Ninety years young is how I would describe John Williams after listening to his latest recording, both as composer and conductor. Working with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he presents his Violin Concerto No 2, written for his friend, the world- renowned violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. As anyone who knows Mutter would expect, her contribution here is, as usual, stunning, but what I found particularly interesting about this work was the rhythm. Yes, there are the soaring strings and lush cinematic timbres you would imagine of a John Williams work, but the rhythm is so much more angular than what you might expect. It’s as if Williams has finally been given the freedom to simply speak through his music, which I haven’t heard in his works before. I love the fact that this music seems to be continually searching, and I love that Williams is still creating even now.

Of course, for those die-hard fans of his movie music there are some beautiful renditions of some of his more famous pieces with Mutter as celebrated soloist. These include ‘Han Solo and the Princess’ from The Empire Strikes Back and ‘Marion’s Theme’ from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. You can almost see the smiles on the faces of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as they bask in the beauty that is John Williams and his world-changing music.

Kate Rockstrom is a friend of Readings.