‘Tanglewood on Parade’ Concert Review (Adagio from ‘The Force Awakens’ US Premiere)

‘TANGLEWOOD ON PARADE’
August 7, 2018, Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox, MA
Boston Pops Orchestra, BSO and TMCO conducted by Bramwell Tovey, Keith Lockhart, Stefan Asbury, and JOHN WILLIAMS
Kirill Gerstein, piano

CONCERT PROGRAM

  • Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy (Tchaikovsky)
  • Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 A Place in the Sun (Ravel)
  • Overture to Nice Work if You Can Get It (arr. & orch. by Bill Elliott) (Gershwin)
  • Three selections from Star Wars (Williams)
    The Adventures of Han from Solo: A Star Wars Story
    Adagio from The Force Awakens
    The Jedi Steps and Finale from The Force Awakens
  • 1812 Overture, Op. 49 (Tchaikovsky)

Review from The Berkshire Eagle:

Later came the hero’s welcome for Williams, a spry-looking 86, leading an especially appealing trio of selections from his most recent “Star Wars” contributions.

Bookended by “The Adventures of Han” from last spring’s “Solo: A Star Wars story” and “The Jedi Steps and Finale” from “The Force Awakens” — reimagined samplings of his familiar series themes — a new concert arrangement, “Adagio,” adapted from cues from that 2015 film also known as “Episode VII” was seriously, stunningly beautiful.

Conducting with remarkable vitality, Williams was obviously pleased to be back at Tanglewood, which he described to me as the “spiritual center” of music in America during an August 2012 interview for The Eagle.

Full review

VIDEO: Adagio from The Force Awakens World Premiere (Mexico DF, March 8. 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=480&v=WFVmmitRJRY