williams program, they do 10 pieces, most of which are the same from concert to concert. Of course, we've been fortunate to get gems from Lockhart that are outside the standard range but that is unusual. Stravinsky was always annoyed by the fact that he was known and played for just those few early works. I wonder if Williams thinks about this at all. I sense he does not, but I still wonder. He truly has a range that is in rarified air.

 

I find it a real miss that orchestra do not program one of his concertos during their "film" concerts. They could have their own principal section leaders or bring in a guest. Of course, as we heard in Violin Concerto No. 2, some of his concert works are just not going to be doable by more than a handful of the best violin concertmasters or equivalent players for viola, trumpet etc. (I think the Trumpet Concerto could be played more. Maybe the Oboe one too.)

 

Many people have written that film music (and live to picture concerts particularly) brings new audiences into the concert hall - particularly younger people. However, then they do not hear anything that broadens their minds to the rest of orchestral music. In some ways, I like that the first movement of this new concerto starts a bit tough because it is so interesting but there are tons of what makes Williams amazing to also find along the way. Truly a great combination of his talents. We all owe Ms. Mutter a huge thanks for her inspirational personality. 

 

Anyway, random thoughts after a wonderful concert. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jay 39,755]

@Doug Adams had some wonderful insights into this piece when we chatted after the concert.  I won't steal his thunder but maybe he would be will to share his thoughts here

[SteveMc 2,675]

Listened to the piece again this morning, with the video of the concert now.

 

Firstly, it is beyond impressive that JW, 89 years of age, took on the task of writing and conducting a piece of this magnitude, looking absolutely fabulous while doing it.

 

Prologue is still a bit of a tough nut for me to crack, and I suspect the orchestra might have found it so as well.  I get the impression of almost competing dramatic threads and climaxes, though the heart of the movement seems to be the cadenza, where Mutter is brilliant. 

 

Rounds has a bit more of a fulfilling structural and musical intent, with some really sparkling moments of orchestration.

 

Dactyls stood out this time to me, and I think it might be my favorite movement.  I think it is actually quite visual, drawing a sense of tension and drama not only from the sound of the orchestra/soloist interplay, but from the sight of the forces playing off each other. This is a movement meant to be performed.   I must say, I was impressed.

 

Epilogue has some lovely writing in it, but I still need to listen to it further I think.

 

Overall, the concerto is very demanding, not only for soloist but for the orchestra as well.  From my perspective as listener, I feel as if the work is lacking a little bit in structure, where the passages sometimes do not point to a definite direction either within movements or within the piece as a whole, instead giving the impression of a stroll through sonic moods and experimentation.  I found this to be a bit of a let down compared to recent works like Markings and Highwood's Ghost which struck me as exhibiting a remarkable growth in Williams's approach to structural purpose.  I could not help but compare the piece to John's first Violin Concerto as well.  While the new work certainly exhibits a more advanced grasp of compositional technique, the first concerto has an emotional core that gives it a definite sense of internal musical vision, at least to my sensibilities.  

 

But, something else struck me about the new Violin Concerto No. 2, and that is that the overall structure for the piece perhaps is designed to come not entirely from inside the work, but from outside, that part of the challenge Williams baked into the work is for the soloist and, especially, the orchestra to have to find and convey their own direction and purpose as they interpret the music.  If that is truly the case, then I look forward with great interest to future performances and the possible upcoming recording, where Mutter will have more familiarity with the work and JW will have more time to fully convey his vision for it.

[crlbrg 382]

Seeing the video for the first time, it's worth noting that the harp was brought to the center of the stage, between the cellos and violas. Didn't think that would be the case from reading the programme notes, but makes sense given the harp's role.

[Jurassic Shark 13,360]

9 minutes ago, SteveMc said:

If that is truly the case, then I look forward with great interest to future performances and the possible upcoming recording, where Mutter will have more familiarity with the work and JW will have more time to fully convey his vision for it.

 

For the next performance he won't even remember which Star Wars movie it's from.

[crocodile 8,608]

16 hours ago, Tom said:

Oh man, his Across the Stars announcement.  I love this man!

 

16 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

"One of the nine"

 

Karol

[Jay 39,755]

I don't know how to describe this piece in any way other than "challenging"

 

A big reason I like film music is because of the way it tells a story through music.  Classical music has always befuddled me, because I never really know what the composer is trying to say, and don't have the musical education to appreciate the writing or orchestration on its own.

Throughout this piece, I constantly felt "lost", never knowing if I was near the beginning, middle or end - of the whole piece or of any individual movement.  I understand people viewing online saw indications on screen when each movement began, which I imagine was immensely helpful in taking in the piece.  As lost as I was in what the music was attempting to do, I still admired a lot of the music itself on an individual basis.  There were parts that reminded me (briefly) of Images, Close Encounters, and occasionally other things I couldn't quite put my finger on.  I enjoyed a lot of the back and forth violin and harp action, and the percussion was interesting at times too.  But I think I'd have to listen to this several times before knowing what else to say beyond that.

 

I do wonder what else Williams has been writing for a year and a half of lockdowns!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,500]

Just watch the first movement of the Concerto and it's really amazing

[Jurassic Shark 13,360]

Did you hear it too?

[Tom 5,148]

6 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Did you hear it too?

There is no off switch with you, is there?  

 

Not that I am complaining...

[Jurassic Shark 13,360]

I'll go to bed in 71 minutes.

 

Edit: 41 minutes and counting.

[Joni Wiljami 1,212]

I just listened to this DG stream, I'm just loving it. Moonlight reference was weird and wonderful at the same time. Epilogue made me cry!! Love you JW.

[Marian Schedenig 9,151]

4 hours ago, crocodile said:

Karol

 

I've mostly wiped the Hobbit films from my memory, but I certainly think of the Nazgul whenever anyone mentions "the Nine".

[JohnnyD 1,330]

I wish I was able to permanently keep the DG stream; still worth the ticket price, though. Which had the better sound, the live audio broadcast via WCRB or the DG stream? Both sounded terrific, but I'm curious for the audiophiles out there.

[Will 2,254]

Interesting that many of you heard "In the Moonlight" from Sabrina in this concerto. A.I. is actually what strongly came to mind for me when I first heard that melody. But now I can hear what you mean about the Sabrina connection. 

[Tom 5,148]

It would be cool if Mutter recorded both the first and second concerto for an album.  It would be interesting to hear the similarities and differences 40 some years make.  

[MSM 126]

I agree with a lot that has been said already. Trademark Williams orchestration, great violin writing, and passionately performed. Williams’s classical music always feels like a fresh breath of air to me, while giving a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the Maestro’s mind.

 

The leitmotif from the 2nd and 4th movements (my favorite ones) indeed echoed the Moonlight theme from Sabrina. JW performed his arrangement of Theme from Sabrina last year in Vienna, at that time he was reportedly already writing the new concerto. Vague memories of the original score might have crossed his mind.

 

Overall it’s a wonderful addition to his already impressive body of concert music. We are fortunate to be witnesses.

[TownerFan 5,257]

FYI, all EU viewers with access to Arte.tv can watch the full concert for free until Aug 24:

 

https://www.arte.tv/it/videos/104491-000-A/anne-sophie-mutter-e-john-williams/

[Incanus 5,818]

I listened to this last night and it was simply wonderful. Unmistakably Williams in his concerto and concert hall style which I love for its clear distinction from his film music output. While the whole piece has its attractions in its contrasting movements, the last movement, Epilogue, was my favourite (the finales of his concertos usually are) and it reduced me to tears with its lyrical yearning beauty and the singing quality Williams brings out in Mutter's playing. The interplay with the violin and harp throughout the piece was also a highlight.

 

While the 1st violin concerto feels almost anguished in places, this one felt very much at peace and serene in comparison.

[Gurkensalat 350]

Watched the Concert on Arte yesterday and liked it very much. While his style for concert music had varied significantly in earlier years (compare flute concerto, violin concerto 1 and clarinet concerto) and seemed often a bit meandering and structurless to me, Williams seems to have found his concert voice; the piece is instantly recognizable as mature Williams concert music. While it is much less tonally centered than most of his film music, you hear the same voice in lots of small details like motivs, built-ups and instrumentation.