John Williams cancels Vienna ‘on health grounds’
OrchestrasMessage from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra:
The Vienna Philharmonic and the Musikverein Wien regret to announce that the concerts on 7 and 8 December 2024 with John Williams have to be cancelled.
Due to a recent health issue from which he is expected to make a full recovery, John Williams regrets that he is unable to perform his concerts this December with Thomas Adès and the Vienna Philharmonic. Maestro Williams greatly looks forward to rescheduling his concerts in Vienna at the soonest opportunity.
May the Force be with him, always.
Yes he’s the top of the film composers the best of the best along with Jerry Goldsmith
…along with Korngold!
And Rozsa!
And Tiomkin!!!
Bernard Herrmann !
William Walton
Nino Rota. Enrico Morricone.
Let´s hope he recovers soon, like Herbert Blomstedt….He already had canceled Tanglewood
Stop it.
John Williams is getting more play than he deserves artistically, or that he needs commercially.
I love the Imperial March as much as the next Darth Vader fan, ok? But seriously, we can all just get that scene from youtube.
Even if the Viennese don’t care about American-style DEI programming, aren’t there obscure Bruckner or Strauss pieces the Vienna Philharmonic could be playing?
I’m sure there are some quality works for chamber ensembles, featuring the big violin, from Stockhausen, for you.
Or, just go look for a street repair crew. They’re bound to have a jackhammer, and wouldn’t mind a 7th guy watching one guy work.
Members of elite orchestras all over the world want Williams to conduct his film music with them — and they lineup for autographs after rehearsals. Many of the most revered living soloists ask Williams to compose music for them.
But Chet thinks Williams is overplayed.
Ok. Got it.
Ah…the autograph seekers. Meet and greet became to much for him in recent years. Those of us who were lucky to be in the audience of the many orchestras he stood before should be satisfied with their experience and memories,
Amen
I’m sure the VPO appreciates performing works of great cultural relevance, but a concert of lollipops may also draw new customers or help develop an audience to appreciate some of the current offerings from films.
Definitely not an apples to apples comparison, but some film scores have staying power and deserve an appreciative audience. Heck, at least Williams favors symphonic performances over all-electronic scores.
What current offerings? Do you mean mediocrities like Hans Zimmer? He should do what he does best….pop themes like
tv ‘Going for Gold .
I’ve been a collector of film music in Ireland since vinyl days in the 1960s. Met H Mancini and Elmer B in Dublin at the first Filmharmonic concert. Attended the recording sessions of the score for The Amazing Mr Blunden etc BUT, as any real lover of film music will attest, it all went pear-shaped in 2004…..when Elmer departed to the great studios above.
” … draw new customers”? At the prices they charge? A seat with NO VIEW of the orchestra or conductor for the Wiener Philharmoniker (in the Orgelbalkon) costs about 45 €. The cheapest seats with a view of the stage (in the uppermost Galerie) are about 75 €. I just paid 58 € for a Galerie seat for a Philharmoniker 10:00 rehearsal because I can’t afford to hear their regular concerts at the holy Musikverein. They do a few concerts a year at Konzerthaus at far more reasonable prices.
It’s actually good value and the prices in Vienna seem reasonable compared to…Salzburg.
Moreover, flying to the US to see John Williams would cost far more.
Besides, similar amounts of Euros are easily spent on Schnitzel and wine, train tickets, or a tank full of petrol.
It’s your choice, of course.
Vienna is a city with two concert houses with multiple halls of varying sizes, three full-time opera companies, two large repertoire theatres, and two theatres used for large-scale musicals.
I assume you are referring to the Salzburger Festspiele, and not the city of Salzburg, which is home to a Landestheater with a varied repertoire of opera, theatre, and dance and reasonable prices geared to the citizens of the state of Salzburg.
You’re talking about the festival circuit, which is designed to bring in big bucks and mega-millions sponsors and cater to what was once referred to as the “jet set”.
Compare the insane prices at Salzburger Festspiele (summer, Easter, and Pfingsten), Bregenzer Festspiele, Bayreuther Festspiele, and even the Grafenegg Festival to the prices at the September-through-June venues in Wien.
I can get a seat for 20 € at Burgtheater and Akademietheater, 25 € at Theater an der Wien, and slightly more at Volksoper. I often stand for 5 € at Staatsoper and Staatsballett, or sit for 36 – 39 €.
At Konzerthaus my tickets are usually in the 20 – 35 € range. This is not just for the four local orchestras, but international visitors as well.
I’m seeing Martha Argerich at Konzerthaus in September. 25 €. I hate to think what Musikverein is charging for her.
The Philharmoniker at Musikverein is the sole entity which charges unaffordable prices. I mean, is it really worth 45 € to sit and watch the audience react to the music you’re hearing but not seeing performed?
Musikverein abuses its history with its ticket prices.
A few months ago, I saw The Mahler Chamber Orchestra with soloist and “Leiterin” Yuja Wang at Musikverein. The cheapest seat was 50 €.
In November, I will see The Mahler Chamber Orchestra with soloist and “Leiterin” Yuja Wang at Konzerthaus. I paid 24 € for the ticket. Full view, too.
And as far as train tickets or petrol, I walk to and from all of the venues in Wien.
LOL…..
To quote Erich Leinsdorf “not every concert has to be a spiritual experience.” I can assure you that when I heard John Williams conduct his music with the Philadelphians at Carnegie Hall (with ASM playing his second violin concerto – quite a “thorny” piece) everyone had a great time. The hall was packed. The audience super attentive (which is more than can be said some of the time). The orchestra was having a blast. They loved Williams – one player in the intermission told me that JW has the “clearest baton technique I’ve seen in a while.” When they opened up with the Imperial March I thought the paint would peel off the walls. It was sensational.
“Even if the Viennese don’t care about American-style DEI programming, aren’t there obscure Bruckner or Strauss pieces the Vienna Philharmonic could be playing?”
Paradoxically, you answered your own question:
John Williams, an American pop movie composer, *is* Vienna’s DEI programming, to add a little BBQ sauce to their usual Bruckner/Strauss fare.
Mmm mmm finger lickin’ good!
Hoping for a full recovery and that Williams will be able to conduct during Star Wars’ 50th anniversary in 2027!
December is still a few months away, so the illness must be serious. Let’s hope that indeed, he does make the full recovery.
Once again, someone is unwell and it triggers a debate about how great he is compared with others. Can’t we just wish him a rapid and complete recovery, and leave it at that?
Ouch.
If one has to cancel three months in advance, it can’t be a trivial illness.
Williams is the only musician alive who has a working history with two of MGM’s finest orchestrators and arrangers, Conrad Salinger and Robert Franklyn. Now is the time for Norman Lebrecht to jump on the next flight to LA and grab that interview. What are you waiting for?
So true. If Conrad Salinger had written only a single arrangement/orchestration, “Singin’ in the Rain”, he would still be remembered as one of the absolute greats in the industry.
Most people would agree: John Williams is the greatest living composer.
Everyone else preferred John Cage or Stockhausen at some point.
No need to compare. Williams earned it. Tremendously creative ability to match sound with sight and story.
John Cage can be remembered as Mushroom Man, Stockhausen as Helicopter Hero.
Or in other words, all composers who are better than John Williams are dead.
Love Williams’ music but doubt the veracity of “Most people would agree: John Williams is the greatest living composer.” a great, yes. the greatest – a pointless exercise.
You just paraphrased Steven Speilberg’s response to John Williams who felt he was unworthy to score Schindlers List.
Steven said all the composers Inconsidered are dead.
I know.
Steven Spielberg is many things…
He also canceled his appearance in Chicago in a few months, though that concert will still go on under Ken-David Masur. I’d have loved to get a ticket for it but subscribers get first dibs, and as you might imagine that inevitably precludes any non-subscriber from getting one. I still cherish, ten years later, the opportunity that I had to see him in Milwaukee in 2014, which only happened because I called only a few days ahead of time to inquire whether anyone had to give up their ticket.