John Williams to conduct at the 2023 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Matsumoto, Japan (Sept. 2, 2023)

[AOP 259]

22 minutes ago, BB-8 said:

It's somehow gone quiet around JW in Japan. Seems like many fans are on site, sleeping in front of the box office...

The calm before the storm.

 

But you know what? I have not seen a single post or photo on Twitter, Facebook, the official festival website, etc. confirming that JW is actually in Japan. For Milan, we were flooded with rehearsal photos, videos, etc. before the concert.
 

The Matsumoto concert is less than 24 hours away, and not a peep!

 

I must say that I am somewhat concerned… 

 

Will keep people posted!

[BB-8 3,480]

8 minutes ago, AOP said:

The calm before the storm.

 

But you know what? I have not seen a single post or photo on Twitter, Facebook, the official festival website, etc. confirming that JW is actually in Japan. For Milan, we were flooded with rehearsal photos, videos, etc. before the concert.
 

The Matsumoto concert is less than 24 hours away, and not a peep!

 

I must say that I am somewhat concerned… 

 

Will keep people posted!

Perhaps it's the Japanese politeness and disciplin (versus the more extrovert western style)? Just remember the many selfies of musicians with JW coming from the Berlin Phil!

 

Has the typhoon had any effect on travelling to Japan?

 

Fingers crossed!

[AOP 259]

18 minutes ago, BB-8 said:

Perhaps it's the Japanese politeness and disciplin (versus the more extrovert western style)? Just remember the many selfies of musicians with JW coming from the Berlin Phil!

 

Has the typhoon had any effect on travelling to Japan?

 

Fingers crossed!

 

Typhoon is not a problem right now. The heatwave is a problem though!

It’s odd because we’ve seen heaps of rehearsal photos of the other concerts that are part of the Ozawa festival - but not a mention of JW.

 

Anyway, the festival organizers tweeted this 5 mins ago - again, no mention of JW.

 

Update: a Facebook announcement mentions JW, but again, no pic.

 

 

[Tom 4,664]

 

Oh crap, I was supposed to go to Japan.  

[BB-8 3,480]

"I could have sworn Seiji said 2024!"

[JTN 2,031]

1 minute ago, BB-8 said:

"I could have sworn Seiji said 2024!"

“Honey, wasn’t I supposed to go somewhere this weekend? Oh well, I’m going for a walk in the club, be back in a jiffy.”

[AOP 259]

Still no pics, but at least proof that JW is in Japan!

 

From Seiji Ozawa’s Twitter: 

[BB-8 3,480]

So that explains the exclusivity.

[Thor 7,513]

Hard to believe Ozawa is 3 years younger than Williams, but once health problems hit you at that age, it's tough. Happy to see him enjoy his birthday and a Williams performance to boot. Looking forward to (hopefully) seeing a couple of reunion pictures of the two.

 

I'm continually impressed by the stamina of some of the nonagenarians -- Laurence Rosenthal, 96, is soon journeying from LA to Ghent in Belgium for his lifetime achievement award there. 

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

Who's the old lady?

[BB-8 3,480]

I could imagine that this trip is also emotionally and physically very challenging for JW.

 

A really impressive gesture!

[Brando 1,864]

17 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Who's the old lady?

Glad I'm not the only one who thought this...

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

27 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Who's the old lady?

 

That's not a lady, it's Seiji Ozawa. He had cancer some years ago, and since then, even after beating it, his health has been declining. 

[Mr. Hooper 1,793]

36 minutes ago, BB-8 said:

I could imagine that this trip is also emotionally and physically very challenging for JW.

 

A really impressive gesture!

Truly. I doubt he'd have made the trip to Japan if it wasn't to celebrate his friend. He made a special effort.

 

Anyway, I'm glad for all the fans attending that he made it! I was getting nervous for you guys!

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

1 hour ago, Miguel Andrade said:

 

That's not a lady, it's Seiji Ozawa. He had cancer some years ago, and since then, even after beating it, his health has been declining. 

 

I'm aware of the cancer taking its toll on his body, but the face mask made him difficult to recognise. And I've never seen him in pink and red, so I thought it might be his wife. 

[AOP 259]

About to begin in 5 mins!

It seems that JW is here and ready 😊

 

Pictures from Twitter (I couldn’t get tickets unfortunately)

[lostinspace 8]

54 minutes ago, AOP said:

About to begin in 5 mins!

It seems that JW is here and ready 😊

 

Pictures from Twitter (I couldn’t get tickets unfortunately)

So exciting , keep us posted mate!

[AOP 259]

 

From Twitter:

 

- encores

- end of the concert, Williams and Ozawa together on stage 

 

 

 

Video:

More pics:

 

[BB-8 3,480]

They've made it!

 

Thank you for posting!@AOP

[JTN 2,031]

Does the Maestro have a slight limp in his right leg? He needed to be held by someone (Stéphane Denève?).
He’s 91 1/2, but it’s still hard seeing him like that. I know it’s a childish thought, but I want him to be around forever. Hope it’s nothing serious, just a small injury or arthritis. 

[Thor 7,513]

Nice to see Ozawa and Williams together on-stage, even if the photo is low resolution and far away. Hoping better pics will surface eventually.

 

 

[BB-8 3,480]

18 minutes ago, JTW said:

Does the Maestro have a slight limp in his right leg? He needed to be held by someone (Stéphane Denève?).
He’s 91 1/2, but it’s still hard seeing him like that. I know it’s a childish thought, but I want him to be around forever. Hope it’s nothing serious, just a small injury or arthritis. 

Same kind of feelings. I had to think of Bernard Haitink's final concerts where he was escorted onto the podium by his wife.

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

I wonder if Seiji has performed any of John's music. 

[AOP 259]

8 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I wonder if Seiji has performed any of John's music. 

I wish I had seen this live!

 

 

 

[AOP 259]

Some words from JW himself:

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

Lovely. If only we had a Ozawa-conducted JW album. I'd rather have that than Dudamel.

[Andy 4,138]

4 hours ago, JTW said:

Does the Maestro have a slight limp in his right leg? He needed to be held by someone (Stéphane Denève?).
He’s 91 1/2, but it’s still hard seeing him like that. I know it’s a childish thought, but I want him to be around forever. Hope it’s nothing serious, just a small injury or arthritis. 

I want him to live forever too.   Don’t forget he had to sit on a plane for 12 hours to get to Japan too. I imagine that’s tough on the heart. 
 

But look…

 

My daughter had tix to see 25 year old Shawn Mendes. He cancelled his entire tour to get his act together. 
 

Here’s this beautiful gift of a man, almost 92, doing his thing when kids a quarter his age cannot. 
 

He’s still composing and conducting , doing what he loves, with that razor sharp genius mind. 

[Amer 2,110]

@AOP did you spot any recording mics and cameras?

[BB-8 3,480]

1 hour ago, Amer said:

@AOP did you spot any recording mics and cameras?

I see some mics here.

 

[JTN 2,031]

At this point I would want a John Williams biopic, not just a documentary. 
The man since his 88th birthday has travelled twice to Vienna, to Germany, to Italy and now at 91 to Japan, not to mention the many American cities he visited. Other than Sir David Attenborough, no one can do things like that at that age. JW is a living legend.

[JohnnyD 1,223]

42 minutes ago, JTW said:

The man since his 88th birthday has travelled twice to Vienna, to Germany, to Italy and now at 91 to Japan, not to mention the many American cities he visited. Other than Sir David Attenborough, no one can do things like that at that age. JW is a living legend.

 

6 hours ago, Andy said:

Here’s this beautiful gift of a man, almost 92, doing his thing when kids a quarter his age cannot. 

 

He’s still composing and conducting , doing what he loves, with that razor sharp genius mind. 

100% true.

[Mr. Hooper 1,793]

6 hours ago, Andy said:

Don’t forget he had to sit on a plane for 12 hours to get to Japan too.

I've flown from Toronto to Tokyo many times, am half JW's age, and can attest it can be hard on the legs and circulation. I once got swelling due to fluid buildup, and even a blood clot. So when I saw him with a limp, I immediately thought it was probably due to the flight.

[wickerman 21]

4 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

I've flown from Toronto to Tokyo many times, am half JW's age, and can attest it can be hard on the legs and circulation. I once got swelling due to fluid buildup, and even a blood clot. So when I saw him with a limp, I immediately thought it was probably due to the flight.

Well, he’s flying a private Gulfstream with plenty of space, lie-flat bed etc. Plus I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a pit stop for example in Hawaii to make flights shorter + cope with jet lag.

[Brando 1,864]

1 hour ago, JTW said:

At this point I would want a John Williams biopic, not just a documentary.

Maestro 2: John Towner Williams

[Jay 37,369]

Mike just revealed in the latest episode of The Legacy Of John Williams that he did, in fact, fly through Hawaii. 

[WilliamsStarShip2282 308]

2 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

I've flown from Toronto to Tokyo many times, am half JW's age, and can attest it can be hard on the legs and circulation. I once got swelling due to fluid buildup, and even a blood clot. So when I saw him with a limp, I immediately thought it was probably due to the flight.

 I was thinking the same thing. I just did a 16 hour flight and my legs went numb and I was sore and stiff for days. I've done the LA to Tokyo flight, I think its about 12 hours? So not surprising at all, and I just saw him half a month ago at Tanglewood walking around he was perfectly fine, and he was yelling up to the orchestra, and you could hear him across the shed. The guy is in perfect health.

[Mr. Hooper 1,793]

 

By the way, this is really a touching photo. 🥹

 

3 hours ago, Brando said:

Maestro 2: John Towner Williams

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him? 🤔

[KingPin 201]

13 hours ago, AOP said:

I wish I had seen this live!

 

 

 

I also enjoy this little gem.

 

 

[Matt S. 493]

28 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

 

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him? 🤔

He’s no longer with us, but David Ogden Stiers would have been perfect for this.

[Brando 1,864]

1 hour ago, Mr. Hooper said:

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him? 🤔

Oh gosh, I really don't know of anyone who could nail his mannerisms. Younger, pre-Spielberg Williams would be hard I think since there's not a whole lot of footage (that I know of) compared to much later in his life.

[Manakin Skywalker 4,897]

1 hour ago, Mr. Hooper said:

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him?

 

Keith David.

 

EDIT:

[Mr. Hooper 1,793]

58 minutes ago, Matt S. said:

He’s no longer with us, but David Ogden Stiers would have been perfect for this.

 

I had to look up the name, but yeah, I remember him from MASH. He does bear a resemblance to Williams.
 

Coincidentally, he was a conductor too, and as Wikipedia notes: "During his days at Juilliard, he would skip his acting classes to sit in on master classes led by such notables as John Williams"!

 

[Mr. Hooper 1,793]

Some pics I found on Japanese websites... Notice the Harry Potter sheet music.

 

[AOP 259]

A recording of yesterday’s concert is screening today in Matsumoto!

 

 

[Damien F 1,742]

A few months ago, I was unable to put any weight on my right foot for a few days. I was far less mobile than JW in that clip. The ER doctor said it was just muscle inflammation and it pretty much cleared up by itself. 

[Jurassic Shark 12,079]

4 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him? 🤔

 

Jeff Goldblum and it would be glorious. He even plays the piano!

[JTN 2,031]

4 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him? 🤔

Paul Giamatti could do it. 
Btw. I don’t think resemblance is too important (that can be done almost flawlessly with today’s make-up and prosthetics techniques anyway), more like the ability to convey his subtleties, nuances, mannierisms. A great actor like Giamatti, Anthony Hopkins or Richard Dreyfuss could pull it off very well. 

[crumbs 14,317]

2 hours ago, JTW said:

Btw. I don’t think resemblance is too important (that can be done almost flawlessly with today’s make-up and prosthetics techniques anyway), more like the ability to convey his subtleties, nuances, mannierisms. A great actor like Giamatti, Anthony Hopkins or Richard Dreyfuss could pull it off very well. 

 

I think you'd need a much younger actor, unless the biopic was set mostly in Williams' 70s/80s/90s.

[bollemanneke 3,349]

7 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

 

By the way, this is really a touching photo. 🥹

 

If there was a biopic, who would you choose to play him? 🤔

Clint Eastwood sounds like him now.

 

Also, what was the set list for yesterday? And what's different about the upcoming concert?

[pete 907]

40 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Clint Eastwood sounds like him now.

 

Also, what was the set list for yesterday? And what's different about the upcoming concert?

 

This was the setlist according to the festival's site, and the encores where Yoda's Theme, Raiders March, and The Imperial March. I wish I had been able to get a ticket! Doh!