Check this out, probably the best live performance of the Star Wars Imperial March theme we’ll ever get to hear. Composer John Williams conducts one of the worlds greatest orchestras.

At the conclusion, Williams says to the concert master ... Wow!

John Williams & Vienna Philharmonic – Williams: Imperial March (from “Star Wars�) - YouTube

Cheers.

A legend along with John Barry. Every now and again in the work of some newer scorer, a you hear a trace of influence from one or the other come through. It is apparent that he was well pleased with what his instrument, the entire orchestra was delivering for him well before the conclusion.

It’s interesting how John Williams, John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and others study the great composers so they can work out their own thematic compositions.

The story goes: Steven Spielberg calls John Williams and says, “We’ve got a big score for you to do” Spielberg explains the Star Wars story, Williams thinks for a minute then says “Can’t you get anyone better than me?”

Spielberg says, “We would but they’re all dead.”

Cheers.

I would have loved to have been there for that performance. j

John: Vienna is the most musical city we’ve ever visited. In the city streets at 8pm there’s hundreds of people, including tourists. At 9pm the same streets are deserted, everyone has gone to one of the concerts.

Late one night after one of them, we were walking back to our hotel when we saw the receptionist leaving after her shift, at the end of this dark lane. She recognised us and called out, “Your daughter Tracey phoned from Sydney, she passed the Intermediate.” I can still hear her echoing in that lane.

Cheers.

Until you visit their concert halls and the theatres you've not experienced the sensation. Watching a full size galleon sink on stage gives you the idea of how big some of these places really are. The history of the city is sort of ingrained into everything and everyone.

I think I need to go to Vienna. j

Bravo! Thanks for sharing.
+1 for Vienna trip.

Thanks for sharing

That was powerful and amazing!

Your could see it in his face half way through it was special!

Yes it is guys, Williams works in the Hollywood studios with all the top players he knows by their first name, so to work one time with the famous Vienna Symphony is a real treat for him ... “Wow!”

And apparently they asked for the Star Wars Imperial March to be included in their concert, what a night!

Cheers.

Wow that is great! I loved Star Wars and other big orchestra music since I was a kid, and often wanted to see them actually perform some of the songs. When was this recorded? I thought Williams was about 90 and too old to do any such thing anymore.
I'd love to see a performance of the Star Wars theme!

That was recorded May 2020. If you search John Williams you can read his musical history, seems like he’s still writing concertos in between accepting many awards.

What’s likely to impress you is, he’s worth 300 million dollars - it did me.

Cheers.