On May 23, John Williams led the Boston Pops in the World Premiere of “The Adventures of Han” from Solo: A Star Wars Story during his “Film Night” performance in Boston. This was also the first time that the Boston Pops performed music from The Last Jedi, as well as Williams’ new arrangement of “Han Solo and the Princess.”
“JOHN WILLIAMS’ FILM NIGHT”
May 23 & 24, 2018, Boston, MA
The Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins and JOHN WILLIAMS
CONCERT PROGRAM
Thomas Wilkins Conducting:
- Olympic Fanfare and Theme
- Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Three Selections from Indiana Jones
Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra
Marion’s Theme
The Raiders March - Theme from The Sugarland Express
- Adventures on Earth from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
INTERMISSION
John Wiliams Conducting:
- The Adventures of Mutt from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- A Child’s Tale – Suite from The BFG
- Theme from Jurassic Park
- With Malice Toward None from Lincoln
- Four Selections from Star Wars
The Adventures of Han from Solo: A Star Wars Story (WORLD PREMIERE)
The Rebellion is Reborn from The Last Jedi
Han Solo and the Princess from The Empire Strikes Back (New Arrangement)
The Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars
ENCORES
- To Lenny, To Lenny (For New York)
- The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back
John Williams introducing “The Adventures of Han”
“Well, I think Friday Night, Solo opens. [Cheers]. A further Star Wars episode. And I won’t spoil it for you, because it… ah, no, no, no… it has a lot of history, the history of Han; where he gets his skills and his attitudes, and all the rest of it, and eventually grows up to become Harrison Ford. [Laughs] And so this is a theme, Adventures of Han. And so, without telling you any more about it, this here’s one of the main tunes in the film.”
REVIEWS
- Boston Globe – The Williams-conducted second half featured the world premiere of “The Adventures of Han” from the new “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and with its emphasis on close scrapes and near-misses, it was urgent and scampering, less about triumph than survival. There was also uncertainty in “The Rebellion Is Reborn” from “The Last Jedi” and stormy, low strings threatening fitful sleep in “A Child’s Tale” from “The BFG.” – Full review
VIDEO: Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars (excerpt) – Courtesy Boston Pops
CONCERT PHOTOS
(Credit: Hilary Scott)
