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I agree, I read that comment and wondered if any other posters here might be familiar with the Strauss piece and confirm or deny any such similarity. Calling all Strauss fans....
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I'll confirm it.
Neil
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a quote from a critic mentioned that John Williams used Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration as an inspiration for “Can You Read My Mind” from Superman.
This claim has been around in print since at least 1979. And it's completely bogus.
Can You Read My Mind: C E G e d
Death and Transfiguration: C D E e d
Of the five notes, three are the same and two are different. And after these first five notes, the rest of the melodies are completely different.
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Discovering Hanson? I propose this :
Howard Hanson - Symphonies (complete) - Gerard Schwartz with Seattle Symphony and New York Chamber Symphony - DE 3150
It's a Delos box with 4 CDs. And it's great.
I also have Schwarz doing the symphonies(bar 1+2 by Hanson himself).On the discs I have are a few other things worth a listen-
Fantasy variations on a theme of youth
seenade for flute harp strings
Lament for Beowolf
Pastorale for oboe harp strings
Merry Mount suite
Mosaics
all a good listen
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And of course, in a more general sense, if Howard Hanson hadn't existed, neither would the John Williams you all know and love. If you don't know his work and you're a film music fan, it's a great way to "jump over" into classical music. You've find a LOT of similarities in Williams' writing and Hanson's. And, no, Williams didn't come first.
I got everything Howard Hanson ever composed and let me tell you, it ain't Williams. Craaaaaaazy talk.
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Do have any specific Hanson recommendations, please?
Try Hanson's Symphony #2 (The Romantic) - a beautiful piece indeed (as is all his music, you really can't go wrong whichever piece you start with). There's a brand new recording on the Telarc label with Erich Kunzel conducting the Cincinatti Pops (I haven't heard it but imagine it sounds great). And if you're not familiar with the Richard Strauss piece, there's a great (mid-price) '70s Karajan/BPO recording of Death and Transfiguration (which incidentally bears no more than the most superficial thematic resemblance to Williams' "Can you Read My Mind"..! That "critic" was trying to be a smart-ass and it backfired, revealing his ignorance instead) which also features other stunning Strauss works, Metamorphosen and Four Last Songs - both unbelievably haunting.
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