John Williams builds up his London base
mainThe Hollywood composer has let it be known that he will be conducting his first UK concert in 20 years when he leads the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 October.
Williams, 86, has a new album out next month with the LSO on Decca.
It’s called John Williams: A Life In Music.
He’s in legacy mode and he always make sure to keep everyone in the orchestra totally involved.
A new album indeed, but it’s not conducted by Williams.
Gavin Greenaway is an experienced film conductor. In fact, according to IMDB, he’s conducting the recording sessions for the next STAR WARS juggernaut, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. Curious, that his name would be kept off the packaging. I don’t want to suggest that Decca is trying to deceive impulse purchasers (and music journalists) into thinking that Williams is on the podium. That said, the tempi seem to be right and the orchestra sounds good, if the engineers don’t screw it up. However — and not to be too much of a sourpuss — can we have a moratorium on the use of “iconic?”
I am afraid I have to politely disagree with you there re:.tempi. For me it sounds like its all over the shop.
I also think the LSO and Decca have missed a trick by not just releasing a live recording of the RAH concert in October instead.The LSO/Williams partnership is something I thought any recording company would want to milk. Perhaps there is just not enough scheduled time to fit in a patching session.
Oh I have heard some pretty horrendous tempi in film score re-recordings. In any case, I doubt I’ll be purchasing this, but I wouldn’t look down on it as a gift!
He’s conducting Holst again?