L.A. Studio Legends #18: Geri Rotella

Composer & Conductor David Newman talks conducting classic film music live and the program curated by John Williams for the LA Phil concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 2-4. Featuring Writer and Journalist Tim Greiving Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Film music is now a staple of the concert hall experience, with countless performances across the world by orchestras and ensembles of all kind, from local community symphonies to major historical institutions. Music from the movies is performed on the same stage where only the established canon of classical repertoire was once allowed, bringing a new audience to the concert hall and reinvigorating the live experience with innovative formats like the live-to-picture concerts. If this is now an accepted reality of the classical music landscape, a huge part is owed to John Williams and his 45-year activity as a champion of conducting film music in concert halls. On February 2, 3 and 4 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Newman is conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program called A Century Of Film Music. The concert is part of a series curated by John Williams and it features an exciting selection offering a journey through several decades of great film music with pieces by some of the finest composers who ever wrote for the movies. This is the starting point of this new Legacy Conversation podcast episode, a lively discussion with David Newman about the challenges and the opportunities of performing film music in the concert hall, while also reflecting on how crucial John Williams has been in making film music more widely accepted and recognized. Joining the discussion is writer and journalist Tim Greiving, who has followed the film music industry closely for almost 20 years and witnessed the transformation of how music from the movies is perceived by the audience.   Read more: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/02/02/legacy-conversations-a-century-of-film-music Listen to "A Century Of Film Music" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1blGRnjBOFUA4xfGZiX08O

Renowned trombonist talks his career as a studio musician in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams as Principal Trombone on such scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Star Wars films   William “Bill” Booth is one of the most respected veterans of the Los Angeles music scene and one of the most appreciated orchestral trombonists in the world. In a career spanning five decades, Bill Booth has performed on thousands of recording sessions, including a staggering amount of film and television soundtracks in Hollywood, thus becoming the leading trombonist in town. He has been the Principal Trombone for John Williams for all of the Maestro’s recordings in LA since 1991, performing on such legendary scores as Home Alone, Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the Star Wars sequel trilogy.   In this conversation, Bill Booth reflects on his career as a studio musician, chronicling the path that led him to Hollywood and becoming the leading studio trombonist for film and television. He talks at length about his many years playing for John Williams on dozens of his legendary film scores, reflecting on the special quality of the Maestro's music and his affinity for the instrument as shown in many of his film scores including Hook, Jurassic Park and the Star Wars series.   Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/01/19/bill-booth-podcast

Part 2 of the podcast special dedicated to La-La Land Records’ magnificent 3-CD set of John Williams’ masterful score for the 1991 Steven Spielberg fantasy epic Hook – The Ultimate Edition is  a 3-CD collection with a newly restored and expanded presentation of the magnificent score composed by John Williams for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino in full cooperation with the composer, the new release presents this seminal Williams’ work in a truly definitive and loving treatment, with the complete score presented in the film’s narrative order on disc 1 and 2, and a third disc featuring for the first time all the songs by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse for when the film was supposed to be a musical. In Part 2 of the Hook - The Ultimate Edition podcast special, producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss more of the musical contents of La-La Land Records' magnificent release, together with associate producers and co-writers of the liner notes John Takis and Jason LeBlanc. During the conversation, the trio of special guests dissect all the riches found in the treasure chest of this John Williams' score, analyzing the score's main themes, how the songs' melodies were reworked into the thematic fabric of the piece and offering their own thoughts and reflections on the film and its score. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/27/hook-podcast-special

The Legacy of John Williams presents a multi-part podcast special dedicated to HOOK - The Ultimate Edition, a 3-CD set of John Williams' magnificent score for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg, now available from La-La Land Records. Hook – The Ultimate Edition is a 3-CD collection from La-La Land Records with a newly restored and expanded presentation of the magnificent score composed by John Williams for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino in full cooperation with the composer, the new release finally gives this seminal Williams’ work the truly definitive and loving treatment it always deserved, with the complete score presented in the film’s narrative order on disc 1 and 2 (including cues dialed out from the film’s final dub), followed by a selection of alternate cues. But the real surprise of this new Ultimate Edition is the third disc, a program presenting for the very first time all the songs written by John Williams and lyricist Leslie Bricusse when Hook was supposed to be a full-on movie musical, interjected by additional alternate score cues and source music pieces, thus creating a fascinating experience that offers the listener a chance to connect with this music in a new and unexpected way. In part 1 of this Hook - The Ultimate Edition podcast special on The Legacy of John Williams, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino sits down to talk about the genesis of Steven Spielberg's 1991 fantasy epic, its place within the director's filmography and the long history of how it almost became a musical, while also addressing how Hook sits in the canon of the Steven Spielberg/John Williams collaboration; Matessino also talks about his friendship with lyricist Leslie Bricusse, the years-in-the-making process of assembling and producing this new set and his own personal journey to bring it to life with the utmost level of care and detail that such music always deserved. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/27/hook-podcast-special/

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino and Writer John Takis talk two early John Williams' masterworks, now available in new remastered editions from Quartet Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden European-based soundtrack label Quartet Records announced a 2-CD set presenting new remastered editions of two early masterworks in John Williams' filmography: Heidi (1968) and Jane Eyre (1970), both newly restored, assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino. Both scores were composed by Williams for two made-for-television films produced by Frederick H. Brogger for Omnibus Productions and both directed by Academy Award-winning director Delbert Mann. In this new podcast conversation, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino and film music writer John Takis talk the history of these two early landmark John Williams' scores, offering insights and reflections on the special quality and the timelessness of both scores, how they sits in the Williams' canon and chronicling the laborious restoration process both recordings went through for this new spectacular release, another one that cannot be missed in the CD collection of any true John Williams' admirer. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/21/heidi-and-jane-eyre-podcast

Producer Mike Matessino returns to talk the remastered and expanded editions of two impressive scores from the Steven Spielberg/John Williams collaboration, recently released by La-La Land Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Special Guest: Jason LeBlanc, project assistant The collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams continues to be one of the main subjects of the activities of The Legacy of John Williams. In the last few months, fans of the Maestro have been treated with two more remastered and expanded releases from the catalogue of the legendary Spielberg/Williams partnership, courtesy of specialty soundtrack label La-La Land Records: The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad. In this episode, Mike Matessino returns to discuss these two releases, shedding light on his restoration work on both these seminal scores, but also offering his insightful comments on how they sits within John Williams' filmography and overall career. Project assistant Jason LeBlanc joins the episode as a special guest to further illuminate on the process of restoring these two releases and explaining his role assisting Matessino during their production. ---------------- Amistad 25th Anniversary Remastered and Expanded 2-CD Limited Edition https://lalalandrecords.com/amistad-25th-anniversary-expanded-limited-edition-2-cd-set/ The Lost World: Jurassic Park Remastered and Expanded 2-CD Limited Edition https://lalalandrecords.com/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-remastered-expanded/

World-renowned conductor and author JOHN MAUCERI returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast for an in-depth discussion about his latest book "The War On Music: Reclaiming the 20th Century" (Yale University Press), a riveting analysis of how music written by classical composers in the 20th century fell victim on the battlegrounds between nations during the three major global wars (World War I, World War II and the Cold War), with so much orchestral and operatic repertoire being erased (or "cancelled") and not being performed as a consequence of ideologies and policy making.  The conversation spotlights how Hollywood became a refuge for musicians escaping the totalitarian regimes in Europe during the 1930s and how much this still reverberates in the music of composers working in Hollywood today, including John Williams.  GRAMMY-nominated composer AUSTIN WINTORY joins the discussion, bringing his own views and sensibilities as a contemporary composer of media music navigating the current landscape. Don't miss this fascinating talk with two very fine musical personalities exchanging passionate views and opinions about how the history of 20th century still lingers today with many consequences and how film and media music must play a pivotal role in creating a new pact with the audience of today. Hosted and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto for The Legacy of John Williams ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LISTEN to our 2019 podcast with John Mauceri: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/09/09/john-mauceri-podcast/ John Mauceri Offical Website http://www.johnmauceri.com/ Buy "The War On Music": https://a.co/d/djMXeki Austin Wintory Official Website https://www.austinwintory.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The acclaimed classical composer and conductor talks his most recent projects and how the music of John Williams continues to be a source of inspiration Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Peter Boyer continues to be one of the most talented, versatile and successful living American classical composers. His brilliant symphonic music is celebrated across the United States and around the world as some of the most accessible and enjoyable repertoire composed in the recent years. In 2022, Peter Boyer produced the fourth album of his orchestral music, ‘Balance of Power’ and Other Orchestral Works. Released on the Naxos label as part of their successful “American Classics” series, the album features world premiere recordings of symphonic works composed by Peter Boyer over the last number of years, with the composer on the podium conducting the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra. The music of Peter Boyer is unabashedly tonal, earnest and very emotional, yet composed with a thorough attention to detail to achieve a high level of craft in the treatment of the orchestral resources in the great tradition of such American luminaries of symphonic music as Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and John Williams. Boyer himself acknowledges how John Williams’s music is the gold standard for any orchestral composer when it comes to write memorable tunes and applying them with sensational dramatic instinct. In this conversation, Peter Boyer talks about his recent projects (including the recording of “Balance of Power”) and to offer more insightful and in-depth thoughts about his approach to composition, the challenges of writing for orchestra, his views on the contemporary classical scene and how John Williams remains for him a role model and an ongoing source of inspiration. For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/06/21/legacy-conversations-peter-boyer

Top-tier flutist talks her career as a studio musician in Hollywood and her many collaborations with John Williams on such legendary scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, The BFG, and many others Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto Geraldine Rotella is unquestionably one of the most heard flutists in the world. In a career now spanning five decades, she performed as a freelance on many studio recordings in Los Angeles, thus becoming one of the first-call studio musicians working in the area. She’s also Principal Flutist for the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Assistant Principal/Piccolo for the Pasadena Symphony. Geri Rotella performed on thousands of session dates for film and television soundtracks, playing for some of Hollywood's most acclaimed composers including John Williams, for whom he's the piccolo player since 1990 and performed on such legendary scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, The Lost World, Amistad, The Patriot, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, Memoirs of a Geisha, War of the Worlds, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse, The Book Thief, The BFG and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. She can be often heard playing high-pitched notes in the piccolo during the action scenes of those films (the Velociraptor sequences in the Jurassic Park movies being some of the trickiest she ever performed), but also performed a lot beautiful lyrical alto flute parts. In this conversation, Geri Rotella talks her illustrious career as a studio musician in Hollywood, highlighting her family heritage and unique musical upbringing, the mentorship she received from Sheridon Stokes and Louise Di Tullio, and her many collaborations with John Williams throughout the years. Geri recollects the unforgettable experiences playing on such scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, The BFG and Indiana Jones among others, reflecting on Williams’ flute writing and also at his skills as a communicator on the podium. For more information and the listing of the musical excerpts, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/06/07/geri-rotella-podcast/

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino presents the new 2-CD expanded edition of John Williams' romantic score coming May 2 on La-La Land Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto & Tim Burden The Legacy of John Williams presents an exclusive preview of the first John Williams' archival soundtrack reissue of 2023, courtesy of La-La Land Records: a lavish 2-disc release of the Academy Award-nominated score composed by Maestro Williams for the 1995 romantic comedy Sabrina, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond and Greg Kinnear. Assembled, mastered and produced by archival soundtrack producer Mike Matessino, the new edition offers a wonderfully exhaustive presentation of John Williams' lush romantic score, remastered from 1st-generation analog tapes and expanded with a great wealth of previously unreleased material, including many unused cues and several alternates. The new release presents an expanded edition of the original orchestral score composed and conducted by John Williams, plus all the source music and the songs (including the two original ones written by Williams and lyricists Alan & Marilyn Bergman) that were specifically arranged and recorded for the film.   In this special podcast episode, The Legacy of John Williams presents two exclusive preview tracks from the new expanded edition, with Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino offering his own precious insight and commentary on the lovely John Williams' score, how it sits in the composer's catalogue and chronicling the making of this new archival release.   Sabrina - 2-CD Expanded Soundtrack Limited Edition is coming May 2 on lalalandrecords.com Special Thanks to MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys (La-La Land Records)