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I'm very happy to announce this. It's going to be special! Full press release: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/01/25/score-masters-announcement https://iftt.co.uk/news/ift-launches-score-masters/

From what I've been told, it's mostly regular published versions, but they obtained permission to record a few things that aren't publicly out, like Slave Children Parade from Temple of Doom and the main titles from The Adventures of Tintin.

Now, I absolutely adore Shostakovich, but his film music really isn't the best part of his oeuvre, and John Williams' film music is, for the most part, far more accomplished, both as pure music and as music written to enhance and coexist with another artform. Some of Shostakovich's early film music efforts are quite outstanding, but as has already been mentioned, the scores he wrote for propaganda films often feel rather tepid and uninvested, and, dare I say, emotionally dishonest.

Shostakovich and JW are two of my favorite composers so I love the idea of this thread. I don't know if I would say Shostakovich was the greatest film composer ever but let's assume you are speaking in hyperbole. It is true he composed a lot of film scores but he was the pre-imeinent soviet composer working for state media when other work wasn't available. There is also the jazz connection but Shostakovich is coming to jazz by way of a limited Soviet exposure which doesn't really sound like Western Jazz. Honestly, what I think you mean is Shostakovich and JW both shared a love of the Russian symphonic tradition (eg: Tchiakovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov (which gets complicated because that demands French influence too, the orient and jazz). I hear E.T. finale rainbow fanfare as very similar to Shosti's No. 5 ending especially with the timpani C, G, C, G, C, G, CccccCCCCCCCC. Shostakovich's No. 5 is in D minor (ending in brilliant D major) so the notes are A, D, A, D, A, DdddddddDDDDDDDDD which is an inversion. Shostakovich up a whole step and drawn out much further at half tempo. Also very similar is the transition from pathos to triumph ending with the tonic-dominant timpani (or inverted to dominant-tonic but the same function of pathos transformed to triumph). This was also the same cluster to D major in the flying sequence of E.T. Listen to this at 0:32 cluster to the same D major Shosti used at the penultimate close of his No. 5. I believe that JW isn't a huge fan of bombast. He does it because much of his projects demand it. Shostakovich liked bombast because of Tchaikovsky and the Russian plus German tradition of Wagner and Mahler which we know Shostakovich loved. As all great composers, like Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Rimsky Korsakov, they took elements from the Austria-Germans (Wagner, Bach, Mahler, Haydn), the French (Debussy and Ravel), the West (Gershwin jazz which is also a synthesis of french, orient, and blues/spirituals) and created a hybrid synthesis. That is art and no great artist didn't do the same. Every great artist has a tribute to those who came before. Which is also why anyone who claims JW is derivative is an idiot. There is no such thing as originality.

I think this is most likely the segment you’re thinking of: There’s also a little bit of ROTJ session footage in this profile, including a bit from what I believe is Olympic Sound Studios, where they briefly relocated when Abbey Road was unavailable: That would certainly be amazing, but I think the chance of additional footage from nearly 40-year-old news segments turning up is pretty much nil. I believe there’s a slightly higher chance there may be some additional footage somewhere from the JW documentary shot during the making of ESB since it was shot on film.

Also John Williams scored Harry Potter and Shostakovich is Harry Potter

What about Corigliano's Fox Hunt?

Harry Potter anime?

They are movies for kids with adults reading into them too much. I think the prequels were also aimed at younger people of the next generation but immature Gen Xers turned up in droves buying dolls and camping out for them, ruining everything. Disney certainly hasn't helped matters.

Sorry if I came across grumpy mate. I certainly wasn't wanting to throw any insults about. But in the same spirit, I just felt everyone was being un-necessarily dismissive of the guy. Spider-Fal shared the video, I assume because they thought we might get some enjoyment out of it. But instead it was said the video creator should "get out," and he was labelled "annoying" and "bumbling." Someone (obviously... I know... 'jokingly') said "kill him," and he was "tolerated." How gracious. I don't even know why I felt such an urge to stick up for him. I just wonder where the encouragement is, sometimes. In a community like this. And sure, the creator of the video might not even read these comments. (I hope to God he doesn't.) But if he did, wouldn't it be nicer to read "Good job... you've scratched the surface. Come discuss things with us, we'll help you peel away all the deliciously complicated layers and discover even more." ?? I think it's food for thought. But it means I've got two feet firmly in the boat for jwfan being ambassadors for Williams fandom. If none of you are on board with what I've said, fair enough. You can chalk it up to lockdown fever.

Shostakovich's score for "The First Echelon" (1955) had a Williams-like "tradition as an anchor" approach: 1:30:48 . . Overall, most of Shostakovich's film scores, even when they sound symphonic and "impressionist", are often very crude in their approach when compared to the nuance and precision of Herrmann, Williams, Goldsmith, or Morricone. . There is an anecdote that Shostakovich read some of Waxmann's music and thought it to be a rip-off of his own - but then Waxmann asked Shostakovich about the year when he had composed the supposed source piece. It turned out that Waxmann's piece came earlier. Considering how often Williams' influences are actually closer to home than people think, I would say that Waxman and Herrmann were responsible for a lot of what you think is Shostakovich in Williams' music. Then there is Bartok and many other modernists, some of them perhaps obscure by now, who could have been the potential inspirations. Ultimately, skilled though Shostakovich was (preludes and fugues, quartets), and perhaps the only 20th century composer capable of writing more than one or two melodies as good as JW's, he was not a better composer overall. In the end, thanks to various factors, but foremost to sensitivity combined with perfectionism and dilligence, longevity, and willingness to engage the idioms of the greatest composers and "do the real thing, with some sincerity" Williams has outdone him, just as he has outdone Herrmann, Waxmann, and Korngold.

I've always wanted to make a jazz album of Williams' rarer pieces from the 60s, if I had the money and resources. Alas, few are available as official sheet music, so I would have to ask someone else to transcribe something by ear -- like we did with CHECKMATE and "Mambone" from BACHELOR FLAT for our Oslo concert last year. But then this "dream" kinda evaporates when I think about getting permission from JW, and whatever costs are included not only in transcribing it, but royalties and such. I wonder how Terry Trotter approached all of this, for his STAR WARS jazz album on Varese. Does anyone know?

In 2011 I released the "French Horn Tribute to Film Music", a 12-min long medley featuring music from 29 composers ! Well, here we are 10 years later and I present to you the freshly remixed/remastered version, with sheet music

Phwoar man. Why's it so hot in here?

I knew this would be the bit the fellas at JWfan would whinge about the most. If anyone thought they'd use existing orchestral themes in a modern movie trailer, haha. They couldn't even do that for Independence Day: Resurgence, when it made all the sense in the world to use Arnold's music to generate excitement and nostalgia. I find this pop choice more interesting than the generic trailer music tropes anyway.

I've actually been familiar with this channel for a few months, the dude is definitely a talented musician with a good ear for music. So while I can appreciate the video from the perspective of him sharing his love for Williams, I'm disappointed that his takes don't really go past what we've heard countless times already, which have been pretty shallow in their own right ("he writes so many memorable and iconic themes!")

So Godzilla vs. Kong does exist after all, and not just a money laundering scheme?

Re: How familiar is JW with the greatest film composer who ever lived? With himself? Quite well, I suppose. Re: How familiar is JW with Shostakovich? Shostakovich was one of the Russian composers Williams has said a few times to have liked in his youth.

Glad to see some Shostakovich supporters coming out of the woodwork. Another thing he shares with John Williams is that they are both polystylists, Shostakovich has his very serious side : the violin concerto one, the symphony 4 he has his narrative sound most of his late symphonies - his symphony 11 is often referred to as as a film score without a film he has his jovial sound symphony nine,piano concerto 2 his incredibly sad sound string quartets 8:15 and he has his very deep instrospective sound symphony 10, lady Macbeth ive been investing in the hardcover works - I’m totally immersed in studying this wonderful man

One of Roger Ebert's complaints about ESB was Chewie. He is fairly annoying in it.

Cliffhanger is great with a wonderful main theme and fun action music Don't forget Merlin too https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(miniseries) http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/9447/Merlin

No argument there. Huppert's Metropolis is a musical marvel. I suppose the unavailability of a high-quality complete recording (or any recording?) of that score until a two decades ago has something to do with its unfairly marginal status in film music history. Because boy is it a glorious thing to hear. It's easy to see the appeal Shostakovich held for Herrmann -- acerbic, sarcastic, disappointed romantics both.

As I mentioned, I’d recommend Hamlet as one of his finest scores. There’s a very fine recording of it on Naxos conducted by Dimitry Yablonsky which is the first (and I think only) recording of the full score. For a wider sampling there are several albums on Chandos in fine sound and performance that contain extended suites from a good number of his scores. An alternative would be the 4CD selection of film music and jazz suites in Brilliant Classics which I got for only a few pounds.

It's a curious quirk of the way we tell film music history that Shostakovich, despite being the far more productive composer for films, is basically ignored, compared to his counterpart Prokofiev, who only wrote, what, 4 or 5 scores? But those happen to be for more "important" movies, and have enjoyed an afterlife in the concert hall thanks to the composer's savvy -- and their high quality too, don't get me wrong -- Nevsky is a blast. The Prokofiev scores cast both a longer shadow in critical/scholarly discourse (see Eisenstein's Film Sense, Adorno/Eisler Composing for Films, much, much else), and, in a way, a larger influence on film musical style too. Need I mention the "Battle on the Ice"? @InTheCityand others who are interested, consider checking out Joan Titus's excellent series of books on DSCH's film scores with OUP: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-early-film-music-of-dmitry-shostakovich-9780199315147?cc=us&lang=en&. She's doing more than anyone to raise Shosty's profile as a film composer, in the anglophone world at least

Arguably, that’s to his credit, wouldn’t we say? It suggests he wasn’t a willing propagandist.

This would be great for Jeremy Soule

What’s John Williams been up to lately?

It began the trend of SW primarily being associated with adult nerds rather than the target audience.

I've been watching the original 60s TV series with my 6-year-old daughter and we've been loving it. It's perfect for family viewing because it works as semi-ironic comedy for me and a wacky adventure show for her.

Anyone else find the original TV series unwatchable these days? Like Carry On movies.

Batman Returns for both, though the Adam West movie is an infuriating omission!

As I already mentioned, I would have voted for Batman 66 at least in the movie category.

Indeed. Score-wise, I would actually place the 1966 version ahead of anything post-B&R.

I can only speak for myself, but I was not "crapping on the poor guy's effort". As you say, I appreciate the man's enthusiasm. I'm just saying this kind of stuff holds no value to me, personally, these days. I require the person communicating something about Williams to at least be on my own level or knowledge, or beyond, for me to actually sit down and listen/watch.

There's absolutely no way that is what is actually happening. The trailer is trying to mislead you. I didn't have any issues with the lighting or the shots, my issue was the speed. They move way too fast for such giant beasts and it makes them feel small, but also removes a lot of weight they should have. I agree that 2014 is overall a better film. In 2014, they also have everything moving a little slower so Godzilla really feels like he is massive and hefty. I still remember being on the edge of my seat during the airport scene in the 2014 one.

The sound of the new set is considerably better on some tracks, to be precise some awful distortions and the dominant hiss could be removed. Besides the weird resonance of the much too small room, where the recording took place, was successfully diminished. It does sound like a professional studio recording now.

The trailer looks fine, nothing too special. It's great to see some characters from King of the Monsters return in here But I really can't comprehend why they decided that a rap song was fitting as trailer music for this. It's a trend big studios have adopted and is really stupid

Thank god there isn't much snobbery here I mean.... heaven forbid a guy tries to show a bit of interest in something and wants to share it with other people. Tell you what... I bet the fans of John Williams would welcome this with smiles. It's always lovely to know that this music has touched someone, isn't it? Ah. Maybe not. Pretty happy to be in the minority here. I thought his level of excitement and admiration was lovely to watch.

Shostakovich was a great classical composer who occasionally did film music, but I wouldn't label him the 'greatest film composer who ever lived'. He wasn't really a film composer to begin with.

Due out in March 2021: https://www.facebook.com/CityLightConcerts/posts/1029199370903587

Wow; hadn't seen that yet! Beautifully done. You really put your heart and soul into this work; I can tell. The only extra thing then you might consider is some sort of explanation of what you changed in the "album assembly" compared to the complete score. I reckon that'd be quite fascinating to read too. You're quite welcome. It's not like you don't deserve it. Really wished one day this music could be performed by a proper, full orchestra; and really do it justice.

Well this is very annoying. I'll see if I can find a better stream of just the band Here is the livestream that the band itself shared on their social media:

If you click on the link @thx99 gave us (https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Portals/175/Docs/Audio/Educational_Series/john_williams/JohnWilliamsUSMB.zip), you'll get the mp3's. For the time being, no FLACs, but let's all just appreciate that this is finally available to us -- for free, to boot.

Abandoned and Pursued basically IS a kickass version of Keys Theme

Rosewood by John Williams Sleepers by John Williams The Hollywood Flute (Sinfonia Toronto, solo flute Louise DiTullio): A thoroughly lovely compilation album of arrangements from film scores featuring solo flute, including Hook, Charlotte's Web, Dances With Wolves, Rudy and Sleeping with the Enemy. Publicist recommended the album for the Hook suite a couple of pages back in this thread and I heartily concur!

There's no point in debating Joe, just nod your head, pretend to agree with him and move on.