On Friday night composer Michael Giacchino was in Switzerland for the debut "Star Trek – Live To Projection" concert. We have exclusive pictures and video clips including Giacchino talking about if he will do the score for JJ Abrams Star Wars movie. We also have links to pre-order MG’s Star Trek Into Darkness soundtrack on CD and Vinyl. Plus news on another concert in Los Angeles celebrating Varese Sarabande music – which will include Giacchino and Into Darkness.
Star Trek – Live To Projection Debuts In Switzerland
On Friday night composer Michael Giacchino was on had for the debut performance of "Star Trek – Live To Projection" with the 21st Century Symphony at the KKL Luzern Concert Hall. This was the first of three Star Trek Live concerts being held this weekend
Michael Giacchino with 21st Century Orchestra for ‘Star Trek – Live To Projection’ – Lucerne, Switzerland April 12, 2013 (Photo: Kai Engelbrecht)
The concert presented the entire 2009 Star Trek movie accompanied by a live orchestra and choir – conducted by Ludwig Wicki (who wore an original Star Trek uniform shirt for the concert).
Conductor Ludwig Wicki with 21st Century Orchestra for ‘Star Trek – Live To Projection’ – Lucerne, Switzerland April 12, 2013 (Photo: Kai Engelbrecht)
Here are a couple of video clips from the concert (shot by Kai Engelbrecht and Stefan von Schulerst):
And Michael Giacchino himself tweeted out this video clip:
Giacchino: Williams Should Score Star Wars Episode VII
Michael Giacchino has a long collaboration with JJ Abrams. The pair have worked together on film and TV for over a decade. So when JJ Abrams signed on to direct Star Wars Episode VII some wondered if Giacchino would joining Abrams and compose the new film (he is a big Star Wars fan and composed the music for the recent new Star Tours ride). In an short impromptu Q&A session during a break in tonight’s Star Trek Live concert, Giacchino was asked (jokingly) if he would play some music from the new Star Wars movie. After that got a laugh from the crowd, the composer got serious and said:
"I will say this. One of the things that excites me most about Star Wars coming back is chance to hear a John Williams score. He has been a great inspiration to me over the years. He has been a great teacher to me and good friend and I would love nothing more than to hear more of his music from that universe…so if it were up to me I would say ‘John, you must do it.’"
Watch the exchange below.
Williams has scored all six Star Wars feature films. At age 81 Williams is still active in music. In the past couple of years he scored The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse and Lincoln. All three were nominated for Academy Awards. In February of this year (at a Star Wars concert performance) Williams said it is his "hope" to "continue" with Star Wars for Episode VII.
InInto Darkness Soundtrack now available for pre-order
Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack for Star Trek Into Darkness is now available for pre-order at Amazon. The soundtrack CD is priced at $17.98 for CD and for you old-school analog music lovers it is also available on vinyl – pre-order price of $28.49. The soundtrack will be released May 14th by Varese Sarabande. There is no album art or track list available yet.
Giacchino To Join Varese Sarabande Anniversary Concert in LA
On May 11th the music label Varese Sarabande will be holding a special 35th anniversary special concert featuring music from many of the film scores it has published. The event include guests John Debney, Danny Elfman, Michael Giacchino, Mark Isham, Christopher Lennertz, Joel McNeely, Diego Navarro, John Powell, Brian Tyler and more. TrekMovie has been told that music from Star Trek Into Darkness will feature during the concert. The music will be performed by the Golden State Pops Orchestra at the Warner Theater in San Pedro. More info and tickets at the Golden State Pops Orchestra site.
Special thanks to Kai Engelbrecht for his reporting from Switzerland.
Love It!!
If you have never seen a movie with a live orchestra like this, I cannot understate how awesome the experience is. I saw this sort of presentation of The Fellowship of the Ring, and it was absolutely outstanding.
If anything, the next Star Wars should bring some great new John Williams material. And if John Carter is any indication, Giacchino is a worthy successor… in my opinion.
@ 3
Yes, Vultan. Gicachino’s score to John Carter was wonderful. Lush and romantic. It reminded me of the score to Lawrence of Arabia. I hope I don’t commit Star Trek heresy here but I loved his scores to Up (Academy Award winner) and Ratatouille better than his 2009 Trek score. Still, he’s a fantastic composer. John Carter was not a perfect movie but the score makes the movie worthwhile.
I wouldn’t mind hearing Michael Giacchino’s take on “Star Wars”.
I love his scores to “Lost”, “John Carter”, “The Incredibles”, “Up”, “Ratatouille”, and “Star Trek”. A lot of great stuff.
And John Williams is the master.
Maybe both could co-score the next “Star Wars” movie.
Absolutely NOT!
Is this what you want? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQrJQcCR6ik
STAR WARS soundtrack: John Williams
STAR TREK sountrack: Alexander Courage
What’s next? Nascar soundtrack by Snoop Dog
6.
Wow, your badly mixed mashup of a movie with a unrelated score sure proves…nothing.
Alexander Courage? He composed none of the movies. Jerry Goldsmith composed the iconic theme from TNG and 1, 5, 8 9 and 10, and he’s dead.
Giachinno is simply the best composer working today, and if Williams isn’t up to it (He is pushing 80) then he’d be just fine. His score for Star Trek was wonderful.
The score for Trek 09 was the best thing about it other than Chris Pine. Brilliant music.
Good to know that Giacchino has enough common sense to know he doesn’t have the compositions skills or talent to compose a soundtrack worthy of a Star Wars film.
Now if he only had the common sense to know that he can’t compose a soundtrack worthy of a Star Trek film and had recused himself from the project.
#9.
Now only if Fubamushu had any common sense to realize how ridiculous his statements are. :-)
@6 Thanks for the clip. And people berate James Horner for writing the same score over and over again!?!?
If I hadn’t read the notes on the clip to see that this was Giacchino’s score from Speed Racer, I would have thought it was his LOST score.
#9. It’s also too bad that you don’t have enough common sense to realize that you don’t really have the minimal cognitive talent required to submit intelligent posts here to share with us all.
Amazing how that music sounds when not hindered by the dry icky recording & mixing treatment it got in the last film (and most of Giacchino’s other stuff… it sounds great when it has a wet sound to it).
No. Williams is still alive and wants to do it, so he should do it. Period.
Williams should do Star Wars.
I love what Giacchino has done with the new Star Trek but Williams score is so iconic to Star Wars.
Plus if Abrams only does one Star Wars film is he then going to leave Giacchino attached to that franchise? I don’t think so.
Having the opportunity to see Michael Giacchino conduct Live was one of the best
Experiences I have ever had, wish I could’ve gone to Lucerne.
Oh well this will have to do… Suite from Star Trek 2009 Dallas Symphony 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qjFgiyRN9I&list=PLBGA7_lwbUwnbeSBEUA6bwLrn2Rh2rHce&index=3
Dream come true!
How I’d love to have been there. The whole film. With a live orchestra and chorus! I wish they could come to my region of the US …. Heck, for complete wish fulfillment I wish I could sing in the chorus!
[Envious]
damn State Farm ads….
I’d like to see one of these someday. Living 45 minutes from LA, I really don’t have any excuses….
I am not saying that Giacchino should do Star Wars. But’s lets be honest, Williams didn’t exactly wow anyone with his work on the new SW trilogy.
Lucy enough to be there yesterday. An emotional experience at all Level. Plus they Played a piece from the new movie at the end. Dark and obscure piece of Music. Very… Well, dark.
#21
I have to say that John Williams’ scores on the prequel trilogy were the best thing about them. “Duel of the Fates” and “Battle of the Heroes” are simply astounding pieces of music. I went to the Star Wars: In Concert tour a few years back and they played all major pieces of the score in the timeline of the films and it was simply breathtaking. Hearing “Duel of the Fates” played live was one of the best experiences of my life!
This is SO cool. I wish they’d do one of these orchestra setups here. I’d buy a ticket.
It was awesome, I was there :-)))
#4. Basement Blogger – April 12, 2013
If so, I’m a member of your heretic club too.
Giacchino definitely can deliver the goods and should not be denied the chance to score STAR TREK. It’s not bad. It’s just missing something. His STID shows some definite Williams’ influence. Have to see the movie to hear if he pulls off introducing those elements. Definitely think he could do a credible STAR WARS score.
That’s very gracious of Giacchino. I loved his scores for The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Star Trek, but I think it would be very cool for John Williams to return to Star Wars.
I actually have seen films with live musicians as I’ve seen several silent films in the theater. I think the only times the films weren’t accompanied live were when I saw Metropolis (with a famously commissioned score), and The Golem (with a very unique score composed by Frank Black of The Pixies).
Live accompaniment for silent films I’ve seen has included Peter Blanchette’s awesome score for Steamboat Bill, Jr., a band I think was called Cirquestra for…I want to say Tod Browning’s The Unknown, and an actual silent era organist for films at the Silent Movie Theater in LA.
I’m curious how it would work for a talkie though, I would think it would overpower all the rest of the sound.
This is so wonderful. To hear really live music is such a great experience. But to see, and hear both together a beloved movie plus musicians, plus the human effect in music and the live acoustics ….
… if it would be a movieconcert here I would buy some tickets.
The choir was pure magic, I hope it will return in key scenes of STID!
Comparing the STXI soundtrack to Horner’s, Goldsmith’s, Eidelman’s or Rosenman’s, it is too repetitive for my taste. All the others had more variety and richness, but of course it’s all a matter of taste.
Great great music! I wish I could have been there.
I’ve always wondered what a hypothetical future Star Wars soundtrack would have sounded like if composed and conducted by the late John Barry. His music for Dances with Wolves, and Moonraker, were incredible and unforgettable. Alas, that’s not going to happen.
But really, Star Wars would not be Star Wars if anyone other than John Williams were to do the music. Althought the SW Prequels left much to be desired, I thought the music was outstanding, especially Duel of the Fates .
awesome. please bring this to major markets in the u.s. please!
Well, Giacchino has already done some Star Wars work, as he did the music for the second incarnation of the Star Tours rides at the Disney Parks.
Dude’s name is Wicki…
That Enterprising Young Men theme is awesome!!! My favorite scene of the movie Kirk and McCoy seeing the Enterprise for the first time.
I love Giacchino’s work and especially the 2009 Trek stuff. That being said John Williams IS Star Wars. Anyone complaining that he didn’t “wow” us with the SW Prequels is in the minority. Any perceived problems with his work in the prequels can be attributed to heavy handed editing by George Lucas.
That is so cool! Heard Howard Shore conduct his LOTR suite and there’s nothing like hearing it live. Yes though, that repetitive theme- and a strange one at that- gets old. Hope he doesn’t make that choice with STID.
#10 (Red Dead Ryan) and #12 (K-7), I admire your perseverance and energies in fighting the good fight.
Suffice it to say I still don’t like Giacchino’s take on Trek. Flame away, if you must, but don’t expect much flack from me this time… it’s just too tiresome.
If Williams isn’t up to it, sure…Giacchino would be great “replacement”.
But I think Williams — if he’s well and up to it — is the man for the job. I can’t imagine Star Wars without John Williams…
If it’s a vote, I’d go with Bear McCreary. Shake things up a little. PLEASE don’t make these anything like the cussed prequels.
Other composers have done Star Wars Music for many of the video game scores. Joel McNeely did a fantastic job with his take on Start Wars music for Shadows Of The Empire and many of the themes were based on William’s original score for the series. Giacchino could do the same but I agree that if possible John Williams should do the music for the new Star Wars….music is the emotional under pinning for films and Williams is and has been the emotional power behing all the Star Wars films.
Ugh, McCreary? I mean…he’s OK but..no. Of course, I’d take 4 monkeys and a typewriter over Hans Zimmer, or James “Which of my old soundtracks should I ripoff this time?” Horner.
Giacchino would probably do fine, because I think he’d emulate the great composers of the past the way he did with John Carter. But while we have Williams, it should be Williams.
The obvious, obvious way to do it would be a Giacchino + Williams collaboration. Let’s face it… John Williams is 81. With a new trilogy on tap that will span a decade, it’s clear that he’s not going to be able to handle the whole workload. He’s going to have to pass the torch to someone… and Michael Giacchino is the only choice.
Just think how epic a Star Wars score by BOTH of them would be.
I want John Williams to do Star Wars again! I love Giacchino but yeah Williams is associated with Star Wars, so let’s just stick with him. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. As long as Williams is still willing and in good health, of course.
I would love mister Giacchino not to forget Jerry Goldsmith themes in future Trek works.
I hope the idea of Williams doing the score to any Star Trek movie is a joke. Don’t get me wrong, obviously the man is hugely talented, but there needs to be a separate line between Star Trek and Star Wars.
Giacchino has a lot of respect. I could see him working together with John Williams on Star Wars.
@23 ” “Duel of the Fates” and “Battle of the Heroes” are simply astounding pieces of music.”
Listening do Duel of the Fates on a CD sounds absolutely fantastic, for sure. But Duel of the Fates in the context of the score of the The Phantom Menace was just horrid — it did not fit the fight scenes, nor did it sound like Star Wars. It sounded like it belonged in some Viking movie or something? Great music, horrible Star Wars score. Just did not fit.
#47.
Actually, I think John Williams’ prequel scores were brilliant. It was probably more of the movie–“Phantom Menace”– not matching the music (in both style and quality).
“Attack Of The Clones” and “Revenge Of The Sith” also had great music. In particular “Across The Stars” and “Anakin’s Dark Deeds” (Order 66).
Why doesn’t Paramount do something like this with U.S. symphony orchestras??? I would LOVE to see the internationally-renowned Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra play a “Star Trek – Live To Projection” concert, too! That would truly be a modern way to promote a film like “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
John Williams scoring any new Star Wars is an absolute must-have, I am happy Giacchino sees it that way. Just a damned shame Hans Zimmer didn’t see the new Superman movie through those eyes.
Of course, Hans Zimmer is a hack, lucky to be working anywhere. All his music is essentially the same.