Stoo
Well-known member
Well, 2 nights ago, I had a very, moving experience at a concert tribute called "The John Williams Adventures" by L'Orchestre Académique Romand.
Shockingly, there was NO Indy music at all but, wow, what a night of great music. It started and closed with the themes he wrote for the Olympics
and in between were various selections from his illustrious career. What a catalogue of classic tunes he has under his belt!
First up after the opener was "Close Encounters' which was the most emotional instance for me since I hadn't heard it years and years but every
nuance & note started flooding right back. My brother and I used to listen to the LP at home and it made me think of those days.
Later on, it was time for "Jaws"! The tempo at the beginning wasn't slow enough however the outcome did not suffer in any way! The orchestra delivered
the relentless, pulsating rhythym with such precision that it filled the entire hall with ominous air of impending doom. Excellent performance.
One of most rousing moments of the night came with "Superman". I'd forgotten how great this piece is and had a lump in my throat hearing it again.
The increasingly tense buid-up that leads to the main trumpet barrage gave me goosebumps before the "Can You Read My Mind?" codas swept me right
into the clouds. The horn section was beautifully loud and stirring for this romantic and triumphant tune. The cymbal crashes and ending crescendo was
enough to send shivers down the spine. One of Williams' best.
I didn't think I would enjoy the "Star Wars" selections as much as I did since I've heard those soundtracks to death. The opening note (which accompanies
the logo) was a SMACK IN THE FACE! Our seats were front row of the balcony but it was so LOUD my girlfriend and I actually felt it phsyically!!! They did
4 pieces and "The Imperial March" was very well received by the audience but it was "Leia's Theme" that pretty much had me in tears. (The SW Radio Show
used it extensively so it had me waxing nostaligic for those days when endless hours were spent listening to the crappy, casette recordings I had made.)
Those were the highlights. Here's the complete roster:
Olympic Spirit
Close Encouters of the Third Kind
E.T.
The Patriot
Jaws
Jurassic Park II: The Lost World
Saving Private Ryan
Superman
----
Star Wars (Main Theme, Leia's Theme, Imperial March and Throne Room/End Titles)
Schindler's List (2 pieces)
JFK
Harry Potter (3 pieces)
Olympic Fanfare and Theme
I was hoping to hear some Indy, Poseidon Adventure or maybe something really obscure (Land of the Giants or The Time Tunnel) but was very pleased.
Well worth the ticket price. Craving more, I went home and watched my video of Williams (and C-3PO) conducting the Boston Pops back in c.April '80.
The sad part of it is that the turnout was extremely poor. At intermission, one of the musicians told me there was only 36 people in the audience.
When I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to go, she said, "Who's John Williams?"
Unfortunately, this show is only touring in Switzerland but there are still some Nov/Dec dates left.
http://www.resaplus.ch/resaplus/fr/recherche/5181/default.html?search_string=john williams
Has anyone else attended a similar John Williams tribute concert and wish to share their experience?
Shockingly, there was NO Indy music at all but, wow, what a night of great music. It started and closed with the themes he wrote for the Olympics
and in between were various selections from his illustrious career. What a catalogue of classic tunes he has under his belt!
First up after the opener was "Close Encounters' which was the most emotional instance for me since I hadn't heard it years and years but every
nuance & note started flooding right back. My brother and I used to listen to the LP at home and it made me think of those days.
Later on, it was time for "Jaws"! The tempo at the beginning wasn't slow enough however the outcome did not suffer in any way! The orchestra delivered
the relentless, pulsating rhythym with such precision that it filled the entire hall with ominous air of impending doom. Excellent performance.
One of most rousing moments of the night came with "Superman". I'd forgotten how great this piece is and had a lump in my throat hearing it again.
The increasingly tense buid-up that leads to the main trumpet barrage gave me goosebumps before the "Can You Read My Mind?" codas swept me right
into the clouds. The horn section was beautifully loud and stirring for this romantic and triumphant tune. The cymbal crashes and ending crescendo was
enough to send shivers down the spine. One of Williams' best.
I didn't think I would enjoy the "Star Wars" selections as much as I did since I've heard those soundtracks to death. The opening note (which accompanies
the logo) was a SMACK IN THE FACE! Our seats were front row of the balcony but it was so LOUD my girlfriend and I actually felt it phsyically!!! They did
4 pieces and "The Imperial March" was very well received by the audience but it was "Leia's Theme" that pretty much had me in tears. (The SW Radio Show
used it extensively so it had me waxing nostaligic for those days when endless hours were spent listening to the crappy, casette recordings I had made.)
Those were the highlights. Here's the complete roster:
Olympic Spirit
Close Encouters of the Third Kind
E.T.
The Patriot
Jaws
Jurassic Park II: The Lost World
Saving Private Ryan
Superman
----
Star Wars (Main Theme, Leia's Theme, Imperial March and Throne Room/End Titles)
Schindler's List (2 pieces)
JFK
Harry Potter (3 pieces)
Olympic Fanfare and Theme
I was hoping to hear some Indy, Poseidon Adventure or maybe something really obscure (Land of the Giants or The Time Tunnel) but was very pleased.
Well worth the ticket price. Craving more, I went home and watched my video of Williams (and C-3PO) conducting the Boston Pops back in c.April '80.
The sad part of it is that the turnout was extremely poor. At intermission, one of the musicians told me there was only 36 people in the audience.
When I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to go, she said, "Who's John Williams?"
Unfortunately, this show is only touring in Switzerland but there are still some Nov/Dec dates left.
http://www.resaplus.ch/resaplus/fr/recherche/5181/default.html?search_string=john williams
Has anyone else attended a similar John Williams tribute concert and wish to share their experience?