Back catalogue: Modern Classical

Review: John Williams' Home Alone soundtrack is a heartwarming classic that perfectly complements the holiday season. Known for his work on Star Wars, E.T.and Harry Potter, Williams brings the same orchestral magic to this beloved Christmas film. The score includes memorable tracks like 'Somewhere in My Memory,' a recurring theme throughout the film, and 'Star of Bethlehem,' which captures the festive spirit with choral and orchestral elegance. The standout track, 'Setting the Trap,' diverges from Williams' usual orchestral sound, incorporating electronics and percussion to enhance Kevin's creative showdown with the burglars. Alongside traditional Christmas carols like 'O Holy Night' and 'Carol of the Bells,' the soundtrack blends nostalgia with whimsy. Though the album repeats familiar motifs, its charm makes it a refreshing alternative to typical holiday music. The Home Alone soundtrack is available in a limited edition red and gold vinyl 2xLP, making it an essential for any festive playlist. Whether it's playing while decorating the tree or enjoying Christmas cookies, this release brings the holiday spirit alive.

Review: The finale of the original trilogy had it all, sewers, blimps, mysterious invisible CGI bridges, you name it! What it also had was an incredible soundtrack, now reissued here to commemorate its 35th anniversary. Although Temple of Doom was another box office hit, critical reactions were heavily mixed and it obviously affected director Steven Spielberg enough that he spent a couple extra years on completing the Indiana Jones trilogy. John Williams of course returns with a lot of new themes - there are a couple of artifact themes this time around, both evoking a strong religious feeling, without any of the ominous feeling that some of the other movies' soundtrack have. The first is the primary Grail theme, which appears in the travel cue portion of 'X Marks the Spot.' Most of its appearances were absent on the original album, but restored here. In the case of Indiana Jones, the music is almost as important as the movies - and the Last Crusade was one of the emost original and in depth soundtracks in the series.

Review: John Williams' iconic soundtrack for Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom remains a classic amongst soundtrack fans as it captures the adventurous spirit of the film in every note. With thrilling orchestrations and memorable motifs, Williams once again proves his mastery in cinematic composition from the exhilarating 'The Temple Of Doom' theme to the haunting 'Slave Children's Crusade,' each track transports you in an instant to the heart of the action-packed adventure. The score's ability to evoke a sense of danger, excitement, and wonder is unparalleled and that makes this a must-have for fans of film music and Indiana Jones aficionados alike.

Review: Classical and film composition legend John Williams, at the time of writing, is currently still in Tokyo; it was only two months ago, in February 2024, that Williams returned to Japan for two special concerts, held in Matsumoto and Tokyo respectively, to perform select pieces from his esteemed film score repertoire. Performed alongside conductor Seiji Ozawa - and this being his debut with the world famous Saito Kinen Orchestra - the second of these concerts is now available to purchase on vinyl here thanks to Deutsche Grammophon, complementing his prior concert albums The Berlin Concert and John Williams in Vienna.

Review: John Williams and Yo-Yo Ma have been creative and personal friends and collaborators for many decades now. Their fruitful partnership is revived here for a new recording for Sony Classical alongside the rightly venerated New York Philharmonic. The record features two concert works that the composer penned for the cellist with some extra inclusions taken from his famous film scores for movies such as Schindler's List, Lincoln, and Munich. There are also some guest appearances including Spanish guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas and harpist Jessica Zhou. A superb sounding and magnificently executed album for fans of classical music.