Waiting to see if I can get a picture of him as he leaves.

Played 3 pieces from Star Wars.

Incredible music and good conducting.

Interesting note is that his conducting seems to be really accurate and non melodramatic. He does not slow down too much for dramatic places. It feels kind of Italian in terms of dramatic pacing. He also conducted some things to picture but was too far to see if he did it via click or simply by watching and using his incredible rhythm.

His conducting has a strong upbeat feel and he likes conducting in one during expressive passages. He tends to show the feeling a lot by giving legato passages as side to side with a clear but smaller measure beat.

In terms of music, it's really hard to say anything that really means anything. Haha. He is really good.

From a far seat it's hard to hear all of the extra tertiary motion and gestures apart from melody and harmony. These are things that Williams is really good at using for adding motion to slower static passages and developing a pulse and rhythm under more melodious long melodies. Think opening of Star Wars. His orchestration is impeccable of course with lots of use of mixed orchestration. For instance glockenspiel is blended with piccolo and flute. Flutes and clarinet blended together. Harp is a common accompanist to string sections where the only thing the average listener hears is strings. Consider Mahler's adagietto for a similar example.

The little runs are more numerous in john Williams than I a lot of scores. They are also more varied in contour and not always just simple scalar figures. They are as common as each measure. This is used in Star Wars and ET to give the extra sensation of flying along with expressivo strings playing with a lot of vibrato.

Leias theme in the Star Wars main title uses the violins with chromatic tones to give a sultry added background to a modestly heroic theme played by lower strings and horns. Using this combo for the melody gives it more richness and softness. Versus violin and trumpet.

Here's a question. Considering the music of episode four. Do you think he had written darths vaders theme during that picture?

Your post makes almost no sense to me.

I think of music in colors...

That said, **** would it be cool to see this. You have my envy.

Your post makes almost no sense to me.

I think of music in colors...

That said, **** would it be cool to see this. You have my envy.

Lol sorry. I'm trying to talk mostly about the orchestration and conducting for people who do know a little bit.

Apart from saying that, it was fantastic.

Would it be interesting to you if I explained it?

Didn't say it was boring to read. Just confusing, and baffling. I doubt you'd be able to describe the music how I'd perceive it anyway(Synesthesia is a fascinating thing.)

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Percussionist is the best part of any orchestra.

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Percussionist? I thought you said you were a musician.

[you provide the rim-shot]

Just as a follow up to that, I'm a singer. Most frequently after concerts (especially in church settings) there is always a thanks given to the "musicians and singers." As if those two are separate categories.

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Percussionist? I thought you said you were a musician.

[you provide the rim-shot]

I didn't say I was a drummer mostly mallets. Marimba/vibes.

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Percussionist? I thought you said you were a musician.

[you provide the rim-shot]

I didn't say I was a drummer mostly mallets. Marimba/vibes.

We are currently recording a set of choral pieces with Marimba. In fact, one of the pieces is described by the composer as a Concerto for marimba with chorus.

Here's a question. Considering the music of episode four. Do you think he had written darths vaders theme during that picture?

I don't think so. The Empire motif in ANH is noticeably different from ESB and later (and was never reused). While they're both in minor keys (bad guys!), the ANH Empire theme plays around the minor third and the fifth, while the Imperial March is primarily the tonic and minor sixth.

P.S. I have no music theory training. How much of this am I making up? You decide.

Edit: typo

Here's a question. Considering the music of episode four. Do you think he had written darths vaders theme during that picture?

I don't think so. The Empire motif in ANH is noticeably different from ESB and later (and was never reused). While they're both in minor keys (bad guys!), the ANH Empire theme plays around the minor third and the fifth, while the Imperial March is primarily the tonic and minor sixth.

P.S. I have no music theory training. How much of this am I making up? You decide.

Edit: typo

Here's a non-musical reasoning for you. Why would he have written the Imperial March during the making of the original Star Wars, when there's no reason at that time for him to think that there would be an ESB? The Imperial March (Vader's Theme) is definitely not in Star Wars. If anything, Vader is thematically represented with some odd tympani licks in the original film.

You and your logic!

Did John know anything about the release date for Rebel Aces?

Did you even bother to ask?

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Percussionist? I thought you said you were a musician.

[you provide the rim-shot]

My wife is a classically trained flutist, currently getting a 2nd graduate degree in Boston. She says that the percussionists in orchestra actually have a lot of pressure, because they play so few notes that when they enter, it must be timed perfectly. She heard a teacher/conductor essentially say:

"You see how many notes a violinist plays? And you see how many notes you play? You get paid around the same, so you had better hit those notes perfectly every time."

This is in an industry where perfection is already emphasized one or two orders of magnitude over what the average listener can discern.

Last year, I was at our college's orchestra concert and they played most of the SW music. Loved it. Cried a little. Joined orch next semester (was a music major)

Awesome! Playing in an orchestra is a really interesting experience. What did you play?

I'm a percussionist. Have been for almost a decade now. Sadly, decided to change majors to something with a bit better income potential Still love it, and the band director at my old high school always calls me in to ask for help.

Percussionist? I thought you said you were a musician.

[you provide the rim-shot]

My wife is a classically trained flutist, currently getting a 2nd graduate degree in Boston. She says that the percussionists in orchestra actually have a lot of pressure, because they play so few notes that when they enter, it must be timed perfectly. She heard a teacher/conductor essentially say:

"You see how many notes a violinist plays? And you see how many notes you play? You get paid around the same, so you had better hit those notes perfectly every time."

This is in an industry where perfection is already emphasized one or two orders of magnitude over what the average listener can discern.

No question about it. Technically, I am a professional percussionist myself, since in one of our concerts this year I had to play a simple bass drum part along with singing. It was a performance of the chamber choir version of David Lang's "little match girl passion." Even such a simple part is a bit nerve-wracking because of the issues you cited.

People don't give percussionists as much credit as they should. In our orchestra, there were three of us. One timp, me and another guy and every one of us had to play multiple parts. It can get pretty hectic back there, and timing is everything.

I was a timpani player too! Timpani and percussion was awesome.

I actually played in a chinese orchestra. Where there are like a million complicated Beijing operatic percussion parts. It was nuts. I had to play with my feet at times. Like tambourine.

--

As for the imperial theme in a new hope. I can't remember it. But the imperial march is most iconically the minor and major thirds with the tonic and fifth.

So I don't really see a strong emphasis on minor sixth's.