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Ha! I’ve pre-ordered this book so I’ll try and skip this page. I was very fortunate to meet Alan Rickman thanks to my work with Patrick Doyle a few years ago. Well, nearly 10 now! They were both very close friends being part of the London theatrical scene in the 70s and 80s. Shameless (!) photo below.

Still listening to my Rise of Skywalker 5 CD set

Fun stuff

I'll (naively) hold out hope that Disney might hire Mike M. to produce expansions of all 5 scores to coincide with the final film. ....because that worked for Star Wars, amirite?

... when you prefer Indy music over indie music.

The Palau de la música català has just published the Prelude and Scherzo as played by Gloria Cheng las summer, for free. Here you can watch it: https://www.palaudigital.cat/destacats/videos/preludi-i-scherzo-de-john-williams

I reflected on this a lot over the years and even more since I began the Legacy project. Several things mentioned above here are true and I agree with such statements. It’s possible to do a critical evaluation of JW and put him into a definite historical context. In this regard, Williams is very much a fixture of the 20th century, as he grew up, matured and found his success throughout the second half of the 1900s, so he belong to this specific timeframe and absorbed its wide variety of influences, as many of the greats who lived in the same era did. Anyway, what I understood is that JW is pretty much a unique and irreplaceable figure in the history of film music, but also music in general. The fact he found fortune and glory in the glitzy commercial world of Hollywood (to which he will always be inextricably tied) doesn’t diminish his formidable skills as a composer who has been able to synthesize and revive a musical tradition (i.e. the classical Hollywood scoring style) and let his own voice be also heard loud and clear nonetheless. He has always been popular and sophisticated at the same time, a quality that is really rare to find. I think he’s the musical equivalent of a Charles Dickens or a Mark Twain in this regard. He fuses unbridled Mozartian genius with a Haydn-like balanced sense of sophistication. Hollywood offered him an ideal platform, in which he was able to express his own talent. He was the right person in the right place at the right moment of history, surrounded by talent and creativity since his early days there and part of a generation who also loved jazz and modern music. There won’t be another John Williams as there never was another Twain, Dickens or Haydn. He will always be a benchmark, a fixture and a role model for many many composers and artists for centuries to come.

We watched episode 4 last night Man, this show is a pleasure to watch because of the score - it's so good! It's so fun to watch a show and hear good, memorable themes pop up that you associate with characters or cultures, it really enhances the viewing. It's like when you re-watch a movie after getting to know the score, and pick up on what all these themes are associated with, and when. But this time it's a show, so we get this great album up front to learn all the themes, and then get to hear these themes taken in new directions with each new episode for a couple months. I'm glad that it was only the first 2 episodes for me that felt like the concert arrangements I knew from the album were slapped directly into the episodes; Episodes 3 and 4 have featured cool variations of the themes that nicely integrate right into their scenes. I also liked that "Plea for the Rocks" moment in the show. Halfway through, and I'm really loving this score, on album as well as how it works in the show!

Basically being a pastiche composer. Emulating others instead of developing his own style. Writing thin, clunky scores that go plinkety-plunck with very dry recordings. Action music is too simplistic, emotional themes are all structured the same way, etc. That ‘hack’ feeling they feel is how Bear’s work has been making me feel. I still have yet to hear a distinct voice in anything Bear does. The paragraph where he states that his Middle Earth isn’t just inspired by Shore but by… literally everyone made me laugh out loud. No wonder I think he sounds anonymous.

Something truly hits different seeing this footage knowing that Williams will be scoring it. Really just gives the whole film and air of legitimacy it wouldn't otherwise have. I'm for some reason reminded of the moment at Celebration when Williams started to play the Raiders March and after a single note the whole audience immediately knows what it is. Just the idea that it's the same guy adding to a musical legacy that has already been cemented in the history books and is recognized the world over is really compelling.

Looks good and I like James Mangold, but.... I just don't have any faith in Lucasfilm anymore after the last few years of shitty Star Wars projects.

Looks sensational, even in low quality. Very impressed by the cinematography, also ILM's work. Such an abundance of amazing looking scenes for Williams to score... think we're in for a treat with his score.

Star Wars is so much better without the “Volume”

Wow, you're so right! I don't remember a time without Johnny. My earliest memory was seeing Star Wars with my family and definitely the music blew me away along with the strange visuals and fun. My brothers got to see it before me because I was too young and my mom, now 88, wouldn't let me see such a "scary film full of monsters". But they were so excited and thrilled they convinced the whole family to see it. I sat on my mom's lap and I still remember that first experience! The B flat orchestral blast was so shocking to me! The music was what I most connected with and Jaws was played again that summer of 1977 where I heard my second JW score and was again blown way by him. I was 4 or maybe 5 years old and the score was by far the most memorable element to me. By the time I saw Close Encounters, JW's score was the drawing power. He's so special and unique in our lives. He isn't just Walt Disney. He's like Disney + the Queen + Elvis + Beatles + Michael Jackson in one person. He's a real treasure and we're lucky to realize that while he's still with us and creating new music!

It’s a great score but that is quite the statement.

A lot of recent commentary about the passing of Queen Elizabeth mentioned that she was a constant for so many people, and I think the same can be applied to JW. I remember a time when composers like Michael Giachinno and Alexandre Desplat weren't part of the industry. Older fans will remember the same about Elfman and Zimmer. I remember hearing about the deaths of titans like John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith, and James Horner. But John Williams has been a constant presence in the film scoring world for the living memory of a vast majority of film score fans. There will come a time when future generations will look back at JW in the same way that we look back at composers like Herrmann and Max Steiner. Legendary composers who have long since passed. I'm really glad that I get to experience the era of John Williams and all that entails such as the excitement of a new score and of course being able to see him in concert.

It's actually kind of impressive how utterly determined you are to dislike this show and its music. McCreary could write the literal Ainulindalë and you'd still find some way to trash it.

I was listening to Gold's Series Four today. I'm way more of a Moffat guy than a Davies guy (I mean, they're both great). But wow. Gold didn't get better than this. Three and Four are Peak Gold. He wrote some great music after this and he certainly wrote some killer themes. (I am the Doctor is so good you can be fooled into thinking you're tired of it. You're wrong.) All the years of original Who where they tried to re-do the theme. IMHO they really did it once (Howell) where it came close to equaling the original. (Yes, I like Glyn. Yes, Debney has its charm.) Then Gold comes along and dashes off four of them!

I think a lot of those complaints reveal more about the person saying them than the composers themselves. Just like one composer could be described as either "drawing from many sources " or "having no identity ", another composer could be described as either "having a distinct voice " or "being a one-trick pony ".

My favorite scores of 1992, ranked Batman Returns, Elfman Basic Instinct, Goldsmith Far and Away, Williams Sneakers, Horner Home Alone 2, Williams Dracula, Kilar Porco Rosso, Hisaishi Alien 3, Goldenthal Lethal Weapon 3, Kamen Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Walker The Last of the Mohicans is a popular score from this year that had never really clicked with me, and I need to get more familiar with all the other Jerry scores from 1992 (Mom and Dad Save The World, Medicine Man, Forever Young, Mr. Baseball, Gladiary rejected, Public Eye rejected, and Love Field), all the Silvestri scores (Death Becomes Her, FernGully, Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot, The Bodyguard, and Sidekicks), as well as all the other Horners (Thunderheart, Unlawful Entry, and Patriot Games)...

Hey John, Alan Rickman thinks your music is hideous. I know, but he's dead.

I hope Johnny gives 'em what they want... frequent use of the Raiders March. I disliked the choice to use it sparingly in TLC. It's a crowd pleaser.

Only 3'42"? I want my money back.

I think of it as the kind of prefiguring (ahnen) of a form the leitmotif will later take, which you get either in overtures or even within the body of leitmotivic works: technically, the presentation of the motive associated with the sword in Das Rheingold ("So grüß' ich die Burg / sicher vor Bang' und Grau'n!") is "jumping the gun" in terms of the way that motive will be gradually rolled-out in Die Walküre.

Watched both Poltergeist and It Follows last night. Really enjoyed both. The expert execution of simple premise in the latter really impressed me. Karol

Do John Williams’ real sequel scores count?

Can’t wait to hear only a quarter of it on album

As has been mentioned, he isn't necessarily/exactly a Golden Age composer. But he is probably the last major film composer who learned his art when film music wasn't an established genre. Instead, he was "classically" trained, and applied that training and his instincts to film scoring. As a result, I think there's a lot of art in his work, whereas these days, film music is an established genre that is taught, but much more as a craft than an art form. I suppose that means that a person studying both that and "serious" art music may have a "better"/more fitting education than Williams himself - but someone who just studied film music, unless they also have (like Williams) a massive amount of inherent/autodidactic talent, is almost by definition not in the same league as him. Add to that that neither the contemporary expectations towards film music (at least for most major productions) nor the production schedules are very tempting for composers actually interested in the art of composition, and it becomes clear why it's unlikely that someone of Williams's stature is likely to come along in the foreseeable future.

I rather enjoyed that last episode in particular, the Imperials are being characterised impeccably so far. Really cool to see the ISB functioning as an actual organisation and the immediate consequences of the uprising on Ferrix. Poor Karn is out of a job now, will he try and go for an Imperial position or will this push him towards the Rebellion? Only time will tell! There were oodles of references to pre-established things that fit seamlessly in the narrative and helped really ground it in the Star Wars universe, and especially the old expanded one. Was not expecting to hear about Rakatans or see what looks like Starkiller’s Sith helmet from the Hoth DLC of TFU 1 in Luthen’s shop! Speaking of Luthen, there was an interesting hint of sadness with the way they portrayed him assuming his alter ego. He legitimately looked happy to not wear such utilitarian clothes but then went straight into business mode. You may say ‘he’s just practising his role’ but listen to the music, it’s adding quite a solemn feel to it, and I hope we explore about how mentally taxing it is to constantly be deceiving others with a fake identity - which seems to be the case so far

Listening to the musical commentary that Doug Adams did with theonering.net, it blew my mind when he said the opening melody that kicks off “My Dear Frodo” from Unexpected Journey was an iteration of the Sons of Durin theme. I always loved that tune and thought it had just fallen by the wayside with other ideas from Unexpected Journey. Glad to find it survived in some form in the other two scores. Shame it didn’t pop up one last time in its first guise to bookend the trilogy in the last film. (0:00-0:37) (3:07-4:00)

I've been trying to determine the lengthiest themes Williams has written and I think I have narrowed it down to the 'Top 5'. Two notes: 1. I look at the time it takes for a theme to reach completion on the original soundtrack recording. I am not counting the 'number of notes', which would form a completely different criteria to determine 'long lined melodies'; 2. With some themes -With Malice Toward None and the Love Theme from The Patriot especially- I took some liberty in determining whether all the melodic content involved is part of a single theme. I can imagine some will state that the themes in question end earlier and that I mistakenly included a B-section. However; I find that these melodies are truly resolved at the end points I indicated below. 1. WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE (LINCOLN) Theme starts: 00:00 - Theme ends: 01:46 | TOTAL TIME: 01:46 minutes 2. LOVE THEME (THE PATRIOT) Theme starts: 00:05 - Theme ends: 01:45 | TOTAL TIME: 01:40 minutes 3. HYMN TO THE FALLEN (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) Theme starts: 00:24 - Theme ends: 01:32 | TOTAL TIME: 01:08 minutes 4. THEME (JFK) Theme starts: 00:00 - Theme ends: 01:01 | TOTAL TIME: 01:01 minutes 5. GROWING UP (THE RIVER) Theme starts: 00:29 - Theme ends: 01:21 | TOTAL TIME: 00:52 seconds

Three and four are absolutely peak Gold - I vividly remember the albums coming out when I was just starting work and listening during commutes in the dark. Both are such wonderfully constructed albums, an art I think Gold lost a bit from the specials album onwards. Without a doubt, the absolute highlight across both albums for me is The Runaway Bride, a cue which entered public consciousness when it was performed at the musical celebration concert with Tennant. I don't think he wrote cues like that in later seasons - maybe the show's stories didn't allow for it. Also that Voyage of the Damned suite... couldn't possibly pack more cinema, action and Christmas into 10 mins.

I'm not familiar enough with Bear to identify his style properly but I hear a lot of Outlander in this, which is natural as I've heard seven albums of the latter. I'm not sure he's got one of those instantly recognisable styles.

Thanks karelm! You can actually spot the tail end of the ceiling mics at the top of the frame. And no, it's the same audio from the filmed performance and it plays fine for me, so I'm wondering if the sync problem is on your end? Let me know!

"F**k off Dude - he's mine!"

I think it's just baseless speculation after Ford was spotted with facial markers on location (for de-aging VFX). Just as easily explained by flashbacks to other time periods. Based on the footage, there's an extended sequence involving Indy battling Nazis during WWII. I'd guess Mads is introduced as a Nazi in that timeline but escapes, then re-emerges in the "present day" storyline.

It has its moments but it's certainly not the greatest score of all time, not even close. I remember the OST as very engaging and the complete presentation as a never-ending story.

I usually make those italic like the proper titles too.

20220928_220758.mp4

I can't read this, it just feels so ... corporate. And I can't help but cringe when he says he was part of "the fellowship" now over a Zoom call. In a way, this is a poignant metaphor for the lack of human elements in this show. But I'm surprised he got a relatively delicate theme out of watching endless hours of Galadriel in constant bitch-face mode.

Run Forrest run!

Dude scored for Hitchcock, scored Frank Sinatra's only directorial effort, and scored a John Wayne picture. That same dude is still working on the biggest films ever made. what the fuck haha I swear some people have to see that John Williams credit in Star Wars Episode 9 and think it's his son or something.

The blogs have not increased my appreciation for Bear, this score, or his methods. Quite the opposite actually. I understand now why I don’t like his work: I just don’t like the way he goes about composing. And that’s okay. In a weird way I find it kind of funny, for years I’ve defended Giacchino against his haters who just don’t like his methods of composing. But now I have found a composer where I feel that way and so now, finally, I get it. His work still doesn’t bother me much and I enjoy it but I totally understand someone disagreeing with his methods. It’s fair. In a Ent-sized nutshell, I understand how Thor feels.

I MADE IT! I'M GOING TO WATCH FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING LIVE IN CONCERT! Just bought my ticket for a LTP that will happen in my hometown on the next Nov 19. It's the first time the score is performed live here. Can't wait!

Ah, so you got the Star Wars Main Theme. Update: I just checked the terminology on the original 1977 vinyl, and it reads "Main Title" while the themes are outlined in a separate text, which even describes a "Ben Kenobi's Theme". I know, but he's dead.

Hehe I love how Winger's Theme balances things out so it's not just the March all the time. This album is a really nice listening experience, Neil did a great job

Well last week I created a post suggesting that I would love to see John Williams compose a requiem mass or piece of music (possibly Coronation) in honour of Her Majesty The Queen or the new King. I have followed John Williams since 1971 when I first heard his score for The Poseidon Adventure at the age of 13 and I have never wavered in my admiration for his music since. I knew deep down and my instincts were right that greatness was written in the stars for him . Ive not been proved wrong and it’s due to him that I eventually moved to working in the U.K. Film Industry as a Film Buyer for Multiplex Cinema Chains and I certainly made sure the films he scored were dated in the cinemas I looked after for almost 18 years. Being British and 100% Royalist you can imagine my ecstatic joy at the news that John Williams had been given an honorary knighthood, a KBE, by Queen Elizabeth as one of her final acts. Now she didn’t give these out as if they were confetti , she would have been inspired to give this award because she liked John Williams music personally. The knighthoods she gave out , were and are not just issued under the advice of the government or via certain interested parties but are personal . Williams music has been used by the BBC and ITV and British documentary film makers for many royal jubilee and commemorative events and for solemn occasions like Remembrance, VE and VJ days , so she would have watched the recordings go out on tv with Williams’ music adding to the mood . Truly she must have enjoyed the music he has composed over the years and which has been added by film editors, aside from watching films with a Williams score. Incidentally having worked in the U.K. Cinema Exhibition industry at top level , I know there is a screening room both at Buckingham Palace and at Windsor Castle and that 35mm prints of feature films ( before digital) were sent to the Palace for viewing and films were also considered for the annual Royal Film Performance so it’s safe to assume that she would have watched Spielbergs films ( the other KBE beneficiary) with Williams’ soundtrack. What an absolutely wonderful tribute to the top film composer in the world from one of the most remarkable women in the world. Our Elizabeth The Great has done John Williams proud in her last days as Monarch. it is just so incredibly sad that Williams will not be able to receive this honour from Queen Elizabeth II herself although yes I know awards like this are given out at a consular level. What he must be feeling today must warm his heart ,safe in the knowledge that his Anglophile connections (ie the LSO) and love of the U.K. has got the merit he truly deserves. This is far better than an Oscar or a BAFTA - it’s a thank you for ALL his compositions and works from the British people. I hope this award inspires him to write something in her honour as he moves into his last furlong as a classical concert composer (and hopefully he does come out of film composing retirement to top it all by composing a Bond film score) I know that his being american , you can’t use the word Sir, but god damn it , I’m going to break protocol from now on and say in light of the fact that Indy 5 may be his last film score ; and I know I say this on behalf of many if not all of you on this brilliant JWFan website and on others like The Legacy of John Williams who are dedicated to his music , “ARISE SIR JOHN. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL MUSIC THAT HAS INSPIRED OTHERS AND IS LOVED BY ALL YOUR FANS WORLDWIDE. THANK YOU SIR, FOR EVERYTHING”

Episode 1x6 The Princess And The Queen Another very strong episode. This really is the best show on tv right now. The writing is truly brilliant. There were so many discussion and lines that were just so well written. Incredible! Allicent and Viserys First off, Olivia Cooke is very good. I was actually surprised how not weird it felt seeing another actress in the role. I really believed she was the same person that Emily Carey portrayed. And I got a few Cersei vibes from her. Great to see. Allicent is playing the game with full force. But 2 of her pieces are having their own fun. Ser Cole is now her personal guard and trains all the children. But he is actually only training Viserys & Allicen't boys. And that's the moment Harwin Strong intervenes and shit goes bonkers. Cole is straight up 'Fatal Attraction'. He is a bit of an prick now and the way he treated the boys from Rhaenyra I thought was despicable. Than Larys Strong. Wow, this is a character the series was sort of missing, a very good conspirator. He reminds me very much of Littlefinger, but I feel he's even more dangerous. He is quite scary and is very dangerous. The final scene between him and Allicent, showed that Allicent should not try to stab him in the back, because he will do it to her before she'll get the chance. The way he implied that she'll reward him when the time is right is threat that I wouldn't take lightly. I was surprised to see Viserys is alive. And credit goes to Considine for letting the show make him look like that. He looked truly awful. It's sad how happy he got when Rhaenyra proposed the marriage to their children. I also got some Tywin Lannister vibes from him, in the way he is completely oblivious to the factwhat their children are doing. Rhaenyra & Laenor Emma D'arcy took a bit longer to get used to, but that opening scene of her giving birth was incredible. The 2 long takes were amazingly done and her acting was very good. But Rhaenyra and Laenor have been very careless. I know Laenor is gay, but to have 3 children with Harwin Strong is really stupid. All 3 have dark hair so everyone (well except Viserys) knows that it's not from Laenor. If I were them I would at least have produced one child together, so people wouldn't suspect so much. I also thought it was great to she Aemma's line from the first episode brought back. Aemma told Rhaenerya that a woman's battlefield is the birthing bed. Rhaenyra is doing now what she has feared she would become for a long time. It's interesting to see that Rhaenyra seems to really love her children, while to me it looks like Allicent is only seeing them as pieces on the board. Lord Strong & Harwin Strong Lord Strong was a truly good Hand Of The King. He sacrificed his own place in court for the safety and name of the King. That's what a good hand is supposed to do. But because he couldn't, out loud, speak of why he wanted to resign (which Allicent really wanted him to say) Viserys dismissed his notice and kept him as Hand. Lord Strong that demands to see Hawin off the Harrenhall so he get take up his duties as heir to House Strong. I felt it was truly sad to see them both die. Lord Strong was a great character and it was sad to see Harwin struggle to get his father out. He really did get nothing out of his relationship with Rhaenyra. It did feel really like Game Of Thrones, that every character can just die. Daemon & Laena These scenes were incredible. Their flight together was cool and Vhagar is an absolute beast. She's so big and it was really cool to see her. Then the mirroring of the first episode. I felt it was difficult to watch when Daemon had to make the same choice as Viserys had. But the shocking thing was that Laena already made the choice herself. Earlier the said to Daemon that she didn't want to die as some fat lord/lady but die a dragonriders death. And that she did. This was so so well done and I shed a tear for her. This scene worked so well because of Nanna Blondell's acting, the VFX team on Vhagar and the writing and directing. I thought it was incredible that Vhagar was hesitant about burning Laena even thought Laena kept calling Dracarys. Then to see Daemon actually care about her death was a wonderful character moment. I felt it was one of the best scenes of the series so far and I'm sad to see Laena go. Especially played by Blondell, she was terrific. Small things - The whole thing with the dragon eggs is interesting. The way it works and the way dragons only listen to one person. - Djawadi had some great moments this episode. The opening scene, flight scene and death of Laena were the standouts. - I hope Otto comes back, I actually missed him and Ifans. Now that Larys has killed his father 'for Allicent' is would be a clever decision on Allicent's part to persuade Viserys to name Otto hand again. - The little dragon at the start was very well realised. It felt like a mix between an dinosaur and a bat. It was quite disturbing actually. - I feel both Aegon & Aemond are little shits. And I don't know how fast the rest of the series will go (time jump wise). But I'm dreading the moment these two grow up. - John Macmillan is wonderful as Laenor. Very good. - The moment Rhaenyra walked away from Allicent's chambers and the bloodtrail behind her on the floor was horrific. - The small moment between Rhaenyra & Viserys was nice. Lovely to see their relationship is good

That must be true, since we already established that it goes for words of any length. https://xkcd.com/853/