I just recently saw one of the earlier Star Wars films again with my children, and it’s just amazing to witness the score and what it brings to the film. But the film does very poorly without the music of John Williams. And it stands very well by its own, without the film. You know, it’s like Zararthustra, or Alpensymphonie, or Don Quixote, or Berlioz’s Harold in Italy. “In a way, what John writes for film is like a Tondichtung (tone poem). And that’s how the process actually slowly started. It took a considerable amount of time to identify some of the many many iconic themes he has written over decades, which would work for an adaptation for violin.” She says he writes with the descriptive power of Richard Strauss. “I dared then also to mention to John Williams that I was obviously a great admirer also of his film scores. While they were working on that, this project was born. Relax with peaceful harp and flute music with birds singing in the background. Of course, secretly I was dreaming and am still dreaming of a violin concerto.” That concerto hasn’t been written, although he did write a work called Markings for her, with chamber orchestra and harp. Mysterious fantasy music ('Forest Whisper') composed by Peder B. And of course, I was totally starstruck, but took all my chutzpah and asked him if he one day would just write a few bars for me. I grew exceedingly more fond also of his classical scores, the violin concerto from the 70s, and then also the many many cello pieces he has written for Yo-Yo Ma… I had the great fortune about 7 or 8 years ago to meet him in Tanglewood. “I saw Star Wars in 1978 in the Black Forest,” Mutter says, “And that was the beginning of a lifelong love and admiration for John’s music. You can find out more about KDFC’s Album of the Week here.

Calm radio harp