.

[Fabulin 3,511]

.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

Somewhere in my memory and Star of Bethlehem, OST concert versions. Because I love celesta, flute, violin and optimistic and emotional music.

[Jurassic Shark 12,053]

If I was to choose one element in one of his compositions, perhaps the hypnotic bass ostinato in the Superman theme.

[Yavar Moradi 2,595]

 

Yavar

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

Interesting question, and an all-too-easy answer for me. 

 

 

At times I've been so inclined as to say that Seven Years in Tibet is my favourite Williams score, and it very much is on most days. The suite, which acts as the bookends for the OST, is one of those golden nugget cues for me, encapsulating everything I love about John Williams and his music in a way that escapes words. 

[publicist 4,643]

Though not my favourite by a long shot, i'd choose the suite from 'Close Encounters', the Gerhardt version.

 

 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Botanicus Theme. It's melodic with a catchy hook, inspiring yet vaguely masculine and badass, mysteriously tranquil and romantic.

 

Desert Chase from Raiders for sheer coolness and testosterone-fueled masculinity. That shit is the mad notes.

 

Batman is a score that hits all the right notes for me. Just a perfect score. Elfman sums up everything that's great about Batman, music in general and his talents as an artist.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I do not have musical ideals. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Some ideals are worthy dying for, aren't they, Jean-Luc?

[karelm 2,912]

So, so many but probably the one that always connected the most with me viscerally was Clash of the Sabers (aka The Duel) from ESB.  First the high clusters opening which is VERY JW.  It's one of those things that in two seconds, I know it's JW.  Then probably the most sinister version ever of the Empire.  I feel this cue is so full of desperate loss, crushing defeat, mixed with hope and yearning plus superb playing by LSO!  Struggle, hope, and villainy in extremes.  The absolute precision of the brass section is stunning.  I told David Cripps this and after a pause he responded with a childish smile, "Damn, we were good."  But musically it is so freaking sophisticated, chorals, fugato, atonality, clusters, harmony, bold lyricism, etc.  JW was firing on all cylinders. It just builds and builds in emotion and intensity and is probably the cue I've always compared his very best moments to.  It ends desperately distorting the lyrical melodies almost to their breaking point but the goal is out of our hero's reach and the music so perfectly captures this.   But I remember hearing it in the theater for the first time in 1980 as a kid and it is permanently etched in my memories so it's very possible part of my adoration of this is the special memories.  I think what also makes it so effective is before and after we get such great dramatic music with the Carbon Freeze and Losing the Hand. 

 

Though you only asked for one, I'll cheat and say Asteroid Belt is honorable mention.  Maybe E.T. flying - the first time "the Theme" comes in big.  There are so many examples but those were some special call outs.

[Will 2,215]

Like @karelm, I have a ton I could choose here, but I'll pick these two:

 

The quasi-fugal stuff here (and earlier) is just incredible:

 

 

Puts a very old musical art form into a new action context. I love JW's action writing in general. 

 

Second, the pure exuberance of this piece is one of my favorite sounds, and some of the chords are just perfect:

 

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Banning Back Home

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

The Mothership

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

I think Bruce Broughton is closer to my musical ideals. Nonetheless,

 

Ideal Williams moment 

1. Helicopter theme from Jurassic Park

2. When Yoda's Theme plays in Rebel Fleet / End Title

 

Ideal Williams track

1. Star Wars: Main Titles

2. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: End Credits (the intro and the build-up from 1:14 - 1:33 is incredible. Best 'credits reel or opening' music)

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

 

Or alternatively.

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Gonna split my "musical ideal" into two paths, but both basically have similar ends of getting at a feeling of transcendence/being transported, spiritually.

 

The final movement of the Escapades (Catch Me If You Can) suite which has this incredible rhythmic vitality, imaginative orchestration, a sense of grandiosity, and its own internal dramatic logic where it feels like every note/section must follow the previous one to tell the musical narrative (aka la grande ligne)

 

"The Peterson House and Finale" which has a simple but not simplistic sense of reverential awe and existential contemplation.  That Lincoln inspired combination of both homespun and classical.  Also especially for this being an end credits suite, it like the above track achieves its own internal musical narrative in a way that goes beyond just summarizing themes featured in the score.

 

[Thor 7,490]

I don't know about 'musical ideals', necessarily, but the Williams sound I love the most is not the action stuff, but the pastoral, Ralph Vaughan Williams-type stuff, what I call his 'religious sound' (even if the music doesn't necessarily accompany anything religious). Tracks like these:

 

 

[JAMOcl 14]

For me is the complete War Horse Score...so brilliant and the flute solos OMG.  Also Star Wars Revenge of the Siths 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,513]

1 hour ago, JAMOcl said:

...Star Wars Revenge of the Siths 

Geez, Louise, how many are there?! 

 

 

 

First of all, I thank you @Modest Expectations. I'm flattered that you included me, in your original list.

"Musical ideals" is not a concept that I'm familiar with, or, at least, not a concept that I pay much attention to, nowadays. As a younger man, there was a particular rock band, on whose every note and word, I hung. As one gets older, however, one tends to move on from what once excited one, while still retaining - one hopes - a fond regard for what influenced one, all that time, ago.

In the case of JW, my tastes in his output have changed considerably, over the years. What once had me swooning, now has a nil-to-negative affect on me. Conversely, scores - and individual cues - have, sometimes "crept up" on me, taking me by surprise, in their relevance to my contemporary situation(s).

That being said, the two pieces that seem to sum up where I am (certainly emotionally) at present, are WAKING UP, and A SECOND CHANCE.

The former says a lot about me, physically. It's slow, but stately. It's dignified. It signifies the end of an era; a death (don't worry; I'm not going anywhere, soon).

The latter, on the other hand, is full of exuberance, joy, and hope, for the future. It says: "Yes, it can happen, to you!".

I'm able to hold both in tension. 

I hope this answers your question?