An Evening With John Williams

This past Friday night I had the pleasure of doing something I've always wanted to do... to sit under the stars and listen to the master himself, John Williams, conduct a symphony Orchestra.

I got this opportunity in Hollywood, California, as Williams conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the legendary Hollywood Bowl (which is an outdoor amphitheater). The evening, titled "The Music of the Movies", was a tribute to Hollywood, and Williams showed just how much he loves what he does for a living.

For the first half of the show he conducted scores from other great Hollywood composers, including a pieces from "Sunset Boulevard", "Spartacus", "Psycho" and "Fiddler on the Roof". Many of the pieces were accompanied by film clips or montages played in synch with the music on several large screens at the Bowl. But after intermission, the evening rose to the sublime, as Williams moved on to his own works. After wowing the crowd with several pieces from "Jaws" and "Indiana Jones", he moved on to Star Wars. And he made some interesting selections:

• "Luke and Leia"
• "The Forest Battle"
• "Throne Room & Finale"

The first two pieces are not distinctly Star Wars to the untrained ear, but the last is of course iconic. But I found it refreshing to hear him conduct several less "traditional" Star Wars pieces. I found myself really listening to the music... enjoying every note.... as music rather than as a piece of Star Wars.

But not to disappoint, Williams then led the orchestra in "Yoda's Theme" and the "Imperial March" for his first two encores. Hundreds of toy lightsabers lit up the faces in the crowd and wild screams of sheer joy rang out from all over the amphitheater. For those who came seeking "The Force"... they found it. Check out the clip below of "Throne Room & Finale":



And in his last finale of the evening, Williams chose the theme from "Superman"... which fits the man himself perfectly.

Sep 2, 2010