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More than the information about the upcoming STAR WARS score, I find it far more fascinating to observe Don speak. I've seen several of these videos before, and it's always interesting to see how similar he is to John in terms of voice colour and mannerisms, but with a rather different personality. More direct, more acerbic wit. It's like two worlds colliding.

They call him “the composter” cuz that’s where the bodies end up.

Some people misunderstood the anecdote about the dude getting booted between days. It's not that he dropped equipment or anything during a take--I'm sure even John has dropped a baton or a page during a take before--it's that once that mistake happened, he thought in his mind "Oh well the take is ruined now, might as well get silly", much like how you'll see bloopers in movies or TV. This is very common for musicians, who often are inconsolably goofy-ass people (Fellini's Prova D'Orchestra is only an exaggerated version of the truth). Now we know that in John's mind this is unacceptable, as he sees value in a complete performance, and to throw in the towel so to speak after a slight mishap can potentially rob everyone of an amazing performance of the rest of the piece at hand. In this way he's similar to one of his heroes Miles Davis. "Yo-Yo baby? That take...." "What did I do wrong John?" "Did I ever tell you about the first time I saw Schindler's List? What Spielberg told me?" "Yeah you said he needed a better composer, and he agreed, but said they're all--oh shit!" *jumps out of the way to dodge the chair Williams hurtled towards him, which smashes his cello*

Oh my god, people are morons. This person thinks they're Sherlock Holmes figuring out how long the movie is but doesn't even know that there's more music in a film than on the OST *Picard facepalm gif* https://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-score-length/

Check back the next day and Don is missing from the percussion section. ”Don baby is taking a little vacation at Lake Tahoe.”

Help me make the Music of the Jedi Knights.

Sabrina by John Williams Carrying on @Bespin's listening legacy with this dark horse romantic beauty! In all serious, I did actually listen to this score (although I'm not sure if Bespin really has every day this week ), and while I hadn't thought about doing so until our Québécois friend's very own Sabrina surge, I had been meaning to give it another spin. And hot damn, is that theme ever gorgeous, almost wistful when played on solo piano, but when backed by the orchestra it's like a revelation, dying down into another solo with clarinet as counterpoint. It's gentle and fragile, but it still holds its own. Williams also interpolates a number of other beloved tunes that are not his own, such as La Vie En Rose, and in the 11 minute beauty that is The Party Sequence, When Joanna Loved Me, The Shadow Of Your Smile, Call Me Irresponsible, and Stella by Starlight. They are quite well incorporated and arranged seamlessly. Nantucket Visit is another little treat. Of course, the main theme is reprised to close the album.

It's an opinion. Let's not start this.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (OST) by John Williams When it comes to the prequel scores it's become a shorthand for many to revert to one of numerous "complete" edits when listening. Be that as it may, it's certainly worth the while to revisit the OSTs of these treasure troves to examine coherence and listening experience, with the slight possibility of being familiar enough with individual cues to notice the edits within the tracks. With, say, The Phantom Menace this is a considerable difficulty for me, because the OST simply doesn't flow. It's very choppy, and cues are being attached and cut all over the place in a way that just doesn't work in a very pleasurable manner. With Attack of the Clones the album may in fact be one of the best in the whole saga, which is saying something. This score in "complete" form isn't neccesarily the best way to listen in my opinion, and I'm quite pleased upon revisiting the album that it holds up as a highlight-filled comprehensive taste of what the whole score is. From the Main Title into Ambush on Coruscant, which wisely fades into some Kamino material before long. Across the Stars, the gorgeous love theme for the film, receives a concert suite in the next track, and is reprised in a variety of lovely and sweeping ways, my favourite of which is probably in The Meadow Picnic. If there's one tiny bone I have to pick with this presentation it's that I don't really like the album version of Zam the Assasin and Chase Through Coruscant, although I still feel it's a great piece of music. Yoda and the Younglings often reminds me of Hatching Baby Raptor, more so during the map/lost planet sequence than anywhere else of course. Anakin and Padme employs the woodwinds in a very unique way, really reminding me of just how different Attack of the Clones is as a Star Wars score. Jango's Escape and Bounty Hunter's Pursuit are two action tracks, the latter dying down into some mysterious repeating sections. As I already mentioned, The Meadow Picnic is one of my favourite cues of the score. Return to Tatooine's primary ostinato resembles a few of the other ideas in the score, namely the Kamino motif. I always liked the percussion and muted trumpets in The Tusken Camp and The Homestead, but then again when don't I like percussion and muted trumpets? Love Pledge and the Arena contains another of the aforementioned Across the Stars quotes, before the mood quickly changes as the execution begins, and the official manliest most testosterone-filled music of Williams career kicks in (you spoke, we listened!). Confrontation with Count Dooku and Finale has even more special bits to offer before the credits roll. Par exemple, how about that solo female voice when Dooku visits Sidious on Coruscant! From there we hear the Imperial March, put on full power but still presented in a slightly fresher way, and the last sweeping strings of Across the Stars. Attack of the Clones is a real mystery box, and a future expansion will further reveal just how whimsically different it really is. Nonetheless, the OST will always be a great fallback for an adequate and fulfilling 73 minute sampler.

I wonder how many notebooks he's filled with sketches for music that'll probably never be played or heard, compositions that he's poured his time into. Or if he subtly reworks some things for whatever score he's working on...

The Agony and the Ecstasy. Definitely one of my favourite scores of all time. The combination of Alex North modernism with Renaissance influences is just irresistible. Absolutely magnificent work of art that also makes a great album. I hope someone re-releases Varese's DE some day. Karol

I shouldn't be making memes. Here's one for the Star Wars fans,

"I'm really sorry, Sandy baby, but little Billy can't sing for shit."

Because the poll includes Star Wars, and the Tolkien subforum is not to be spoiled with that crap. Edit: better include ;-) so the touchy touchies don't get offended.

Also some Pachelbel!

Every theme I ever heard? Phantom of the Opera confirmed!

I smuggled this set and a few others in my suitcase coming home from the USA! TAXATION IS SLAVERY!

Its nice that you have a hobby!

And plus, I don't play LEGO. I create. I sculpt. I construct. I do not play. I'd like to see a child try and pull off some of the projects I'm working on!

The LEGO Group has spoken!

LEGO isn't a noun. The correct plural is "LEGO bricks".

Jumped on the Sabrina train. 'Tis lovely.

A proper classic trilogy! Honestly, these are not "flaws". They are just things you don't like. There's a difference.

Indiana Jones is the best trilogy.

With two hours remaining it's 36,225 opinions. Josh500 would cream his fuckin' pants!

Rather cute analysis from Sherlock above, and to be slightly fair they do refer to the OST and film 'differing' near the end, but it doesn't make their actual analysis any less wrong. I've occasionally tried to explain to someone how a score album usually doesn't have all of a film's music. This has been met with blank stares.

I really appreciate the novelty of the conversation happening on this page right now. There are tons of compelling arguments that are sure to change the other side's minds, I'm certain. To answer the thread title, the one I always felt worst about was how the Jurassic Park album didn't end with the End Credits. After the whiz-bang intensity of the T-Rex Rescue, I thought it would be really nice to have a contrasting tranquility that the solo piano provides. A simple sequencing fix, but I wonder what prompted the decision.

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I think we're ignoring the most important revelation from the videos on page 1... John writes at least 3 minutes of music a day. Think of the immense plethora of unreleased JW cues! Hundreds upon hundreds of hours worth of music that no one will ever be able to hear! We must have it all!

Sobriety by Johs Wyllemma?

My sources confirm that the Yo Yo Ma stuff most definitely happened

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That just makes the scores even more impressive!

Why is it always so cringeworthy when John Williams news goes mainstream lol. Thinking also about that “John Williams has never seen a Star Wars movie” fiasco. I still see people refer to that like it’s a real thing.

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another J Williams??!

Maybe we were mistaken all along! It's not Don Williams, brother of famed composer John Williams, but the brother of some composter named Jon. Was this the same composter who composted Schindler's List? I really should ask him about pruning my hedges.

Yeah, that story about the musician who dropped a mallet (or something) mid-take and wasn't there the next day? Unexpectedly brutal. The anecdote about a concert-master interrupting the violas mid-take because he wasn't happy with their bowing though? Not surprising in the slightest; what a complete tool. I have nothing to do with professional orchestras but even I know the minimum etiquette of attending a John Williams scoring session: sit down, don't talk, don't interact, only observe, unless John himself addresses you. It's definitely fascinating to hear these insights about John, given his publicly calm, warm persona. But, as a master of his craft, I've no doubt he's a strict professional when it comes to his demands of the musicians performing his writings, with the appropriate amount of ruthlessness when necessary.

Sure, but did we know he plays classical piano works all evening up until bedtime or quickly fires musicians from recording sessions who are, say, problematic? I think there is some new stuff in these videos.

I find no mention of new material/themes to be worrisome.

Yes! Thank you!

Perhaps he'll be like Tolkien, and the bulk of his oeuvre will only be released posthumously when his son sifts through all the unreleased and unfinished works for decades.

Note how Goldsmith cheekily borrowed the bridge of the creation theme for his own god theme in Star Trek V.

1 out of 10. Not bad...

This is how crumbs becomes his own source for future speculation! 3 months from now you'll post something like "I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that John spent all his time at Tanglewood working on TROS"

These are all wonderful. I am glad the SW IX video brought them to our attention. Who knew that Don Williams would be the key to understanding better John Williams the man and professional. I love that John plays some classical piece until bedtime. The man lives and breaths outstanding music. True dedication to a field that most of us can only aspire to.

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