Customer Reviews

John Williams: Treesong; Violin Concerto; 3 Pieces from Schindler's List

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a life-long fan of Williams' film music, I have only recently discovered his more "serious" pieces. Like many versatile composers before him (think Korngold, Waxman, etc.), Williams is able to function in both worlds, writing rousing, effective scores and introspective, yet extremely dynamic works for concerto and orchestra. Treesong, in particular, is a masterful evocation of the wonders of nature, though many might not find any obvious signs of "nature" in the music. Williams chooses to evoke an altogether different environment, relying less on derivative new-agey techniques than the musings of a solo instrument as it encounters a strange and fantastic realm of "trunks, branches, and leaves." The sound world Williams conjures up is completely original in my mind and bears his distinctive stamp (as does his other piece for trees, Five Sacred Trees). The earlier Violin Concerto is from the same stylistic world, yet seems to probe deeper into personal emotions, with a profoundly melodic core. While Bartok's Violin Concerto can be seen behind it, it, too, is an extremely unique piece and only grows with repeated listenings. The addition of three pieces from Schindler's List was charming and highly appropriate, especially as a means of showing of Gil Shaham's talent.
In short, a wonderful disc that does justice to the seemingly inexaustible talents of John Williams, one of our most brilliant and remarkable composers. 5 stars.

If you're not familiar with any of John Williams' concert music, may the listener beware. It sounds nothing like his film scores. It is dissonant, and often difficult to listen to. But it is usually a rewarding experience. What it lacks in melodic themes, it makes up for in colorful orchestations and moments of striking beauty. The third movement of Treesong is a good example of this. It begins on a note that seems out of place, but eventually resolves.
Not everything can or should sound like Star Wars. Film music, by its very nature requires a differnet kind of writing. There is certainly room for Williams to write concert music in a modernistic style that departs from the Wagnerian influence of his movie scores. Oh well. If you prefer his soundtracks check out Close Encounters of the Third Kind; now thats pretty modern!

Well Mr Jose Martinez-Canas made a bold statement below, declaring in no uncertain terms that John Williams is not a classical composer. If we are going to be picky about it, Mahler wasn't a classical composer either. Nor were Prokofiev and Shostakovich. The 20th Century brought about an incredibly wide range of styles in orchestral music, some of which inspired movie composers, and some of which was in turn inspired BY movie music. One of the great things about contemporary music is that anything and everything is possible. One only has to listen to John Adams "Slonimsky's Earbox" or the recent music of Einojuhani Rautavaara to hear how the harmonies and motivic developments of the silver screen have found their way back into the concert hall. John Williams contribution to movie music is without question, but we must also remember his numerous works away from the movies. This latest piece "Treesong" is a beautifully reflective essay on nature and tranquility. Gil Shaham's playing is every bit as exquisite as the sweeping contours of the melodic lines, and the orchestra respond well to Williams' expression both on the page and on the podium. The three short movements form a delicate whole, rippling harmonies suggesting wind in the branches. Although the music soars in places the overall feeling is one of calm, and the tempo remains fairly leisurely throughout. As ever Williams' shows his mastery of orchestration throughout the piece. "Treesong" compliments his Violin Concerto nicely. The Concerto is presented here in a new revised form. I have only heard the original version once and so am unable to talk informatively about the revisions, but it seems to me as though the orchestration is rather grander and more full on this revised version. The CD ends with a set of pieces from Schindler's List. Shaham has a lot to live up to here (the original was performed by Itzhak Perlman!) and he does so admirably, matching some of Perlman's articulations where appropriate but adding a few nifty touches of his own to make these truly original interpretations. Enjoy.

John Williams is a great composer,no matter which area he is in.As a film composer we've seen that he had created so many outstanding scores.But,he also composed many good works for classical music.Listen to this CD you will feel that Mr.Williams is a superior master in our time!

Think about it Jose, film is our modern-day opera. Opera was "pop music" 1-2 hundred years ago. People say we have no major modern classical composers...in fact the MEDIUM has changed.

Diehard fans of John Williams's music will certainly want to acquire this CD, but fans of Gil Shaham's playing may not be disappointed either. Shaham's performances demonstrate much of the passionate lyricism I've heard from him elsewhere, shown to good effect in these three John Williams pieces. Unfortunately, the most successful is the concert suite from the "Schindler's List" score; the other works sound more like ill-fated efforts at conjuring Webern's, Schoenberg's, or even Boulez's music, than significant violin works belonging to the current modern musical canon. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is in fine form too, especially in the "Schindler's List" suite.

...this CD is simply not very good music. I have the utmost respect for Williams' film scores (regardless of perhaps legitimate claims that much of his themes and motifs fall just short of plagiarism of earlier music). But he seems to have saved ideas from the bottom of the barrel for his concertpieces. This is not the Korngold Concerto, in which a beloved film composer has written an excellent work in sweeping, cinematic style. Williams' violin concerto drags on interminably, with little of any real interest contained within. Treesong is somewhat better, largely due to the more interesting orchestrational color, but the work is still not on par with Williams' film music. Shaham's always-fine playing is the only thing that makes either piece bearable. The addition of music from Schindler's List, one of Williams' best scores, is helpful, but too little too late. Skip this disc (and his equally dreary Five Sacred Trees). Buy the Star Wars soundtrack. You can't go wrong there.

Mr Williams is an excellent pop musician and composer of that kind of music. He does a fine work with film musical scores. But he is not a classical composer. You will be able yo find this out when you hear his new Violin Concerto.