What are the best re-recordings of John Williams’ music by other conductors? Star Wars is famously one of the most re-recorded pieces of music in the world, yet there are so much more John Williams re-recordings by many top conductors which deserves a bit of recognition. Join The Legacy of John Williams Head Contributor Tim Burden in a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music—from the superb readings by Charles Gerhardt and Zubin Mehta to the recent vibrant recordings by Gustavo Dudamel, including some fun and unexpected oddities in-between.
Listen to the podcast at The Legacy of John Williams
It’s not an exaggeration to admit that John Williams has been one of the most recorded artists in history, with a number of recordings comparable only to the beloved composers of the classical repertoire. It’s quite an astonishing achievement for someone who has worked mainly in film music, a specialty usually (and wrongfully) put at the fringes of music-making and certainly not associated with huge selling numbers or multiple reinterpretations by top conductors across decades. However, John Williams eschews conventions in many ways, including the notion that film music is an exclusivity of a tiny niche of passionate fans, but it can become something that is enjoyed by a large and diverse audience and also performed with the same dignity, love and respect usually reserved for the classical repertoire.
Making the Notes Leap Off The Page: 50 Years of John Williams’ Re-Recordings, by Maurizio Caschetto