ecurbh 0 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~78~2274921,00.htmlIn Aspen, musicians know score Aspen - As Howard Shore began his critique of a student score on a recent morning, the famed composer for the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy drove home one point right at the start."Bar numbers and tempos are God in film music," Shore said. "You want to number every bar and use a bolder font to do it."In concert music, it is typical to number every fifth bar or so. But during high-pressure film-recording sessions, conductors and musicians don't have time to count forward or backward to identify a particular passage."The less calculation the better," Shore said. "Think about time and how to save it."It's an arcane point for most film fans, but a vital one when making the music that is such a key part of movie magic.That was just one of dozens of tips Shore passed along to five eager students during four days at the Aspen Music Festival and School as an instructor in the Susan and Ford Schumann Film Scoring Program. The summer seminar draws star power and gives students a direct link to what's happening in Hollywood.~snip~As an unexpected bonus, "Star Wars" composer John Williams, who is conducting the Aspen Festival Orchestra today, agreed to present a master class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBL 0 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Wow... how lucky you are...Would you please share with us this rare moment of intimacy with the maestro ? the anecdotes and all...And tell him about how many fans there are waiting for him to do a concert in Europe (London 2005 yeah!!!) but why not Netherlands 2006 and/or France 2007 ?? Philippe BLPianist-Conductor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony69 0 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 also remind him that there is a country called Canada. And we are neighbours to the US. Why doesn't JW ever visit Canada? I mean he goes to unknown cities in the US but never visits toronto, the best city (and most multicultural) in the world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 He's afraid of KM.Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskobolus 3 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 also remind him that there is a country called Canada. And we are neighbours to the US. Why doesn't JW ever visit Canada? I mean he goes to unknown cities in the US but never visits toronto, the best city (and most multicultural) in the world?By unknown cities you mean .... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekUYoda 0 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 also remind him that there is a country called Canada. And we are neighbours to the US. Why doesn't JW ever visit Canada? I mean he goes to unknown cities in the US but never visits toronto, the best city (and most multicultural) in the world?I hope this wasn't meant to mean that Aspen is an unknown city in the US, because it's the city where most of Hollywood comes to ski and be rustic! (And it really is gorgeous)I didn't get to see Howard Shore - I wasn't really looking for him - but I did get to see the Williams/AFO/Shaham concert and here's my take on it....We showed up at 3 for the pre-concert talk and saw two chairs on the stage, expecting them to be for Williams and Shaham - but the festival's Artistic Advisor, Asadour Santourian, came out and expressed Williams' regrets that he had to back out of the chat to conserve his energy for later. Rats! But Mr. Santourian gave a very informative talk on Vaughan Williams and Holst, whom I didn't know where so connected, and spoke with Mr. Shaham on TreeSong and the Violin Concerto. Mr. Shaham sounded really honored to have such a close connection with Williams and especially to have helped shape TreeSong in a small way. He said he and Williams spent hours on the phone discussing it - Williams would say "play this bit" and he'd play it and Williams would say "No, that's not quite right. Maybe add a grace note here" and he'd play it again over the phone. The concert itself took place in the Benedict Music Tent, which was very large and not sold out! We had second-row seats off to the right, so we could see Williams' face as he was conducting. First was Vaughan Williams' "The Wasps" Overture - very energetic and exciting. He milked the mood in all the right places and it was great fun to hear. I wish I could remember more about the performance, but I couldn't do much except listen and stare. 8O Williams left the stage after the piece.Second came Williams' Violin Concerto, written in memory of and at the suggestion of his first wife, Barbara Ruick Williams. Williams didn't introduce any of the works on the concert - he didn't speak at all to the audience, actually, but Shaham and Santourian said before the concert that the piece is a very personal statement on the part of Mr. Williams. The performance was riveting - I was captivated! I heard the piece on CD and didn't react very strongly, but the performance that afternoon was fascinating. Hear this piece live if you can! It is not an elegy, nor is it a funeral march, nor anything else one might associate with death, but it is ? well, I don?t know. Parts of it sounded like Hindemith (the way the melody keeps spiraling around chromatically), parts of it sounded like Holst?s Hammersmith (the slow woodwind accompaniment to the violin in octaves), and all of it demonstrated Williams? command of his compositional ?chops.? My favorite was the bit in the second movement where the violin is playing along and suddenly disregards tempo and everything else for a couple bars and plays along out of tempo and rhythm with everyone else. I think it?s meant to be a little joke, and apparently so did Mr. Shaham because his face lit up and he smiled as he played it and looked up at Williams. TreeSong came after the (long) intermission. I wasn?t as riveted by the piece, but it was still lovely and haunting. Williams insisted that Shaham enter and leave the stage first and take the majority of the ovation ? modest as always. Williams chose all the repertoire for the concert and selected 3 movements from Holst?s The Planets to close the afternoon. ?Mars? was first ? Williams came out and stood on the podium, gathering himself and you could see his head nodding a bar and a half or so of the tempo before he began. ?Mars? was very exciting! I?ve never seen it performed live before, and was surprised to find out that the opening is spicato in the strings! (Played by bouncing the bow off the string, not plucking or drawing as is normal). The tempo seemed to catch the orchestra by surprise ? perhaps they weren?t paying attention to his head-nods ? but it was a bit quick and very dramatic. The brass was wonderful, of course, and probably had a great time shaking the walls with their excellent sound. ?Neptune? was second, and from this performance I guess that the orchestra only had the morning?s rehearsal with Williams, because their communication seemed off at times. The horn soloist and Williams didn?t quite seem to agree on what the cue was for the second bar?s solo entrance. Oh well ? it sounded lovely, anyway (especially if you like horn vibrato). J ?Jupiter? closed the concert, and was like ?The Wasps? ? very well and tastefully done. He stretched and emphasized all the right places and the lyrical middle section was just right ? slow enough to be lovely but not so slow it put you to sleep (as is very easy to do!) He returned twice to the stage after the initial ovation and graciously acknowledged the fine performance by the orchestra, waved to us and said ?Thank you.? There was no encore, but then, there seldom are encores in non-pops concerts (and this was definitely not a pops concert!). It was fascinating to see Williams in the traditional ?classical? conductor role and to watch this demonstration of his life?s learning.There was a long line of fans waiting to meet him backstage after the concert, but he plunked down on his stool and signed autographs and took pictures with everyone! He was very kind, shook my hand, and talked with me for a moment. I asked him what his favorite key is, and he thought about it and said ?D.? (I?d wondered for a while ? it?s interesting to me, anyway!). He said ?good to see you again? (I told him I?d met him in Chicago) and wished me luck and was very nice and patient through the whole encounter. I think if I?d had to greet that many people, I?d have run away! It was a wonderful concert, and I hope he comes back next year! I?m truly sorry that more of you weren?t able to go ? it was a departure from the other two Williams-conducted concerts I?d seen and I really enjoyed the non-pops atmosphere. I hope he did too! 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Ray Barnsbury 8 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Awesome experience! At first I was thinking "And the trend continues. . ." when he had to back out of the chat, but it's really cool that he met all those people afterwards. And what's more, you actually got to converse with him . . . 8O Good for you for being able to speak to him in full sentences!Ray Barnsbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekUYoda 0 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Awesome experience! At first I was thinking "And the trend continues. . ." when he had to back out of the chat, but it's really cool that he met all those people afterwards. And what's more, you actually got to converse with him . . . 8O Good for you for being able to speak to him in full sentences!Ray BarnsburyI decided to go for conversation instead of an autograph or a picture this time, and I don't know how I managed to produce sentences in English, but it was sure fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Always thinking of yourself! Did you even once ask him if he got the card we gave him in Boston? No!!!! But at least now we know what his favorite key is. Gee, couldn't ask an important question could ya!!!???8OActually, this sounded like a really awesome concert, and I'm pretty envious of you. Any chance to hear "The Planets" live, even if only sections of it.Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mari 279 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Awesome SeekUYoda!The performance was riveting - I was captivated! I heard the piece on CD and didn't react very strongly, but the performance that afternoon was fascinating. Hear this piece live if you can!I know just what you mean. There is just a different energy when you hear a piece live that can't be captured on CD. I asked him what his favorite key is, and he thought about it and said "D." (I'd wondered for a while -- it's interesting to me, anyway!).I find it interesting too, especially since many of my favorite pieces of music (especially those written for the violin) are in the key of "D." It's been a long time since I took a music appreciation class, but I remember reading once upon a time about the different moods or emotions each key represent. What is the primary mood for the key of "D"?Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! Not only did you get to hear both the wonderful violin concert works conducted by JW himself and performed by Mr. Shaham (along with the Vaughan Williams and Holst selections), but you even got to chat with JW. It must be truly have been an unforgettable experience!Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekUYoda 0 Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Always thinking of yourself! Did you even once ask him if he got the card we gave him in Boston? No!!!! But at least now we know what his favorite key is. Gee, couldn't ask an important question could ya!!!???Well, you should have gone and asked him what you wanted to know about! And besides, I was having a little trouble having logical coherent thoughts as I got closer and closer to the Maestro. I was curious to know about his favorite key, though, and I couldn't recall seeing if anyone had ever asked him this before. Everyone asks who his favorite composers are, etc., and I thought it would be interesting to see what his favorite key is and how many of his works are in that key. Leia's Theme is in D... I'm at work now and I can't come up with anything else that's in D. Anybody? Flight to Neverland is in b minor, the relative minor... Across the Stars is in d minor, the parallel minor.... anything else? I find it interesting too, especially since many of my favorite pieces of music (especially those written for the violin) are in the key of "D." It's been a long time since I took a music appreciation class, but I remember reading once upon a time about the different moods or emotions each key represent. What is the primary mood for the key of "D"?Interestingly enough, D major used to be the key associated with heaven, triumph, joy, etc. That's why so much church music is in D! There's a small article from the CSO website about it key associations here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CYPHER 1 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 What a wonderful concert review SeekUYoda! Thanks for sharing - it sounded truly amazing and intimate. The Shaham-Williams telephone interactions re: "Treesong" were a fascinating revelation. And to have heard the "Violin Concerto" live! This is one piece that just grows and grows on me: I find it very emotive and each movement has its own distinct yet powerful emotional punch. And I liked your 'favourite key' question and it sounds like John Williams did too - it's quite sweet when you think about it. CYPHER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Leia's Theme is in D... I'm at work now and I can't come up with anything else that's in D. Anybody?Summon the Heroes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Coscina 3 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I agree that it would be grea if Williams came up to conduct his music in Toronto. Although technically, he has been to TO. Back in 1993 when he recorded portions of Schindler's List using the Toronto Mendelsohn Choir. I think that's the only time he's been up here.Goldsmith, God rest his soul did conduct the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1990. I was lucky enough to see him that evening and it was a great experience to hear ST:TMP live, as well as Alien, Papillon, Rambo, and many other scores. But I do hope Williams does visit Canada at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Score 770 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Schindler's list theme - d minor (the first part)Remembrances - d minorDouble Trouble - d minorFinale from HP3 - ends in d minorPatronus' light - D majorSecrets of the Castle - d minor (but the final flute solo is in e minor)Jaws Finale - D majorNice question! I had wondered about that and I thought it was B flat major (Star Wars theme, The Olympic Spirit, part of the theme from Jurassic Park, part of Superman, beginning of Dobby the House elf and others...), but it's also true that he usually employs a lot of tonalities and modulates many times in the same cue (when the cue is tonal!). The possibility of talking to him is an extraordinary, lucky chance!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekUYoda 0 Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 I was re-listening to Jurassic Park today and there's a lovely horn solo in D that I've always loved but forgot about. Interesting - his favorite instrument and his favorite key together! I think I would have guessed B-flat too, Score, but you're right, he really does modulate... quite frequently. It's hard to find any cue that stays in the same place! Makes "theory" analyzation very interesting for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony69 0 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 What i mean is why does JW visit little towns that aren't visible on the average home owners globe and not toronto? urgh, he should come here.ANd btw, call of the champions is in D too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony69 0 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 What i mean is why does JW visit little towns that aren't visible on the average home owners globe and not toronto? urgh, he should come here.ANd btw, call of the champions is in D too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crichton 4 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Awesome review, thanks SeekUYoda! The only time that I've seen JW in concert (summer of '99) I wasn't a hardcore enough fan yet to track him down for an autograph and chat. I wish I had, hopefully I'll have another opportunity.John- who has no comment on the "key of D" discussion, as he has no clue what is being said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskobolus 3 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Always thinking of yourself! Did you even once ask him if he got the card we gave him in Boston? No!!!! But at least now we know what his favorite key is. Gee, couldn't ask an important question could ya!!!???NeilI'll try to Saturday. Any other questions requests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker 5 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Any other questions requests?Ask him what his favorite key is and find out if his stories match.Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Ask him if he remembers Han Solo and the Princess.And tell him you'll kill yourself if he doesn't do GoF.K.M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Barnsbury 8 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 And tell him you'll kill yourself if he doesn't do GoF. LOL Ray Barnsbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskobolus 3 Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Any other questions requests?Ask him what his favorite key is and find out if his stories match.NeilDon't you think he'll see through that? It's not a very common question, is it?And tell him you'll kill yourself if he doesn't do GoF. LOL Ray BarnsburyAnd if I tell him where I go to school, he might believe me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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