#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,420 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I also need to do a write up and I have some pics and films, will try to do it over the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 39,584 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW: CONDUCTOR KEITH LOCKHARTWilliams, Theme from Jurassic ParkWilliams, The Barrel Chase SequenceGardel (arr. Williams), Por Una CabezaRaksin (arr. Morley), Theme from LauraBock (adp. Williams), Excerpts from Fiddler on the RoofWilliams, Throne Room and Finale from Star WarsENCORE: Williams, Imperial March from The Empire Strikes BackKeith Lockhart came out for the second half and did the basic Theme from Jurassic Park arrangement we've heard a million times. Something happened here which annoys me at live concerts - people started clapping like 45 seconds in when they recognized the main melody after the intro portion was over. Grrr! Next came Jaws - and thankfully, it wasn't the theme arrangement like usual (which would have annoyed me because people always laugh at that one for some reason). It was, like the Star Trek music from the first half, set to picture complete with sound effects and dialogue. I should clarify: The program said "The Barrel Chase Sequence", it wasn't the later scene where they are chasing it around with multiple barrels; It was the first scene where they first find the shark in the boat and attach the first barrel - the cue called "Man Against Beast" on the Decca CD and Sea Attack Number One on the LP Re-recording. This makes sense, as its the longest cue in the score by far, and features a wide range of emotions. The presentation started with Brody throwing the chum in the water, and they didn't censor the "shit", which I found surprising. The audience gave nice laugh at "you're gonna need a bigger boat", and a few other key moments. Overall, it was a blast watching this scene with an audience, and the live orchestra just made it better. I wanted it to just keep going and cover the rest of the movie Somewhere around here (I think before Jaws actually) Lockhart talked for a while, saying how Williams was the most modest person he knows, so he'd take the opportunity to talk about John since he never would himself He had a little index card in order to rattle off the amount of Oscar, Grammy, etc awards and nominations he's earned, complete with a "partridge in a pear tree" joke. And discussed the modestry of programming a concert with 3 selections not even written by him (and one not even arranged by him) in his portion of the evening. So with that we were off to Por Una Cabeza, the famous tango from Scent of a Women, Schindler's List, and True Lies. Lockhart told us the story of the odd name before playing it, and introduced violinist Gil Shaham who handled that as well as the next two pieces - the Theme from Laura and Excerpts from Fiddler On The Roof. Williams would have approved of the former's video, which was a montage of femme fatales from all the decades of Hollywood cinema. Fiddler was one of my favorite pieces of the whole night - I actually don't own this OST and am not too familiar with the music, but I really liked what I heard a lot, and the orchestra completely nailed the whole performance.Finally the night ended with Throne Room and Finale from Star Wars, which was the longer arrangement as heard on the Skywalker Symphony CD, and the Revenge of the Sith OST. This was another one of my highlights of the night, surprisingly! I wouldn't have guessed since I've heard this piece so many damn times in my life, but the orchestra totally nailed it, it just sounded great. Gotta love that Force Theme!After leaving the stage and coming back, the encore was The Imperial March, and there's really nothing more that can be said about that. They made it seem like there was going to be another encore, with Lockhart leaving the stage and coming back again, but there wasn't.Overall, a perfect night for a concert - the weather was gorgeous - not too hot, not too cold, and the orchestra sounded great. Wonderful evening all around! It's quite a lovely part of the state, and I hope to visit it again soon!Also, I had already seen the entire Star Trek Into Darkness film live to projection in Philadelphia last year...How was it, btw?Awesome! I posted my thoughts about it in its thread after I saw it; You even replied in the thread after I did! bespinGPT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightscape94 966 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 How 'bout that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post #SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,420 Posted August 31, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted August 31, 2015 Here's my review of the 22 August Tanglewood concert.I had arrived in the small town of Lenox, MA after having spent a delightful 6 days in Maine, staying with my dearest friend and MB member Ren and her family.Jason and his fiancée Marcy were gracious enough actually get me to the concert venue.Lenox and the whole area around Tanglewood really is beautiful. The morning of the concert I spent some time just exploring the place and found myself moved by it's serene beauty. It's a completely different environment for a concert compared to the busy bustle of Boston.the venue itself is a mixture of stately and casual. The "barn" itself is very elegant in it's simplicity. And since tickets had also been sold for the lawn, the venue basically filled up with people dressed for a pick nick. with fold up chairs, blankets, food and snacks etc. I was surprised to not see a full blown BBQ.MB Member Francis (Foxfan) had also arrived and picked me up on West Street. We shared an (overpriced) beer before the concert, and hooked up with Jason and Marcy shortly before the show.The orchestra was The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, which is sort of the "tag team" of the Boston Pops, who were performing at the Proms in London that night. The conductor for the first part of the evening was composer David NewmanThe concert opened with Suite from Forest Gump. Not a piece I was really familiar with, since I had not seen the film, and haven't heard the score in over 15 years. The music was accompanied by a montage of great Paramount film. It was a very nice way to open this film music concert.The second piece was the impressive Suite from Sunset Boulevard by Waxman, again with a montage of clips from that film. Some stunning shots there. This is a film I should watch soon. Next up was a lovely rendition of the theme from Sabrina. That nights first Williams piece. Piano solo by Bob Winter. I've never heard anything from this score performed live, so it was really nice. The famous theme from North By Northwest followed. I had heard this once before in Ubeda, Spain. Conducted by Joel McNeely. But the orchestra really lost it's shit there. This was a more polished performance of a really fabulous piece. This was followed by the always welcome Theme From The Godfather. Also a piece I had heard done before. But it's just so beautiful in it's melancholy and simplicity that I would gladly hear it another dozen times in concert before i'd tire of it. The second to last piece before the intermission was the opening scene from Star Trek Into Darkness, performed live to screen.Fun! I've always loved the films opening, probably the closest to traditional TOS that JJ Abrams has gone, and Gia's music works very well in support of it. David Newman's encore was a sprightly rendition of Schifrin's Mission Impossible theme. The first time I heard it in concert. Nice! The intermission came and went and Keith Lockhart came on stage to conduct the second part, which would have been done by John Williams originally.Lockhart opened with Theme From Jurassic Park. Conducting it fast ala Williams, which IMO always takes a bit of the awe from it. That plus the fact that it's a piece that I've heard quite a few times now makes this one of the lesser ones of the night. Though there wasnt actually really anything wrong with it. He then grabbed a Mike and started telling something about John Williams. His second piece was probably my favourite of the evening. I had heard the theme from Jaws a few times, But to hear Man Against Beast from Jaws (named The Barrel Chase in the concert booklet) was a real delight. This piece was performed to picture. And even though I've seen the film countless times, the last one being just a few days ago in Maine I really loved it. Fun to see the audience reacting to the appearance of the shark and Brody's immortal line. Next up was the "Presenting Gil Shaham" part of the concert.World renowned violinist Gil Shaham played 4 pieces in total.First up was Por Una Cabeza, the famous tango featured in Scene Of A Woman and Schindlers List. Well performed but nothing spectacular. I heard a better rendition by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra Following this was Theme From Laura, by Raskin. Performed to a montage of famous screen femme fatales. Another decent but far from stand out part of the evening.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU3HNUDg5oENext up came one of the highlights though. Bock: Excerpts from Fiddler On The Room, a lengthy piece performed with gusto by the orchestra and especially Gil Shaham, who did some insane virtuoso work here. Really a stunning piece which was loved by the crowd.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMAaxzVZdFghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVz4o2WqkcQShaham's final piece wasnt in the program. Theme from Schindlers List. A staple of John Williams themed concerts, and film music concerts in general so one of the pieces I've heard the most. But again the delicate solo work by Shaham made it worthwhile.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiAX2kklagwThis highlight was followed by another one. Like Jason I had heard Throne Room and Finale more then a few times, but this performance really was excellent. Brilliantly capturing the celebratory feel of the piece.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsPGav89wxsAfter that Lockhart gifted us with one encore. A very solid reading of The Imperial March (I knew this was coming, since i heard a brass player practising a few bars during the intermission)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQN8fXaVI0And then the concert was done. Francis., Marcy, Jason and I hooked up and did a little bit of post concert chatting. No drinks sadly since apparently everything was closed for the evening.Jason and Marcy kindly drove me back to my hostel. (Lenox' serene West Street really becomes a problem when you have a thousand or so cars wanting to go home all at once)All in all it had been a worthwhile evening with a strong concert. It didnt have the magic (for me) that my 2 Boston concerts had 2 years earlier. But that was impossible anyway without Williams conducting at least part of it. I'm glad I went, and I hope I will be able to go again with John Williams actually there.Who knows.... Code 000. Destruct. 0., Muad'Dib, TownerFan and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,255 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 His second piece was probably my favourite of the evening. I had heard the theme from Jaws a few times, But to hear Man Against Beast from Jaws (named The Barrel Chase in the concert booklet) was a real delight. This piece was performed to picture. And even though I've seen the film countless times, the last one being just a few days ago in Maine I really loved it. Fun to see the audience reacting to the appearance of the shark and Brody's immortal line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 39,584 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Brody has two immortal lines in that sequence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bespinGPT 8,814 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Normally, an audio of this series is always published on www.wgbh.org, no?I'll wait for this impatiently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,420 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Brody has two immortal lines in that sequence!"Slow ahead. I can go slow ahead. Come on down here and chum some of this shit. ..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 39,584 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Yea!A brilliantly devised shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,816 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Great review Stefan! And Jason as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,420 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Yea!A brilliantly devised shot.You gotta wonder how many takes they had to do to get it just right, considering the shark never really worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 39,584 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Yea, true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,260 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Great post Stefan. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bespinGPT 8,814 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 More than 85 000 posts of waiting before a relevant one. There is hope! Great review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,541 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Hehehe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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