C Major is delighted to present the world premiere performance of John Williams’ Violin Concerto No.2 from the Tanglewood Festival. Williams himself conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the soloist is the work’s dedicatee, Anne-Sophie Mutter. The legendary composer and superstar violinist are old friends and have enjoyed worldwide success together in recent years. Providing an explosive opening to the concert is American composer-violinist Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst (2012) for string orchestra, full of fiery colours and energy and conducted by the BSO’s Music Director Andris Nelsons. He returns to the stage after the Violin Concerto for Copland’s Quiet City, a score that began life as incidental music for a play of the same name, but found fame as a standalone concert piece. With haunting solo parts for trumpet and English horn, this reflective work paints an atmospheric portrait of a city by night. The programme ends with the suite Stravinsky put together in 1919 from his ballet The Firebird, triumphantly premiered in Paris in 1910. PROGRAM Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Across the Stars; Montgomery: Starburst; Copland: Quiet City; Stravinsky: Suite from The Firebird
John Williams – The Berlin Concert
The history of film music would be different without him: John Williams. Cinema classics like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter are inextricably linked with his soundtracks. They have unforgettable, radiant themes, an impressive range of atmospheres and sounds and, at the same time, the always unmistakable style of the composer. John Williams makes his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker at these concerts. The programme includes several of his most famous scores – and of film music in general. Film music from Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, E.T., Jurassic Park, Far and Away and Star Wars.
ACROSS THE STARS – Anne-Sophie Mutter plays John Williams
With ACROSS THE STARS Anne–Sophie Mutter presents some of the most outstanding works of composer and multiple Oscar Award-winner John Williams in the dream-like scenery of Munich Königsplatz. It’s the first-ever open-air concert of Mutter’s unprecedented career. Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams have been close friends for many years, which imbues this project with a truly special meaning: “Most of the works I perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Munich have been especially arranged for me – the pieces are absolutely new in this form and are performed at this concert for the very first time!” Mutter explains. The program includes pieces from Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Harry Potter, Dracula, E.T., The Witches of Eastwick, The Adventures of Tintin and Indiana Jones.
Anna Lapwood at the Elbphilharmonie
Film music arranged for the Elbphilharmonie Organ. Her enthusiasm is contagious: Anna Lapwood is the new face of an ancient instrument. “I love to surprise people!” exclaims Anna Lapwood. Audiences adore her unconventional approach to playing the organ. Millions of followers watch the 30-year-old British musician on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, captivated by her impressive concert arrangements. She repeatedly challenges the classical canon and devotes herself to popular and film music with the same dedication as Bach, Vierne, Poulenc, and contemporary composers. Can she play “Pirates of the Caribbean« on the organ? “Of course,” says the British social media star. At Elbphilharmonie Hamburg she plays a varied program of film music and organ classics, featuring Lapwood‘s own arrangements, cheerful introductions and audience engagement, dramatic organ sounds, and enchanting lighting design.