Dolby has partnered with leading classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon to release composer John Williams and the Wiener Philharmoniker’s seminal performance, John Williams Live in Vienna, in Dolby Atmos. The concert was recorded and mixed in Dolby Atmos by Bernhard Güttler.

The new sound mix will  be available on Amazon Music HD, and released on Blu-ray August 14.

3D audio is no stranger to the company, says Clemens Trautmann, President of Deutsche Grammophon.  “As the label that was founded by the inventor of the Gramophone, Deutsche Grammophon has always embraced technological innovation. Building on the long tradition of our engineers, who produced multi-track and quadraphonic recordings in the 1970s and 1980s, Deutsche Grammophon was the first label to create Dolby Atmos mixes of entire symphony cycles starting in 2017. There are so many wonderful details and spatial effects in classical music that are lost in the standard stereo mix, but which are brought to life through the Dolby Atmos technology, adding another dimension to the listening experience. The ‘John Williams in Vienna’ album is a perfect showcase for that: the world’s most renowned film music composer with one of the top orchestras in the fabled acoustics of Musikverein.”

Williams’ film scores have won numerous awards, including five Oscars, five Emmys, four Golden Globes and twenty-five Grammys, his compositions indelibly linked to classics like the Stars Wars saga, the Indiana Jones movies, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List.

In what was Williams’ continental Europe conducting debut, he was joined on stage at the world-renowned Vienna Musikverein by the Wiener Philharmoniker, as well as globally renowned violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter for performances of classic Williams’ scores that had been specially adapted for her. These included Hedwig’s Theme from the Harry Potter films, Devil’s Dance from The Witches of Eastwick and the Theme from Sabrina. 

“Performing at such a prestigious venue as the Musikverein with the magnificent Wiener Philharmoniker and the incomparable Anne-Sophie Mutter was a very great privilege indeed,” recalls Williams. “ I’m delighted that listeners will be able to share that experience through the special technology of Dolby Atmos.”

John Couling, Senior Vice President, Commercial Partnerships, Dolby Laboratories added: “John Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest film composers of all time and for him to have performed with the world-renowned Wiener Philharmoniker at what many consider the home of classical music is an unmissable spectacle. We’re thrilled to present this once-in-a-lifetime concert in Dolby Atmos for fans around the world, ensuring they can enjoy it as though they are sitting in the best seat in the house, any time they like.”

Image © Terry Linke / Deutsche Grammophon.