A bit of Hollywood movie magic has been instilled in this excellent album

A bit of Hollywood movie magic has been instilled in Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams’s excellent album Across The Stars

Anne-Sophie Mutter And John Williams      Across The Stars    Out now

Rating:

The continuing allure of the veteran violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter persuaded the now 87-year-old John Williams to re-work for virtuoso violinist a dozen of his film themes. Some are incredibly well known, like Schindler’s List, others entirely unknown (at least to me) like Sabrina, Cinderella Liberty and Dracula.

Recorded in Culver City, Hollywood, where the scores for The Wizard Of Oz, Singin’ In The Rain and Lawrence Of Arabia were set down, a bit of Holly-wood movie magic has been instilled in this excellent album.

Williams’s adaptations are so good he should further re-work them, either into a concerto, or at least a six-movement suite for violin and orchestra. His Hollywood predecessor Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed a concerto drawing on his Hollywood film scores. 

The continuing allure of the veteran violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter persuaded the now 87-year-old John Williams to re-work for virtuoso violinist a dozen of his film themes

The continuing allure of the veteran violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter persuaded the now 87-year-old John Williams to re-work for virtuoso violinist a dozen of his film themes

‘More Korn than Gold,’ sniffed one critic. But it is now regularly played and recorded by the outstanding violinists of today, including Mutter herself.

Only the Schindler’s List theme disappoints. Mutter just plays it as an uber-romantic tune. Itzhak Perlman, 20 years ago, brought out all the poignancy to be found if you look hard enough.

Thinking about it, why am I surprised? It was, after all, Williams who told Spielberg, after reading the screenplay, ‘You need a better composer than I am to do this film.’ To which Spielberg replied: ‘I know, but they’re all dead!’ 

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