| 2021 |
Violin Concerto No. 2
- Composed especially for Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
- World Premiere: Koussevitzky
Music Shed, Tanglewood, on July 24, 2021
- Anne-Sophie Mutter, Soloist - John Williams, Conductor |
| 2018 |
Highwood’s Ghost
- An Encounter for Cello, Harp and Orchestra
- Composed for Yo-Yo Ma and Jessica Zhou
- Premiered on August 19, 2018 in Tanglewood
(Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony with Yo-Yo Ma on cello and Jessica Zhou on harp)
- Conducted by John Williams at Tanglewood during the Bernstein Centennial Celebration |
| 2017 |
Markings
- for Solo Violin, Strings and Harp
- Composed for Anne-Sophie Mutter
- Premiered on July 16, 2017 in Tanglewood
(Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony with Anne-Sophie Mutter on violin) |
| 2015 |
Just Down West Street…on the left
- Commissioned by the Tanglewood Music Center
- Premiered on July 5, 2015 in Tanglewood (Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra) |
| 2014 |
A Toast!
- Brass fanfare composed for Andris Nelsons, new Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Premiered on September 23, 2014 in Boston (Andris Nelsons/Boston Symphony)
|
| 2014 |
Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra
- Composed for the Music in the Summer Air Festival
- Premiered
on July 1, 2014 in Beijing, China (Long You/China Philharmonic – Lang
Lang, piano),
and on July 4, 2014 in Shanghai, China (Long You/Shanghai
Philharmonic – Li Jian, piano) |
| 2014 |
Music for Brass
- Work for brass ensemble and percussion
- Composed for the National Brass Ensemble
- Premiered on June 12, 2014 in Sonoma County (National Brass Ensemble) |
| 2013 |
Conversations
- Four-movement piece for Piano Solo
- The
first two movements premiered at Tanglewood (August 10, 2012) and the
Mendocino Music Festival in California (July 22, 2013).
- Third and
Fourth movements premiered in November on the Piano Spheres series in
Los Angeles on November 12, 2013 (Gloria Cheng, Piano)
|
| 2013 |
Fanfare ‘For the President’s Own’
- Composed for the 215th anniversary of the United States Marine Band
-
Premiered on May 26, 2013 at the Wolf Trap National Park for the
Performing Arts in Fairfax County, Virginia (Michael J. Colburn/United
States Marine Band)
-
Recorded on July 3, 2013 in the John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the
Marine Barracks Annex in southeast Washington, D.C. (John
Williams/United States Marine Band) |
| 2012 |
Rounds
- Composed for Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas
- Premiered on June 2, 2012 at the Parkening International Guitar Competition in Malibu (Pablo Sáinz Villegas) |
| 2012 |
Fanfare for Fenway
- Three-minute piece composed in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park
- Premiered on April 20, 2012 at Fenway Park in Boston (John Williams/Boston Pops)
- Recorded on March 24, 2012 at the Boston Symphony Hall (John Williams/Members of the Boston Pops) |
| 2011 |
Quartet La Jolla
- Chamber piece for violin, cello, clarinet and harp
- Commissioned for the 25th anniversary of the La Jolla chamber music festival Summerfest
- Premiered on August 20, 2011 at the Sherwood Auditorium
|
| 2011 |
A Young Person’s Guide To The Cello
Short ‘comical’ cello piece composed for Lynn Harrell |
| 2011 |
Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra
- Composed for Keisuke Wakao
- Premiered on May 25, 2011 in Boston (John Williams/Boston Pops – Keisuke Wakao, Oboe) |
| 2009 |
Concerto
for Harp and Orchestra (On Willows and Birches)
- Concerto in two
movements, composed for Ann Hobson Pilot, harp,
as a retirement gift.
- Inspired by Psalm 137 (Willows) and a poem by Robert Frost (Birches).
- The concerto was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
conducted by James Levine on September 23, 2009. |
| 2009 |
Concerto
for Viola and Orchestra
- Concerto in three
movements, composed for Cathy Basrak, viola.
- The 2nd Movement ("The Family Argument") features timpani
because Cathy Basrak's husband is Timothy Genis, principal timpanist of the
BSO.
- The concerto was premiered by the Boston Pops Orchestra
conducted by John Williams on May 26, 2009. |
| 2009 |
Air
and Simple Gifts
- A classical quartet
composed (in parts) and arranged by John Williams
for the January 20, 2009, inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the
United States.
- The first public performance of the piece was in Washington, D.C., with musicians
Anthony McGill (clarinet), Itzhak Perlman (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello) and
Gabriela Montero (piano).
- Williams based the piece on the familiar nineteenth century Shaker hymn
"Simple Gifts," by Joseph Brackett.
- The source piece is famous for its appearance in Aaron Copland's ballet
Appalachian Spring.
- Williams chose the selection from Copland, one of Obama's favorite classical
composers. |
| 2008 |
Duo
Concertante for Violin and Viola
- Dedicated to Michael Zaretsky, viola
- Premiered in Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood on August 17, 2007 by Victor Romanul and
Michael Zaretsky.
- World Premiere Recording on "Duos for Violin and Viola" (Artona label),
released in 2008. |
| 2003 |
Soundings
- Written for the Inaugural Gala for Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles
- One movement with five sections
- Intended to make the Concert Hall "sing"
- John Williams conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
in the world premiere in the Walt Disney Concert Hall on October 25, 2003. |
| 2003 |
Concerto
for Horn and Orchestra
- Composed for Dale Clevenger and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2003,
on a commission from the Edward F. Schmidt Family Commissioning Fund.
- The orchestra consists of three flutes and piccolo, three oboes and english horn,
three clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons and contrabassoon, four
horns,
three trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano,
celesta, and strings.
- Performance time is approximately twenty-four minutes.
-The concerto was premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
conducted by John Williams on November 29, 2003.
- ANGELUS
"Far far away, like bells
At evening pealing"
- THE BATTLE OF THE TREES
"Swift Oak ... Stout Guardian of the Door"
- PASTORALE
"There Came a Day at Summer's Full"
- THE HUNT
"The Hart Loves the Highwood"
- NOCTURNE
"The Crimson Day Withdraws"
|
| 2002 |
Call
of the Champions
The Official Theme of the 2002 Olympic
Winter Games |
| 2001 |
Three
Pieces for Solo Cello
- Intended to reflect the African-American experience
- "I thought that the cello might be especially well-suited to express the vernacular
manner
of musical speech and rhythmic inflection that characterize this most
important
'root-source' of American music." (JW)
- Rosewood: The cello groans under the crack of the work-gang whip and
imitates the old
steel-fronted guitar played by some of the early workers as they tried to ease the
pain
of their long hours in the fields.
- Pickin': The title refers both to the art of banjo pickin' and the act
of picking cotton itself.
- The Long Road North: This piece was inspired by a Rita Dove poem of the
same name.
She describes the indomitable spirit that has always animated the African-American
journey to freedom. |
| 2001 |
Elegy
for Cello and Orchestra
- The score of 'Seven Years in Tibet' includes a short
melodic fragment which was shaped
into the form of the 'Elegy'.
- The fragment can be heard in the track 'Regaining a Son' on the 'Seven Years in Tibet'
soundtrack.
- The 'Elegy' was originally written for a memorial service. |
| 2001 |
Heartwood
Inspired by a book entitled 'Heartwood' that contains
photographs of trees. |
| 2001 |
Treesong
Inspired by a Chinese dawn redwood (metasequoia) in the
Boston Public Garden. |
| 2000 |
American
Collection Theme
John
Williams composed a new theme for ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre's AMERICAN COLLECTION for
films based on American literary works. The theme, which was performed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma
and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, made its debut on October 25, 2000. In April
2001, Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams recorded an extended 3:29 version of the 'American
Collection Theme' with the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles on the Sony Scoring
Stage. This new recording is included in CLASSIC YO-YO. |
| 1999 |
The
Unfinished Journey
This six-movement work was composed for
the Millennium celebrations in Washington, D.C. as part of a multimedia presentation done
in collaboration with Steven Spielberg, Poets Laureate Rita Dove, Robert Pinsky, and Maya
Angelou. The presentation also featured the words of Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln and
Martin Luther King, Jr. Rather than a chronological rendering of the "American"
century, this is, rather, an attempt to portray the 20th Century thematically, "with
a series of tableaux that could be dealt with individually," says Williams.
Recorded live at Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.,
on Dec 31, 1999.
America's Millennium Gala was hosted by the White House and the
Smithsonian Institute.
The performance and film were broadcast on the CBS Network.
Millennium Gala Orchestra conducted by John Williams
Film footage assembled by Steven Spielberg
American Journey
John Williams recorded the six movements
under the new title 'American Journey' with the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles at
Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California, on December 9-10, 1999. This recording is
available on 'Call of the Champions' and features no narration.
|
| 1999 |
for
Seiji!
This is a collection of musical thoughts and
jottings for orchestra, dedicated to Seiji Osawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra as they
celebrate twenty-five years of artistic collaboration. These jottings also form little
portraits of just a few of the soloists in the orchestra's ranks, and, at other moments,
sketches of entire sectional groups. |
| 1998 |
Seven
for Luck
- This is a
Song Cycle for Soprano and Orchestra. It sets to music seven poems
by former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove.
- John Williams conducted soprano Cynthia Haymon and the Boston Symphony Orchestra
in the world premiere of the complete cycle at Tanglewood on July 25, 1998. |
| 1996 |
Trumpet
Concerto
- Written in 1996 for Michael Sachs, the
Cleveland Orchestra's principal trumpeteer.
- The world premiere by the Cleveland Orchestra
conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi
(with Michael Sachs on trumpet) was in October 1996. |
| 1996 |
Song
for World Peace
(Reworked Version of "Satellite
Celebration")
Song for World Peace, as tender and
lyrical as anything Williams has ever written, was composed for the Boston Symphony
Orchestra and dedicated to its longtime Music Director, Seiji Ozawa. The piece was first
performed in Tokyo during a tour of the Pacific Rim. |
| 1996 |
Summon
the Heroes!
- Dedicated to Tim Morrison, the Boston
Symphony's principal trumpeter.
- Written for the Centennial Celebration of the Modern Olympic Games,
Atlanta, Georgia, July 19, 1996. |
| 1995 |
Variations
on 'Happy Birthday!'
- Written for a Tanglewood concert
celebrating three birthdays:
Seji Ozawa's 60th, Itzhak Perlman's 50th and Yo-Yo Ma's 40th
- John Williams conducted the premiere performance by the Boston Symphony
on July 23, 1995.
- John Williams also conducted the piece as an encore on a April 29, 1996
joint concert by the Los Angeles and Israel Philharmonics celebrating
Zubin Mehta's 60th birthday. |
| 1994 |
Cello
Concerto
- Seiji Ozawa suggested that John Williams write a concerto for cello and orchestra
with
Yo-Yo Ma in mind.
- The Boston Symphony commissioned the work.
- John Williams conducted the first performance with Yo-Yo Ma as soloist on July 7, 1994
at a concert that celebrated the opening of Ozawa Hall in Tanglewood. |
| 1993 |
Bassoon
Concerto ('The Five Sacred Trees')
- Inspired by the
writings of British poet and mythologist Robert Graves.
- In Graves' writings, John Williams found descriptions of prehistoric Celtic
rituals
that demonstrate a reverence for nature.
- Composed in 1993 for the 150th celebration of the New York Philharmonic.
- Premiered in April 15th, 1995, with Judith LeClair, soloist, and the New York
Philharmonic under Kurt Masur. |
| 1993 |
Sound
the Bells!
Sound the Bells, written to celebrate a
marriage in the Japanese Royal Family, finds Williams pursuing the inspiration of the
great Japanese temple bells. Instead of resorting to a false orientalism, the composer
exploits the timbre and luster of the western symphony orchestra's own bells to convey
American greetings to the Japanese Royal Couple.
In 1993, when the Crown Prince of Japan finally
chose a bride, the excitement was almost as great in Boston as it was in Japan, for the
young woman had attended Harvard and lived for a number of years in the Boston area with
her family (her father having been stationed there as a diplomat). And of course the
Boston Symphony had long been of special interest to Japanese audiences owing to the fact
that, since 1973, its music director had been compatriot Seiji Ozawa. In light of these
elements, it was indeed appropriate for Boston Pops conductor John Williams to have
composed this special music to honor the marriage of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown
Princess Masako Owada, the premiere performance of which was given in Tokyo as part of the
Pops’ tour of Japan in June of 1993.
|
| 1992 |
Fanfare for Prince Philip
In 1992, the City of
Boston commemorated the quincentenary of Columbus’ voyage to the New World by
welcoming a regatta of over 150 Tall Ships to Boston Harbor. As part of the week-long
celebration, the city hosted visits by a number of dignitaries from around the world,
including Britain’s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth
ll. The Prince attended a gala concert by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the baton of
conductor John Williams, who composed this special fanfare in honor of the visiting royal.
|
| 1991 |
Clarinet
Concerto
- Written for Michele Zukovsky, principal clarinettist
of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
- She performed the world premiere of the Clarinet Concerto with the Riverside County
Philharmonic
conducted by John Williams on April 13, 1991.
- The available live recording is credited to the "Bohemian Orchestra" conducted
by John Williams. |
| 1990 |
Celebrate
Discovery
- Written for the 500th anniversary of
Columbus' discovery of America.
- The premiere performance by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra
conducted by John Williams was on July 4, 1990. |
| 1989 |
Winter
Games Fanfare
Composed in 1989 for the
Alpine Ski Championship, Vail, Colorado |
| 1988 |
Olympic
Spirit
Written especially for the NBC Sports Division in
celebration of the 1988 Olympics, Seoul |
| 1988 |
Fanfare
for Ten-Year-Olds
Composed in 1988 in celebration of the
10th anniversary of the Young Charleston Theater Company |
| 1988 |
For
New York
(a.k.a. "To Lenny! To Lenny!")
For New York: Variations on Themes by Leonard Bernstein originated as part of a
tribute for the composer's 70th birthday. Williams combined "New York, New York"
from On the Town and "America" from West Side Story with "a little
snippet of 'Happy Birthday' in there, of course...It was meant to be fun" and it
is "but it now turns out to be a kind of elegy both for Lenny and a warm tip of
the hat to New York City itself." |
| 1988 |
Fanfare
for Michael Dukakis
- Written for the Democratic politician
(and candidate for President of the USA)
Michael Dukakis.
- The premiere performance by the Boston Pops conducted by Harry Ellis Dickson
(associate conductor of the Boston Pops and Dukakis' father-in-law) took
place
at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. |
| 1988 |
Presidential
Election Coverage |
| 1987 |
Hymn
to New England
- Written as accompaniment to 'New England
Time Capsule',
a show at Boston's Museum of Science.
- The first public performance by John Williams and the Boston Pops was on May 5,
1987.
- A recording with the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart (1996)
is available on 'American Visions'.
- A recording with the Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by
John Williams (2000) is available on 'Call of the Champions'. |
| 1987 |
"We're
Lookin' Good!"
- Dedicated to the Special Olympics (International Summer
Games 1987).
- The premiere performance by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams
was on May 5, 1987 at Symphony Hall, Boston.
- The lyrics were written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
- The march was never officially released.
- It can be found on the bootlegs 'Fanfares and Themes' (poor sound quality)
and '7 for Luck' (live recording, excellent sound quality). |
| 1986 |
Celebration
Fanfare
- Written for the 150th anniversary of
Texas' Declaration of Independence.
- The first public performance by the Houston Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Sergiu Comissiona was on September 6, 1986. |
| 1986 |
Liberty
Fanfare
- Written for the centennial of the Statue
of Liberty.
- Commissioned by the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation.
- The premiere performance by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams
was on June 4, 1986.
- The fanfare was performed by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra
conducted by John Williams on July 4, 1986 as part of the ceremonies.
- A recording with the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams
is available on 'By Request'. |
| 1985 |
Tuba
Concerto
- Dedicated to Chester Schmitz, principal tuba player of
the Boston Pops.
- The concerto was composed for the Boston Pops' 100th anniversary.
- The world premiere by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams
(with Chester Schmitz on tuba) was on May 8 1985. |
| 1985 |
Mission
Theme (NBC Nightly News)
- In 1985, John Williams wrote four themes for the NBC
Network:
- The Mission (for NBC Nightly News, first aired on Sep 9, 1985)
- Fugue For Changing Times (for a Connie Chung news magazine)
- Scherzo For Today (for The Today Show)
- The Pulse of Events (for special reports and later for 'Meet the
Press')
- The four themes and several other cues can be found on 'Fanfares & Themes'
and 'The Music of NBC News, Vol II'.
- A recording with the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams (1987)
is available on 'By Request'.
- A recording with the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles
conducted by John Williams (1999) is available on 'Call of the Champions'. |
| 1984 |
Olympic
Fanfare and Theme
- Written for the 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles
- John Williams conducted the premiere of the work at the
opening ceremonies
of the 23rd Olympiad on July 28, 1984 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
- He first recorded his Olympic Fanfare and Theme with a Los Angeles studio orchestra
before the public premiere (available on 'The Official Music of the 1984
Games' and
'The Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles 1984').
- John Williams recorded the piece with the Boston Pops in 1987 (available on 'By
Request').
- A third recording from 1996 can be found on 'Summon the Heroes' (with Leo
Arnaud's
'Bugler's Dream' fanfare), again with John Williams conducting the Boston
Pops. |
| 1982 |
America,
the Dream Goes On
- Lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman.
- Originally written for male soloist, chorus and orchestra.
- The piece was premiered in 1982 by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams
and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
- The first recording was made in 1984 with James Ingram as soloist for the
Boston Pops album 'America, the Dream Goes On'. |
| 1982 |
Esplanade
Overture
- Conceived as a 'Comedy Overture' in May
1982.
- When John Williams scored the film 'Monsignor', he used music from the overture.
The track 'Meeting in Sicily' is almost identical to the 'Esplanade
Overture'..
- The 'Esplanade Overture' was premiered on May 3, 1983. |
| 1981 |
Pops
on the March
- Written as a memorial for Arthur Fiedler
when John Williams was named
Fiedler's successor as Music Director of the Boston Pops.
- The premiere performance by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams
was on April 28, 1981.
- A recording with the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams is
available on ' I Love A Parade'. |
| 1980 |
Jubilee
350
- Written for the 350th anniversary of
Boston in 1980 (subtitled "To the City of Boston").
- The premiere by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra
conducted by John Williams
was on September 21, 1980 at City Hall Plaza.
- A recording with the Recording Arts
Orchestra of Los Angeles conducted by
John Williams (2000) is available on 'Call of the Champions'. |
| 1980 |
Fanfare
for a Festive Occasion
- Written for the Boston Civic Orchestra
and its conductor Max Hobart.
- The fanfare for brass and percussion was premiered by that ensemble on November
14, 1980.
The work
opens with a fanfare led by the trumpets and trombones. Horns introduce a syncopated,
mixed-meter, second subiect accompanied by timpani. Trumpets and trombones join the tune
and then return to the opening fanfare. The second subiect makes a brief return in the
horns, this time accompanied by the full percussion section and dissonant accented scale
passages from the trumpets and trombones. The work concludes with a coda based upon the
opening fanfare.
|
| 1976 |
Violin
Concerto
- John
Williams' first wife Barbara Ruick died in 1974. He then began composing
his Violin Concerto and completed it in 1976, dedicating it to her memory.
- The concerto's first performance was on January 29, 1981 with Leonard Slatkin
conducting the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.Violin Soloist:
Mark Peskanov
- The world premiere recording was made in London on December 13, 1981
with Leonard Slatkin conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The violin
soloist was again Mark Peskanov.
- John Williams recorded his violin concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
at Symphony Hall in October 1999. This time the violin soloist was Gil
Shaham. |
| 1975 |
Thomas
and the King
- A stage musical based on the life of Thomas Beckett.
- John Williams' first and only musical.
- Orchestrations by Herbert Spencer
- Conducted by Ian McPherson
- Premiere: October 16, 1975
- Album recorded at PRT studios, London on 27 and 28 August 1981 |
| 1971 |
A
Nostalgic Jazz Odyssey
- Composed for the Eastman Wind Ensemble
and premiered by that group
under the direction of Donald Hunsberger in 1971.
- The Japanese premiere was on June 9, 1994. |
| 1969 |
Flute
Concerto
- Written in 1969, the concerto was inspired by the
Japanese Shakuhachi flute.
- "[The instruments] make mysterious sounds like the snapping of branches
while we explore some imaginary mythical forest." (John Williams)
- The world premiere recording was made in London in 1981 with Leonard Slatkin
conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The flute soloist was Peter Lloyd
(Principal Flute of the LSO). |
| 1968 |
Sinfonietta
for Wind Ensemble
- Composed in 1968 and recorded in 1972 for
Deutsche Grammophon Donald Hunsberger
and the Eastman Wind Ensemble.
- The piece has three movements and is scored for a large orchestral wind section. |
| 1966 |
Symphony
No. 1
- Composed in 1966,
premiered by the Huston Symphony, under André Previn in October 21st, 1968.
- The piece was taken out of Willliams list of compositions around 1971, after the
European premiere
(with Previn conducting the LSO).
- Apparently, Bernard Herrman had pointed out some flaws to Williams,
and Williams felt that the work wasn't good enough to be played until he
reworked it.
- He programed it in 1988 for a concert with the Houston SO,
but at the last minute it was replaced for some film music. |
| 1965 |
Essay
for Strings
The premiere performance by the Houston Symphony Orchestra
in 1965
was conducted by André Previn. |
| 1965 |
Prelude
and Fugue
- Scored for wind instruments and
percussion.
- Dedicated to pianist Claude Thornhill (whom John Williams knew as a child).
- The premiere by the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra conducted by Stan Kenton
was on March 29, 1965.
- The Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra with Stan Kenton also made a studio recording
in 1965. |
| 1960 |
Wind
Quintet |
| 1951 |
Piano
Sonata |
