John Williams 90th Birthday Gala Concert at The Kennedy Center, Washington DC, June 23rd 2022

[lairdo 591]

1 hour ago, Lord Montague said:

Daughter (*1963) and Grand daughter (*1992). No competition, they can coexist. 

 

For sure! But what does Samantha Winslow think of all this?

 

I wonder if JW's reaction to Daisy was because he did not know she was there at all. Of course, he knew ASM was performing since that was announced and probably they discussed Markings again. But perhaps he literally had no advanced notion that Daisy was going to be there and sing to him?

[Michael G. 384]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfL3OATuScW/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Alan Silvestri was a guest. Lol

[crumbs 12,973]

26 minutes ago, Michael G. said:

Alan Silvestri was a guest. Lol

 

Silvestri should've done a speech about his favourite John Williams score: Back to the Future.

[Disco Stu 15,475]

Why is Silvestri attending the concert Lol-worthy?  Pretty cool if you ask me!

[Tom 3,715]

To those who attended, how was The Duel with Ma? Did it include Mutter as well?  

 

Also Rise of Skywalker?  

[MrScratch 293]

22 minutes ago, Tom said:

To those who attended, how was The Duel with Ma? Did it include Mutter as well?  

 

Also Rise of Skywalker?  

The Duel with Mutter and Ma was a back and forth between violin and cello, they made gestures towards each other throughout and at a couple points drew their bows at each other. It was pretty fun.

Here they are after The Duel while the audience applauds. The crowd laughed at their sparring during the piece.

[Jay 32,104]

2 hours ago, Michael G. said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfL3OATuScW/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Alan Silvestri was a guest. Lol

 

Why is this LOL worthy?  I don't get it.

[Amer 1,814]

Waiting for @thx99 to share the pics and videos here.

[BB-8 1,944]

How was the VIP reception?

[bollemanneke 2,935]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

 

Why is this LOL worthy?  I don't get it.

In my case because I don't think he has written any groundbreaking scores since... I don't even know.

[Jay 32,104]

What does that have to do with him attending Williams' birthday concert?

[thx99 1,534]

15 hours ago, karelm said:

What's the organ going to do!?!

Only saw it used during ET and/or CE3K.

[MrJosh 770]

What a cool experience this must have been! 

 

Thanks to all those who posted pictures, helps me imagine it. 

 

Wow, Daisy attending must have added some extra magic to the night for Mr Williams!

[BB-8 1,944]

49 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

In my case because I don't think he has written any groundbreaking scores since... I don't even know.

 

I liked his The Mummy Returns and Tomb Raider.

[thx99 1,534]

“Nedry’s Jeep here! I got Nedry’s Jeep here!! See, no one cares…”

 

[MrScratch 293]

Also needs mentioning: The Olympic Fanfare and Theme was a killer performance.  The brass from the Marine Corps band (I think it was…?) joined the orchestra and they absolutely nailed it.  Anyone get a picture of that?

[thx99 1,534]

11 minutes ago, MrScratch said:

Also needs mentioning: The Olympic Fanfare and Theme was a killer performance.  The brass from the Marine Corps band (I think it was…?) joined the orchestra and they absolutely nailed it.  Anyone get a picture of that?

Totally agree!!! It was absolutely stunning!! I think it was the Army Bugle Corps actually(?). 
 

And the theme from Jurassic Park was a spot-on performance!! No horn flubs that I heard.

[Jay 32,104]

67 posts until the f word was mentioned, not bad

[Luke Skywalker 1,511]

Lol

[Ricard 2,025]

Review and photos from El País:

 

 

 

 

Full Happy Birthday and Imperial March performance:
 

 

[MrJosh 770]

Love the happiness and energy in Williams' expressions.

[bollemanneke 2,935]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

What does that have to do with him attending Williams' birthday concert?

Nothing, you're right, wasn't thinking properly.

[pjhackman 35]

My spouse Edwin Wendler and I had a great time last night. We even met a poster from this board. At the post concert birthday dinner we talked to many and got several photos. Here are two of Daisy & Anne. John was 9 seats away to our left. 

 

The “Superman” match set to photos/video of JW was the highlife for us. “Dear Basketball” had me in tears as some of the voice over from Kobe talked about good-bye and other words which hit us harder since he’s no longer here. Also John’s beautiful score brought out more tears. Had Anne sign my 2CD Vienna concert CD. Edwin and her chatted in German for a moment.

 

We sat right in front of Alan Silvestri and Thomas Newman and Mike post was next to us. Wow!

 

A perfect evening!

[Jay 32,104]

Awesome!!

[Brando 1,065]

That cake is super cool!

[Andy 2,565]

Wow, what an insanely cool event!  Thanks to everyone who shared.  I’m blown away. 
 

 

I want to live to 90, and have it look like this photo.
 

 (Seriously look at Ridley’s smile. That’s confidence! )

 

 

[Jay 32,104]

She looks great except for the 80s puffy shoulders

[DangerMotif 664]

Pretty awesome that Silvestri and Newman came. Do you think there will be some composers at his Hollywood Bowl concert in september?

[Andy 2,565]

10 minutes ago, Jay said:

She looks great.  except for the 80s puffy shoulders 

Sorry, I just had to fix that. 

 

Stunning.
 

 I completely get what Williams sees.  Thank goodness for her and the music she inspired. 

[Jay 32,104]

Rey's Theme is still one of my favorite Williams themes ever

[Andy 2,565]

Yes!!!  It just soars. 

[Darth Mulder 109]

11 minutes ago, Andy said:

 (Seriously look at Ridley’s smile. That’s confidence! )

 

That's not confidence, that's botox. Really, she looks different. 

[Andy 2,565]

37 minutes ago, Brando said:

That cake is super cool!

i know, right?  I make cakes. Nothing professional, but it’s an occasional  hobby for me, so this is really fun for me to see. 

[MikeH 765]

 

This is not a 90 year old man. This is an ageless and timeless wizard! 

[thx99 1,534]

FYI, the pre-concert interview session with Williams that’s happening before tonight’s concert (Jurassic Park LTP) will be available on the Kennedy Center site at some point apparently.

[Lord Montague 42]

15 hours ago, Ricard said:

Full Happy Birthday and Imperial March performance:
 

 

and congratulations to Vienna Phil for keeping the trophy for best Imperial March performance ever. Excellent try though, NSO. 

[JohnnyD 1,150]

Wow! This is so awesome! The guests, the events, the performances, and the Maestro himself being honored so gloriously through all of it. This is wonderful.

[Corellian2019 338]

15 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

It appeared that Oliver Stone’s segment may have been cut short to only wishing John a happy birthday, and did not include him describing their collaboration. 

 

I felt like it was abbreviated too! I also expected Alfonso Cuarón to be interviewed

@Obi, I think we might have sat next to each other.

 

By the way, does anyone who attended remember the name of the lady who introduced the Olympic Fanfare & Theme? 

[MrScratch 293]

6 hours ago, thx99 said:

Totally agree!!! It was absolutely stunning!! I think it was the Army Bugle Corps actually(?). 

OK, yeah whoever they were they blew the roof off the place!

[Koray Savas 2,219]

2 hours ago, Corellian2019 said:

 

I felt like it was abbreviated too! I also expected Alfonso Cuarón to be interviewed

@Obi, I think we might have sat next to each other.

 

By the way, does anyone who attended remember the name of the lady who introduced the Olympic Fanfare & Theme? 

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

 

Stone is a fan of Putin’s, so maybe they wanted to keep it brief. There was another filmmaker interviewed, but I can’t remember their name. 
 

This review of the concert reminded me that it was Lawrence Kasdan, and that Mark Hamill also recorded a video to wish him happy birthday.

[Brando 1,065]

6 hours ago, Andy said:

i know, right?  I make cakes. Nothing professional, but it’s an occasional  hobby for me, so this is really fun for me to see. 

Its funny, I showed a pic of it to my wife and I asked her if her sister, who bakes like you do, as a hobby, could do that. I'll have to show her that to. Also, a friend of mine who was there said it was chocolate with a pink filling. He also got pictures taken of him and Daisy, and another with Silvestri.

[thx99 1,534]

 

 

[Tom 3,715]

12 minutes ago, thx99 said:

IMG_3088.MOV 36.93 MB · 0 downloads  

 

He really might be the most robust 90 year old alive.  

[mrbellamy 5,718]

2 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

 

She competed in the 1984, 1988, and 1996 Olympics, three out of the four which Williams wrote pieces for, and 1984 was her first Olympics

[Obi 387]

13 hours ago, Jay said:

Rey's Theme is still one of my favorite Williams themes ever

 

I agree, he doesn't play it often enough in concert.

 

[BB-8 1,944]

That dress looks quite warm.

[Eplicon 23]

Since the back of my head appears in some of the earlier photos  (I was sitting in A 12 on the orchestra right side), I might as well chime in...

 

I didn't have the best viewing angle, but the performances and sound were excellent, and it indeed was a very nice concert.

 

The opening montage of his various filmography played to the music from E.T. was very nice, as it covered other aspects of his career beyond his blockbusters, like Born on the Fourth of July, Far and Away, and Seven Years in Tibet.  Home Alone seemed to get a noticeable reaction, although I wasn't sure if it was due to a fondness/nostalgia for it, or that some didn't realize that was one of Williams many iconic works.    

 

When Steven Spielberg spoke, he didn't go into the usual anecdotes, i.e., thinking the two-note motif to Jaws was a gag, or how Williams felt he wasn't worthy enough to score Schindler's List.  Instead, he gave a simple, but a loving reflection of how he and Williams first started working together and that this collaboration and friendship continues fifty years later.

 

Spielberg and Denève gave Williams a couple of shutouts, which then the audience cheered and gave him a standing ovation.  People were filming and taking pictures, but I couldn't tell where was until seeing a later video. 

 

Anne-Sophie Mutter on "Markings" was both a work of art in performance and composition.  For me, when Williams writes a concert work, he seems to have not only color and texture in mind, but ambiance as well when performed in a formal, classical hall setting.  I could pick out more details from the orchestra that isn't as noticeable on the album recording.  Her later duet with Yo-Yo Ma was also a nice touch, in a "Dueling Banjos" kind of way, and how they playfully dared the other to outdo the last bit of playing.

 

Denève did an excellent job with Jurassic Park, as thx99 mentioned, as this rendition was closer to the tempo of the original film recording.  The revision that Williams did, which I believe began in 1995 with the Williams on Williams: The Classic Spielberg Scores album (and carried through subsequent performances/recordings), took away a lot of the grandeur and majesty with the faster pace.  Slightly disappointing was the Superman March, as it was truncated and had a quite a few jarring transitions.  However, the montage of Williams over the years made up for that, which included some rarely seen ones, such one photo where it looked like he was napping on the couch after a difficult recording session.  

 

When 90 years old you reach, conduct as much you will not, but Williams's much anticipated appearance just for the sole encore of "The Imperial March" was worth it.  Earlier Denève made this comment about Williams, which really summed up not just the event, but his career: "John's music is timeless, but he is ageless."

 

[thx99 1,534]

Couldn’t agree more with your wonderful mini-review, @Eplicon!! The montages were very well done IMO, especially the one featuring pictures/videos of Williams underscored by the Superman March (even had a snippet of Williams “conducting” the final downbeat with footage from the TROS or TFA sessions, as I recall).

 

And darn it, my wife and I were in row E, seats 10 and 12, just a little bit behind you. Had I known…

 

On 24/6/2022 at 7:13 PM, MrScratch said:

OK, yeah whoever they were they blew the roof off the place!

Absolutely agree!! My wife even commented on great it was.

[King Mark 3,225]

Nobody has mentioned Dear Baskettball yet. was it narration free?

How about TROS, was it the same as the OST or a new revised version?

[Cerebral Cortex 3,156]

On 24/06/2022 at 2:46 PM, Darth Mulder said:

 

That's not confidence, that's botox. Really, she looks different. 

 

What? She looks the same she always does? Unless you're referring to how the faces of people change over time because time moves in a linear fashion? Regardless, it seems weird to zero in on that unfounded accusation of vanity when there were far more egregious offenders on display at that event. Williams spent nearly the entire time wearing perhaps the worst disguised toupee I've ever seen and not a single person in attendance had the guts to call him out on it, presumably because they didn't want to embarrass him at a huge event held in his honor.