Scholarly works on John Williams?

[tenaira 0]

Hello,

My apologies for coming back with the same question as a month ago, but my profile and all related topics got mistakenly deleted. I hope that those who had very kindly responded to my inquiry might have a copy hanging out somewhere on their computers..

I am sure there are people more versed than I am in John William's literature, who might have found some sources which are escaping my scrutiny. I am specifically looking for academic sources and analyses on John Williams and his music. There are many texts out there, but they are mostly published in magazines, and I was looking for chapters or articles in specialized journals. I was very surprised to find so little - I hope this is a mistake that you will be able to clear and point me in the right direction.

Thank you

[Thor 7,490]

A handful of books about John Williams have been published that are all more or less adaptations of someone's master or Ph.D. theses. However, none of them are in English. They're in Spanish, French and German. Weird, but there you go. If no one beats me to it, I hope to be the first to publish one in English; and one that is not an adaptation.

However, there are sometimes individual chapters in books that are dedicated to scores of Williams. One off the top of my head is the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK analysis in Kathryn Kalinak's "Settling the Score". Then you have something like Darby & DuBois' massive "American Film Music". To be honest, I find this rather lackluster in a scholarly sense, since it's basically just a presentation of various composers -- including Williams -- and some rather superficial analyses (no interpretation, only a description of scene and music).

There's this page, which compares STAR WARS with Wagner's Ring cycle. But it's purely musicological:

http://www.trell.org/wagner/starwars.html

[tenaira 0]

So apparently it isn't just me, English-speaking scholars have been shying away from it. Like you, most of the mentions that I have found of John Williams that weren't purely in passing were focusing on a list of composers. When it comes to putting him in the spot light, there aren't many things around.

And thank you for the link, I didn't know this one.

Have you already started writing a book on John Williams or is it a future project? I am curious as to whether you would be focusing on his career as a whole or a limited amount of films for in depth analysis..

[Thor 7,490]

So apparently it isn't just me, English-speaking scholars have been shying away from it. Like you, most of the mentions that I have found of John Williams that weren't purely in passing were focusing on a list of composers. When it comes to putting him in the spot light, there aren't many things around.

And thank you for the link, I didn't know this one.

Have you already started writing a book on John Williams or is it a future project? I am curious as to whether you would be focusing on his career as a whole or a limited amount of films for in depth analysis..

I'm in the research period still. Haven't decided on focus yet. Currently entrenched in the years 1932-1958, which I find endlessly fascinating (but where information is sparse, obviously, since Williams is very protective of his private life). After 1958, it's more a matter of charting the regular stream of work in various fields.

[tenaira 0]

That sounds really interesting! I would love to know more about that period, I am mostly focusing on his contemporary works. Keep researching so that we can read your book!

[Incanus 5,714]

So apparently it isn't just me, English-speaking scholars have been shying away from it. Like you, most of the mentions that I have found of John Williams that weren't purely in passing were focusing on a list of composers. When it comes to putting him in the spot light, there aren't many things around.

And thank you for the link, I didn't know this one.

Have you already started writing a book on John Williams or is it a future project? I am curious as to whether you would be focusing on his career as a whole or a limited amount of films for in depth analysis..

I'm in the research period still. Haven't decided on focus yet. Currently entrenched in the years 1932-1958, which I find endlessly fascinating (but where information is sparse, obviously, since Williams is very protective of his private life). After 1958, it's more a matter of charting the regular stream of work in various fields.

Will this be more of a biography or do you intend to do extensive analysis of his work as well Thor? And if there is analysis, will it possibly contain music scholarly analysis or will it be more on the musico-dramatic connections and choices in the films he has scored?

[Thor 7,490]

I'm not a musician, so the analyses would be more in a musico-dramatic/aesthetic/philosophical style, I'm afraid (with only some basic musical terminology). It will be a book where I talk about absolutely everything, though, in some form or fashion. We need that kind of thorough literature that doesn't just cover the 'big titles', I think. And for that, I need to watch a whole lot of tv episodes (that I haven't yet found) and the film STORIA DI UNA DONNA:

[Ludwig 1,120]

Hello again, tenaira. I wondered what had happened to you, so it's good to see you back.

Here's what I can suggest that does exist:

- Buhler, "Star Wars, Myth, and Music" in Music and Cinema (good analytical chapter)

- Kalinak, Settling the Score, as Thor mentioned (analysis of ESB)

- Larsen, Film Music (discusses some Star Wars)

- Cooke, A History of Film Music (some biography and analysis)

- Buhler, Neumeyer, and Deemer, Hearing the Movies (analysis of Catch Me If You Can)

- Bazelon, Notes on Film Music (intriguing interview with JW pre-Star Wars)

- Brown, Overtones and Undertones (bits and pieces throughout the book)

- Karlin and Wright, On the Track (bits and pieces of JW score analysis)

- Hickman, Reel Music (chapter on E.T., only a little musical analysis)

- also check out Frank Lehman's dissertation, "Reading Tonality Through Film" - he's a very astute scholar and musician, and a great writer to boot

I'm with you in saying that there's a great need for more literature on Williams. I for one am doing what I can - see my blog for several analyses of Williams themes (http://www.filmmusicnotes.com/series/john-williams-themes/)

Good luck with your PhD! It'll be great to have more academic work on Williams so that when we look for literature on him, we can finally turn this:

into this:

[Thor 7,490]

- Buhler, Neumeyer, and Deemer, Hearing the Movies (analysis of Catch Me If You Can)

I was aware of the others, but not that one. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Richards, Mark, Hearing the Wood for the Trees: A Treatise on the Film Scores and Concert Works of John Williams

[Ludwig 1,120]

Richards, Mark, Hearing the Wood for the Trees: A Treatise on the Film Scores and Concert Works of John Williams

A follow-up to: Richards, Mark, The Music of the Original Star Wars Trilogy: An Analytical Approach.

[SF1_freeze 131]

I'm not a musician, so the analyses would be more in a musico-dramatic/aesthetic/philosophical style, I'm afraid (with only some basic musical terminology). It will be a book where I talk about absolutely everything, though, in some form or fashion. We need that kind of thorough literature that doesn't just cover the 'big titles', I think. And for that, I need to watch a whole lot of tv episodes (that I haven't yet found) and the film STORIA DI UNA DONNA:

Great that you already started on a definitive book on JW. Certainly not an easy task. I guess an interview with the man himself would almost be a necessity. JW himself once humbly stated he doesn't consider himself worthy of a biography (something along those lines). Still with your references (inteviewing Horner, James Newton Howard,...) and your activities in the filmmusic world it could/should at least be possible to get in touch.

Did you try to get a contact? I hear the people around JW are quite protective.

It still kind of suprises me that JWFAN never got an interview. Did some of our users/mods or Ricard himself ever try to get in touch for an interview?

[Thor 7,490]

I tried to arrange an interview in relation to the Hollywood Bowl last year, but no luck -- neither from the concert arrangers nor Williams' assistant. If I get to go to Boston next year, I might try again. But he's more difficult to reach than the pope, so my hopes are very, very low. Unless you write for some big-ass magazine like Variety or The New York Times or something.

[SF1_freeze 131]

Well, strange indeed. I can't imagine that he himself would be so dismissive regarding interviews. Do you think he is just very well protected or that he doesn't want to give any interviews if not absolutely necessary? Maybe unconventional methods like using the Steven Spielberg connection (probably also impossible) or his own family could work to get through to him personally.

[Thor 7,490]

Well, strange indeed. I can't imagine that he himself would be so dismissive regarding interviews. Do you think he is just very well protected or that he doesn't want to give any interviews if not absolutely necessary? Maybe unconventional methods like using the Steven Spielberg connection (probably also impossible) or his own family could work to get through to him personally.

I do think he's deliberately cut down on interviews himself, but I think it's even more an issue of the people around him protecting him very well. I'm sure that if I got to ask Williams himself, he would be more forthcoming than his entourage. But there's little I can do about that -- he's Hollywood royalty.

[Ludwig 1,120]

I do think he's deliberately cut down on interviews himself, but I think it's even more an issue of the people around him protecting him very well. I'm sure that if I got to ask Williams himself, he would be more forthcoming than his entourage. But there's little I can do about that -- he's Hollywood royalty.

Your book would be a great resource even without an interview. Besides, even if you manage to get one after the book is published, there's always room for a second edition! Do you have a rough timeframe, for the book or is it too hard to tell at the moment?

[karelm 2,912]

There is a family rule to not fascilitate interview requests. They say go through his management and if it fits his schedule and interest, he might agree. As far as I can understand, he is very introspective and does not consider it a positive experience which is why those close to him are protective and won't fascilitate beyond suggesting official routes. Even his family try to convince him to write a memoir/autobiography which he considers too low a priority.

[Incanus 5,714]

I'm not a musician, so the analyses would be more in a musico-dramatic/aesthetic/philosophical style, I'm afraid (with only some basic musical terminology). It will be a book where I talk about absolutely everything, though, in some form or fashion. We need that kind of thorough literature that doesn't just cover the 'big titles', I think. And for that, I need to watch a whole lot of tv episodes (that I haven't yet found) and the film STORIA DI UNA DONNA:

Good luck with your project Thor! We really need this kind of literature on the maestro, his life and his work!

Even his family try to convince him to write a memoir/autobiography which he considers too low a priority.

Why write words when you can write music?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I tried to arrange an interview in relation to the Hollywood Bowl last year, but no luck -- neither from the concert arrangers nor Williams' assistant. If I get to go to Boston next year, I might try again. But he's more difficult to reach than the pope, so my hopes are very, very low. Unless you write for some big-ass magazine like Variety or The New York Times or something.

I know this isn't the type of in-depth sit-down interview you're talking about, but my brother managed a red carpet interview with him at the BMI awards. That was when he actually first openly spoke about working on Episode VII.

[indy4 155]

Isn't there also a paper on "Escapades for Alto Sax and Orchestra"? I remember trying to access it a few months back, and not being able to for some reason.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

This, maybe? Can't see it unless you have the proper login information.

http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/ER/detail/hkul/3516045

[indy4 155]

Yup, that's the one! Anybody have access?

[Ludwig 1,120]

I have access and have just glanced through it. It's a dissertation for a Doctor of Arts, which seems to have been a music degree in composition. Essentially it's written by a composer who has found inspiration in so called "third stream" music, i.e., a fusion of classical and jazz. And he takes Escapades as a model to demonstrate what can be done with the style, then shows how he himself has used the same techniques in a work of his own.

The dissertation is not primarily an analysis. Its purpose is to advocate third stream music as a viable option to contemporary concert-hall composers, so most of its content consists of arguments for it and defending it from criticism. Because of this, the analysis of the Williams work is on the short side and really only gives surface details like some jazz chord symbols, orchestrations, and rhythmic motifs. Which is fine, but it's not the kind of in-depth treatment on Williams many of us crave.

So the door to academic work on Williams remains wide open. Hopefully more will choose to walk through it...

[indy4 155]

Ahhh that's too bad. Thanks for checking!