Title - 'Celebrating John Williams' [2CD]
Artist - Gustavo Dudamel / Los Angeles Philharmonic
For those not in the know, Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist and he is also the music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Having earlier this year been given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Gusatvo is now repaying the honor with this quite stunning new 2CD collection entitled Celebrating John Williams (out now via Deutsche Grammophon).
CD: 1
1. 'Olympic Fanfare And Theme'
2. 'Excerpts from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind'
3. 'Out To Sea and The Shark Cage Fugue from Jaws'
4-6. 'Three Selections from Harry Potter'
7. 'Theme from Schindler’s List'
8. 'Adventures On Earth from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
9. 'The Flight To Neverland from Hook'
CD: 2
1.' Theme from 'Jurassic Park'
2-4. 'Three Selections from Indiana Jones'
5. 'Sayuri’s Theme from Memoirs Of A Geisha'
6-8. 'Three Selections from Star Wars'
9. 'Adagio from Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens'
10. 'Superman March from Superman'
My goodness, if you like John Williams' work and you also have a passion for the brilliance of Gustavo Dudamel, well, you're in for a glorious musical treat here, my friends.
For this 2CD set presents a veritable Who's-Who of the film scores of John Williams, collecting together extracts from 10 of his most celebrated films (or franchises therein), into a stunning live concert; played and recorded complete with as much "Hollywood smultz" as can be proffered it by the exquisite Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Everything you ever wanted to hear and more is here and I'm sure, in times to come that this recording will become a must-have for all classical music lovers and lovers of movie scores combined.
Recorded live at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles in 2019, they open with a soaring 'Olympic Fanfare and Theme' before moving seamlessly into 'Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'
Believe me when I say that everything you hear on these two discs has already been heard, sure, but never quite like the impassioned manner as in which it is brought forth live here by Gustavo.
With most everything here instantly recognizable to those directing an ear to them, other stand outs over the two discs are the melodramatic, yet stylized strings of 'Sayuri's Theme from Memoirs of a Geisha', the poignancy of Theme from Schindler’s List' and a trifecta of selections from the 'Harry Potter' films.
But, of course, once the trumpets begin to blare out and unite as one for a trio of selections from 'Star Wars,' well, together with those and 'Adagio from Star wars: The Force Awakens' and the album ending 'Superman March' and come the final chords you just know your heart is beating a little faster and louder than it was at the beginning of the musical experience!
Official Purchase Link
www.gustavodudamel.com
www.DeutscheGrammophon.com