RAIDERS won the night @ Hollywood Bowl

[ Reply ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Adam from 12.29.96.50 on August 19, 2000 at 03:23:44:

Literally just got back from The Hollywood Bowl, where John Williams performed a variety of his film scores with the L.A. Philhamonic to a crowd of thousands.

The actual performance differed from the program that was originally scheduled. As memory serves, it went something like this:

National Anthem
Olympic Fanfare
Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- Excerpts
Empire of the Sun -- Jim's Busy day
Angela's Ashes -- Excerpts
Far & Away -- Main Theme
Hook -- Off to Neverland
2000 Millenium Showcase
The Patriot -- Main theme
JAWS -- Out to Sea theme
PHANTOM MENACE -- Anakin's Theme
SCHINDLER'S LIST - MAIN THEME
ABC NIGHTLY NEWS
E.T. -- Finale

As Williams does this show every year, he often likes to try to perform different themes than his usual common blockbusters. Though JAWS and STAR WARS THE PHANTOM MENACE were showcased, their respective main themes were not played -- rather, the energetic "Out to Sea" from JAWS and the slow, intimate "Anakin's Theme" from STAR WARS. (Another work, very popular but not featured, was SUPERMAN.) He also likes to perform some more recent work -- hence the underappreciated ANGELA's ASHES, and the wonderfully, movingly scored THE PATRIOT.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS has always been one of my top favorite Spielberg films (along with SCHINDLER'S LIST, RAIDERS, and JAWS), and I was happy to hear it here. Sadly, the sequence incorporating "When You Wish Upon A Star" -- it always makes me teary eyed -- was not included.

FAR & AWAY and the MILLENIAL ANTHEM (a special project Spielberg directed last year) were not good representations of Williams' best work, and both pieces seemed a tad too long and repetitive.

Of the pieces performed, standouts included a haunting, lovingly played performance of SCHINDLER'S LIST (which drew some of the strongest applause), THE PATRIOT, and the finale to E.T.

Anyone who'se seen Williams perform also knows that he has a childish, playful tendancy and likes to play games with his audience. Towards the end of the show, where he deviates from the music selected on the program, he likes to walk off stage -- leaving the audience to believe that it's all over -- only to return and play another piece.

And, you guessed it, the finale of the show -- the one that made the crowd immediately cheer and applaud upon those first familiar four brass notes -- was the entire RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK SUITE, including the MARION'S THEME movement. It was the first time I've ever seen Williams perform that piece, in person.


Follow Ups:



Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:  


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]