John Williams: The Berlin Concert

Just in time to mark John Williams’ 90th birthday (February 8), Deutsche Grammophon has released “The Berlin Concert”—the maestro leading the Philharmonic for the first time, the players eager to prove they know the difference between Star Wars and “Über’m Sternenzelt….” The results are predictably impressive, for the BPO is an amazing ensemble, still the juggernaut of European orchestras. While there is some overlap of repertoire with 2020’s “John Williams in Vienna”—e.g., excerpts from Close Encounters, the theme from Jurassic Park, the march from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the “Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back—most of the Berlin program is new, including several numbers from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Elegy for Cello and Orchestra, and Leia’s and Yoda’s themes from the original Star Wars trilogy. All worthy and well done. And yet…Berlin’s Philharmonie is not Vienna’s Musikverein, and conditions there often create sonic “whiteout” and throw a veil over the strings. Comparing the Jurassic Park and Close Encounters excerpts, for instance, the Vienna performances sound considerably more immediate, heartfelt, and “alive.” The good news? Williams goes back to Vienna in March 2022.