Discussion: John Williams's Most Original Score

[SteveMc 2,674]

Heartbeeps wins most unusual, perhaps.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Presumed Innocent

The Lost World

Artificial Intelligence

Minority Report

The Prisoner of Azkaban

[Jurassic Shark 12,051]

Fitzwilly

[crumbs 14,306]

The Lost World has some obvious influences from other composers though, as brilliant a score as it is. 

 

Well, 'homages'. 

[Gurkensalat 340]

Sleepers?

 

Argument against Images: The orchestral/tonal passages sound very classical or pseudobarock. I love them, but it is not original. 

Similar Argument against Azkaban: its originality lies in the juxtaposition of vastly different styles. The styles themselves are not very original, but mimic Renaissance music, Romantic music, modernist atonal music etc. A great soundtrack nevertheless.

 

 

in the end there is no real originality any more in music since the 1980s.  Everything has been tried.

[Thor 7,490]

26 minutes ago, Gurkensalat said:

Sleepers?

 

An interesting choice. I'd say it definitely has passages that are original to Williams -- especially the dark, drum kit-driven tracks. Probably Williams' most "modern" score, IMO. And certainly one of his darkest.

 

26 minutes ago, Gurkensalat said:

 

Argument against Images: The orchestral/tonal passages sound very classical or pseudobarock. I love them, but it is not original. 

 

True. But the originality in this case is not only the dissonant passages, but also in how the two sound worlds are used in the film; their collision (as you yourself mention in relation to AZKABAN).

 

Which goes to the core of why this thread is all over the place; it lacks some parameters. While the topic starter did mention that he was particularly looking for scores that weren't influenced that much by others, the intepretations of the responders seem to vary a lot -- some who mention scores that are unique in Williams oevure, unusual in Williams' oeuvre, some that are original in application and not necessarily sound and some who just seem to mention favourite Williams without taking originality into account at all.

 

And yes, originality is relative. Very few things are truly original, so you'd have to place it within a general spectrum.

[King Mark 3,630]

I don't know why all you guys say his most original scores are his weird ones (Images,Presumed Innocent..etc..)

 

is it original vs other Williams scores or vs other composers.

 

I'd say full on Willliams like Spacecamp and Harry Potter is Williams at his most original, because NOBODY ELSE can compose music like this ,

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Home Alone 2

[publicist 4,643]

Images/CEOTK. I *like* A. I. more but the music is aiding it in a rather conventional sense, where the others really are something in respect to image/music combination.

[Thor 7,490]

12 hours ago, King Mark said:

I'd say full on Willliams like Spacecamp and Harry Potter is Williams at his most original, because NOBODY ELSE can compose music like this ,

 

Well, it's what the topic starter asked for. Not "what is the most typical or quintessential JW", in which case stuff like SPACE CAMP (except the "Training Montage", which is rather unusual in his ouevre) and HARRY POTTER would qualify.