How many John Williams Signature Editions do you own?

[Josh500 1,615]

In case you don't know, I'm talking about the written orchestral sheet music.

 

I used to have Star Wars, E.T. Adventures on Earth, and Raiders March, but I sold them when I needed money.

 

Currently I only have Schindler's List.

 

What about you?

[Jilal 569]

None (in the form of legal hard copies, that is ). When it comes to Williams's film scores, I vastly prefer to study the actual full scores or sketches prepared for the films themselves as 1) they contain a lot more interesting, intricate material than the Signature Editions which solely present the most concert hall friendly pieces and 2) the orchestration as presented on the SE scores is often altered, e.g. 4.3.3.1 brass instead of the usual 6.4.4.1. Aside from that, they're rather expensive. I'd love to own some of his concert pieces in SE form, however.

[Loert 2,511]

I own one physical copy of the most recent TFA suite.

[Jay 37,343]

I cannot read music, so they would be of no use to me.

 

I do like looking at the actual sheet music hand-written for the film, though.

[Will 2,215]

9 hours ago, Jay said:

I cannot read music, so they would be of no use to me.

 

Same. I mean, I know some basic things about notes and rhythms, but nothing beyond that. 

[Score 770]

I have Star Wars, Music from SW saga, The Phantom Menace Suite, 3 pieces from Schindler's List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and I have ordered The Force Awakens. Despite the unacceptable errors that appear sometimes, they are very beautiful editions. If only the proofs were checked more expertly and/or passionately...

[Bespin 8,480]

When I played piano, a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.... I bought the partitions of few Star Wars Themes, then those of Jurassic Park and Schindler's List (easy and pretty bad arrangements for piano solo, as I remember it!).  Anyway, I wasn't very good and was never really able to play them like a pro!

 

I never listened to music, classical or soundtrack music, while reading a partition... But I must admit that the idea tickles me.

 

I bought many Bach solo piano partitions just to "see" the thing... to make a mental image of it. To try to understand it. A vain attempt to move closer to the genius of the composer?

 

Talking about John Williams, it could be fun to see the full orchestral partitions... but... that's a hell of a collection to begin!

I don't think I have the time and guts to do that!

[Score 770]

On 19/5/2016 at 6:20 PM, Bespin said:

I bought many Bach solo piano partitions just to "see" the thing... to make a mental image of it. To try to understand it. A vain attempt to move closer to the genius of the composer?

 

Definitely not vain . Reading a score is as close as you can get to talking with the composer himself. I am convinced that the benefit of reading a score, for someone who loves music, would be enough to justify the process of learning to read music, even for people who do not play an instrument (although in this case it is more difficult).

 

Of course, the problem is that it takes time, effort, and to invest some money to buy the scores, so it is always a matter of priorities and possibility to balance with the other aspects of life.

 

The latter problem can be in part avoided by studying public domain scores, most of which can be downloaded for free at www.imslp.org . And definitely, John Williams' scores are not the way to go for beginners, since the orchestra is always big and one should start with smaller ensembles, just to learn to read several staves simultaneously. Besides piano music, the first scores that I read with the intent of "understanding everything" were rather simple pieces, like Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Only strings (so, no transposing instruments), just a few lines to be read at the same time, and simple harmonies, rather easy to grasp after some training. Williams' scores are much more complex from every point of view.   

 

 

[Josh500 1,615]

I have some experience reading sheet music, both orchestral and piano (mostly "classical music" like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, etc) but when I first saw John Williams' sheet music I was really blown away.

 

Not talking about the musical quality itself (that's a separate topic), but JW's written scores are so incredibly detailed, precise, and generally masterfully written, it staggers the mind. A piece may sound simple and easy, but the way JW writes is testament to the fact that he's a perfectionist and a consummate artist.

[zoltan_902 141]

I've been collecting them for close to 10 years now, I have 38 in total. I'm not sure what proportion of the series that accounts for, but it would be most of them.

 

They're quite expensive - even more so given the exchange change and postage costs (I'm in Sydney, Australia), but I treasure every one of them.

 

My first one was Hymn To The Fallen (I was particularly fascinated at the orchestrations of that one at the time). Santa came with many more the following Christmas, and then I kept slowly adding.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

2 hours ago, Josh500 said:

I have some experience reading sheet music, both orchestral and piano (mostly "classical music" like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, etc) but when I first saw John Williams' sheet music I was really blown away.

 

Not talking about the musical quality itself (that's a separate topic), but JW's written scores are so incredibly detailed, precise, and generally masterfully written, it staggers the mind. A piece may sound simple and easy, but the way JW writes is testament to the fact that he's a perfectionist and a consummate artist.

 

Look up some of Brian Ferneyhough's (the wanker) scores. 

 

 

[Josh500 1,615]

3 hours ago, zoltan_902 said:

I've been collecting them for close to 10 years now, I have 38 in total. I'm not sure what proportion of the series that accounts for, but it would be most of them.

 

They're quite expensive - even more so given the exchange change and postage costs (I'm in Sydney, Australia), but I treasure every one of them.

 

My first one was Hymn To The Fallen (I was particularly fascinated at the orchestrations of that one at the time). Santa came with many more the following Christmas, and then I kept slowly adding.

That's an amazing collection! 

 

Which are your Top 5?

 

Mine are (I don't own them, but I have seen most of them):

 

1. Summon the Heroes

2. The Phantom Menace

3. Chamber of Secrets

4. The Force Awakens

5. The Lost World

[zoltan_902 141]

8 minutes ago, Josh500 said:

That's an amazing collection! 

 

Which are your Top 5?

 

Mine are (I don't own them, but I have seen most of them):

 

1. Summon the Heroes

2. The Phantom Menace

3. Chamber of Secrets

4. The Force Awakens

5. The Lost World

 

Thanks!

 

I don't know if I could name a favourite - there are a few that I rarely pickup anymore, but as far as ones I'm constantly referring back to:

 

1. Harry Potter 1 (Particularly 'Hedwig's Theme' - which is so intricately textured)

2. Music from the Star Wars Saga ('The Asteroid Field' has fascinating orchestrations, and is, again, incredibly grand in it's texturing)

3. Jane Eyre. Both "Thornfield" and "Reunion" I'm in love with.

 

I'm in love with the romantic emotion of these, and the Romantic (cap R) texturing, with all the intricately layered voices of the orchestra creating such grandeur. I like to analyse how JW creates these texture, how the harmony is distributed among the instruments, and how various melodies 'look' as opposed to how they sound.

 

I often feed them, note-by-note into Sibelius, and have fun rearranging the voices in odd combinations.

 

The ones I don't pickup too often any more are "Schindler's List", and E.T (Both the flying theme and AoE), as they sort of bore me from their insistent over-exposure in the media. I know most people are totally in love with those works, but I'm, frankly, indifferent to them.

 

[Loert 2,511]

I forgot to mention: In addition to TFA I do own an orchestral score of "Indy's Very First Adventure", it's not a Signature Edition but it looks like the real deal. It's great fun to read through that one - it's complete hilarity. Might end up arranging the scherzo someday...

 

[Thor 7,491]

On 18.5.2016 at 3:42 PM, Jay said:

I cannot read music, so they would be of no use to me.

 

I do like looking at the actual sheet music hand-written for the film, though.

 

Same here -- for both points.

 

Wish I could read them, though. Would have been fun to get the score sheets for, say, his unreleased stuff (symphony, STORIA DI UNA DONNA) and transcribe them.

[The Psycho Pianist 216]

I have just two, TFA and Lincoln. The latter is actually very interesting, especially the violin notation in "Getting Out the Vote." A side of Williams that perhaps isn't as often seen or appreciated!

[EdwardHall 30]

Zero. Hal Leonard full scores are expensive. Although I have full scores of classical pieces in the public domain which I use to help train myself in theory.

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

5- "Music from Lincoln," "Battle of the Heroes," "Raiders March," "Summon the Heroes," and "The Five Sacred Trees" (which I'm still kicking myself for ordering before I realized it just had the bassoon part and a piano reduction)