Leaderboard

The action music of John Williams is never just NOISE or generic action music, it's fugues mixed with percussive madness and lyrical sections... it's structured and it have a development, it's not just sections of music randomly mixed together. That's very complex writing! And it is... just WOW!

Yes, especially the action writing, and that's the exact reason why I preferred one over the other when I started to listen to both in the '70s. Thanks for bringing that up.

https://www.thesoundtrackgallery.com/2021/08/sleepy-hollow-danny-elfman.html Some great custom covers here for anyone interested.

This discussion really hones in on how important it can be for composers to engage with actual players, and how unfortunate it is that so many composers now have to rely on virtual instruments. There's something truly remarkable to be said for how a player-- a specialist in their instrument--can take the broad strokes given to them by a composer, much like an actor and a director/screenwriter, and imbue the part with dimensions that a composer just can't conceive of.

Yes, absolutely, but it isn't just percussion. You don't need to go overboard (Mahler where he might say "as a flower hearing what the twilight has to say") but a single word or indication when something specific is desired could help. I just returned from a chamber performance where the percussionist said they really wanted to understand "emotive" directions because even though the instrument was just a marimba, him understanding descriptively what we were wanting resulted in his choice of mallets and performance interpretation. So in that example, he would LOVE to see "guillotine" or something and expressly asked for that. Usually we would describe something emotionally such as "yearning" or "solemn" or something. We could also provide more musical guidance such as "bell like". That is more preferred then saying "hard mallet". So indicating "intense" or marcato would help them decide the hard mallet is what was most appropriate but in some pro levels, they'll have multiple hard mallets and could even have a range of a dozen sets of mallets ranging from very soft to very hard so giving more expressive information helps them know exactly what is desired.

If this was scored by Sakamoto, where is there a huge picture of John Williams on the poster?

With the latest trailer and this poster, I guess they're in the generic mass appeal phase of marketing. It says "Junc".

I think John Williams might write the most elegant action music of any composer I know

Why does it say "June" when the movie comes out in October?

While I feel both excel quite well in this category, Williams does seem to be a cat that always manages to gracefully land on its feet. Few instances highlight this to greater effect in my mind than in the end credits to ROTJ, where Williams has tasked himself with somehow transitioning out of the endearingly wonky Ewok theme and into the exact musical polar opposite: Luke and Leia's theme. And yet the end result is somehow seamless, not jarring at all and, dare I say, elegant.

Urgh, that just feels wrong. 6 movies and one season in New Zealand and then they move. Just doesn’t seem right. NZ has been well established as Me in this onscreen universe so it’s an awful pity to break continuity like that. There’s some lovely places in the U.K. and obviously the Professor was inspired by places in the U.K. when writing the books but it seems inconsistent. The U.K. doesn’t have any of those sweeping mountain ranges we see in the films for example.

the Zimmer way!

Total Recall and Basic Instinct are two of my favorite Jerry scores!

Who is more elegant in this picture?

Like the Yin and Yan ya know... the Yohn and Yerry! I love you Yohn!

When I remember all the Interviews and other footage of the two, then I would dare to say, John Williams might simply be the more elegant person. And probably that's why.

Well I'll get pretty much anything Goldsmith but that sounds great. I would certainly love another set of suites like on the Tadlow Blue Max re-recording (indeed I've listened to that section of the album more times than The Blue Max itself!) which forms a terrific cross section of his work that steps a little outside the standard selections in mostly lengthier suites. It's great to hear stuff from The Chairman etc sound so fresh. Tadlow have done three such selections of suites for Maurice Jarre and more of that for Jerry would be superb. But I digress... yay Black Patch!

My dream? JOHN WILLIAMS IN CONCERT 14-16 OCTOBER, 2021 WITH BERLIN PHILHARMONIKER CANCELLED. ALL DATES MOVED TO THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL WITH LSO.

When I watched Episode IX I was also angry and not understanding what Abrams was trying to achieve.

These are extraordinarily different composers, difficult or impossible to truly compare.

Rambo III wouldn't be a bad candidate. Karol

Perfect score with one of my favourite Williams' theme: Hymn to the Fallen!! Another amazing score from the maestro, I simply love it

And someone seems to have no sense of sarcasm.

See the film and it'll make sense

I find the descriptions of percussion instruments in film scores to be so interesting. Synth sounds, too. So often there seems to be this approach of communicating the emotive intent more than the specifics of how to get it. And I suppose when you're working with world-class musicians, it certainly makes sense to entrust them with getting the right sound.

As a friendly, unsolicited reminder, do not let your expectations for a program (ideal or otherwise) lead to disappointment with the actual one--life is too short for such things.

Mike Matessino just confirmed on the latest episode of Maurizio's podcast that this was in fact John Williams himself whistling the villain theme!

Glad to see such a positive response! I can't promise it'll be quick, but I will try put together a similar listening guide to the other three movements. Until that point, here's something that ought to be quite useful: my attempt at a transcription of the main theme of the whole concerto, the one that occurs prominently in the second and fourth movement, and which some reviewers missed (?!). This particular iteration comes from Mvt. 4, and goes up until its little internal modulation from C to Eb. My rhythmic transcription is a little iffy in places, but the pitches are right, I believe. Top part is solo violin, bottom accompanying harp & strings. Putting this down on paper, I'm struck not only by its affinities with "Moonlight" but also JW's Elegy for Cello and, oddly, Always, with those turn figures in measure 5. Gorgeous music.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the world." I've always felt there was an important piece missing from my understanding of Spielberg's filmography. I could never quite figure out what it was, and I certainly didn't expect the answer to come from a film that had already been made. While there remains a handful of holes in my viewing of his work (A.I. being one of them for the longest time), I had long thought it likely that this void might only ever be filled by a new Spielberg project, a coda that had the opportunity to convey something truly and deeply retrospective (The Fablemans perhaps?). Nonetheless, I now realize that this unexplained absence I had once felt was merely an oversight on my part, and has been wholly remedied by what is surely one of the most reflective and rewarding films of Spielberg's career. While many will revisit what may be one of our greatest director's most misunderstood films for its 20th anniversary this year, this was a first time viewing for me. It's hard to articulate the impact inherent in the nature of the material, so I will avoid diving too far into the many philosophical questions the film raises, but the endlessly captivating presentation is perhaps the single finest delivery that one could hope for. Spielberg, Williams, and Kaminski manage to communicate such immensely rich and complicated concepts in perfect synthesis, achieving a pure combination of music and images to create what some have described as "a glimpse into eternity" (such a phrase may read as cheesy hyperbole, but I doubt it has ever been more true). As always, John Williams' contribution is nothing short of masterful. In many ways, A.I. is one of his finest works; a tone poem worthy of the concert hall. Williams' instrumentation is particularly dynamic, with piano, cor anglais, and wordless choir all playing vital roles that stand above comparison in his vast body of work. I'm not skilled enough to wax lyrical about the countless masterstrokes present throughout this score, although I would very much like to be able to. I will say, however, that Abandoned in the Woods is my personal favourite cue, as it splendidly accentuates a heartbreaking scene with equal parts tension and emotion. The way Williams' develops his leitmotifs really lends well to scoring moments such as this, as there is a remarkably effective sincerity to the emphasis his music provides that ultimately marks the argument of manipulation as void. His ability to develop thematic material in this manner has never been more subtle, and yet all of the power that would be expected in a more overt approach is completely retained, if not multiplied, as this fascinating catalogue of motifs weaves together to form one of Williams' greatest tapestries. Janusz Kaminski gets a lot of flack for his work in the early 2000s, with an aesthetic typically defined by bright white lighting and intense bloom. With A.I., however, there's a clear and consistent visual purpose to nearly every scene, solidifying it as a definitive high for Spielberg's longtime cinematographer. DPs and directors can go their whole career without ever coming close to the superb symbolism constantly on display here. For example, the image of David's confused and estranged face framed through the empty eye of his replica (see top left); the same manufactured shell, yet seen through an entirely different set of eyes. Further emphasis on David's multiplicity is made apparent by another striking shot (see top right), with the camera constantly refuting his hopes for human individuality by repeatedly reinforcing that he is still one of many. A dinner scene offers yet another vivid image to dissect (see bottom left): a halo over David echoes the manufacturer's marketing of the boy as "the perfect child", yet it is the same thing that separates him from his adoptive parents in the shot. The depth of these stills alone is unmatched. The lonely and isolated image of David abandoned in the woods (see bottom right) is a lasting one, and it is important to note that it is seen not through the eyes of Monica, but through the soulless reflection of the car's side mirror. There is no other perspective to turn to, as Monica cannot bring herself to look back. I do not possess the ability to unpack in mere words the philosophical wellspring that is so crucial to this wondrously provocative narrative, and while there are certainly several equally valid interpretations to be compared and analyzed, the film ultimately requires a more independent and personal understanding. Nonetheless, there's no doubt in my mind that the efforts of all involved combine to create a truly astounding and transcendent experience. I look forward to seeing how my relationship with this film changes as I grow older, as I'm certain new nuances will come to the fore with age. "Make a wish." "It came true already." P.S. I wrote about this film two months ago and for whatever reason I never posted about it here. Better late than never I suppose.

UPDATED FULL CONCERT CONDUCTED BY DIRK BROSSÉ

The photobombing Lalo Schifrin!

Brother!

The Budd-conducted suite with the LSO is quite sufficient.

Surprised nobody has added his unused score to Babe to this list. I believe the written score exists so, technically, it would be even easier to do that Black Patch and The Man. Given that the actual score has managed to be both re-recorded and the original soundtrack expanded, I’d have thought a recording of Jerry’s score would sell pretty well. I’d certainly love to hear it.

Already out of stock at Intrada, sheesh.

If I had the free decision and the financial means for five re-recordings of a Jerry Goldsmith score I would choose: 100 Rifles (sound) The Chairman (lost) Inchon (sound) Lionheart (performance) Ransom (lost)

Most likely it’s the Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble.

I wrote him back that he's my favourite Intrada employee!

The Jane Eyre Suite would be just perfect.

Have to begin with SW main theme surely? End with Raiders March, and an Imperial March encore would be nice. Apart from that: Adventure's on Earth, Jurassic Park, Window to the Past and Buckbeak's Flight (Azkaban has always been a favourite), Dartmoor/1912, The Cowboys (something pre Jaws would be cool!), Jaws suite, Images!! (saw the movie only recently, has he ever performed that live?) Princess Leia's theme, Marion's theme, and Rey's theme + Rise of Skywalker near the end. Don't have a stopwatch but that must be near enough 2 hours. It's going to be my first time seeing him in October, so he could literally do 4'33" by John Cage and leave, and I would be say its the greatest concert I've ever been to.

cinema tickets booked. Boxset pre-ordered. Gonna be biblical!

RTÉ seem to regularly get these exclusives. Might be worth keeping an eye on the hosts twitter for future releases.

Recording, for those who missed it: Chewy · RTE Eiger Sanction

Totally in love with this bit:

What do you have against Abraham Lincoln?

I suspect this may be a reference to Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. The fourth movement, 'March to the Scaffold', ends with a musically depicted execution by guillotine. Though it's not specified in the score, by tradition the drum roll is usually performed on a large field drum with the snares turned off. I think that's what JW is going for here. See also Prisoner of Azkaban, where he calls instead for a "scaffold drum":

The last time a guillotine was used for an execution was in 1977, the year Star Wars was released. Now I'm not going to jump to any conclusions but...