John Williams in Louisville, Kentucky January 18, 2014

[Smeltington 1,716]

http://www.kentuckycenter.org/Louisville-Orchestra/13-14/An-Evening-with-John-Williams/10512#tab-performances

Tickets go on sale Tuesday! Anyone else going? I was the sole representative of JWFan at the Atlanta concert last year, so I suspect the same might happen for Louisville.

Also, check it out, this is the first thread I've ever started on this forum! Hurrah!

[Ricard 2,280]

We reported this on March 21 http://www.jwfan.com/?p=5487

But I don't think we had a thread about it

[Smeltington 1,716]

That's the only way I knew about it! But yeah we need a thread where I can put my eventual report on the concert.

[tranders65 80]

Smeltington, looks like I'll be there with you! Just got some tix today as a birthday present, so that'll be another bucket list item to mark off.

[Smeltington 1,716]

Amazing! Wow, that's a great birthday gift. Lucky you!

[Mari 279]

Is anyone from JWFan attending the concert tonight? If so, have a great time! I look forward to reading your reports.

An article about how the Louisville Orchestra snagged him can be read here.

Thanks to a benefit concert years ago in Tucson, Arizona a friendship was forged. "He's a really important person in my life in terms of a mentor and a friend," said Bernhardt, "He's very kind and very generous." So generous, Williams has appeared around the country at times for various orchestras recovering from the economic fallout of 2008 much like the Louisville Orchestra.

SuperJohnWilliams! Saving orchestras around America.

[Max 147]

I had a blast! I thought it was a great concert, and the place was packed. I'll post a more detailed report soon.

[tranders65 80]

I was there last night, too- fantastic concert, especially since I've never been able to see him but have been listening to him since 1975! The orchestra was excellent, barring a few flubbed notes from the French horns that I caught. It was a packed house and apparently was the biggest grossing concert for them in their 76 year history (no surprise there). Williams seemed like he might have been fighting a cold or something and sounded a little tired, but still was cranking out some energy. Even though I love everything they played, I think I got the biggest kick out of hearing the Close Encounters suite and the end credits to Far and Away, since those are both typically not pieces you'd hear performed live. Great night though and so glad I finally got to see him in person! Anybody else from here get to go?

[Smeltington 1,716]

I was there too, and loved every minute of the concert. Here's the program:

The Cowboys Overture

Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Three Pieces from Harry Potter

Hedwig's Theme

Nimbus 2000

Harry's Wondrous World

Adventures on Earth from E.T. The Extra-terrestrial

- Intermission -

Hooray for Hollywood

Dartmoor, 1912 from War Horse

With Malice Toward None from Lincoln

Suite from Far and Away

Theme from Schindler's List

Three Pieces from Star Wars

The Imperial March

Yoda's Theme

Main Title

Theme from Jaws (encore)

The Raiders March (encore)

Theme from Superman (encore)

I drove from Atlanta for the show, which is the closest Williams has come to me since the concert in Atlanta over a year ago. We sat in the front row, a bit to one side, and had a great view of the podium. One really nice thing about the performance was that no video screen was used, which was a first for Williams concerts I've been to, and it was a lot easier to focus on the music.

The highlights for me were some of the pieces I'd never heard Williams conduct before - Nimbus 2000, the Imperial March, Yoda's Theme, Superman, and With Malice Toward none (Lincoln has steadily grown on me since its release, and I was really hoping to hear something from it). While I wasn't looking forward to hearing Schindler's List for the umpteenth time, the violinist really sold me on it, and watching his performance up close helped draw me in.

Williams told his usual stories and jokes, including the one about all the translated languages of the Harry Potter books, and of course the Schindler's story. I was reminded WHY he tells it every time, though, as it got a HUGE laugh. He also praised Day-Lewis' performance in Lincoln, and mentioned that he had recently watched ET again for the first time in many years and felt that the child actors' performances were the most timeless aspect of the film, adding that the same was true for Home Alone (leading me to wonder if they'd play something from it, but they didn't).

The orchestra sounded fantastic to my admittedly untrained ears. They really came alive during Hedwig's Theme, and the celeste performance was flawless, as was the flute in Dartmoore, cello at the opening of With Malice..., violin in Far and Away, and so on. It was a great joy to watch the violinists during the bridge of the Imperial March.

After the three pieces from Star Wars, Williams exited and returned three times after enormous applause and ovations to play encores - Jaws, to the usual audience laughter, followed by Raiders, and finally, Superman. The latter two pieces got a big cheer when the audience recognized them. After Superman, Williams did his sleepytime pose and this time the lights came up. I noticed the orchestra had the sheet music for Clash of the Lightsabers out, which admittedly would have been AMAZING but with three encores I was satisfied.

There were a few last minute changes to the program, such as moving the Harry Potter suite up to the first half. The original program also listed two different Star Wars pieces - Luke and Leia and Clash of the Lightsabers in place of the Imperial March and Yoda's Theme.

We went and waited outside for autographs, along with about 20 or so other fans, but after half an hour of waiting some security dudes moved us far and away from the waiting cars, and we weren't able to catch a glimpse of Williams. I saw people with Star Wars LPs, the orchestral score for the Raiders March, and a family who was in town from Seattle with a homemade poster featuring Superman, ET, and others. I had my Sorcerer's Stone CD just in case. Oh well, the quest continues!

All in all, a great evening and I got to hear a lot of music I had been really hoping for, plus watching everything up close helped give me a new appreciation for some old favorites. Here's hoping Williams' touring trend continues and everyone gets a chance to be transported by the magic of his music like we were in Louisville.

[tranders65 80]

Glad you were there Smellington! Where do you live in Atlanta? I'm from there originally - grew up in Marietta - but live in Lexington, KY now. I brought my Star Wars LP also just in case, but with 2500+ people there I had no idea where to even hang out to see if we could find him, so you made it a step further than I did. And like you, even though it was my first time seeing him in person, I've read so many reviews/recaps of his concerts that I pretty much knew exactly how it was going to go and even told my wife and the lady sitting next to me that we'd know he was finished with the encores when he made the sleepy time motion. He did not let me down.

[Smeltington 1,716]

Hi Tranders, great to hear you enjoyed the concert! Yes, Williams has his tendencies and it's easy to see why. The better known pieces he played and his usual stories and jokes all got the biggest reactions. I assume he selects the more esoteric pieces like The Cowboys or Far and Away for his own enjoyment, for variety, and to give the fans a surprise beyond the big moments that we've all come to expect. Of course, there is still some rotation among his most often-conducted works, as evidenced by the fact I had still never heard him conduct Superman and some of the Star Wars pieces, and this was my fourth concert.

I live in the downtown area of Atlanta. I visit Marietta pretty often, especially Marietta Square, the art museum, and the big chicken. It's great that you got a Williams concert so close to you, and nice to see this concert bringing some more JWFans out of the woodwork By the way, the snow in Louisville just before the show made the evening extra special. As I'm sure you can attest, it's a rare thing to see for anyone living in Georgia!

[chumphrey 0]

Is the Cowboys Overture that was played in Louisville on the Cowboys soundtrack? The overture on the soundtrack is only 2:32 and the piece at the concert was much longer than that. Thanks!

[igger6 979]

In Chicago last November he played this version (or something very close to it):

http://www.amazon.com/Request-John-Williams-Boston-Pops/dp/B0015S07D6/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_0

It makes the soundtrack version sound like a toy monkey with cymbals.

[chumphrey 0]

Got it. Thanks Igger6. I think that is the same arrangement. No more toy monkeys.

[chumphrey 0]

Trying to track down "Nimbus 2000". I have all 3 Harry Potter Soundtracks. Is it somewhere else, or on those under another title? Thanks!

[indy4 155]

It's available here: http://www.amazon.com/Nimbus-2000/dp/B000S457ZQ

But just so ya know, there are rumors of an expanded Potter release coming soon, which may include "Nimbus 2000" and more (and performed by the LSO, not the city of Prague). So you might consider waiting before spending the money (althoguh its only $1)