Title - 'Across the Stars'
Artist - Anne-Sophie Mutter/John Williams
Grammy-winning violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter has just released her brand new collaborative album (via Deutsche Grammophon) with legendary film composer John Williams, Across the Stars.
Furthermore, Williams has adapted his beloved scores from films such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Star Wars, Schindler's List, and more specifically for Mutter and this quite wondrous album.
Recorded at Sony Pictures Studios with The Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles, conducted by John Williams himself, Across the Stars is a stunning 12 track album of known and yet elegantly reworked classics from the great man himself.
1. 'Rey's Theme' (from 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens')
2. 'Yoda's Theme' (from Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back')
3. 'Hedwig's Theme' (from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone')
4. 'Across the Stars (Love Theme)' (from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones')
5. 'Donnybrook Fair' (from 'Far and Away')
6. 'Sayuri's Theme' (from Memoirs of a Geisha')
7. 'Night Journeys' (from Dracula')
8. 'Theme' (from 'Sabrina')
9. 'The Duel' (from 'The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn')
10. 'Luke And Leia' (from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi')
11. 'Nice To Be Around' (from 'Cinderella Liberty')
12. 'Theme' (from 'Schindler's List')
Here within Across the Stars we find the obvious staples - the 'Star Wars' trilogy and 'Harry Potter' series, of course - but there are also some lovely renditions from such diverse films as 'Sabrina', 'Far and Away' and 'Memoirs of a Geisha'.
In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to choose what's more impressive: Williams' original takes on his own works or Mutter's extraordinarily expressive violin skills.
Each of the pieces in the collection are rearranged for violin and orchestra (the sole exception being the 'Theme from Schindler's List', which was originally for violin and orchestra).
That said, all the music here is more than simply arranged for new instrumentation for listening to them, one by one, you get a sense of new love, of heartfelt devotion to these tracks by both artists involved.
Official CD Purchase Link
www.deutschegrammophon.com