Your preferred tempo for specific JW pieces?

[artguy360 1,941]

For example, I just came across this performance of The Rebellion is Reborn by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and on one hand it is a very sharp performance with great sound, I can't decide if I like this very fast tempo or the slower tempo that JW uses when he conducts the piece where it is almost a whole minute longer. Even the album version is still 20 seconds longer than the Danish performance. I can't tell if I like the faster version or not.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have specific performances of JW pieces you love where the tempo is different than how JW prefers it?

[mrbellamy 6,878]

"Scherzo for X-Wings" is the one that comes to mind lately where I've never really been a fan of how he usually paces it. The tempo in this FSO performance suits it better than any of the Williams conducted versions I've heard imo, it should be a blast and I like how they just plow through it.

 

 

The OST recording is downright leisurely in comparison

 

 

[Datameister 2,362]

@mrbellamy Scherzo for X-Wings was my first thought too. Too slow in the original performance. Just bumping it up even a few BPM makes a big difference. It should feel sprightly, not lethargic. (I don't mind a faster tempo with a Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra, either. See The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration.)

 

Then there's Theme From Jurassic Park, which was originally written and recorded with a slow tempo. But ever since, JW seems to have preferred it much faster. I think the slower original tempo does a much better job of evoking a sense of awe.

 

There's a version of Take To Your Ships (TPM) from Tokyo Disneyland. It's soooooo slow. I much prefer the original. 

 

I guess the pattern I'm seeing here is I like my fast stuff fast and my slow stuff slow?

[artguy360 1,941]

11 minutes ago, Datameister said:

@mrbellamy Scherzo for X-Wings was my first thought too. Too slow in the original performance. Just bumping it up even a few BPM makes a big difference. It should feel sprightly, not lethargic. (I don't mind a faster tempo with a Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra, either. See The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration.)

 

Then there's Theme From Jurassic Park, which was originally written and recorded with a slow tempo. But ever since, JW seems to have preferred it much faster. I think the slower original tempo does a much better job of evoking a sense of awe.

 

There's a version of Take To Your Ships (TPM) from Tokyo Disneyland. It's soooooo slow. I much prefer the original. 

 

I guess the pattern I'm seeing here is I like my fast stuff fast and my slow stuff slow?

I agree about the Jurassic Park theme. The faster tempo loses the religioso feeling that the piece otherwise has in spades with the slower tempo of the original recording.

[GerateWohl 5,344]

We had the discussion recently. 

I prefer the original tempo from the movie. 

 

 

I find the rerecording too slow. 

 

But others prefer this version.

 

 

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

24 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

I agree about the Jurassic Park theme. The faster tempo loses the religioso feeling that the piece otherwise has in spades with the slower tempo of the original recording.

But uos the adventure feel

[Trope 913]

The one that immediately comes to mind is the Theme from Jurassic Park. Ever since The Lost World recording, Johnny has decided the piece should move along MUCH faster than the tempo from the original 1993 version. He has consistently conducted it at a fast tempo when performing it live.

 

I prefer the slower 1993 version (especially with the choir), it gives the wonderful harmonies time to resonate and overall gives the piece a much more transcendent and spiritual quality. By comparison, the faster tempo sounds rushed to my ears. 

 

EDIT: I guess this has already been discussed before me in this thread.

[Holko 10,750]

The adventure feel is right there in the second half for the island theme. Let the beautiful part be beautiful instead of rushed.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,795]

Usually, I want to hear the music exactly as it sounds in the film (the pitch shift in the Main Title of SUPERMAN being an obvious exception).

Having said that, I prefer a hybrid Sea Attack #1, where I like the film version of the beginning, but I switch to the OST for the first shot of the shark.

[GerateWohl 5,344]

It really depends on the performance. If it feels like the conductor just wanted to get home early and therefore rushed throught the piece, I don't like it.

But of course sometimes this might be just the listener's assumption.

[Jurassic Shark 13,741]

10 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

It really depends on the performance. If it feels like the conductor just wanted to get home early and therefore rushed throught the piece, I don't like it.

 

Has HanZ taken up conducting?

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

The adventure feel is right there in the second half for the island theme. Let the beautiful part be beautiful instead of rushed.

It's still beautiful.

[Jurassic Shark 13,741]

I prefer the pieces to be in the correct tempos.

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

I wonder if it is somehow related to the concert arrangement having the The Dinosaurs going into End Credits part 2.?

[GerateWohl 5,344]

13 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I prefer the pieces to be in the correct tempos.

Life can be so easy.

[oierem 188]

2 hours ago, Datameister said:

Then there's Theme From Jurassic Park, which was originally written and recorded with a slow tempo. But ever since, JW seems to have preferred it much faster. I think the slower original tempo does a much better job of evoking a sense of awe.

 

 

I totally agree with Jurassic Park being much much better in the original slower tempo. Same thing with Schindler's List, which is always performed faster than in the original recording.

 

But not counting these two exceptions, don't you find that Williams usually conducts things much slower when he's performing in concerts compared to the OST?

[Jurassic Shark 13,741]

It also depends on the orchestra. He seems to be taking it slower when he doesn't think the orchestra is up to the task.

[Thor 8,701]

I've never really cared about such things. Have there been times when a piece performed in a concert I've attended, for example, has felt too slow or too fast? Probably, but I can't remember any examples off the top of my head. There is no "correct" tempo, as far as I'm concerned.

 

That being said, I -- too -- love the slower, more majestic versions of the JURASSIC PARK themes I've heard in concerts or on albums over the years. Here's a theme I don't like performed too fast.

[Jurassic Shark 13,741]

The arrangement in the original piano folio is a very satisfying piece to play.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,795]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Has HanZ taken up conducting?

Don't you EVER  say his name!

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

It also depends on the orchestra. He seems to be taking it slower when he doesn't think the orchestra is up to the task.

 

For all the times I've seen the LSO performing JW's music, they never had any difficulty keeping up.

[GerateWohl 5,344]

I remember watching a christmas ballet performance of The Nutcracker. Obviously the conductor was in a hurry, because he pushed the orchestra to enormous speed. The orchestra was able to handle it, but the dancers were obviously overwhelmed which led to a little funny situations when the dancers had to handle the lifting figures in such a high tempo.  

 

[Bellosh 3,973]

yoda's theme in rebel fleet/end title

 

 

 

and all of temple of doom's raiders march statements

[Jesse 0]

10 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

"Scherzo for X-Wings" is the one that comes to mind lately where I've never really been a fan of how he usually paces it. The tempo in this FSO performance suits it better than any of the Williams conducted versions I've heard imo, it should be a blast and I like how they just plow through it.

 

 

The OST recording is downright leisurely in comparison

 

 

I agree about Scherzo for X-wings being better in a faster tempo, but this Williams conducted performance i really like and it is faster then the Ost

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,750]

I've brought this up before, but, the concert arrangement of 'The Asteroid Field' benefits from a faster tempo—at least equal to the one in the movie cue—or else feels like it's going to fall to pieces.

Too slow... (Sorry, John.)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Too fast (in parts)...

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Just right...

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Loert 2,786]

Many have mentioned their preference for a slower JP theme, and I entirely agree. Another piece of JW music I prefer played slower is the ending of CE3K. Compare:

 

 

 

[Datameister 2,362]

Continuing the theme of "keep the fast stuff fast": Even though I grew up loving the bicycle chase music played slowly for "Star Tracks", I quickly came to prefer the faster tempo of the film recording once I started listening to it. 

 

Yoda's theme is an exception to the rule. I think the same notes sound equally marvelous in the slower serenity of the concert suite and the faster excitement of the end credits.

[Tom 5,231]

I love the piece--perhaps my favorite of the last 10 years, but the tempo below is painful.  

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 3,750]

Been rewatching these Danish National Symphony performances, and the conductor who likes to slow the tempo down to wring more emotion out of the music.

 

The comments section seems to like that, and is also of the mindset that slower = more feeling. But this was putting me to sleep, and felt so slow that the notes were going to fall apart.

 

But this is something conductors do. I'm reminded of this painfully slow rendition of the Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony no. 5, which I guess some people go for, but isn't for me.

 

 

[QuartalHarmony 720]

On 06/12/2024 at 11:31 PM, Mr. Hooper said:

I've brought this up before, but, the concert arrangement of 'The Asteroid Field' benefits from a faster tempo—at least equal to the one in the movie cue—or else feels like it's going to fall to pieces.

 

I don't disagree with the sentiment, but when I did a survey of JW's recordings of the concert Asteroid Field, the faster recordings contained mistakes and it was only the slower ones that didn't. As far as I could tell, you had to choose to have the 'right' tempo or not to have mistakes, but not both!

 

It can be easy to forget just how hard to play some of JW's concert music is - even the best in the world can struggle with it.

 

Mark