The Music of John Williams

Last night I was so excited to hear the music of prolific film composer John Williams performed by the Utah Symphony!  The program was curated by Creative Partner David Robertson and he was full of fun anecdotes about each piece (I think he is really charming and I always like to be in attendance whenever he is the guest conductor).  The orchestra began with the Overture to The Cowboys, which is one of the earliest scores composed by Williams, and I have to admit that I have never seen this movie or heard the score before last night but I really liked it because it is very stirring.  The concert continued with "The Flight to Neverland" from Hook, the Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and then "Hedwig's Theme" and "Harry's Wondrous World" from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (which always puts a smile on my face).  After the intermission, the orchestra played "Superman March" from Superman: The Movie, the Main Theme from Jurassic Park (this is one of my favorites because every time I hear it I can visualize Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler seeing the dinosaurs for this first time and this scene is absolutely magical thanks, in large part, to the music composed by Williams), the Main Theme from Schindler's List with the violin solos performed by Concertmaster Madeline Adkins (this was heartbreakingly beautiful and the audience leapt to their feet in a standing ovation for Adkins at its conclusion), and the Main Theme from JFK (I loved the snare drum and the fanfare from a solo trumpet).  The concert concluded with the piece I had been waiting for all evening, the instantly recognizable Main Title from Star Wars: A New Hope, and it gave me goosebumps (as it always does).  The encore included "Imperial March" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (another favorite) and "The Raiders March" from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I really enjoyed this concert and I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here), especially if you are a fan of movies, but act quickly because last night's concert was sold out.