Sayuri's Theme for Cello and Orchestra - NEW! 2025 arrangement by John Williams

[Jay 42,446]

Debuted tonight in Berlin, conducted by Stéphane Denève

 

Photo courtesy of @mikal_grig, from here.

 

[Joni Wiljami 1,230]

It was wonderful, very much like Cello cadenza. 

[Smeltington 1,754]

Innnteresting, we just had Sayuri's Theme at the John Williams Playlist concert too. I wouldn't trust myself to know if it was a new version or not, but it wasn't mentioned as such.

[MaxTheHouseelf 348]

The beautiful cello melody accompanied by those dark basses and in the middle of the piece was a combination of harp, celeste and glockenspiel that made for a super, well, for the lack of a better word, beautiful sound. One of the many highlights of tonights concert for sure and it made me want to rewatch the movie!

[BachSkywalker 106]

Sounds lovely, although it's hard to think how he could improve on the original. Wonder what prompted the revision. Can't wait to hear this at some point!

[JohnnyD 1,534]

Wow! This is certainly a treat. I hope to hear this sometime soon.

[Smeltington 1,754]

It's certainly going to throw off my Geisha playlist.

OST -> Original suite with Yo-Yo Ma -> Williams and Ma duets -> One updated track from the suite, decades later

[BB-8 5,031]

Thursday, 05.06.2025

[Once 903]

So my German isn't great, but from what I gathered Stéphane Denève said that Williams was so impressed by Bruno Delepelaire's playing of Elegy for Cello and Orchestra in 2021 that he penned this "brand-new arrangement" of Sayuri's Theme specially for him - and he called it the world premiere of the piece.

Certainly a highlight!

[Tom 5,615]

4 hours ago, Smeltington said:

It's certainly going to throw off my Geisha playlist.

OST -> Original suite with Yo-Yo Ma -> Williams and Ma duets -> One updated track from the suite, decades later

Maybe this becomes the new first movement of the suite. 

 

I love when Williams revisits his older works (and it is also crazy that this is now counts as an older work).  

[Maurizio 5,888]

10 hours ago, BachSkywalker said:

Sounds lovely, although it's hard to think how he could improve on the original. Wonder what prompted the revision. Can't wait to hear this at some point!

 

It seems JW has still that "always in the kitchen" mentality when it comes to his music. It's too tempting not to go back and rework something, especially if he doesn't have any other pressing commitments.

 

8 hours ago, Once said:

So my German isn't great, but from what I gathered Stéphane Denève said that Williams was so impressed by Bruno Delepelaire's playing of Elegy for Cello and Orchestra in 2021 that he penned this "brand-new arrangement" of Sayuri's Theme specially for him - and he called it the world premiere of the piece.

Certainly a highlight!

 

Makes sense he wanted to have the piece more tailored to the specific soloist here. Williams always writes for someone. Can't wait to hear the piece during the Saturday live broadcast!

[BB-8 5,031]

9 hours ago, Once said:

So my German isn't great, but from what I gathered Stéphane Denève said that Williams was so impressed by Bruno Delepelaire's playing of Elegy for Cello and Orchestra in 2021 that he penned this "brand-new arrangement" of Sayuri's Theme specially for him - and he called it the world premiere of the piece.

Certainly a highlight!

Yep.

[Marian Schedenig 10,155]

12 hours ago, Once said:

Williams was so impressed by Bruno Delepelaire's playing of Elegy for Cello and Orchestra in 2021 that he penned this "brand-new arrangement" of Sayuri's Theme specially for him - and he called it the world premiere of the piece.

 

So he wrote it specifically for this week's concerts. Nice.

[crocodile 9,206]

Cool, can't wait to hear it tomorrow night, along with some other pieces I've never had a chance to hear live.

 

Karol

[BachSkywalker 106]

5 hours ago, Maurizio said:

 

It seems JW has still that "always in the kitchen" mentality when it comes to his music. It's too tempting not to go back and rework something, especially if he doesn't have any other pressing commitments.

 

 

Makes sense he wanted to have the piece more tailored to the specific soloist here. Williams always writes for someone. Can't wait to hear the piece during the Saturday live broadcast!

Yes, this does seem a trend of him revisiting works--his cello concerto, for instance. It's nice that we have various versions of these great pieces! 

 

(Hope I can catch the broadcast on Saturday...)

[BB-8 5,031]

1 minute ago, BachSkywalker said:

Yes, this does seem a trend of him revisiting works--his cello concerto, for instance. It's nice that we have various versions of these great pieces! 

 

(Hope I can catch the broadcast on Saturday...)

Also on radio rbb today. See above.

[Tom 5,615]

18 hours ago, Jay said:

Debuted tonight in Berlin, conducted by Stéphane Denève

 

Photo courtesy of @mikal_grig, from here.

 

Those last several bars raise my personal hopes of becoming a composer.  

[artguy360 2,023]

Oh man, I hope there's a recording of it at some point. Sounds lovely.

[BSOinsider 57]

22 hours ago, Smeltington said:

Innnteresting, we just had Sayuri's Theme at the John Williams Playlist concert too. I wouldn't trust myself to know if it was a new version or not, but it wasn't mentioned as such.

 Boston POPS Played the "regular" Solo Cello version of Sayuri's Theme for JW Playlist last week.

 

Keep a sharp lookout for Tanglewood Film Night though...

[Smeltington 1,754]

1 hour ago, BSOinsider said:

Keep a sharp lookout for Tanglewood Film Night though...

 

Woww I'll be looking forward to that!

[BB-8 5,031]

Friday, 06.06.2025

[BachSkywalker 106]

Just listened to it from the radio broadcast. This revision seems to combine "Sayuri's theme" and the ending of "A Dream Discarded". It's really very nice, and Bruno Delepelaire's playing was terrific. So glad to hear it!

[Miguel Andrade 1,522]

I had the same impression as well, but haven't had the chance to double check.

[BachSkywalker 106]

After the middle interlude with the flute solo/harp/percussion, the cello writing sounds new to me, but the ending cello cadenza part is pretty identical to the last third of "A Dream Discarded". (I'm performing the suite for cello and piano next week, so it's pretty fresh on my mind.haha 😁)

 

[BB-8 5,031]

"A Dream Discarded"...how apt!

[filmmusic 2,633]

The new arrangement is weird I'd say.

There's no climax in the piece. On the contrary there is an anti-climax.

It's a showpiece mostly for the expressive power of the cello in slow tempo.

[BB-8 5,031]

Saturday, 07.06.2025

[Meredith McKay 7,869]

45 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

The new arrangement is weird I'd say.

There's no climax in the piece. On the contrary there is an anti-climax.

It's a showpiece mostly for the expressive power of the cello in slow tempo.

Isn't it the opening movement of the suite?

[filmmusic 2,633]

50 minutes ago, Meredith McKay said:

Isn't it the opening movement of the suite?

Sorry? What suite?

[Miguel Andrade 1,522]

6 movement suite from Memoirs of a Geisha.

[filmmusic 2,633]

1 hour ago, Miguel Andrade said:

6 movement suite from Memoirs of a Geisha.

The one that is in The Music of America cd, right?

Yeah, to reply to @Meredith McKay then, it isn't the same as that first movement.

It's a lot different.

[Miguel Andrade 1,522]

Yes, the suite was recorded live in Chicago and released on the big Yo-Yo Ma box and on the Music of America compilation.

 

The new theme is quite different from the previous one. I think the middle section might have some material from Chiyo's Prayer and ends with a bit of A Dream Discarded (either that or very similar material in tone).

[Meredith McKay 7,869]

8 hours ago, filmmusic said:

The one that is in The Music of America cd, right?

Yeah, to reply to @Meredith McKay then, it isn't the same as that first movement.

It's a lot different.

Yeah, I meant, I figured it was a revised version of that first movement, and that the lack of climax, is because the climax in the final part of that suite.

[filmmusic 2,633]

19 minutes ago, Meredith McKay said:

Yeah, I meant, I figured it was a revised version of that first movement, and that the lack of climax, is because the climax in the final part of that suite.

Well, the first movement of the suite, has a climax of its own.

By climax, I mean, a more satisfactory version of the main theme, than the beginning.

Here, after its initial statement, it completely dies down and we have other material with a solo cello "searching for something"..

[BB-8 5,031]

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/aus-dem-haikafig-uber-hogwarts-nach-nimmerland-die-philharmoniker-spielen-john-williams-13815589.html

[Tom 5,615]

14 hours ago, filmmusic said:

There's no climax in the piece. On the contrary there is an anti-climax.

I see that my wife has made an appearance on the board.   

[Once 903]

3 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Well, the first movement of the suite, has a climax of its own.

By climax, I mean, a more satisfactory version of the main theme, than the beginning.

Here, after its initial statement, it completely dies down and we have other material with a solo cello "searching for something"..

I really, really love the new arrangement as it is! Especially after hearing it a second time.

[King Mark 3,834]

it's good but seems like something I've heard before in the many revisions of this theme

[filmmusic 2,633]

16 hours ago, King Mark said:

it's good but seems like something I've heard before in the many revisions of this theme

How many versions are there?

I know of 3 only (apart from the OST programme).

I mean as a composition (I don't count different orchestrations as  a separate revision eg. Sayuri's theme for cello and piano instead of orchestra)

So, there are:

- the version that corresponds to the Signature edition and starts with a solo flute

- the version that is in The Music of America cds

- this new 2025 version.

 

Is there any other?

[BB-8 5,031]

 

 

 

[filmmusic 2,633]

The 2nd and 3rd versions you posted , I think are identical! I followed with the sheet music (cello & piano).

You're right though, I forgot the violin version with Mutter.

 

so we have:

 1) the version that corresponds to the Signature edition and starts with a solo flute

 2) the cello and piano version

 3) the version that is in The Music of America cds (this is mostly identical to 2, but it adds a rendition of the theme after its first statement)

 4) The violin Mutter version

 5) this new 2025 version

 

Is there anything else?

[BB-8 5,031]

What about this one?

 

 

[filmmusic 2,633]

yeah, that's 1) above. The Signature edition.

[Tom 5,615]

And the best standalone one, in my view.  The cello version makes a nice overture to the suite but is less satisfying on its own.   

[BB-8 5,031]