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Tag: André Previn

John Williams on PBS Tonight Star Wars Throwback

To get you in the mood for tonight’s broadcast of John Williams’ Violin Concerto No. 2, on PBS’ “Great Performances,” here’s a throwback to Williams conducting selections from “Star Wars,” on “Previn and the Pittsburgh” (aired on March 26, 1978) – back when “Star Wars” was still fresh, and back when PBS was still PBS.

Interesting to find that Williams had already done considerable tinkering in his concert arrangement of the “Throne Room and End Title” music. It was perfect in the movie, John! A lot of vim in the performance, though. The diptych opens with “Princess Leia’s Theme.”

Anne-Sophie Mutter – the former Mrs. Previn – will be the soloist on tonight’s broadcast of the Violin Concerto No. 2, again with Williams conducting. The concert was filmed at Tanglewood in July. The program will also feature Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performing music by Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, and Jesse Montgomery.

The show airs here at 9:00 PM EST. Consult your local listings. You’ll find an interview and promos here:

Anne-Sophie Mutter Performs John Williams’ Violin Concerto

*** BONUS! ***

Previn interviews Williams in 1988 (pictured), and Williams is in an unusually candid mood. The two were old friends, of course, who had already known one another for 30 years. I’d never actually never seen it before, and it’s terrific. Maybe Williams’ best interview.

November 12, 2021
Ernie Kovacs Show David Frankham & More

I located David Frankham’s appearance on Ernie Kovacs! Edie Adams sings Victor Herbert’s “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life,” with interpolations of Wagner and Kovacs as Nelson Eddy. Frankham (right) plays a melting violin at 5:27. Louis Jourdan follows on the kettledrums, and none other than André Previn pops in to conduct the orchestra at 5:44! No Kovacs sketch is complete without gorillas and firehoses.

October 4, 2021
Miklós Rózsa Centennial Celebration

Today is the birthday of the great Miklós Rózsa (1907-1995).

Rózsa receives his third Academy Award, from the hand of Gene Kelly. (BONUS: André Previn wins for his work on “Porgy and Bess.”)

Later, Rózsa conducted a suite from his most celebrated film score on the PBS series “Previn & the Pittsburgh.”

Previn interviews Rózsa, in the presence of John Williams. (Fun anecdote about Bernard Herrmann and slight regard for Herbert Stothart.)

Happy birthday, Miklós Rózsa!

PHOTO (right to left): Rózsa, Previn, and Williams in 1979

April 18, 2021
Remembering André Previn: A Hollywood & Classical Music Giant

The outpouring of love and grief precipitated by the death of André Previn on February 28 seems to have brought the music world to state of catharsis. So I wonder how many will pause to remember him today, on what would have been his 90th birthday. Clearly any musical tributes will take place as scheduled over the coming season.

For now, I offer a few reminiscences of “Previn & The Pittsburgh,” a television series featuring performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, introduced by Previn, then the orchestra’s music director. Of particular interest was an episode subtitled “The Music that Made the Movies,” devoted to outstanding film scores, with special guests John Williams and Miklós Rózsa. To hear Rózsa talk and to see him conduct his music for “Ben-Hur” is priceless.

It is to be remembered that before he became recognized as a world-class conductor of symphonies, Previn enjoyed an active and successful career in the film industry, where he rubbed shoulders with many Hollywood legends, musical and otherwise.

Thank you, André Previn, for all the beauty, inspiration, solace, and refinement you brought to the world.

Previn conducts Jerry Goldsmith, from “The Blue Max.”

Miklós Rózsa talks about Old Hollywood and Bernard Herrmann.

Previn conducts Bernard Herrmann’s music for “Psycho.”

Rózsa, bringing it Old School, as he conducts “Ben-Hur.”

Previn invites John Williams to conduct “Star Wars.”

Williams conducts “Superman.”

Three Magi of movie music (left to right): Williams, Previn, and Rózsa

April 6, 2019
André Previn Interviews & Concert Works

To get you in the mood for my final André Previn tribute, devoted to his concert works, on tonight’s edition of “The Lost Chord,” here are a couple of worthwhile interviews with the conductor-composer-pianist:

“André Previn says he keeps telling John Williams, ‘John, stop it with the ‘Star Wars’”

https://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/arts/andre-previn-says-he-keeps-telling-john-williams-john-stop-it-with-the-star-wars-20171012.html

“Make any fool of me you like, but I won’t have you make fun of the music”

https://www.classicfm.com/artists/andre-previn/guides/andre-previn-80/

Join me for Previn’s Cello Sonata (with Yo-Yo Ma) and “Diversions” (with the Vienna Philharmonic), on “André the Pliant,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

March 10, 2019

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