"Violin Concerto No. 2 and Selected Film Themes" Williams / Mutter album & Blu Ray

[Jay 39,241]

I wanted to start a dedicated thread for this album because I realized we didn't have one!

 

When John Williams premiered the Violin Concerto #2 at Tanglewood on Saturday, July 24th, performed by Anne-Sophie Mutter, as an encore a new updated arrangement was performed

1. Across The Stars (similar to the 2019 arrangement, but tweaked)

 

The Concerto was then performed in Dallas on September 25, conducted by Fabio Luisi.  As an encore, Williams conducted Mutter for an arrangement from the existing Across The Stars album ("Nice To Be Around")

 

We then learned that the Concerto would be recorded on September 28th, when Doug Adams tweeted this:

 

"This is being recorded later this week. Best wishes (and good luck) to the timpanist!"

https://twitter.com/DougAdamsMusic/status/1442619707035734016

 

Then on September 30th, Anne-Sophie Mutter dropped the news that in addition to the concerto, some new arrangements would be recorded as well:

 

"We are here to prepare for the live recording of John Williams‘ Violin Concerto No. 2 and a few super secret new film themes – loooooove them. So will you; trust me!"

https://www.facebook.com/annesophiemutter/posts/415251816632147

 

Violin Concerto #2 was then performed at Symphony Hall on Thursday September 30th and Saturday October 2nd; As an encore, each night brought a different brand new Williams/Mutter arrangement premiered!

1. Love Theme From The Long Goodbye (brand new arrangement) on Thursday
2. Marion's Theme (a brand new update to the 2008 arrangement) on Saturday

 

On Sunday October 3rd, there was a free concert in Boston with various conductors, of which it was announced Williams and Mutter would take part:

"John WILLIAMS: Three arrangements from film scores, for violin and orchestra"

https://www.bso.org/brands/bso/education-community/community/concert-for-our-city-reunited-at-symphony-hall.aspx

 

These three pieces ended up being:

1. Marion's Theme (same as what had been played the night before)
2. Love Theme from The Long Goodbye (same as what had been played on Thursday)
3. Han Solo and the Princess (brand new update to the 2018 arrangement)

 

So that's the 5 pieces that are likely to be on the new album.  It's worth noting that additionally, "Devil's Dance" was in the works for the first album but didn't make the final cut.  It premiered in Tanglewood in the summer of 2019, then was performed again in Vienna in 2020 and was released on that concert's album.

So that is at least 6 potential tracks for this upcoming album:

1. Violin Concerto #2 (2021)
2. Devil's Dance (2020)
3. Across The Stars (2021 update of 2019 arrangement)
4. Marion's theme (2021 update of 2008 arrangement)
5. Love Theme from The Long Goodbye (2021)
6. Han Solo and the Princess (2021 update of 2018 arrangement)

 

Did I miss anything?

[Miguel Andrade 1,343]

Nevermind... missread your post.

[Holko 10,159]

20 minutes ago, Jay said:

• Violin Concerto #2 (2021)
• Devil's Dance (2020)
• Across The Stairs (2021 update of 2019 arrangement)
• Marion's theme (2021 update of 2008 arrangement)
• Love Theme from The Long Goodbye (2021)
• Han Solo and the Princess (2021 update of 2018 arrangement)

What would be a rough runtime for this so far?

[Thor 8,238]

28 minutes ago, Jay said:

1. Across The Stairs (2021 update of 2019 arrangement)

 

That's not a very far-reaching love, LOL!

 

In all seriousness, looking forward to the next album, but kinda bummed that there are so many "evergreens". THE LONG GOODBYE is a nice addition, though.

[Jay 39,241]

9 minutes ago, Holko said:

What would be a rough runtime for this so far?

 

Violin Concerto #2 is about 35 minutes

 

Devil's Dance on the Vienna CD is 5:50

 

Across The Stars at the Tanglewood concert I attended was 4:56

 

Marion's theme per the BSO broadcast of Saturday's concert was 4:16

 

Love Theme From The Long Goodbye at Sunday's concert was 5:50

 

Han Solo and the Princess at Sunday's concert was 5:11

 

So that's already over an hour.

[JohnnyD 1,306]

This is great!!! So much to look forward from the Maestro. This upcoming album, the concert with the Berlin Philharmonic, the concert at Carnegie Hall (I’ll be seeing that in-person), the concert in La Scala, Milan, Italy; on top of all that, there is his scores to Indiana Jones 5 and Steven Spielberg’s next film! All of this at 89 to 90 years old!!! The greatest living composer of our time; what a blessing!

[Jay 39,241]

All that AND the new Yo Yo Ma album AND the Hollywood Bowl Fanfare AND the Vienna Promenade!!!

 

No to mention more performances and hopefully a recording of Prelude for Piano and Orchestra and Overture to the Oscars would be most welcome!

[eitam 368]

Thank you for the recap Jay!

 

I hope Williams remembers Irina's Theme. We never got a proper recording of his 2008 concert arrangement, but maybe an "update" like he did for Marion's Theme and Han Solo & the Princess ?

[Jay 39,241]

YES PLEASE

 

 

[JohnnyD 1,306]

4 minutes ago, Jay said:

All that AND the new Yo Yo Ma album AND the Hollywood Bowl Fanfare AND the Vienna Promenade!!!

 

No to mention more performances and hopefully a recording of Prelude for Piano and Orchestra

I forgot to mention those, but you are right!!! Thanks!

[blondheim 1,160]

His career only gets more legendary.

[Jay 39,241]

Yes 

[WilliamsStarShip2282 318]

Wasn't the Devils Dance performed though at Tanglewood when they first premiered everything?

[pete 950]

5 hours ago, Jay said:

Violin Concerto #2 was then performed at Symphony Hall on Thursday September 30th and Saturday October 2nd; ....As an encore, a brand new Williams/Mutter arrangement premiered!

1. Marion's Theme (a brand new update to the 2008 arrangement

 

Did I miss anything?

 

Just that The Long Goodbye was played as an encore on Thursday, Sept. 30. Marion's Theme on Saturday.

 

Hoping for a few more.  Something from AI, and while he's mining his early 70s output, The Paperchase has a nice theme. Damn it, he should just arrange everything!

[WilliamsStarShip2282 318]

AI would be wonderful. A score I really love that I think always gets forgotten about.

[pete 950]

6 minutes ago, WilliamsStarShip2282 said:

Wasn't the Devils Dance performed though at Tanglewood when they first premiered everything?

 

Yes, it was. It's mentioned here. I remember Anne-Sophie didn't have enough time to get it ready for the CD recording, but she obviously kept working on it.

[Amer 2,212]

I havent heard the recent concert revisions as yet.

 

But can anyone confirm if these 2 pieces are basically the Anna-Sophie Mutter perfromance arrangments and not the orchestra only versions ?: 

• Marion's theme (2021 update of 2008 arrangement)
• Han Solo and the Princess (2021 update of 2018 arrangement) *

 

[Pawel P. 738]

I don't think Devil's Dance will be included, since it was on the Vienna album. However, I hope that there will be few more titles we haven't heard about yet.

[GerateWohl 4,988]

6 hours ago, pete said:

 

Yes, it was. It's mentioned here. I remember Anne-Sophie didn't have enough time to get it ready for the CD recording, but she obviously kept working on it.

She performed it in Munich at her Williams open air concert as well.

[pete 950]

6 hours ago, Amer said:

But can anyone confirm if these 2 pieces are basically the Anna-Sophie Mutter perfromance arrangments and not the orchestra only versions ?: 

• Marion's theme (2021 update of 2008 arrangement)
• Han Solo and the Princess (2021 update of 2018 arrangement) *

 

 

Yes, Anna-Sophie mentioned them on facebook. They're arrangements for her, and she performed them last week. 

[Amer 2,212]

Thanks. Now only if Williams could add 'Leaving Home' from SUPERMAN !

[Jay 39,241]

12 hours ago, pete said:

Just that The Long Goodbye was played as an encore on Thursday, Sept. 30. Marion's Theme on Saturday.

 

Thanks for that - updated!

 

 

6 hours ago, Amer said:

I havent heard the recent concert revisions as yet.

 

But can anyone confirm if these 2 pieces are basically the Anna-Sophie Mutter perfromance arrangments and not the orchestra only versions ?: 

• Marion's theme (2021 update of 2008 arrangement)
• Han Solo and the Princess (2021 update of 2018 arrangement) *

 

I don't understand your question?  Doesn't the post make it clear that Williams conducted Sophie playing these, and that is therefore the entire reason I am bringing them up as being potentially included on the new album?  Or am I completely not understanding what you're asking?

 

 

6 hours ago, Pawel P. said:

I don't think Devil's Dance will be included, since it was on the Vienna album. However, I hope that there will be few more titles we haven't heard about yet.

 

I would like it if it is included to have a "studio" recording instead of only a live one, but I think you're probably right that it might be included because it was already on that album. But we'll see!

 

6 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

She performed it in Munich at her Williams open air concert as well.

 

Oh, nice!

[Amer 2,212]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

 

I don't understand your question?  Doesn't the post make it clear that Williams conducted Sophie playing these, and that is therefore the entire reason I am bringing them up as being potentially included on the new album?  Or am I completely not understanding what you're asking?

 

 

I think I wrote it in english.It was a simple question. Anyway, Iam going to listen to the concert now. Thanks for reading.

[Jay 39,241]

Sorry, I just don't understand.  Your simple question was if Mutter performed the Mutter arrangements this thread is about?

 

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, I'm trying to make sure the main post is informative enough that nobody else gets confused, that's why I asked.  I'm trying to be helpful!

[igger6 948]

I'd be surprised if the tweaked "Across the Stars" made it to the album, since she already recorded it in the studio.  Wasn't that itself an update of an earlier violin arrangement she performed somewhere in Europe the year before the album came out?

 

Upshot: there's plenty of room on the album for "Crimebuster for Violin and Orchestra."

 

Unrelated: this would never happen, but wouldn't it be cool for Williams to do a Halloween album with Mutter?  Tracks 1-3 are done already!

• Devil's Dance
• Hedwig's Theme
• Night Journeys
• The Chamber of Secrets
• Duel of the Fates
• Anthem of Evil
• Highwood's Ghost
• Family Plot
• The Fury
• In Search of Unicorns

[Jay 39,241]

Yea, I don't really expect the slightly updated Across The Stars to be on the album either.  We're so lucky WGBH aired the concert they played it at!

 

I do wonder if they'll record his first violin concerto with Mutter to open the album, put the new arrangements (TLG, Marion, Solo & Princess) in the middle, and end the album with Concerto #2...

[Matt S. 583]

3 hours ago, Jay said:

Yea, I don't really expect the slightly updated Across The Stars to be on the album either.  We're so lucky WGBH aired the concert they played it at!

 

I do wonder if they'll record his first violin concerto with Mutter to open the album, put the new arrangements (TLG, Marion, Solo & Princess) in the middle, and end the album with Concerto #2...

 

I can't imagine they would include the first concerto.  That would require a lot of preparation for both the soloist and the orchestra, and there's been no hint of that (unless I missed it somewhere?)  I'm assuming they are using the live recordings from this past week of the Concerto #2 and the encores, (and possibly the Tanglewood performances, at least of Across the Stars), and that's the album.  It's all about the close connection Williams and Mutter have these days, and the first concerto has nothing to do with her.

[Jay 39,241]

Yea, good points. 

 

I'd prefer proper recordings without audience noise but I'll take what I can get

[crocodile 8,446]

Fantastic. Really looking forward to this. 

 

Karol

[JohnnyD 1,306]

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/john-williams/news/john-williams-conducts-the-berliner-philharmoniker-for-the-first-time-on-the-berlin-concert-264911
 

“Next year will also see the release of John Williams’ latest collaboration with star violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, performing the world premiere recording of his Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The album will be released by Deutsche Grammophon in summer 2022 as part of the continuing celebrations surrounding the composer’s 90th birthday.”

[Tom 5,043]

How realistic is it for Williams to become the top selling (ever) DG artist?  

[Disco Stu 15,501]

I would bet pretty unlikely.  I'm guessing sales for the best-selling artist on a classical label in 2020/21 is a fraction of what the best-selling artist would have sold pre-2000.

 

It seems more feasible that he could be DG's most streamed artist ever though!  Earning thousandths of cents per play!

[Marian Schedenig 8,934]

If you add up all the recordings Karajan has made for DG, most of which have been sold over and over again in different editions (and at times when far more people were buying albums, and classical ones at that), I can't imagine Williams being even remotely close.

[Tom 5,043]

Yeah, that seems right, though if Berlin sells like Vienna, that is a heck of a lot.  My guess is that the violin concerto will sell far less.  I have never checked the numbers for the Mutter Across the Stars.  Did it sell well?  

[JohnnyD 1,306]

Yes.

[Tom 5,043]

If nothing else, Williams is hitting for the cycle with DG.  

[Disco Stu 15,501]

I wonder if there was an official separation from Sony Classical or if this is just for the European concerts and Mutter albums (since Mutter was already a DG artist).

[Tom 5,043]

I am not sure if it is due to decisions by Williams, Sony, or both, but I have found their collaboration to be underwhelming.  It started out nicely enough with the Star Wars and Spielberg albums, but then became so sporatic.  Maybe I was just spoiled with Philips in the 80s.

[Disco Stu 15,501]

I think that's more down to the shrinking of the music industry overall, especially non-pop sales.  Just look at how few albums Lockhart has released with the Pops over his tenure.  The business isn't there like it was in the heyday.

 

Good on DG marketing for making these releases feel like events, that's really the only way to make any kind of impact.

[Miguel Andrade 1,343]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

I wonder if there was an official separation from Sony Classical or if this is just for the European concerts and Mutter albums (since Mutter was already a DG artist).

 

Didn't Williams was with the NYP and Yo-Yo Ma in early October recording? I'm betting on a Sony release, having Ma involved.

[Tom 5,043]

6 minutes ago, Miguel Andrade said:

 

Didn't Williams was with the NYP and Yo-Yo Ma in early October recording? I'm betting on a Sony release, having Ma involved.

Yes.  I am guessing that will be a Sony release, unless things have changed.  I wonder if they will aim for a  birthday-framed release as well in Feb.

[Locrius 97]

Worth mentioning that Ma recently did an album for DG, with Mutter. So he's no stranger to DG. Does anyone know if Williams has some sort of label contract with DG these days, or do they just so happen to be releasing a lot of his stuff these past few years?

 

Remember, it didn't even start with JW himself conducting; the first big one in this string of DG recordings was actually LA Phil/Dudamel in 2019. I wonder if DG was already signed on to do "Across the Stars" before that Dudamel recording took place? Or did the Dudamel one sell well, and then they jumped at the opportunity to get Williams himself for an album...?

[Steve 608]

The violin concerto no. 1 and other violin compositions were already released by DG years ago on an album called "Treesong" with Gil Shaham.

 

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/williams-violin-concerto-shaham-2199

[Matt S. 583]

7 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

I wonder if there was an official separation from Sony Classical or if this is just for the European concerts and Mutter albums (since Mutter was already a DG artist).

 

I suspect Williams's contract with Sony ended after Spielberg/Williams v.3.  It was shortly thereafter that Sony put out the 20-disc Conductor's Box; why do that if he might still theoretically record more albums?  In the video interview for that album, JW also made a comment about "completing the Sony collection."  At the time I thought that phrasing referred to the Spielberg collaboration albums, but now I'm thinking he was talking about his larger collection of Sony albums.  Maybe his contract was for 20; that's a nice round number.

 

 

1 hour ago, Steve said:

The violin concerto no. 1 and other violin compositions were already released by DG years ago on an album called "Treesong" with Gil Shaham.

 

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/williams-violin-concerto-shaham-2199

 

The credits page of the liner notes for that album specifically says "John Williams appears courtesy of Sony Classical."

 

The new albums don't have that disclaimer.

[Locrius 97]

In this case, perhaps Yo-Yo Ma will appear on DG, courtesy of Sony Classical? Or I suppose JW could appear on Sony Classical, courtesy of DG (if he's got some deal with them).

[Steve 608]

Here it is, with aditional film selections for solo violin. The photo is from Tanglewood, but I thought they would use a recording from symphony hall?

 

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/violinkonzert-2-selected-film-themes/hnum/10860297

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,474]

Good to have release date for this. Really like the cover.

Can't wait to hear TLG, HSatP and MT

[Thor 8,238]

It's funny, I feel like I already own this, due to the audio rip from the television broadcast and the fancy, custom artwork that someone made for it. So I had actually forgotten this didn't have a commercial release. Will be good to replace the temporary solution with a proper one.

[Jay 39,241]

 

 

The joint albums and performances by the legendary film composer John Williams and the star violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter are undoubtedly among the highlights of recent years. This album is the latest in a longstanding friendship and collaboration between the world's acclaimed artists: Mutter performs John Williams' Violin Concerto No. 2, which the composer wrote for her.

 

Williams says of his Violin Concerto: “For me, this piece is primarily about Anne-Sophie Mutter and about the violin as a masterpiece of the art of violin making. (...) Ultimately, this great artist herself became my inspiration and driving force.” The present recording for Deutsche Grammophon, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Williams himself, was written shortly after the world premiere of the Second Violin Concerto in Tanglewood in July 2021.

 

The Boston Globe wrote, "Even in this premiere, Mutter carried the solo like an old friend, shaping every phrase with purpose and panache." The lyrical and deeply personal concerto follows the album with three fantastic encores: Popular film themes from Williams, including from Star Wars and Indiana Jones, all of which he has completely re-arranged for Anne-Sophie Mutter. The expressiveness of Mutter's playing is reflected in various details of the violin concerto, but also in the beautiful film melodies, as is her virtuoso brilliance and the lyrical warmth of her violin tone. 

 

Track listing:

Violin Concerto No. 2

1 I. Prologue (Violin Concerto No. 2)

2 II. Rounds (Violin Concerto No. 2)

3 III. Dactyls (Violin Concerto No. 2)

4 IV. Epilogue (Violin Concerto No. 2)

5 Theme (From "The Long Goodbye")

6 Han Solo and the Princess (From "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back")

7 Marion's Theme (From "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark")

 

Artists: Anne-Sophie Mutter, Boston Symphony Orchestra, John Williams

Label: DGG , DDD, 2021

Order number: 10860297

Release date: 3.6.2022

 

Anne Sophie Mutter violin
Boston Symphony Orchestra Orchestra
John Williams conductor/bandleader
Bernhard Guettler Producer (Music)
Shawn Murphy Producer (Music)

 

https://store.deutschegrammophon.com/p51-i0028948616985/john-williams-anne-sophie-mutter-boston-symphony-orchestra/violin-concerto-no-2-selected-film-themes/index.html

[Steve 608]

9 minutes ago, Thor said:

It's funny, I feel like I already own this, due to the audio rip from the television broadcast and the fancy, custom artwork that someone made for it. So I had actually forgotten this didn't have a commercial release. Will be good to replace the temporary solution with a proper one.

According to the text the recording is not from the Tanglewood premiere.