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Concert Arrangements


Damien F

Which of the following themes would you most want to see getting a concert arrangement?  

20 members have voted

  1. 1.

    • The Emporer's Theme (TESB)
      1
    • The Ark Theme (Raiders)
      4
    • The Krypton Theme (Superman)
      0
    • The Smallville Theme (Superman)
      2
    • The Force Theme (A New Hope)
      10
    • Cinque's Theme (Amistad)
      1
    • The Droid Invasion Theme (The Phantom Menace)
      2


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Hi there ,

I read that POA falls short of being included in the top 10 JW scores due to the absence of a classic concert arrangement of a classic theme. So this got me thinking - out of the huge collection of themes he wrote, only a handful have been arranged for a concert arrangement. So which of the above themes would you most want to see getting traditional JW concert arrangement - starting rather quitely, the theme being passed around the orchestra before reaching a wonderful end with soaring strings and brass.

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I think that between Leia's Light of The Force and The Throne Room you get enough of it. The real reason I would want a concert arangment for all those themes is for the extra music and variation, they are all represented very well in their movies (though the Smallville one is least represented IMO)

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Cinque's Theme is practically a concert arrangement, at least in its structure (don't know if Williams has ever played this in concert). Not every concert arrangement has to end with soaring strings and brass, for this character theme that would be inappropriate.

And there exists a "concert arrangement" of the Force theme, but to my knowledge only as a piano version ("MAy the Force be with you" in the "Williams Anthology" piano book). He should orchestrate that and perform it, it's gorgeous.

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I think that between Leia's Light of The Force and The Throne Room you get enough of it.

Not true, especially the Throne Room could stand on its own. However, it is ALWAYS played with the end finale, never does it end on its own. We need an arrangement in which it does!

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Why? They're tied together and work wonderfully well that way, especially in the expanded version.

I'd never heard of the Force thing Chris mentioned...I always assumed Williams just didn't see enough potential in the theme for a longer piece based just on that theme.

Marian - wondering.

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I knew most people would vote for the force theme. I agree that it is a wonderful theme, but it is VERY well represented on the soundtracks. Also for compilations, tracks like Light of the force/Leia's news would suffice. As much I would like to hear a concert version of this theme, I would go for the smallville theme. It is a beautiful theme, but only occupies a handful of moments of the CD.

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"The Map Room at Dawn" IS the perfect concert arrangement of the Ark theme. Now if only he'd program it occasionally...

I've always considered "The Miracle of the Ark" to be the most concert-like version of the Ark theme of all the Raiders cues. Miracle is a better stand-alone piece than Map Room, IMHO.

Jeff - who voted for the Ark theme

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Both Map Room and Miracle of the Ark are "concert like" cues.I'd like a concert version of the Grail Theme.

Oh,and off course the love theme from Temple of Doom,I always thought that was missing a theme arrangement.

K.M.

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I also agree that the Force theme is well enough represented in the Star Wars scores, particularly the Funeral Pyre cues from ROTJ (or whatever they are called now). In fact, I think it is kind of cool how there is no Force Theme track on any Star Wars CD. Since the Force "binds all living things", it does not have a track all to itself rather it is associated and woven in with all of the other character themes.

I think the Krypton Theme doesn't really need a concert arrangement. It works as is, like Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra from 2001. Kunzel and the CPO even performed an under-two-minute Planet Krypton on one of their albums, "Star Tracks II" I believe.

Jeff

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Both Map Room and Miracle of the Ark are "concert like" cues.I'd like a concert version of the Grail Theme.

Oh,and off course the love theme from Temple of Doom,I always thought that was missing a theme arrangement.

In Map Room, once the staff of ra points out the location of the Ark, the rest of the track is very cue-y, with Indy and Sallah trying to flee. It doesn't have enough of an "ending" to be a concert piece, unless you end it at the climax, but I don't think that would work either. It needs better closure, unlike Miracle.

The Penitent Man Will Pass works as a concert piece for the Grail Theme to me.

Jeff

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Like someone before me said, Cinque's Theme is already a concert arrangement.

I wish Williams would have made a formal march out of the music for the droids in The Phantom Menace

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Try the End Credits from TOD  :roll:

That would be the equivalent of the last portion on a full concert arrangement.I mean a full concert arrangement like Han Solo and the Princess on the Gerheardt album,the theme is usually played on solo instrument before the full orchestra.

K.M.

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The Emperor's Theme...it's mislabelled, it should be from Return of the Jedi - unless you meant that spooky music played during the hologram scene.

I think it would make for quite the concert arrangement, even if it would be a bit unusual-sounding. Go heavy on the choir!

As for the Force theme, there is a pretty good concert arrangement created by a fan, though it's only available as a MIDI, unfortunately. I think they have it at "Music by John Williams" (musicby.jw-music.net). It may be the same as "May the Force Be with You," although it is definitely a concert arrangement and not easy piano or something.

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For me, the closest thing to a concert suite of the Grail Theme is the track form the Bootleg papa Jones is healed. It contains the most powerful rendition of the theme.

I adoren the Ark Theme. But is it really a theme taht needs more melodic devolpment? I mean, Id' love to hear it, but I would much more interest in the Droid March from TPM.

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