c-moll

1. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones 2. Memoirs of a Geisha 3. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 4. Dracula 5. Jurassic Park 6. Seven Years in Tibet 7. Raiders of the Lost Ark 8. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 9. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 10. The Lost World: Jurassic Park

John Williams has a lot of influences but he isn't a plagiarist! I hear many orchestrations from past centuries in his works. That makes him not to a plagiarist. Sure, a few passages are the quite the same in comparison of the classical music (Harry Potter theme with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake) and sometimes the structure is very similar (Approaching the Death Star from ROTJ with Shostakovich's 5th symphony in the middle of the final movement). 1:1 quotations are very rare in Williams' works. His music is eclectic.

The Raiders march, more exact the march in Flight from Peru - I remember that I knew a little bit classical music and a lots of charts music and I wanted to figure out which musical power has an orchestra in a film. I discussed it with my brother and we saw Raiders of the lost Ark, then the march sounded when Indy was pulsating with his whip...

Thanks all for your posts! Well, it's an interesting point that you have written. It's hard to explain what I define intense in Yoda's Theme. Yes, it's only a theme but with only few notes he transform it to pure magic. I compare it mostly with Schuberts String quintet D 956, the second movement: Only 94 bars and how much intense! Of course, that doesn't mean if Williams uses less notes then it is more intense. The Jaws-Theme has two notes and there is no intense IMO. But most action sequences aren't "made" to show intense: There are particular rhythms and structures and it's gone very fast so I can concentrate on orchestral subtleties. So I would say that I perceive intense if I can gather the whole thing.

We all know Williams’ thrilling music. Sometimes it’s heroic, sometimes it’s dark and sometimes it’s a little bit ironic. But what about the other side of his music? Since a while I have another thought of music in general. I like the sensitive and passionate music much more than highly effective action sequences. In this case I’m falling in love in the War Horse Score: It’s an orchestral landscape marking that includes memorable string sections. It has - as an compensation - a touch of straight forward pieces and pointed dynamics. That special intense is a climax for me. It’s very deep and really heartbreaking beautiful! It is definitely my favourite score. If I hear e.g. The Empire Strikes Back, I appreciate Yoda’s Theme more than The Battle of Hoth. There are other scores I prefer because of the intensity: The Violin Concerto - Excellent and impressionistic; Bartók would to bow low. Memoirs of a Geisha - An extremely powerful an oppressive music with a kind of mystic. Seven Years in Tibet - Same as Geisha but in another form. The chamber music are also great - I only think of Air and Simple Gifts. What do you think about the intensity?

I find the Crystal Theme from KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL very uninteresting. It's a simple cluster of motifs that increase to an unsurprised orchestra tutti. Very unspectacular.

I wish a Happy Birthday to one of the greatest composer of all time and the greatest film composer ever: JOHN WILLIAMS!!! 81 years - it's a high old age but his music is young and fresh forever!

I have three signed Williams-CDs: Jaws (Collector's Edition) Jurassic Park Memoirs of a Geisha (Williams' and Yo-Yo Ma's signature on the cover) I'm very happy about that!

Oh, I can also put a list here: 01. Jaws 02. Jurassic Park 03. E.T. 04. Raiders of the Lost Ark 05. Memoirs of a Geisha 06. Return of the Jedi 07. The Empire strikes back 08. Star Wars 09. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 10. Close Encounters of the third kind

Either Jedi or one of the takes on the Star Wars IV Special Edition. I prefer the "classic" sound so I give my vote to the take where the Triangel dominates at the beginning (I'm too lazy now to find out the right take).