The Long Goodbye (2022 arrangement, Sophie-Anne Mutter violin): one of Williams' strongest works?

[Sandor 797]

Recently, I've been very impressed by John Williams' arrangement of The Long Goodbye Theme as heard on the DG Violin Concerto No. 2 release (2022). 

 

I think it may be one of Williams' very best arrangements and it puts the theme in a completely new perspective.

 

Just sharing in case anyone hasn't heard it. 

 

 

[bigjimwilson 256]

I think it's quite a fascinating arrangement, and certainly one of the best Mutter ones. It takes the theme from a fairly jazzy score....upbeat, but definitely with a melancholy element, and makes it sound like it would be more at home in a cold war drama. Love it.

[King Mark 3,631]

It's pretty good but I don't love this theme as much as some others. But at least we have a good concert version  of it

[Holko 9,529]

It was a fantastic surprise to hear it as a first act encore for Vienna II.

[Nemesis 245]

10 hours ago, Holko said:

It was a fantastic surprise to hear it as a first act encore for Vienna II.

Yeah, that was indeed very nice!

[BB-8 3,481]

On 29/10/2023 at 1:27 PM, Sandor said:

Recently, I've been very impressed by John Williams' arrangement of The Long Goodbye Theme as heard on the DG Violin Concerto No. 2 release (2022). 

 

I think it may be one of Williams' very best arrangements and it puts the theme in a completely new perspective.

 

Just sharing in case anyone hasn't heard it. 

 

 

And it was also performed (and recorded) in Vienna with the VPO. Think it would deserve a further release.

[SilverTrumpet 638]

Watching this, it's just...cosmic for lack of a better word. 

 

Imagine you're 40 or so, you're not famous yet, you still haven't started working with Steven Spielberg at all, and you still have it in yourself to churn out a piece of music like this. Then, fast forward half a freaking century later and you're still practicing your craft like this. 

 

Every time I watch a fairly recent appearance by Williams I feel like I'm witnessing history in a way few other things that exist in the modern world feel.