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Memoirs Of A Geisha

John Williams, composer/conductor

Masayo Ishigure, koto solos

Masakazu Yoshizawa, shakuhachi solos

Itzhak Perlman, violin solos

Yo-Yo Ma, cello solos

Memoirs Of A Geisha (the Music)
review by Ed Vincent

The music, written, arranged and conducted by John Williams
is composed with a sensitivity to both the subject and the
theme of the story. The book was wonderful and the music
for the film is a treat to the ears. It is also played by two of
the gods of stringed instruments, Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman.

There has already been some controversy about the film
using mostly Chinese actors to play the roles of Japanese
and that may also find its way to the criticism of of an
American doing the music score. The score is wonderful
and playing is as good as it could possibly get. The film
is opening on December 16th and the CD is available now.

CELLIST YO-YO MA, VIOLINIST ITZHAK PERLMAN
TO BE FEATURED SOLOISTS
IN JOHN WILLIAMS’ ORIGINAL SCORE
FOR FILM VERSION OF MEMOIRS OFA GEISHA
SONY CLASSICAL CD TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 22, 2005

Starring Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe,
Memoirs of a Geisha, -
Directed By Academy Award® Nominee Rob Marshall,
Opens In Theaters Nationwide On December 9, 2005

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist ltzhak Perlman both will be soloists in five-time Oscar winner John Williams’ original musical score for Memoirs of a Geisha, the Dreamworks/Columbia Pictures film based on Arthur Golden’s best-selling novel. Directed by Oscar nominee Rob Marshall (Chicago), the film stars Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeah — both of whom became international sensations in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon — Gong Li (Farewell My Concubine, Raise the Red Lantern), and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai). Sony Classical will release the film’s original soundtrack recording on Tuesday, November 22, 2005, and Memoirs of a Geisha will open in theaters nationwide December 9, 2005

Based on the internationally acclaimed novel by Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha is a sweeping romantic epic set in a mysterious and exotic world that still casts a potent spell today. The story begins in the years before WWII when a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house. Despite a treacherous rival who nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms into the legendary geisha Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang). Beautiful and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man who is out of her reach (Ken Watanabe). Directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Lucy Fisher, Douglas Wick and Steven Spielberg, the film’s screenplay was adapted by Robin Swicord and Doug Wright.

John Williams’ original score for Memoirs of a Geisha is another chapter in his long and distinguished collaboration with Steven Spielberg, who is one of the film’s producers. Both Yo-Yo Ma and ltzhak Perlman have collaborated previously with Williams on film scores and recordings. Ma was featured as soloist in Williams’ score for Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He also recorded a CD of Williams’ concert music entitled Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams (2002) that features the premiere recording of Williams’ Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, composed for Ma. Perlman performed the violin solos for Williams’ Oscar-winning score for Schindler’s List (1993) and later recreated his performance of this theme with Williams and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as part of the Sony Classical recording Cinema Serenade (1997).

“I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to compose a musical score for Rob Marshall’s film, Memoirs of a Geisha,” Williams says. “For years I’ve admired Arthur Golden’s remarkable book and it has been a wish come true to collaborate with my friends Yo-Yo Ma and ltzhak Perlman on this extraordinary film.”
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“It is rare that you have the opportunity to work with so many people you admire on one project. John Williams sent me a copy of Arthur Golden’s extraordinary book when it was first released and have been a fan ever since. Working with John Williams and ltzhak Perlman on Johns poetic and mysterious score for Rob Marshall’s film Memoirs of a Geisha was a dream come true.” - Yo-Yo Ma

“As with all of John Williams’ film scores, his music for Geisha is in sync with the contents of the film to such an extent that you cannot have one without the other.”
- ltzhak Perlman

A five-time Oscar winner who has received a remarkable 43 nominations to date, Williams earlier this year completed his celebrated collaboration with filmmaker George Lucas on the Star Wars films with the release of Star Wars Episode Ill: Revenge of the Sith and the film’s original soundtrack recording on Sony Classical. In 2005 alone, the prolific Williams also was responsible for the original score for Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds and will compose the music for Spielberg’s upcoming film Munich, about the 1972 Olympics massacre, scheduled for released in December.

Sony Classical, RCA Red Seal and deutsche harmonia mundi are labels of SONY BMG MASTERWORKS, a division of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. For e-mail updates and information regarding Sony Classical, RCA Red Seal, deutsche harmonia mundi and Arte Nova artists, promotions, tours and repertoire, please visit www.sonybmgmasterworks.com, www.bmgclassics.com and www.sonyclassical.com.

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