Below is a link to a Chicago Sun Times review of Williams' Saturday night concert with the CSO. In the last paragraph the writer comments on the aloofness of some of the CSO musicians during the final applause.

I was at the Friday night concert (which was all film music and wonderful, BTW) and I noticed the same joyless expressions on the part of most of the players. Williams did three curtain calls (Yoda's theme, Superman March and The Misson Theme from the NBC Nightly News). Each time the orchestra seemed to get more annoyed when they had to play another selection.

Of course that's my impression and they may not have had any ill feelings at all. But it sure looked like they were only doing a job, (though the performances were tight and spirited).

In the concert mentioned in the article Williams premiered his Horn Concerto. You'ed think that a composer of Williams' stature doing a work written especially for the concert hall would get him some props from these folks but I suspect that many players might go out of thier way to make it known that they are not enjoying playing music by ANY Hollywood composer... even John Williams.

Anyway, discuss amongst yourselves.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/delacoma/cst-ftr-cso01.html >

P.S. Williams was as gracious and soft-spoken as ever. He did seem, however visably fatigued by the end of the night. He is 72 afterall. There was a cute moment when he almost forgot to play a Harry Potter selection, paused, and turned to the audience to declare that he was having a "senior moment".

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I just don't know Howard. It all could add up. I've been to numerous symphony performances where the program was strictly classical. I can't really remember the demeanor of the players at those events. It could be that they had the same stoic appearance which would fit the serious, "art and culture" atmosphere of the evening when classical is played.

The more celebratory and exuberant audience that comes out to a movie music program may be at odds with the serious stance that symphony players tend to display.

Anyone who truly loves music by way of listening to it, performing it, or writing it should try not dismiss any form of music as being beneath them. I may not like Tejano or Mariachi genres as a matter of repeated listening, but that doesn't mean I don't respect their place in the world.

Not knowing what these musicians were thinking, this is all soapbox conjecture from me. But if I were in their place, I would marvel at what Williams does. Many performing musicians don't have the ability or the breadth of talent to compose- not all, but some. It's a power that has it's own measure of responsibility and should be treated with a certain amount of respect.

But then, that's just my opinion.