A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Photo Credits: © Kristian Schuller (Anne-Sophie Mutter). © Kristin Pulito (John Williams). Album Cover Art © 2019 Deutsche Grammophon On August 30, 2019, Deutsche Grammophon (a Germany-based subsidiary of the U.S. conglomerate Universal Music Group) released Across the Stars: Anne-Sophie Mutter - John Williams , a 12-track album which presents some of Academy Award and Grammy-winning composer/conductor John Williams' breathtaking movie themes. Rearranged for solo violin and orchestra by Maestro Williams, this collection of film themes is performed by the world-renowned German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles, under the baton of Maestro Williams himself. As I wrote in my review of the August 2019 CD: "Across the Stars: Anne-Sophie Mutter - John Williams is a wonderful showcase for two masterful musicians. Once again, the legendary composer and conductor weaves his magic as an orchestrator by taking compositions that were ...

Cover art for Across the Stars: Deluxe Edition .  © 2019 Deutsche Grammophon. Hi, there, Constant Reader. It's early afternoon this Friday 13, 2020 here in my corner of Florida. Here, as elsewhere throughout the world, we are beginning to feel anxiety over COVD-19, aka the novel coronavirus that is on everyone's minds. I'm a bit on edge myself; last week we were at Disney Hollywood Studios to visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge , and although I didn't see anyone sneezing or coughing, one never knows where the COVD-19 virus might be lurking. So, even though I don't feel sick, in the back of my mind I'm like Oh, my God. I was in a place where there were huge crowds from all over. What if just one of those visitors had COVD-19 but was still asymptomatic?  Anyway, I don't feel sick at the moment, but I do fret when I get a headache or even feel a slight urge to sneeze. It's driving me crazy. So much so that even though I've been awake since 8 or so...

Cover Photo Credit: © Kristian Schuller (Mutter), Kristin Pulito (Williams) ℗ 2019 Deutsche Grammophon (a division of Universal Music Group)  On Friday, August 30, Deutsche Grammophon, a Berlin-based division of Universal Music Group, released Across the Stars: Anne-Sophie Mutter - John Williams, a collection of a dozen film themes composed by John Williams and performed by German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter with the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles.  Although at first glance this offering from the famed classical music label Deutsche Grammophon is simply another collection of "John Williams covers," it marks the first professional collaboration between the dean of contemporary film music and Germany's violin superstar, even though they've been friends for years. (Mutter was once married to the late composer and conductor Andre Previn, a colleague and friend of Maestro Williams from the days when Previn worked in Hollywood as a composer of fi...