SPOTLIGHT ON JOHN WILLIAMS: A Prospero Classical CD release featuring new recordings of JW film music

[Thor 7,503]

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

What?

 

What do you mean, what?

[Jay 37,355]

It's an acapella song, there is no orchestra, it's just singers.  So what do you mean by a "with choir" version?

[Thor 7,503]

The list was taken from a thread about dream concerts. As such, I would have wanted it performed with a full choir, nothing smaller. Same with "Two Lovers"; full choir needed, not just a small group of singers.

[GerateWohl 4,365]

28 minutes ago, Thor said:

Also an album featuring just a jazz ensemble rather than an orchestra, performing many of his early jazz compositions for film, tv and beyond.

An album of a jazz ensemble just performing source music, that Williams composed for his movies, that would be actually quite obscure.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

On 07/11/2021 at 3:36 PM, bollemanneke said:

Okay, I'm finally going to listen to this soon. What's the consensus on it here?

 

As far as I recall: Decent performances, good selection. Not as interesting as the Vienna (or Berlin) concert, because in comparison, the performances/interpretations are a bit "flat". Much preferable to the unstable Dudamel album though. Primary annoyment factor: The sound often seems off in a rather artificial way. Overall I liked it, but only listened to it a few times and had almost completely forgotten about it by now. It's nice to have a new recording of the Cowboys Overture, but ultimately, I don't think there was anything on this that I wouldn't rather put on in another version if I can choose freely.

[bollemanneke 3,346]

Listening now. If I could make one remark, I sometimes feel like I'm a little too close to the orchestra, particularly the percussion, but I'm LOVING Fawkes the Phoenix. The violins!

And they finally sold the Azkaban suite to me!

[MaxTheHouseelf 324]

Today they released the "Back to the Future Suite" from their new album "The Sound of Adventure" (coming in 2022). AFAIK they recorded Williams "Seven Years in Tibet" Suite and "Buckbeak's Flight" for this.

 

 

[Holko 9,526]

Hmm. Not a fan of how a lot of it is played or mixed or assembled at all. The JW album set a real high standard for this orchestra and they're failing to live up to it already.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

26 minutes ago, Holko said:

Hmm. Not a fan of how a lot of it is played or mixed or assembled at all. The JW album set a real high standard for this orchestra and they're failing to live up to it already.

 

It's actually hard for me to believe that the brass section that so whiffs the BTTF3 western theme there is the same brass section that knocked the Parade of the Slave Children out of the park

[Holko 9,526]

And those counter-brasslines playing off the fanfare in the opening, sheesh.

[SyncMan 314]

Chance to win a free copy of this album:

https://www.facebook.com/236088363548029/posts/1235910253565830/

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

Entered!

[Jay 37,355]

I opened up my physical copy today.  Wowzers, this has got to be the absolute nicest physical edition of anything I've opened in a while!

 

The hardback format is fantastic, I love it - if the specialty labels did this style for their most prestige scores, I wouldn't say no.  Heck, I could see Disney Records doing this for Star Wars and Indiana Jones releases if they ever greenlight those.

 

The 68 page booklet is really nice and very impressive!  Liner notes by Basil Bohni cover Williams' career, each of the scores representing, the major soloists, and the City Lights Symphony Orchestra as a whole - in both English and German!  And there are also nice quotes included (in English only) from Williams, Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Chris Columbus, and Kevin Griffiths.  There's also tons of nice hand-drawn art representing each of the scores, some the same as the art they used for the single releases on digital platforms, some different.  It also lists every musician that played as well.  Overall, just a great book.

 

Listened to the first CD so far, and I really liked it.  It's refreshing to hear new takes on familiar pieces, and every piece here has little differences compared to the versions we've heard a million times before.  Real good.  Will listen to disc 2 after lunch

[Jurassic Shark 12,072]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

And there are also nice quotes included (in English only) from Williams, Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Chris Columbus

 

I guess these guys rarely say anything insightful in German.

[Jay 37,355]

Disc 2 might be even better than disc 1!  Even though it's only 35 minutes instead of 65, choosing to combine all the solo-centric selections together onto one disc turned out to be a really smart idea.  It gives the second disc a bit more of an intimate and eclectic feel. And all the selections are really good!

 

Overall, this is one hell of a cool release!

[Bespin 8,480]

I know I've said negative things about the performances of this orchestra...

 

But then, the CD popped out to me, when I was consulting the website of https://www.highresaudio.com.

 

So I purchased it.

 

I'm listening to it currently (yes, I'm still in honeymoon with my new headphones!).

 

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

The performances are fine. My main complaint is the sound.