SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - Happy 90th birthday, John Williams

:Kaleun_Applaud:

https://www.dw.com/en/hollywood-comp...-90/a-60685290

The last living representative of that classical style/tradition one calls "late Romantik", and with obvious remindings of the musical arts of Strauss and Wagner, he has been drowned in honourings and credentials, so also in this regard leaving many classical great composers far behind. Its easy to underestimate him if knowing only the Star Wars fanfare of the main title and the Olympic fanfares from I think 1984 (or was it 1988...), but he is capable of so much more and diverse music, and a fragile beauty in the pieces he writes. Often emotionally upcharged, many compositions are of surprising rythmic complexity and ever changing structure, making them sometimes challenging but never unfair for the orchestra to play - different to other modern, super-avantgardistic composers, Williams knows exactly what an instrument can do - and what not, where the technical and physical limits are. Thanks to him many people who never have visted a classical concert before, found the way into a concert hall or know nevertheless how a symphonic orchestra sounds.

He is not one more amongst other greats of his branch - but he is the one amongst the greatest.

Also a technically well-versed conductor, very good arranger, and a solid, good pianist.

With almost 90 years of age, he still makes tours to Europe, lasts for the full evening on stage, gets invited by some of the greatest orchestras in the world, and has started another score (for Indiana Jones 5, he said in autumn during his concert in Berlin). Always staying a moderate, kind, friendly, gentleman, extremely likeable.

Happy birthday, Mr. Williams! And many, many thanks for the many great moments and emotions!

BTW, he is an Aquarius. Like me. :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJazSQk25o

And the other side of Williams that many people do not know, music not for movies of which he also did quite some. Usually not so much my taste, but this one I like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD0fd9kyTxQ
(The latest performance of this done by the Berlin Philharmonics was much better, but is not yet available at Youtube.