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Dimitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten.

I once had a dream where a hamburger was eating me.

Here's a new episode of Legacy Conversations podcast: my guest for the episode is the esteemed John Mauceri https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/09/09/john-mauceri-podcast Conductor, educator, writer and lecturer, John Mauceri is an extraordinary artist and one of the great champions of great film music in concert hall. In this long and engaging conversation, the Founding Director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra talks about history and aesthetic of movie music of the Golden Age era of Hollywood, how it led to the rise of John Williams and the role of the composer in the history of Hollywood’s film music. I hope you'll enjoy listening to this as much as I did doing it. Finally, the podcast is now available on Podbean and soon will be also on Apple Podcast! Subscribe to the RSS feed and don't miss an episode: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.podbean.com/

I've read that it took him 10 weeks (thanks for correction: 8 weeks) to compose Star Wars, and between 3 and 4 months (mid-October 1998 to early February 1999) to compose The Phantom Menace. How about other scores? I found these old comments: "I do about one or two a year at the most; they take about 3 months to do"---John Williams, BBC interview, 1980 From the context I assume he counts the recording as a part of those 3 months. What are the most precise informations that we have about his work time on various films? The List: 1969 - The Reivers - 1 month (source: 2009 Interview by Lucas Richman) 1973 - The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing - under 7 days (source: liner notes on the album) 1977 - Star Wars - 2 months - spotted 10.01.1977, recorded on 05.03.1977 (source: Paul Duncan) 1978 - Superman - 6 months, because of a long production of the film (source: 2009 interview by Lucas Richman) 1980 - The Empire Strikes Back - 2 months - late October/ early November to late December 1979/early January1980 (source: Oierem) 1982 - E.T. The Extra-Terrestial - 3 months (source: 10.10.2012 article by Jon Burlingame E.T. Turns 30) 1983 - Return of the Jedi - 2,5 months - between November 2nd, 1982 (spotting session) and January 17th, 1983 (recording) (source: Brother Sound) 1997 - Rosewood - 2 weeks (source: publicist) 1998 - The Phantom Menace - < 4 months - mid-October 1998 before recording in mid-February 1999 (source: The Korea Times interview with Williams from 1999) 2001 - Attack of the Clones - 3 months - October 2001 to January 2002 (source: Oierem) 2002 - Minority Report - 3 months - February to May 2002 (source: Oierem) 2002 - Chamber of Secrets - 2 months - May to July 2002, on-and-off possibly up to September (source: Oierem) 2002 - Catch Me if You Can - ca. 2 months - July/August to September/October 2002 (source: Oierem) 2005 - Revenge of the Sith - 2,5 months - spotted October 2004, recorded February 2005 (source: Chris Malone, Recording the Star Wars Saga) 2019 - The Rise of Skywalker - ca. 7 months - April to November 2019 (source: The Times UK, various interviews)

I assure you all that this new poster is not me, but, that being said, I can't speak for Ii2.

It didn't take long at all to compose the NBC News theme. He just listened to The Blue Max and had his theme already composed.

This is getting out of hand, now there are two of them!

BSG = BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

Cue danger motif.

The name of the person was mentioned on the screen, but I didn't write it down and I don't remember. Maybe if someone else goes at some point? I did make a video recording. It misses the opening because I didn't expect this at all, but otherwise I hope you'll like it all the same: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H2DhJ6QhbgMOvdzCpr6cjg-ZaEdni-70/view?usp=drivesdk

Here’s exact dates for Return of the Jedi: Spotting was November 2nd, 1982, and recording began January 17th, 1983, so roughly 10 weeks. The spotting date is from Rinzler’s Making of Return of the Jedi, which also includes this:

I have been creating music for over 50 years. I am not famous, but my creations are still created! I have appreciated Johns music. I had just finished watching and listening to the movie , The Blue Max from 1966. You will note that that motif that was used is the same motif John used years later for the NBC news score! Sure doesn't seem like a coincidence. Just listen to the end credits to this movie. I don't like ripping off motifs.

Yuck, only Giacchino would have such poor taste to ruin chocolate and vanilla ice cream with strawberry.

Glad you're back, Erik!

True. I am saying that his main theme was done down to the orchestration, and since it is used a lot in the first movie, he would have much of it already done, just a matter of copying and pasting. I think as early as June or July he was already presenting the concert suite of Hedwig's theme.

The Teaser came out 8 months before the film and already had Hedwig's theme fully orchestrated. So I am thinking he had atleast 8 months. If he wrote the music 2 months before they cut the teaser then that gives him a full 10 months before the release of the film.

Indeed! Blatant neopolitanism!

Explain with confidence!

How long for the first Harry Potter score? That's I think in some ways his biggest score in terms of new themes and density of material and so many concert adaptations. Even Tintin, anyone know how long that took. That's a very complex score as well.

http://www.tadlowmusic.com/2019/09/dracula-the-curse-of-frankenstein-james-bernard/ One year late to the Dracula party but it's coming!

Wrong thread?

Camera flash?

Ready Player One is another underrated modern Spielberg gem.

There's too many notes!

Horner was on 'Aliens' much longer, though and probably had done some homework on it, it was just the continuing edits that prevented him from locking his score. In one of Yavar's recent Goldsmith podcasts Goldsmith was quoted as finishing 'Air Force One's 8-minute piece 'The Hijacking' at 3 in the morning, inferring he did it in one day, which is also quite an accomplishment.

I understand why these three scores are put together in this thread - they are indeed all dispensable. Scores: The Book Thief *** The Post *** The BFG ** Movies: The BFG *** The Post *** The Book Thief ** Nothing special there.

Afair, 'Rosewood' was done in a 2 week timespan, too. One thing to consider here is of course that these dates are very relative. People read that in a throwaway comment but what those dates entail isn't clear. The pure writing process? Writing and recording? Spotting? Mixing? 'Troy' seems to have been the most insane undertaking when from Horner actually taking on the job till the film was delivered to cinemas (you can't cheat on that date) wasn't much more than 14 days for over 100 minutes of score?

So he's proud enough to display it on a poster, but not enough to record it for everyone else's enjoyment? Egotistical bastard!

The set-piece approach is basically how films operate because it's a visual medium - many scenes in the Potter books are conversations, ruminations, descriptions which just can't be adapted without compromising on time and pacing.

I noticed this 1990 Boston Globe interview references a poster for the symphony in his living room:

I like you!! This score is full those high lights. Wonderful score. Top 3 JW in my book(hopefully not to be stolen🤦‍♂️)

This score is gold, people!

One of the most important films and scores of my life. I've written two articles, one on the film and one on the score, that elaborate a bit. The latter just a month ago, as a celebration of its 30th anniversary. Both in Norwegian (Google Translate required): Film: https://montages.no/2011/12/the-abyss-1989/ Soundtrack: http://celluloidtunes.no/the-abyss-alan-silvestri/ THE ABYSS is one of three scores for which I credit my interest in film music and soundtracks. A cornerstone.

I was totally surprised by THE POST. It's not usually a type of film I like (lots of phone calls and paperwork and investigations), but Spielberg made it all come alive in such a playful manner, it was a total delight, and easily my favourite film last year. Williams' propulsive score, beautifully spotted, is one of the key elements in that experience. Can't say the same for THE BFG and THE BOOK THIEF. In one ear, out the other.

Definitely at least one coming. Great post.

I consider myself a big Spielberg fan, but really, I don't much care for some of his recent efforts... Bridge of Spies, The Post, The BFG, and Ready Player One being among my least favourites.

You can just imagine the outrage if this sophisticated ping pong of rape drama, societal satire and character study would have been made in Hollywood today. But Paul Verhoeven has always been the master of the ambiguous which is not in vogue right now and in his old adage he's probably better than ever - less flashier, but as extreme. Verhoeven didn't find an american actress for 'Elle', none of Hollywood's female stars wanted to play a middle-aged woman who is raped but not only refrains from reporting it, she actively refuses to be a victim. She checks for HIV at lunch, buys pepper spray and only a few days later tells her ex-husband and business associate between champagne and appetizer that she has been abused. Which is of course an invitation to outrage, how a movie could dare to play down the traumatic violence of a rape. In fact, at the first portrayal of the rape (it cold-starts the movie) is irritating. But the attack will be shown two more times, and each time it's filmed a bit differently, reflecting Huppert's changing reflection of reality. But this movie goes much further, not only with a tangled web of interpersonal relations but deft satire of modern bonhomie, french in this incarnation. I was intrigued how the movie would resolve this and came away chuckling. 'Elle' reveals the shallowness of the old accusations of misogyny against Verhoeven (whose weary worldview more than anything exposes weaknesses of both sexes, male more so): none of the male protagonists amount to much, they all hide behind offensively displayed masculinity - and sexuality - but in reality suffer from of self-doubt and weakness. All the more fitting that at the end of the film, it is two women that go together into the horizon, leaving the men behind (matter-of-factly and figuratively). That Verhoeven is able to 'hide' this pointed satire in a deliberately exaggerated thriller construction is 'Elle's claim to fame: only through its sharpened depiction the movie is able to expose the ill cracks of relationships in modern western society - and there are a myriad of interesting images going on, on top of it. As such, it was a refreshing change of pace to the behavioral codes attached to such things in many tv shows and dramas. As Verhoeven is 81 years now, i sincerely hope there's another one or two movies in him.

THE POST was a terrific movie! Understandably far from Spielberg's best, and yet just as far from his worst. The crazy thing to me about it is that people can say, "Oh, it wasn't all that great. Mediocre showing on Steven's part", and yet it's still a better film than 95% of directors will ever make.

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Or the time for traveling that is never mentioned, as all those guys like JG, JW and JH recorded for decades in the UK far away from Hollywood, with jetlag and so on. A someone who travels often i can relate to this additional burden quite well.

Top 5 of this decade, for me: 1. War Horse 2. The Force Awakens 3. Lincoln 4. The Last Jedi 5. The Adventures of Tintin I'm inclined to agree. How so? What do you like about it so much!?

The spotting sessions were done in late October/early November 1979. The score was recorded in late December 1979. So, he wrote the score in a couple of months. From what I can remember... Attack of the clones: October 2001-January 2002. Minority Report: February 2002-May 2002 (if I'm not mistaken) Chamber of Secrets: May 2002-July 2002 (recorded in September, possibly Williams continued working until then) Catch me if you can: I'm not sure about this one, but I'd say from July/August 2002-September/October 2002. The "problem" was that he had to start writing "Catch me if you can" before September (when Chamber of Secrets had to be recorded) to meet the deadline. About Star Wars, Williams started writing in early January 1977 and recorded in early March 1977. So about 8 weeks. I'd say, depending on the project, Williams writes a score in about 2-4 months. Knowing that he writes about 2 minutes a day, working about 6 days a week, that means he will need about 10 weeks to write a 2 hour score. Add to that a few days for the spotting sessions, and a couple of weeks for the recording sessions. Plus, the time he needs to create the themes BEFORE he can start writing the actual score.

That is correct!

The Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy is excellent.

The Book Thief is a masterpiece. It's like a Faberge work in musical form. Precise, simple, yet complexly crafted.

The Elfman way!

Maybe we can crowdsource an answer to the question posited in the latest episode. Apparently, several members of the MSO strings section whispered Sibelius to one another after rehearsing the Arrival at Cloud City cue from ESB. Dan is a fan of Sibelius but couldn't draw a parallel. Anyone else drawing a link here? Side note: This podcast really reminded me how bloody good this score is. Williams firing on all cylinders, one incredibly potent idea after another. Recommended listening to anyone unfamiliar with the AOTS crew, they seriously know their shit.

Yep, I prefer the sound of ROTJ-ROTS more than SW/ESB/TFA. TPM is as close to a perfect recording as I've heard (as heard on the UE, not the muddier OST). A shame all the scores have been treated so poorly on album when it comes to AQ. Hopefully I'll be able to re-evaluate my stance once I hear SW and ESB more accurately (please help us, Mike). TFA is probably my least favourite recording & mix of the lot. I'm not sure if that's just Sony (TLJ is a huge improvement in the same room) or was a creative choice, but it doesn't work for me on the OST.

I like the guy who scored FF XIII and World of Final Fantasy