Not what I was planning to post today, but I’m pressed for time. This nifty photo of Gloria Cheng, John Williams, Randy Newman and Don Davis is a promotion for Cheng’s new album, “Montage: Great Film Composers and the Piano.”
Watch a clip (also featuring Alexandre Desplat) here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52WrNa51E-0
With a write-up at filmmusicsociety.org:
http://www.filmmusicsociety.org/news_events/features/2015/020915.html
Classical music is so marginalized at the Grammy Awards, I don’t even bother watching. In fact, most years I don’t even pay attention to the nominees, except maybe, if I think of it, in the film score category.
Imagine my surprise when I scrolled through the list of winners this morning to find John Williams collected another statuette for his mantle (on his birthday, no less), for “Best Instrumental Composition,” for his score to “The Book Thief.” I can never quite grasp the timeline for the Grammys. “The Book Thief” was released in 2013.
Williams beat out Stanley Clarke (“Last Train to Sanity”), Gordon Goodwin (“Life in the Bubble”), Rufus Reid (“Recognition”) and Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile (“Tarnatian”).
Here are the other film and classical music winners:
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Frozen
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Song Written for Visual Media
“Let It Go”
Best Engineered Album, Classical
Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem; Symphony No. 4; The Lark Ascending
Classical Producer of the Year
Judith Sherman
Best Orchestral Performance
“Adams, John: City Noir,” David Robertson, conductor (St. Louis Symphony)
Best Opera Recording
“Charpentier: La Descente D’Orphée Aux Enfers,” Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble; Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble)
Best Choral Performance
“The Sacred Spirit Of Russia,” Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Conspirare)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“In 27 Pieces — The Hilary Hahn Encores,” Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Play,” Jason Vieaux
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Douce France
Best Classical Compendium
Partch: Plectra & Percussion Dances
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
“Adams, John Luther: Become Ocean,” John Luther Adams
John Williams’ music for “The Book Thief”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hufmaYJNKY
Still one of the most bravura openings of any movie:
Happy birthday, John Williams (born 1932).
Lights! Camera! Music?
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra will present “A Silver Screen Salute” on February 7 at 8 p.m.
The concert, which will take place at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium, will include some of film’s most evocative music, including themes from “Gone with the Wind,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Star Wars.”
Also featured will be Academy Award winning music by Franz Waxman for “Sunset Boulevard,” Bernard Herrmann’s score for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” Ennio Morricone’s poignant melodies for “Cinema Paradiso,” and John Williams’ Indiana Jones march from “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
The PSO will be joined by The American Boychoir for selections from Williams’ “Empire of the Sun,” “Amistad,” and “Saving Private Ryan,” as well as Herbert Stothart’s score for “The Wizard of Oz,” on themes of Harold Arlen.
NPR arts commentator Bob Mondello will host the event. Read more about it in my article in today’s Trenton Times.
http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2015/01/princeton_symphony_orchestra_p.html
PHOTO: PSO Music Director Rossen Milanov, ready for his close-up
Dear Wolfgang,
Sorry for being such an idiot. I confess to feeling total disappointment when your music is listed on a concert program or announced on the radio, yet when I actually listen to it, it almost always yields rewards.
You wrote my favorite opera of all time (“The Marriage of Figaro”). You wrote the favorite opera of my youth (“The Magic Flute”). You wrote a piece I could not stop listening to when I was in high school (“Eine kleine Nachtmusik”). There are pieces you wrote that I adore. So why do I bear so much prejudice against you?
Maybe it’s for the same reason some people hate John Williams or Stephen King. If it’s popular, it can’t be good, right? Right?
(Please note: I adore John Williams.)
Happy birthday, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
With a shout-out to poor Edouard Lalo (1823-1892)!
Very truly yours,
R
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