“John Williams In Vienna” features the legendary composer’s historic debut concert with the Vienna Philharmonic, conducting them for the very first time. Before a single note had been played in the Musikverein, Maestro Williams received a standing ovation and told the audience that the invitation to work with the Vienna Philharmonic was “one of the greatest honours of my life”.
The Hollywood legend and the world-famous orchestra, joined by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, performed iconic themes from cinematic landmarks including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. The legendary American composer’s movie soundtracks are among the best-loved of all time and have received countless prestigious awards, including five Oscars, five Emmys, four Golden Globes and twenty-five Grammys.
Mutter captivated the Musikverein audience with a series of the virtuosic arrangements written specially for her by Williams, including ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ from the Harry Potter films, ‘Devil’s Dance’ from The Witches Of Eastwick and the Theme from Sabrina. The conductor and the violinist formed their artistic partnership last year for their album Across The Stars, featuring many new arrangements of John Williams’ iconic movie themes for violin and orchestra.
John Williams admitted he’d been unsure how the Vienna Philharmonic would adapt to playing his music. “I couldn’t have been more happily surprised,” he said after their concerts. “I have to compliment the orchestra on their great virtuosity and fantastic ability to perform all styles of music.” During rehearsals the Vienna Philharmonic’s brass players asked John Williams if they could add the ‘Imperial March’ from Star Wars to the programme. “It was honestly one of the best presentations of that March I’ve ever heard”, Williams reflected afterwards. “They played it as though they owned it and I felt very grateful to them for giving me a chance to play it at the end of our programme.”
John Williams
THE FLIGHT TO NEVERLAND
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HOOK
EXCERPTS
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
HEDWIG’S THEME
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HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
THEME
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SABRINA
DONNYBROOK FAIR
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FAR AND AWAY
DEVIL’S DANCE
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THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK
ADVENTURES ON EARTH
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E.T.
THEME
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JURASSIC PARK
DARTMOOR, 1912
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WAR HORSE
OUT TO SEA | THE SHARK CAGE FUGUE
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JAWS
MARION’S THEME
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INDIANA JONES – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
THE REBELLION IS REBORN
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STAR WARS – THE LAST JEDI