Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Selected Film Themes

Featuring

John Williams
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Boston Symphony Orchestra

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Compositional Technique

The third movement, 'Dactyls', features a short cadenza for violin, harp, and timpani, creating a 'triad' of instruments.

Composer's Artistic Vision

John Williams believes that music should be open to interpretation by each listener, rather than having a fixed meaning defined by the composer.

Compositional Technique

The Violin Concerto No. 2 has a four-movement, symphony-like structure, reminiscent of Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2, going against the typical three-movement concerto form.

Composer Biography

Many of John Williams's concert works, including concertos for various instruments, originated from his personal friendships with musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Biography

John Williams has a long-standing relationship with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and the Boston Pops, having served as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993.

Composition History

John Williams's Violin Concerto No. 2 was composed at the request of Anne-Sophie Mutter, a celebrated violinist, adding to a series of works written for her by various composers.