As the title says, a lot of times people diss Williams' because they consider him too complicated (musically, so to speak) and not personal enough... But we're gonna prove those folks wrong! In your opinion, what piece/s of him are the most personal? The ones you hear and you can hear Williams very own soul.
For me, is this one:
When I hear this, I can actually hear our dear own John Williams speaking to me, telling me about his life, his beliefs, his music... There's something so gorgeous about this particular piece of music that just connects with me, and probably lots of other people. This particular piece represents everything he talks about when he refers to movie music, particularly the Golden Age of Hollywood, charged with so much innocence and a lot of nostalgia.
What about you, what do you think?
Williams' Most Personal Pieces
Started by Michael, Jul 01 2012 04:31 PM
20 replies to this topic
#1
Michael
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 04:31 PM
If you start taking yourself seriously, then you’re in deep trouble! - Jerry Goldsmith
#2
Sandor
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 04:49 PM
John Williams' most personal pieces are his concert works, especially those dealing with trees and nature.
#3
king mark
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 07:32 PM
The Whomping Willow?
#4
MrJosh
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 07:58 PM
I wonder if John Williams has to fast-forward LOTR when saurumon is chopping all the trees down.
#5
indy4
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 08:40 PM
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1. Nightwatch/Killer By Night - Johnny Williams and Quincy Jones 2. Diamond Head/Gone with the Wave - Johnny Williams/Lalo Schifrin 3. Mass - Leonard Bernstein 4. Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic - Leonard Bernstein
#6
Hlao-roo
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 08:42 PM
Lapti Nek
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indy4
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 09:13 PM
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Recently Purchased CDs:
1. Nightwatch/Killer By Night - Johnny Williams and Quincy Jones 2. Diamond Head/Gone with the Wave - Johnny Williams/Lalo Schifrin 3. Mass - Leonard Bernstein 4. Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic - Leonard Bernstein
1. Nightwatch/Killer By Night - Johnny Williams and Quincy Jones 2. Diamond Head/Gone with the Wave - Johnny Williams/Lalo Schifrin 3. Mass - Leonard Bernstein 4. Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic - Leonard Bernstein
#8
Miles Prower
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 09:15 PM
Training Montage (SpaceCamp)
#9
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 10:12 PM
John Williams' most personal pieces are his concert works, especially those dealing with trees and nature.
I think so too. Or the violin concerto, which was dedicated to his late wife Barbara Ruick.
#10
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Posted 01 July 2012 - 10:25 PM
For Celie and Shug.
#11
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 09:54 AM
Escape from the Basket, Alternate II.
#12
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 10:14 AM
I do believe that Williams expresses always something personal on some level in his film work as well but his concert works, uninhibited by the constraints of the celluloid and programmatic connotations outside the composer's own associations to poetry or nature or a soloist, seem to often speak with a clearer voice when it comes to his personal feelings and ways of expressing himself.
Ars superior est vita hominum.
"We pop out and come into the world and music is there. We didn't invent it - it's all organised in the atmosphere by divinity or whatever. It's a miracle." - John Williams-
I think music is a stream of some kind. It could be blood. It could be water. It could be ether. Whatever it is it seems to be a living, organic force that’s in motion, that serves humanity and is part of humanity and part of what describes us as humans. We sing, play, dance, all the things that we do. And there is a vibrant and great literature we have been given. ... As musicians, we join the stream. We swim in the stream with all the other millions of music makers. It’s a life force, a strong one, surrounding us and we are part of it. -John Williams-
#13
tannhauser
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 10:31 AM
I wonder if John Williams has to fast-forward LOTR when saurumon is chopping all the trees down.
I bet he would have loved writing music for the ents and Fangorn. In fact, if he had scored LOTR, the main theme for the trilogy would have probably been dubbed "Treebeard's Theme".
Oh, War Horse is great! - John Williams
#14
Incanus
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 10:57 AM
You can bet his music for the Ents would have sounded very similar to his bassoon concerto.
I wonder if John Williams has to fast-forward LOTR when saurumon is chopping all the trees down.
I bet he would have loved writing music for the ents and Fangorn. In fact, if he had scored LOTR, the main theme for the trilogy would have probably been dubbed "Treebeard's Theme".
Ars superior est vita hominum.
"We pop out and come into the world and music is there. We didn't invent it - it's all organised in the atmosphere by divinity or whatever. It's a miracle." - John Williams-
I think music is a stream of some kind. It could be blood. It could be water. It could be ether. Whatever it is it seems to be a living, organic force that’s in motion, that serves humanity and is part of humanity and part of what describes us as humans. We sing, play, dance, all the things that we do. And there is a vibrant and great literature we have been given. ... As musicians, we join the stream. We swim in the stream with all the other millions of music makers. It’s a life force, a strong one, surrounding us and we are part of it. -John Williams-
#15
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 03:30 PM
Music critic Richard Dyer said it more eloquently than any other could:
"Even when he's being a ventriloquist, as he sometimes has to be as a film composer, I don't think he's ever written a dishonest note. Like everybody else, some things worked out better than other things did. But I don't think it's a mechanical process for him. He can write music of heroic resolve because he feels heroic resolve. He's drawing on his own inner life and creating additional dimensions in the movies. And that's what makes the concert music work too."
"It's still baffling to me. I sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and do my best... The remarkable thing is that my music is heard by billions of people." --John Williams
"Let me say, however, there is no "next" John Williams. Sadly, he is unique--- a figure who simultaneously embodies and transcends the music of all the masters of film music who preceded him (much like Brahms and Wagner of the Romantic era). He comes from a time when the craft of music in film was still one of the ear, heart and mind. Today, sadly, the craft is largely technical. Most composers do not conceive their music "inwardly" but rather at the computer--- and with rather limited skills, musically, at that. The inner spirit knows no boundaries--- our plastic abilities, sadly, do. John is a man of spirit, heart, intellect and soaring music." -- Conrad Pope about John Williams
"Let me say, however, there is no "next" John Williams. Sadly, he is unique--- a figure who simultaneously embodies and transcends the music of all the masters of film music who preceded him (much like Brahms and Wagner of the Romantic era). He comes from a time when the craft of music in film was still one of the ear, heart and mind. Today, sadly, the craft is largely technical. Most composers do not conceive their music "inwardly" but rather at the computer--- and with rather limited skills, musically, at that. The inner spirit knows no boundaries--- our plastic abilities, sadly, do. John is a man of spirit, heart, intellect and soaring music." -- Conrad Pope about John Williams
#16
Mr Big
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 03:33 PM
John Goldfarb Please Come Home.
#17
Incanus
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Posted 02 July 2012 - 03:39 PM
Well said indeed.Music critic Richard Dyer said it more eloquently than any other could:
"Even when he's being a ventriloquist, as he sometimes has to be as a film composer, I don't think he's ever written a dishonest note. Like everybody else, some things worked out better than other things did. But I don't think it's a mechanical process for him. He can write music of heroic resolve because he feels heroic resolve. He's drawing on his own inner life and creating additional dimensions in the movies. And that's what makes the concert music work too."
Ars superior est vita hominum.
"We pop out and come into the world and music is there. We didn't invent it - it's all organised in the atmosphere by divinity or whatever. It's a miracle." - John Williams-
I think music is a stream of some kind. It could be blood. It could be water. It could be ether. Whatever it is it seems to be a living, organic force that’s in motion, that serves humanity and is part of humanity and part of what describes us as humans. We sing, play, dance, all the things that we do. And there is a vibrant and great literature we have been given. ... As musicians, we join the stream. We swim in the stream with all the other millions of music makers. It’s a life force, a strong one, surrounding us and we are part of it. -John Williams-
#18
MrJosh
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Posted 04 July 2012 - 04:30 AM
I don't think Williams will show us his most personal "pieces" until he's had a few drinks in him....
#19
Incanus
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Posted 04 July 2012 - 05:13 AM
Teheheee, you said "pieces".
Ars superior est vita hominum.
"We pop out and come into the world and music is there. We didn't invent it - it's all organised in the atmosphere by divinity or whatever. It's a miracle." - John Williams-
I think music is a stream of some kind. It could be blood. It could be water. It could be ether. Whatever it is it seems to be a living, organic force that’s in motion, that serves humanity and is part of humanity and part of what describes us as humans. We sing, play, dance, all the things that we do. And there is a vibrant and great literature we have been given. ... As musicians, we join the stream. We swim in the stream with all the other millions of music makers. It’s a life force, a strong one, surrounding us and we are part of it. -John Williams-
#20
MSM
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Posted 04 July 2012 - 08:54 PM
As the title says, a lot of times people diss Williams' because they consider him too complicated (musically, so to speak) and not personal enough... But we're gonna prove those folks wrong! In your opinion, what piece/s of him are the most personal? The ones you hear and you can hear Williams very own soul.
For me, is this one:
When I hear this, I can actually hear our dear own John Williams speaking to me, telling me about his life, his beliefs, his music... There's something so gorgeous about this particular piece of music that just connects with me, and probably lots of other people. This particular piece represents everything he talks about when he refers to movie music, particularly the Golden Age of Hollywood, charged with so much innocence and a lot of nostalgia.
What about you, what do you think?
You picked my favorite JW piece of all time
#21
JWfangirl1992
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Posted 05 July 2012 - 02:39 AM
As the title says, a lot of times people diss Williams' because they consider him too complicated (musically, so to speak) and not personal enough... But we're gonna prove those folks wrong! In your opinion, what piece/s of him are the most personal? The ones you hear and you can hear Williams very own soul.
For me, is this one:
When I hear this, I can actually hear our dear own John Williams speaking to me, telling me about his life, his beliefs, his music... There's something so gorgeous about this particular piece of music that just connects with me, and probably lots of other people. This particular piece represents everything he talks about when he refers to movie music, particularly the Golden Age of Hollywood, charged with so much innocence and a lot of nostalgia.
What about you, what do you think?
You picked my favorite JW piece of all time
Agreed, this piece is by far my favorite. It just brings such a sense of calm and also a bit of happiness of young naive love like in the movie.
I'm kind of surprised Schindler's List has not been mentioned, there is no way someone can write such a powerful and genuinely moving score without it meaning something to him.
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