Paseo John Williams

• Leo Brouwer (b. 1939): La Ciudad de las Columnas:
• 1 Brouwer: La Ciudad de las Columnas 14:08
• John Williams (b. 1932): When the Birds Return:
• 2 Williams: When the Birds Return 03:45
• Homage to Barrios:
• 3 Williams: Homage to Barrios 06:00
• Antonio Carillo (1892 - 1962): Como Llora una Estrella:
• 4 Carillo: Como Llora una Estrella 03:30
• Manuel Ponce (1882 - 1948): Por ti mi Corazon:
• 5 Ponce: Por ti mi Corazon 02:41
• Scherzino Mexicano:
• 6 Ponce: Scherzino Mexicano 02:03
• Fernando Sor (1778 - 1839): Introduction and Variations on a Theme of Mozart op9:
• 7 Sor: Introduction and Variations on a Theme of Mozart op9 08:38
• Joaquín Turina (1882 - 1949): Fandanguillo:
• 8 Turina: Fandanguillo 04:42
• John Williams: Another Time:
• 9 Williams: Another Time 03:27
• Total Runtime 48:54

Info for Paseo

La Ciudad de las Columnas (2004) by the Cuban composer, guitarist and conductor Leo Brouwer, is an evocation of various scenes of Havana, his home. It is subtitled Variations on Piece without title No. 1 which is called here “Andar la Habana” and is proceeded by the introduction.

There then follows (after a short ‘paseo') La Ceiba y el Colibrí, Convento de San Francisco, (second ‘paseo’), Por La Calle del Obispo, Amanecer en el Morro and finally Toque en la Plaza de Armas, about which Leo Brouwer writes: “ 400 years ago African slaves in Cuba celebrated Christmas with a big fiesta (drums, dance, rum…). The playing of percussion instruments is what we call a ‘toque’. “

When writing When the Birds Return I had no title in mind, however, the third section, when the tremolo returns, reminded me of that feeling when seeing the flock of birds in the distant sky returning from their migration. The guitar has always been at the heart of South American music - this is exemplified in the music of the Paraguayan guitar composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré, which I have played so often - and so this Homage to Barrios is my tribute to him.

Como Llora una Estrella by Antonio Carillo is a very popular Venezuelan song and has been beautifully arranged for guitar by Alirio Diaz. Por ti mi Corazón was published as one of three Mexican popular songs but is an original melody by its composer Manuel Ponce; he wrote Scherzino Mexicano for piano before it became a much loved guitar piece.

Fernando Sor’s Opus 9 and Joaquin Turina’s Fandangillo are both established guitar repertoire pieces which I think need a closer look: Sor’s own version of the Magic Flute theme has always seemed to me almost unrecognisable, so I have replaced it with the original theme of the slaves’ chorus at the end of the first act from that opera and see the whole piece as more operatic. For Fandangillo I went back to Turina’s original which had many small but important details different to the better known edited version.

Another Time - a bit of nostalgia! "I wanted to recapture that moment in America musicals of yesteryear when the song emerges from the dialogue." (John Williams)

John Williams, classical guitar

John Williams
was born in 1932 in Long Island, New York, and later moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1948. He studied composition at UCLA. After serving in the Air Force, Williams returned to New York to study piano at the Juilliard School of Music. He worked as a jazz pianist for a time before moving back to Los Angeles to begin his career in the film studios.

Mr. Williams has composed the music for close to eighty films and has composed some of the most famous themes ever written for cinema. Some of these include Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET - the Extraterrestrial, Jurassic Park, the Star Wars Pre-episode and Trilogy, the Indiana Jones Trilogy, Home Alone, and Empire of the Sun. Receiving 45 Academy Award nominations, Williams has been awarded with five Oscars, seven British Academy Awards, twenty-one Grammies and four Golden Globes. He also has several gold and platinum recordings. His film score for Schindler's List earned him an Oscar and a Grammy. With 45 Academy Award nominations, John Williams has the most nominations of any person alive, and is tied for second ever after Walt Disney!

Mr. Williams was named the 19th conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1980, retiring in 1993. He has appeared as guest conductor with many major orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and has also written many concert pieces. His concert compositions include: Five Sacred Trees, a bassoon concerto premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1995, a cello concerto premiered in 1994 by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and several concertos for flute, violin, clarinet, and tuba. His trumpet concerto premiered in 1996 with the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition, Mr. Williams composed the themes for the NBC News, the 1987 International Special Olympics, and the 1984, 1988, and 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

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