The Legacy of John Williams Podcast
Episodes
Monday Aug 14, 2023
Monday Aug 14, 2023
World-renowned conductor and author JOHN MAUCERI returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast for an in-depth discussion about his latest book "The War On Music: Reclaiming the 20th Century" (Yale University Press), a riveting analysis of how music written by classical composers in the 20th century fell victim on the battlegrounds between nations during the three major global wars (World War I, World War II and the Cold War), with so much orchestral and operatic repertoire being erased (or "cancelled") and not being performed as a consequence of ideologies and policy making.
The conversation spotlights how Hollywood became a refuge for musicians escaping the totalitarian regimes in Europe during the 1930s and how much this still reverberates in the music of composers working in Hollywood today, including John Williams.
GRAMMY-nominated composer AUSTIN WINTORY joins the discussion, bringing his own views and sensibilities as a contemporary composer of media music navigating the current landscape.
Don't miss this fascinating talk with two very fine musical personalities exchanging passionate views and opinions about how the history of 20th century still lingers today with many consequences and how film and media music must play a pivotal role in creating a new pact with the audience of today.
Hosted and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto for The Legacy of John Williams
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LISTEN to our 2019 podcast with John Mauceri:https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/09/09/john-mauceri-podcast/
John Mauceri Offical Websitehttp://www.johnmauceri.com/
Buy "The War On Music":https://a.co/d/djMXeki
Austin Wintory Official Websitehttps://www.austinwintory.com/
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Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Legacy Conversations: Peter Boyer
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
The acclaimed classical composer and conductor talks his most recent projects and how the music of John Williams continues to be a source of inspiration
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden
Peter Boyer continues to be one of the most talented, versatile and successful living American classical composers. His brilliant symphonic music is celebrated across the United States and around the world as some of the most accessible and enjoyable repertoire composed in the recent years.
In 2022, Peter Boyer produced the fourth album of his orchestral music, ‘Balance of Power’ and Other Orchestral Works. Released on the Naxos label as part of their successful “American Classics” series, the album features world premiere recordings of symphonic works composed by Peter Boyer over the last number of years, with the composer on the podium conducting the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra.
The music of Peter Boyer is unabashedly tonal, earnest and very emotional, yet composed with a thorough attention to detail to achieve a high level of craft in the treatment of the orchestral resources in the great tradition of such American luminaries of symphonic music as Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and John Williams. Boyer himself acknowledges how John Williams’s music is the gold standard for any orchestral composer when it comes to write memorable tunes and applying them with sensational dramatic instinct.
In this conversation, Peter Boyer talks about his recent projects (including the recording of “Balance of Power”) and to offer more insightful and in-depth thoughts about his approach to composition, the challenges of writing for orchestra, his views on the contemporary classical scene and how John Williams remains for him a role model and an ongoing source of inspiration.
For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/06/21/legacy-conversations-peter-boyer
Friday Mar 17, 2023
Legacy Conversations: Adam Michalak
Friday Mar 17, 2023
Friday Mar 17, 2023
Music Scoring Mixer and Recordist talks his experience working at Sony Pictures Scoring Stage on numerous film score recordings, including many projects with John Williams
Hosted by Maurizio CaschettoSpecial Guest: Douglas S. Lacey
Adam Michalak is one of the most experienced scoring mixers working today in Hollywood. He made his first steps in the industry at Sony Pictures Scoring Stage, first as an intern and then gradually climbing up the ladder to become one of the most trusted recordists working in the studio. In that role, he worked for such veteran engineers of the industry as Shawn Murphy, Dennis Sands and Alan Meyerson, recording for film scores by virtually all the great film composers working in Hollywood including John Williams.
In 2018, Adam left Sony and joined Hollywood Scoring, a company that has provided music production for feature films, episodic television, popular video games, and varied broadcast streaming media, but also produced large scale stadium music performances, concert hall productions, and outdoor music festivals.
In this conversation, Adam recollects the path that led him to become a recording engineer for orchestral music, from his early days as a film music fan to his first steps in Hollywood working at Sony's scoring stage and experiencing first hand the work of great film composers and their trusted mixers, offering a unique insight into the creative process of John Williams and Shawn Murphy on several projects as seen from the recording booth. Adam also reflects on the history and evolution of the recording process, offering a wide variety of examples and sharing anecdotes from his own experiences as a scoring mixer. Joining the conversation is film music and John Williams connoisseur Doug Lacey, who shares a friendship with Adam and also has a great experience working in the audio field.
Find more information at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/03/17/legacy-conversations-adam-michalak/
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Legacy Conversations: Joanne Pearce Martin
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Friday Feb 24, 2023
LA Phil Principal Pianist/Keyboardist talks about her unique experience of recording the piano solos for Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, including the original score by John Williams
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
John Williams has written solo parts spotlighting specific instrumentalists both in his film scores and works for the concert hall. While it's not rare to see such superstar musicians as Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma or Anne-Sophie Mutter as the featured soloist and the dedicatee of a piece, Williams has often used the talents of some of the best musicians of the Los Angeles area, including distinguished members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It's the case of Joanne Pearce Martin, the Principal Keyboardist and Pianist of the LA Phil, who recently had the honour to be the featured piano soloist on the soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's acclaimed The Fabelmans, performing both the piano solos from the classical repertoire as heard in the film and John Williams' Academy Award-nominated original score.
In this conversation, Joanne talks about her experience of playing for John Williams and Steven Spielberg on The Fabelmans, sharing stories and insights about her unique collaboration with both the director and the composer during the creation of the film's soundtrack. She also talks about her experience playing under John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Disney Hall with the LA Phil many times over the years and also as rehearsal pianist, giving her own perspective on the Maestro's musicianship as a composer and conductor.
Learn more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/02/24/legacy-conversations-joanne-pearce-martin/(opens in a new tab)
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Legacy Conversations: Eric Whitacre
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor talks about his love for the music of John Williams and how it impacted his own life as a musician
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
The music of John Williams has inspired at least two generations of composers who have now successful careers not just in film, but also in the contemporary classical world. Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre is part of this peculiar group. One of the most popular and frequently-performed composers in the world, Whitacre is known primarily for his work in choral music, but he is actually a true multi-faceted artist who became a beacon and an inspiration for a multitude of singers, musicians, composer and lovers of music across the globe. His works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united more than 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries.
In this conversation, Eric Whitacre talks about his love for the music of John Williams and how it helped shaping his own musical imagination since childhood, explaining why it continues to be for him an object of sincere admiration and also reflecting on his own approach to musicmaking and what it means to be a classical composer today.
More info at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/01/23/eric-whitacre-podcast/
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Celebrating John Williams with Richard Kaufman
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
n February 2022, the month of John Williams' 90th Birthday, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland staged a weekend of sold out concerts celebrating the maestro’s landmark birthday. The conductor was Richard Kaufman and The Legacy of John Williams was delighted to present two pre-concert talks with Richard at Dublin’s iconic National Concert Hall.
Prior to the talk we screened our tribute video and images and video clips were presented to the audience members throughout the talk.
The audio was recorded by the NCH and what follows is the full 36 minute talk hosted by Head Contributor Tim Burden, featuring Richard discussing his personal and professional experiences with John Williams, with whom he shares a long-lasting friendship. There are also insightful questions from the audience which gave a suitable intro to both Williams concerts.
Find photos and exclusive videos from the concert at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Legacy Conversations: Sarah Willis
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
Tuesday Nov 09, 2021
French Horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic and music educator extraordinaire talks her lifelong love for John Williams and the unforgettable experience of performing his music under the Maestro's baton
French Horn player Sarah Willis is member of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2001 and she's one of the most generous musical citizen of the world. In addition to being one of the most talented and distinguished French Horn players in the world, she's a true music ambassador of her instrument and a devoted and joyful educator, sharing her deeply passionate love for music and music-making with a worldwide community that's growing bigger every day.
Sarah Willis is a gigantic fan of John Williams and his music since 1977, when she saw Star Wars for the first time with her family. As a member of the Berlin Philharmonic, Sarah was part of the historic concerts that John Williams conducted in Berlin, an experience she doesn't hesitate to define as one of the most joyful she ever had as a musician. This is the main topic of the conversation Sarah had with The Legacy of John Williams for this new episode of the Legacy Conversations video series, where she sat down with editor Maurizio Caschetto and head contributor Tim Burden to recollect the joy and happiness of working for a full week with Maestro Williams, but also the challenges of playing a very demanding repertoire especially for the horn section. Sarah also illustrates what makes John Williams' music so special for the horn player, sharing anecdotes and stories from the rehearsals and the whole experience, but more importantly communicating her deeply contagious love for music and music-making.
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For more information:
https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/11/08/sarah-willis-podcast/(opens in a new tab)
Sarah Willis Official Website:https://sarah-willis.com
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Legacy Conversations: Kevin Puts
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Acclaimed contemporary classical composer talks his career and his cinematic music for the concert hall, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Silent Night, his approach to composition and how much John Williams’ music touched him since childhood and inspired him to become a composer
Few contemporary classical composers have such a wide-ranging, colorful and personal style like Kevin Puts. Winner of the coveted Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for his debut opera Silent Night, he has become one of the leading American composers of his generation. Critically acclaimed for a richly colored, harmonic, and freshly melodic musical voice that has also been described as “emotional, compelling, and relevant,” his works, which include two operas, four symphonies, and several concertos, have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading orchestras, ensembles and soloists throughout the world.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kevin Puts started to study piano during childhood. His love for music was ignited by the John Williams’ scores for such films as Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which made a lasting effect on him and were among the main inspirations to pursue a career as a composer.
His love for movie music, and specifically John Williams, led him to a musical style characterized by a strong storytelling element. His compositions have been often described as “cinematic” and “film-like” by music critics and commentators, an observation that Puts always took as a compliment.
Puts’ catalogue is truly impressive and includes major orchestral, symphonic and operatic works and a great deal of chamber music as well. His Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Silent Night is probably his most important and successful work so far. It was premiered by Minnesota Opera in November 2011, and marked his debut in the genre of opera and vocal works. Describing his work, Puts said he was “going for a cinematic quality, commenting on the action and the emotions of a scene as it unfolds as a great film composer like John Williams might do it”.
In this conversation, Kevin talks about his career as a contemporary classical composer, his approach to composition as storytelling, and how much the music of John Williams inspired him since childhood, particulary the score of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
For more information and the list of musical excerpts featured in the episode, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/03/22/legacy-conversations-kevin-puts/
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Legacy Conversations: Tim Morrison
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Legendary trumpeteer talks his illustrious career as former Associate Principal Trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra / Principal Trumpet of the Boston Pops and his subsequent life as studio musician in Los Angeles, including his many collaborations with John Williams as soloist on such scores as Born On The Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon and Saving Private Ryan
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden
Trumpet legend Tim Morrison has defined probably more than any other soloists one of the key signature styles of John Williams, enhancing the American spirit in many of the composer's brilliant pieces for film and the concert hall through his singing, lyrical trumpet sound and purity of tone. Tim Morrison has been the voice of Ron Kovic's struggle in Born on the Fourth of July and the reminiscence of President Kennedy's core American values in JFK; he underlined John Quincy Adams' noble speeches in Amistad, and accompanied with somber, plaintive tones the drama of World War II American soldiers in Saving Private Ryan. Whenever John Williams needed that signature American sound in some of his film scores, he often chose Tim Morrison to be the interpreter of choice. Also, as Principal Trumpet of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1987 to 1997, he has often being the soloist of choice in many concerts and recordings with Williams on the podium.
In this wide, in-depth conversation, Tim Morrison talks about his brilliant career and musical life, from his studies and early days as performer to his arrival in Boston, his many collaborations with John Williams as soloist on Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon and Saving Private Ryan, but also the many brilliant Boston Pops recordings he performed in, including the iconic Summon the Heroes solo. He also reflects on Williams' comment about his "American sound", his life as studio musician in L.A., and his solo recording album After Hours.
Friday Mar 05, 2021
Legacy Conversations: Growing Up With John Williams
Friday Mar 05, 2021
Friday Mar 05, 2021
What happens when you discover and start to love music when you're still a little kid and share this passion with one of your siblings? This is the starting point of this in-depth discussion between two pairs of brothers with many things in common, specifically the love for the music of John Williams. One of the missions of this website is to celebrate and discuss the huge influence of the Maestro among at least two generations of people who literally grew up and became adults while listening to his music, and how it helped shape lives and even careers of millions of people around the world.
Brothers Will Brueggemann and Marty Brueggemann are two of the most admired podcasters among the niche of film music aficionados on the internet. Their show, UnderScore: A Podcast of Music and Story, offers insightful musical analysis of major film scores including works by John Williams. In this episode, titled "Growing Up With John Williams", editor Maurizio Caschetto and contributor/illustrator Gianmaria Caschetto sit down with Will and Marty to discuss what it means to grow up listening to the music of Maestro Williams. Both pairs of brothers were raised in similar contexts and started to fall in love with Williams' music for such films as Superman, E.T. and Star Wars since childhood (as happened to millions of fans and admirers of the Maestro around the globe). The discussion goes on to talk about Williams' unrivaled compostional prowess, his daring harmonic choices and his uncanny ability to craft the perfect melody for the film. More thoughts are also offered about what makes John Williams' music so exciting for kids and young people.