scoreman36

Taken me far too long to realise what a masterpiece of suspense writing this score is - this analysis is just brilliant, thank you so much for posting!

Yes but he was al(ready) dead

Sorry for bumping a very old thread, but I’m currently a bit obsessed with this score. Do you have anymore of this sheet music you could share? This tantalising peek is driving me mad.

That Angela’s Ashes theme you’re referring to is pure Holst, as is a lot of Jane Eyre. It’s the use of the Aeolian mode, especially when you keep to a perfect cadence at the end of a phrase creating a minor dominant resolving to a minor tonic.

Just woken up from my JW dream so writing it down now for posterity. My wife’s ex was conducting an arena concert where a friend of mine was playing cello and I was watching the rehearsal. He pulled out the music to Seven Years in Tibet and JW came bounding down to the stage to make some suggestions. He was old but not in his 90s, he was really thin, and he had proper 80s stonewash jeans that made him look a bit ridiculous. The arena was full (even though it was a rehearsal) and everyone went crazy when he started releasing confetti bombs, leaping around the stage like a rock star. I was trying to take a photo with him and my friend in the same shot but he was just a blur, he wouldn’t stay still. I was both in awe and a bit disappointed that he was acting like such a dick. Spielberg was there too, goofing around in the audience. Then I woke up. Magic!

Prelude & Fugue is my all time favourite Williams concert piece, I love it! Owes a MASSIVE debt to Bernstein, but for someone in his early 30s it’s a remarkable piece of work.

I think the evolution of his style is clearer when you look at his concert works, simply because this is music he wanted to write at that particular time, rather than for whatever mood a film needed. Especially just the concertos follow a clear path through his ‘sound’, and it’s often at odds to what he was required to write as a film composer.

It does seem weird that you won’t just buy the bloody thing like the rest of us.

“Complete morons” who are actually protecting the livelihoods of American musicians, and making sure the next generation of musicians have an industry to look forward to in the future.

What about the Amazing Stories theme? How long ago were those guys telling stories around their campfire? Which is why I wrote “apart from Star Wars I guess”

This is brilliant! Ok, who’s going to do a master list of all JW scores ordered in the same way? I’m sure someone’s already collating the data… Is there anything set prior to The Patriot? Apart from Star Wars, I guess!

Having such fun reliving this anthology set. How good does Jedi sound especially?

Don’t ask me why I had him sign inside the booklet rather than on the box itself - the folly of youth! Really loving everyone’s recollection of this set - what wonderful memories!

Sure. Last day of work today before my Christmas break. I’ve got a nice bottle of port that I’m going to crack open tomorrow and then listen to this set in honour of 30yrs of JW collecting. I’ll post a pic at the same time.

Goodness me, 30 years! I bought mine on the day of release from Tower Records on Picadilly Circus (long since gone). I’d never spent so much on CDs before, it felt crazy. But I felt like I was in some exclusive club of owning something truly special. And the ‘black on black’ artwork - ridiculous but also brilliant because that’s what you get when you’re in the exclusive club! And a couple of years later when I finally got to see JW live, it was this set that I asked him to sign for me.

1. Empire Strikes Back 2. E.T. 3. Superman 4. A.I. 5. Catch Me If You Can 6. Jurassic Park 7. Raiders 8. Close Encounters 9. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban 10. Far and Away

The Sinfonietta is the only piece I don’t already have on cd (I think) - long out of print I think

Harry Potter was always going to be a blockbuster, and a successful franchise. Williams stamped a musical identity onto it that I don’t think anyone else could’ve done. But I don’t think the film would’ve been less successful without him. I’d also say that both Star Wars and Jaws were films that wouldn’t have become the blockbusters they were without Williams - not because they’re terrible films by any stretch, but you’ve got 2 genius filmmakers whose visions far outstretched the limitations of their budgets and the time in which they were made. Williams was able to look past these limitations and force us to do the same - and 2 blockbusters were born because of it.

Posted on the JWFN within an hour of each other… As someone once put it to me, it makes one miss people one has never met. Indeed you'd better write him a letter... Because I imagine John Williams has never heard about email, texting and social media Please be kind. And please try and show some tolerance for people whose first language is not necessarily that of your own. And remember this board thrives on everyone’s shared love of something beautiful, so let’s celebrate that. And if anyone gets angry or touchy about any of this, please listen to “Where Dreams Are Born” and calm yourself the fuck down. As you were.

Depends where you're from

Wow!

I got so worked up over it at the time. But I’m a very different person now. Plus a bit of electric guitar would not be my first issue when criticising AOTC

Love this! It’s that C# in bar 4. Beautiful

I think for me, one of the best things about this was hearing the 2 LSO musicians so genuinely excited, honoured, and proud to have worked with Williams. Also to see in person from their camaraderie with each other, and even their body language, how much it meant to them. And these are guys who have worked with EVERYONE from the film and classical world. Also the audio and video clips that Mike treated us to (which we’re not allowed to talk about) were just incredible. And I got to meet some lovely people. And I won a really decent haul of goodies in the raffle.