Popular Post SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 5, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 5, 2021 I was going to make a thread that would serve as an ultimate guide to all of JWs concert works where, in one big post, I would give piece details, recording details and the like. I have not been able to find the time to really sit down and do that, and the end result may be a bit overwhelming. So I decided to go for a different format instead, and do a chronological listening and discussion thread for all of John's concert pieces. Every few days in this thread, I will make an main post about one of JWs concert works, and the discussion will go from there as we all listen to the piece and share our impressions and any additional information y'all have. Of course, some pieces won't have any recordings that I can share here, or any recordings at all, but we can still discuss those pieces when we get to them. I will continuously edit this post to serve as a sort of glossary as we go along, with links to the individual discussions. I hope many of you will discover JWs rich body of concert work for the first time or gain a greater appreciation for it. We'll start properly on Monday. Prelude and Fugue (1965) Essay for Strings (1965) Symphony No. 1 (1966) Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble (1968) Flute Concerto (1969) A Nostalgic Jazz Odyssey (1971) Violin Concerto No. 1 (1974-1976) Fanfare for a Festive Occasion(1980) Jubilee 350 Fanfare(1980) Pops On The March(1981) America, The Dream Goes On(1982) Esplanade Overture(1983) Olympic Fanfare and Theme(1984) (The Mission) (1985) Tuba Concerto (1985) Liberty Fanfare (1986) Celebration Fanfare (1986) & A Hymn To New England (1987) We're Looking Good! (1987) The Olympic Spirit (1988) Fanfare For Michael Dukakis (1988) & Fanfare For Ten Year Olds (1988) To Lenny! To Lenny! (1988) Winter Games Fanfare (1989) Celebrate Discovery!(1990) Clarinet Concerto (1991) Aloft! To The Royal Masthead...(Fanfare For Prince Phillip) 1992 Sound The Bells (1993) Cello Concerto (1994) Satellite Celebration (Song For World Peace) (1995) Happy Birthday Variations (1995) Bassoon Concerto "The Five Sacred Trees" (1995) Muad'Dib, Tom, crlbrg and 4 others 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 I'm sure there's a similar thread in the past? At the very least, there is a thread for each of Williams' concert works. You can possibly link to those if you intend to do a walkthrough of the 60+ titles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 1 minute ago, Thor said: I'm sure there's a similar thread in the past? At the very least, there is a thread for each of Williams' concert works. You can possibly link to those if you intend to do a walkthrough of the 60+ titles. I don't think we ever had a thread with a concept like, I hope I'm not wrong. The idea for this thread is for information and discussion to be in one place, as some members have expressed their interest in approaching JWs concert work in a format like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Yeah, it's a good idea. I own all of Williams' concert works, except a handful that are not available in any format whatsoever ("A Toast!", "Symphony No. 1", that kind of stuff). So I'll probably refer to a previous thread about it if you don't. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 Prelude and Fugue Alright, let us begin with what is to my knowledge the first released John Williams concert work. The Prelude and Fugue dates back from 1965, during an era where "John" Williams was trying to cultivate a career as a serious classical composer while "Johnny" paid the bills writing film scores. This early work seeks to blend contemporary classical stylings with jazz hallmarks, with both being filtered through John's emerging compositional voice, though the overall effect does feel indebted to Bernstein. Although relatively avant-garde, it does exemplify some of his concern with accessibility of form and blending of various higher and lower musical influences into a new sort of synthesis. In that regard, I'd classify it as an early postmodern work. There are moments throughout where some of his future trademarks seem to be in gestation. It is a strong work that has a confidence in direction and thematic build-up even in the freer flowing sections. Two recordings exist. The first is the original from 1965, with Stan Keaton conducting the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra. This is the recording that, to my ears, has the most energy and propulsion. Spoiler The second recording, from 2005, features "The President's Own" United States Marine Band giving a more measured and restrained take on the piece. Spoiler Raiders of the SoundtrArk and BuzzLightyear 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,526 Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 @Nick Parkerintroduced me to this one the other week and I was almost surprised to find it insanely fun! ...and of course I can't find the former recording for sale digitally. SteveMc and Nick Parker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 13, 2021 Author Share Posted June 13, 2021 Essay for Strings (1965) Sorry for the delay in posting. I do hope to be more frequent than this going forward. So, the Essay for Strings, another 1965 work. I find this piece to be very deliberate, a conscious attempt by JW at writing a fully realized piece for the concert hall. Again, he combines modernist stylings with a slightly more straightforward approach, this time in terms of dramatic structure. A lot of the piece, in terms of material and direction, does call to mind some of Williams's future approach to action writing in film scores. He builds the work around a dramatic thematic motif shape, fully utilizing the string orchestra to provide different statements and stormy moods, with the occasional clever lighter passage here and there. The piece received a few performances back in the 60s, with Previn and Mehta on the podium, with Williams occasionally conducting it himself since the 80s. The premier was in Houston, with Previn. Williams wrote program notes for the event: Quote The work, for string orchestra, is in one movement and its character is essentially dramatic. After a quiet introduction, the main "rowlike" theme appears. This is followed quickly by just a suggestion of the driving 16th-note "motor" figure which eventually, after other development, moves the work into its final section. It is here that the main theme joins the "motor" figure and they combine to propel the piece to its conclusion. Two recordings of the work exist. The first came all the way in 2002, with Ron Feldman leading the London Symphony. This recording is on YouTube. Spoiler A second recording, featuring the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia was released in 2013, and is available for purchase here: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8029337--american-masters Raiders of the SoundtrArk and Holko 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 I consider the Prelude and the Essay sort of "exercise" pieces for Williams where he writes for a certain ensemble - no strings in Prelude (and hence a popular piece to perform for military bands and the like) and strings-only in Essay. Furthermore, all of his early concert works are imbued with certain jazz harmonies and structures -- the meeting place between contemporary classical and jazz that was so popular at the time. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,526 Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 The pizzicato section reminds me of Nocturnal Activities. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,658 Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 In my younger days, I would have characterized the Star Wars main title (yes, I know that thread this is) along the lines of brass driven piece. For whatever reason, once I heard the Essay (which I really like), I began hearing many of those same string techniques and chord choices in the SW piece. I now think the strings drive it more than the brass. As for the Essay--I love the final tonal measures after 10 minutes of less tonal. It has an almost humorous feel in closing out the piece. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 16, 2021 Author Share Posted June 16, 2021 I'm going to be making two posts today. First, a piece that notoriously has not been recorded and released. Symphony No. 1 (1966) There has been a good deal of discussion about this piece on the board, despite most if not all of us having never heard it. @TownerFan has written delved deep into the available information about the piece's writing, concept, and performance and I link to his excellent article, which also covers his other concert works of the period, here: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/10/08/john-williams-early-concert-works/ All indications are that the symphony is an important formative work, particularly with regards to Williams coalescing in his mind a sort of artistic vision of the importance of myth for life and art, something which I think would greatly inform his future transcendent approach to film scoring. Holko and Tom Guernsey 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 We're all waiting for a recording of that one. The hints we've received have been tantalizing. People who have read the score sheets have described it as somewhat 'jazzy', which would fit nicely with several of his other concert works at the time. There's also a reference to a flute part in the "style of Eric Dolphy". Stuff like that which we touched upon in the work's dedicated thread here on JWFAN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 17, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 17, 2021 Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble (1968) We continue with the second of Williams's 1960s symphonic efforts, the Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble. Sometimes mislabeled as a second symphony by Williams, this three movement work is one of considerable scope and ambition, while staying on a definite clear path. @Falstaft has written a great analysis of the piece, tying it to contemporary musical trends and JWs later film score characteristics. Here is that article: http://unsungsymphonies.blogspot.com/2011/10/innocuous-as-film-score-williams.html The work was taken up by the Eastman Wind Ensemble who recorded it and released it in 1972. The audio below is from a rare CD re-release. Spoiler This is perhaps my least favorite of the early JW concert efforts. Rather technical and heavy for my tastes, bereft of levity, a bit challenging to get into. Raiders of the SoundtrArk, Falstaft and Holko 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Flute Concerto (1969) The Flute Concerto is one of Williams's most striking concert pieces. Perhaps John's most avant-garde concert work, and the one that seems to impress the contemporary classical crowd the most, it is an exercise in moods and textures that draws on modernist and Japanese influences. Despite its approach, it is very rewarding to listen to, and there are moments of orchestration and direction that are unmistakably JW. Williams seems to view the piece as an early work, and as such it does not see the light of day all that often, which is probably a pity as it strikes me as a quite mature work in intention and execution. The only recording is from 1981 and features Leonard Slatkin conducting Peter Lloyd and the London Symphony. Would definitely like to see this one get a higher profile. Spoiler Raiders of the SoundtrArk and Holko 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Both the sinfonietta and the flute concerto are among Williams' more challenging pieces, but I say the flute concerto is the one that is the most "out there". It's a very organic piece in terms of how Lloyd plays the flute. Not only through lots of breath (shakuhachi-style), but in terms of the "exclamation marks" (in lack of a better word) that ebb and flow throughout. As if the flute is talking. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 907 Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Williams refamiliarized himself with the flute concerto in 2014. Pianist Daniel Wachs wrote about spending the day at Williams' home.... https://blogs.chapman.edu/copa/2014/03/25/were-off-to-see-the-wizard-a-meeting-with-composer-john-williams/ Quote What he asked made me fall out of my chair. David inquired if I would accompany him to the legendary (and still very much living) composer John Williams’ own home to work on Mr. Williams’ 1968 Concerto for Flute .... I'd love to see that piano reduction. It must look really weird! The flute concerto was the first concert piece of Williams I ever heard. I got the VSD CD that coupled it with his (first) violin concerto. I was young and naive. I remember thinking "the flute is a nice sweet instrument, I bet this is going to be beautiful" I think at that point I had really only heard Williams own writing for flutes in his film scores and some of Mozart's flute writing. I was honestly expecting to hear the sweetest of love themes... Well, the first listen came as quite a shock! But now that my musical horizons have broardened somewhat, and now that I'm more familair with the piece, and I do enjoy listening to it every now and then -> maybe once or twice a year. SteveMc and Tom 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,658 Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 I struggle with this piece, but your cited story is cool and heartwarming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artguy360 1,843 Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 JW's prelude and fugue is a surprisingly jazzy piece. It makes total sense given where he was in his career, but I guess I just didn't expect such a jazz-infused piece intended for concert performance only. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 28, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 28, 2021 A Nostalgic Jazz Odyssey (1971) Another piece written for the Eastman Wind Ensemble, this is a tone poem of sorts exploring jazz sonorities in a contemporary classical context, in a bit more of an accessible way than the Sinfonietta. The United States Coast Guard band recorded and released the piece in 2015. Spoiler Raiders of the SoundtrArk, Holko and GerateWohl 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 14 hours ago, SteveMc said: A Nostalgic Jazz Odyssey (1971) Another piece written for the Eastman Wind Ensemble, this is a tone poem of sorts exploring jazz sonorities in a contemporary classical context, in a bit more of an accessible way than the Sinfonietta. While the sinfonietta was performed and recorded with the Eastman Ensemble for DG, this was the only piece specifically commissioned by Hunsberger and the ensemble. Untill the Marine band recording, only available in a shoddy-sounding bootleg format. Again, a rather experimental affair, but with some more accessible contemporary/jazz sensibilities, at least compared to the wild flute concerto. I think this is actually my favourite, pre-violin concerto JW concert piece. I listened to a CD-R of the ol' bootleg quite a bit while tending the desk of a museum for a summer job back in the late 90s. SteveMc and GerateWohl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,263 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 @Thor Not recorded by the Marine Band but rather the US Coast Guard Band. The bootleg recording, was by the Eastman Wind Ensemble under Hunsberger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 29, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 29, 2021 Violin Concerto No. 1 (1974-1976) The Violin Concerto No.1 represents a tangible shift in Williams's concert output. While still being modern in style and approach, it is a much more conventional work in form and presentation. Instead of experimenting with the sonic bounds of the instrument and concerto form as with the Flute Concerto, or seeking a jazz-contemporary synthesis as with many of his previous works for the concert hall, the Violin Concerto presents a work for soloist and orchestra that follows a more expected pattern. Three movements, fast, slow, fast. Familiar interplay between soloist and orchestra. It is in the writing where the unique element is to be found. Williams here makes a major step in his search for his own type of musical postmodernism, blending romantic hallmarks in themes and development, with modern atonal sensibilities. As well, a strong personal element exists. Williams's late wife, Barbara Ruick, suggested her husband write a concerto for the violin, and she died as he was writing it. Williams dedicated the second movement especially to her memory. The piece belongs in what I like to refer as Williams's Heroic Period. As with his mid 70s disaster scores and with his score to Jaws, there is a sense of elemental tension and struggle that permeates the piece. The focus here, though, is much more inward and the resolution less certain. The first movement, Moderato, features the violin line moving, perhaps meandering, through various accompaniments that develop and restate the central motifs, which manage to be memorable without quite being melodic. As Williams would later be fond of doing, the movement ends quietly, having a semi-colon type of effect. The Adagio is the heart of the work, and contains, at least in my opinion, the strongest musical vision and execution of the piece. The overall mood is a sort of painful beauty, as the the main melodic motif unfolds rather like a love theme that can't quite bring itself to soar. Retrospective feeling happiness and tragedy are also conveyed, and the conclusion is gentle, yet definite. I hear parallels in spirit to his iconic film music love themes and slower themes. The third movement, Maestoso-Presto, is lively, even aggressive at times, others more subdued. Material from the former movements is revisited as the violin line again seems to make its way through a tense landscape. The movement eventually focus and builds towards a traditional rousing end. I've often felt that the third movement is a bit long and that the ending manages to feel sudden and forced despite this. There are three versions of the concerto to my knowledge. The original version was first premiered in 1981 and was recorded by the London Symphony under Leonard Slatkin. Mark Peskanov is the soloist. I tend to prefer this version overall for its immediacy and almost raw quality compared to the others, something that benefits the Adagio especially. Link below. Spoiler The next version is the 1998 revision. Williams polished and embellished the piece, softening it a bit with the passage of time, drawing attention to different elements. While it feels just a little more accessible than the original, it also lacks propulsion at times, to my sensibilities at least. Williams conducted Gil Shaham and the Boston Symphony in a recording of this version. Spoiler Finally, with the passage of another 20 or so years, Williams revised the piece yet again. The 2016 version is perhaps the most polished, and feels a bit restrained compared to the 1998, reflecting some of the trends of JWs current compositional period. While streamlined, it is by no means raw and feels somehow richer than the other versions. The mysterious aspect of the first movement is emphasized, while the final movement seems to have been revised the most extensively, feeling more substantial and directed. I tend to prefer this third movement to the others. A live recording exists of this revision, again with Shaham and the Boston Symphony, this time with Stéphane Denève on the podium. Spoiler Raiders of the SoundtrArk, Falstaft, Tom Guernsey and 2 others 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayesian 1,363 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 I loved reading your synopses and interpretations of these pieces @SteveMc. We have so much content on this forum that delves incisively into JW’s film music, but much less for his concert work—and certainly not in a single thread like this. But his concert work deserves it just as much. Thank you for this. Do you have plans to survey the next decade (or five) of his output? (I hope you do!) SteveMc and Falstaft 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 17 minutes ago, Bayesian said: Do you have plans to survey the next decade (or five) of his output? (I hope you do!) Yes, we are going all the way up until the present in here. Glad you are enjoying it thus far! Raiders of the SoundtrArk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 17 hours ago, Miguel Andrade said: @Thor Not recorded by the Marine Band but rather the US Coast Guard Band. The bootleg recording, was by the Eastman Wind Ensemble under Hunsberger. Yes, the Coast Guard band, sorry. And yes, the ol' boot was Hunsberger and EWE. However, did we ever find out what the source of this boot was? It was never released on album, like the sinfonietta. Presumably just some private recording (or possibly live performance) used for internal purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TownerFan 4,983 Posted June 30, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2021 12 hours ago, SteveMc said: As well, a strong personal element exists. Williams's late wife, Barbara Ruick, suggested her husband write a concerto for the violin, and she died as he was writing it. Williams dedicated the second movement especially to her memory. The piece belongs in what I like to refer as Williams's Heroic Period. As with his mid 70s disaster scores and with his score to Jaws, there is a sense of elemental tension and struggle that permeates the piece. The focus here, though, is much more inward and the resolution less certain. I always thought that this concerto shares a common ground with Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, another piece composed in memory of a dearly departed. Musicologist Tom Schneller explored those analogies in a beautiful essay contained in Emilio Audissino-curated volume John Williams: Music for Film, Television and the Concert Stage Falstaft, SteveMc and Miguel Andrade 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,263 Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 6 hours ago, TownerFan said: I always thought that this concerto shares a common ground with Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, another piece composed in memory of a dearly departed. Musicologist Tom Schneller explored those analogies in a beautiful essay contained in Emilio Audissino-curated volume John Williams: Music for Film, Television and the Concert Stage There seem to me, someone musically untrained, that there are obvious aesthetically connections between Berg's and Williams' Concertos for Violin. And Williams have always referred as main influences many composers from the early to mid 20th Century, which would include Alban Berg. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TownerFan 4,983 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 16 hours ago, Miguel Andrade said: There seem to me, someone musically untrained, that there are obvious aesthetically connections between Berg's and Williams' Concertos for Violin. And Williams have always referred as main influences many composers from the early to mid 20th Century, which would include Alban Berg. The interesting thing is that both pieces aren't funereal in character, but express wistfulness and contemplation. They're both a journey from darkness to light. Miguel Andrade and SteveMc 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 On 6/29/2021 at 10:52 PM, SteveMc said: Violin Concerto No. 1 (1974-1976) Perhaps Williams' most famous and most-performed/recorded concert piece still. It's a beautiful little thing -- as Williams himself says, a cross between modernist and romantic sensibilities (or something to that effect). I have two versions - the Peskanov and the Shaham. Weird to see it labelled as "No. 1" now that a second is forthcoming. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,263 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 I think most performed would be the Tuba and the Bassoon concertis. Most recorded it's surely the Tuba Concerto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Yeah, that’s a well-recorded piece too. Never done a tally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karelm 2,913 Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 How about trumpet concerto? I quite like Hooten's release from last year. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P3WK6SZ?pf_rd_r=MGZJV09FKNHMB22AC010&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=a2d40952-d56b-4ac8-b3a1-80fae44dab9f&pd_rd_w=VtcjI&pd_rd_wg=7oByk&ref_=pd_gw_unk Miguel Andrade 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,263 Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 On 7/1/2021 at 11:55 PM, Thor said: Yeah, that’s a well-recorded piece too. Never done a tally. There are at least, some six recordings of the Tuba Concerto, opposed to just three of the Violin Concerto and two of the Cello Concerto and Trumpet Concerto (if memory serves, the Detroit Symphony recording of the Trumpet remains unreleased). SteveMc and GerateWohl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt S. 493 Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 Actually, there are three recordings of the Trumpet Concerto... by trumpeters Arturo Sandoval, Juoko Harjanne, and Thomas Hooten. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 5, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 5, 2021 Fanfare for a Festive Occasion (1980) This is an important work as it is the first concert overture written by Williams, a form that he would be called upon to revisit often in the following in his capacity as arguably the premier composer-conductor in the American public eye. Williams gets the form very right, packing rousing motion and technique in a brief package. It is interesting to hear how this piece both anticipates and differs from the overtures to come. It was written for the Boston Civic Orchestra, receiving its first release all the way in 2011 with The Bay Brass. Raiders of the SoundtrArk, Miguel Andrade, Holko and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,526 Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 On 6/17/2021 at 10:13 PM, SteveMc said: This is perhaps my least favorite of the early JW concert efforts. Rather technical and heavy for my tastes, bereft of levity, a bit challenging to get into. Finally got around to catching up a bit on these - Difficult and challenging indeed, but I still didn't feel any need to skip around or close it prematurely. On 6/21/2021 at 11:04 PM, SteveMc said: Flute Concerto (1969) This one's highly interesting with its varied textures! That alone should make it accessible enough to many who know and love certain scores of his. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 Thought that just came to me about the Fanfare is that it reminds me a bit of the Trumpet Concerto in parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,263 Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 17 hours ago, Matt S. said: Actually, there are three recordings of the Trumpet Concerto... by trumpeters Arturo Sandoval, Juoko Harjanne, and Thomas Hooten. Yes, you're right. Can't believe I forgot about Harjanne's. There is also a recording of that one transcribed for winds orchestra https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/american-dreams/hnum/10428688 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 7, 2021 Author Share Posted July 7, 2021 Jubilee 350 Fanfare So, I have to apologize for a mistake in my previous post. I missed the fact that the Fanfare for a Festive Occasion was the second of Williams's concert overtures. This was the first, by a couple of months. Written to celebrate Boston's 350th anniversary and premiered by the Boston Pops outside City Hall, Williams later recorded it as part of his American Journey disc. Again, we have Williams feeling out a form he would perfect later in the decade. Bit more info on the piece here: https://www.johnwilliams.org/compositions/concert/jubilee-350-fanfare Holko and Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,526 Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 I definitely prefer Jubilee out of these two - Festive brings to mind his Olympic pieces and the comparisons there are not favourable. Maybe it's just the performance/recording, though. The violin concerto is fantastic. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 I dig most of JW's shorter fanfares and themes. Love both "Festive" and "Jubilee". But my favourite comes a bit later in your walkthrough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 Pops On The March (1981) This concert overture was originally commissioned by longtime Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler in 1978, but was only completed and premiered in 1981, after Fiedler's death and during the early part of Williams's tenure as his successor. Firmly written in the "heroic" compositional style that marks the Raiders of the Lost Ark score, this is a rousing piece with plenty of melodic, orchestral and harmonic interest to serve well as a concert showpiece. A detailed rundown of the piece is featured here: https://johnwilliams.org/compositions/concert/pops-on-the-march Here is the piece as performed by The Boston Pops some ten years after it was first premiered. Raiders of the SoundtrArk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,658 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Pops on the March is a bit odd. It is nice, but it just doesn't have the flow of his other marches. Apropos to this thread, it feels like a mashup of his pure concert hall style and his occasion pieces. It is like my brother. I am glad it exists, but I do not plan to visit often. Holko and Chewy 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 1 minute ago, Tom said: Apropos to this thread, it feels like a mashup of his pure concert hall style and his occasion pieces. I'm glad I'm not alone in picking up on that, this piece having a bit more of the kind of expressive academic approach, if the term can be applied, that he often takes in his concert works. For my part, I rather like it. Gives it a bit of a daring quality, and I like how it kind of serves as an extended take in the style of some of his more complex film music passages, at least to my ears. Tom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,359 Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 On 7/10/2021 at 10:55 PM, Tom said: It is like my brother. I am glad it exists, but I do not plan to visit often. Woah Chewy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 "Pops on the March" is cute, but he's done better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433 Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 I think I have to thank you for this great thread @SteveMc I'm really glad you did it it's a real pleasure to discover in more depth the concert works of the maestro, so thank you! Tom Guernsey and SteveMc 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 13, 2021 Author Share Posted July 13, 2021 America, The Dream Goes On (1982) Part of me had doubts about including this piece in here, since it seems to exist more as a pop-light music fusion occasion piece than as a proper classical concert work. At any rate, it is a blissfully patriotic piece, a product of the burgeoning Reagan era optimism and neo- Americana (which Williams would be a more formal part of later). The lyrics, by Alan and Merilyn Bergman are about as far from nuance and cleverness as you can get. There are some interesting little moments in the orchestration, but overall I am not a big fan of this piece. Here's the original recording, featuring the recently late James Ingram as soloist. Some live performances with other soloists like John Denver and Dionne Warwick are up on YT. Spoiler Here is a version with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Certainly benefits from the more formal approach. Spoiler Raiders of the SoundtrArk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80sFan 108 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 I’m in the process of listening to my collection by year. I ‘suffered’ through Thomas & The King last week and yesterday was Can You Read My Mind. I like the music under the lyrics but once you add the singing... I put America, the Dream Goes On in that category too. I like the music but could do without the vocals (I do still like Shirley MacLaine in John Goldfarb!) SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,658 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 I find the Bergman's lyrics painful. There are not too many Williams's pieces that I dislike, but this is one of them. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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