A final masterwork, perhaps?

[nicholas 1]

As has been generally recognised we seem to have entered a rather fallow period in terms of the maestro's film scoring. However, I doubt whether he just sits around watching TV or playing computer games. I wonder if he is planning some huge masterwork to go out on, a sort of summation of his musical career? Don't get me wrong - I'd love nothing more than for him to go on for decades (well, say two more at least) but would it not be wonderful to have a final third symphony, or, even better, a piano concerto? What form would you like such a piece to take?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What form would you like such a piece to take?

A film score, the purest and least redundant of all musical forms.

[nicholas 1]

Very interesting - and somewhat controversial! I'd have thought that a string quartet was the most 'pure' form of musical expression. As Beethoven approached his end I think he wrote little else, and those works are some of the most condensed and intense pieces of music ever written. Surely a film score, by definition, is always referring to something else and is therefore not, to that degree, 'pure' music?

[King Mark 3,631]

He needs to do one more of what he's best at .An all out epic fantasy film score.Not too actionny like War of the Worlds,but one that would feature lots of great extended panoramic shots and epic set pieces.

The Hobbit would be perfect.

K.M.

[Romão 2,274]

As has been generally recognised we seem to have entered a rather fallow period in terms of the maestro's film scoring.

I disagree with that statement 100%.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Very interesting - and somewhat controversial!

Nicholas, great minds are always deemed controversial in their own times.

In 50 years everything I have ever maintained here on this MB about the superiourity of orchestral film music over concert music in any way shape or form will be as commonly accepted as the world being roung instead of flat.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

As has been generally recognised we seem to have entered a rather fallow period in terms of the maestro's film scoring.

I disagree with that statement 100%.

And for what it matters, I disagree as well.

Williams has an endless list of "want to do...", on the concert works side of his musical life.

Personally, i would love to see him write chamber music, manly for woodwinds or sonatas featuring the piano as acompaning instrument.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I wonder if he is planning some huge masterwork to go out on, a sort of summation of his musical career?

That sounds uncomfortably like Anton Bruckner, who spent the last 10 years of his life writing his 9th symphony, which was supposed to end with a grand coda to crown his entire opus. He never finished it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Lazyness?

[Richard Penna 3,687]

He needs to do one more of what he's best at .An all out epic fantasy film score.Not too actionny like War of the Worlds,but one that would feature lots of great extended panoramic shots and epic set pieces.

The Hobbit would be perfect.

K.M.

No one denies us another Shore LotR score 8O

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

He needs to do one more of what he's best at .An all out epic fantasy film score.Not too actionny like War of the Worlds,but one that would feature lots of great extended panoramic shots and epic set pieces.

My thoughts exactly. But I'm not interested at all in The Hobbit, so I'd rather it be for something else.

Ray Barnsbury - who's not holding his breath either way

[nightscape94 965]

One final thing to go out on? Unless Williams is suicidal, then I doubt he's sitting around thinking the next thing he does will be his final score or concert work. If he just keeps doing what he does then I'm a happy camper.

As far epic fantasy films go, I hope that James Cameron picks him up for one of his next projects, Avatar or Battle Angel

Tim

[Maestro 147]

"As has been generally recognized"? Hardly.

[Magnus 0]

He needs to do one more of what he's best at .An all out epic fantasy film score.Not too actionny like War of the Worlds,but one that would feature lots of great extended panoramic shots and epic set pieces.

The Hobbit would be perfect.

K.M.

I'd love to see him score Warcraft - The Movie, or whatever it'll be called.

[Red 75]

As has been generally recognised we seem to have entered a rather fallow period in terms of the maestro's film scoring.

I disagree with that statement 100%.

I agree with that disagreement.

[Composer_Fan 2]

...but would it not be wonderful to have a final third symphony....

Third? Was there a second? I thought he wrote just one, and it didn't go over so well. I think that's what happened....

I'd love to hear more Williams concert work. He's said it's more challenging than film, because there are no parameters or guidelines to follow, as there is in film.

I appreciate the fact that many tracks on Williams score CDs are stand-alone concert pieces in and of themselves. In my opinion, that's one of his greatest strengths--disguising concert music as film score. Hogwarts Forever is a favorite of mine, and it's not even featured in the movie.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

The first and only symphony was premiered in the late 60's with the Houston SO under André Previn. After Previn europen premiere with the LSO in 1971, Williams withdraw the symphony from his body of works for reworking. In the late 80's, I believe in 1988, the revised version was scheduled for performance with the Houston SO, under Williams, but on the last minute, it was replaced by some film music.

The confusion with the second symphony comes formthe Sinfonnieta for woodwinds, which isn't a symphony. Hence, there is only one symphony that remains unpublished.

[King Mark 3,631]

Anything but Lincoln

K.M.

[robthehand 3]

Why not Lincoln? I can imagine it being new and original, and I'm sure Williams would be interested in something like that, rather than just more Star Wars and Indiana Jones and Hary Potter.

[fommes 153]

I like Steef's idea about film music being the purest musical form actually.

Think about it; film music has no pretense to be autonomous for one; it's quite unselfish perhaps too. Steef's remark was quite ethical

[Marcus 390]

I feel very certain that Williams will continue to contribute film scores and concert works for many years to come, if all other circumstances allow (and why shouldn't they?).

After all, Verdi wrote some of his greatest and most massive works in his late seventies and even into his eighties, and Williams seems only to gain creative energy from being busy and productive.

Again, he is celebrating his 75th anniversary next year, and I'm sure we have every reason to look towards 2007 with anticipation and optimism!

[Josh500 1,615]

I feel very certain that Williams will continue to contribute film scores and concert works for many years to come, if all other circumstances allow (and why shouldn't they?).

After all, Verdi wrote some of his greatest and most massive works in his late seventies and even into his eighties, and Williams seems only to gain creative energy from being busy and productive.

Again, he is celebrating his 75th anniversary next year, and I'm sure we have every reason to look towards 2007 with anticipation and optimism!

75 is not that old, really. My grandmother lived to be 89, I think.

[Stohr1984 0]

I would love to see im write a Grand Opera or some Italian Opera. Two things hes never done before.

[Ollie 1,059]

Why not Lincoln? I can imagine it being new and original, and I'm sure Williams would be interested in something like that, rather than just more Star Wars and Indiana Jones and Hary Potter.

I agree.

[nicholas 1]

I'd better explain what I meant by a "fallow period". I meant that it seems we will have to wait a long time before we get another score. The maestro's recent output - particularly "Munich", "War of the Worlds" and "Revenge of the Sith", I consider to be amongst his best works ever. It just makes me want more!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The maestro's recent output - particularly "Munich", "War of the Worlds" and "Revenge of the Sith", I consider to be amongst his best works ever.

You are wrong!

[nicholas 1]

No, seriously. I DO consider it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm sorry, WOTW is better then Jaws?

Munich is better then Schindlers List?

Revenge Of The Sith is better then Star Wars?

Rubbish, sheer and utter rubbish!

[Romão 2,274]

He just said it was amongst his best work, a statement with which I agree. He didn't say it was better than any of those scores.

[nicholas 1]

Thank you.

Also, whether I consider it or not is not open to dispute since I am the only person in existence who knows honestly what I consider. Which of the scores is best is, quite rightly, a free-for-all.

[Diego 21]

He needs to do one more of what he's best at .An all out epic fantasy film score.Not too actionny like War of the Worlds,but one that would feature lots of great extended panoramic shots and epic set pieces.

The Hobbit would be perfect.

K.M.

Sadly I think he's already written his last masterpiece in that style, it was the first Harry Potter score.

[Henry B 50]

John Williams is perfect. I don't prefer a single work of his to another.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I'm sorry, WOTW is better then Jaws?

Technically? Easily.

[Ollie 1,059]

Williams of today would be wrong for The Hobbit.

Goldsmith of the 70's - 80's would have been perfect for Tolkien.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Both Legend and The Secret Of NIMH tells me otherwise.

Poledouris would have been better.

[Ollie 1,059]

When LOTR was first announced I was pulling for Poledouris to get the assignment but it was not meant to be.

[Red 75]

Both Legend and The Secret Of NIMH tells me otherwise.

Poledouris would have been better.

What, do you not like Legend?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I like it....I like it.

It's not something I'd want for LOTR though.

[Ollie 1,059]

Well you like it and that's the important thing.

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

As a HUGE fan of Eric Lustbader's Nicholas Linnear novels, whenever The Ninja gets made into a film, it would be like a dream come true to hear a John Williams score with it. (The Ninja was supposed to be made into a movie for years but it seemingly always gets put on hold - like Spiderman and X-Men were for seemingly decades.) While reading them, I always imagined an eclectic mix of elements of The Fury, Images, Jaws 2, Close Encounters, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The Lost World - for exotic dissonance, creepiness, and then sudden violence.

[Foxfan 128]

The first and only symphony was premiered in the late 60's with the Houston SO under André Previn. After Previn europen premiere with the LSO in 1971, Williams withdraw the symphony from his body of works for reworking. In the late 80's, I believe in 1988, the revised version was scheduled for performance with the Houston SO, under Williams, but on the last minute, it was replaced by some film music.

The confusion with the second symphony comes formthe Sinfonnieta for woodwinds, which isn't a symphony. Hence, there is only one symphony that remains unpublished.

Oh. I thought it was "American Journey" that was considered to be his second symphony...

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

The first and only symphony was premiered in the late 60's with the Houston SO under André Previn. After Previn europen premiere with the LSO in 1971, Williams withdraw the symphony from his body of works for reworking. In the late 80's, I believe in 1988, the revised version was scheduled for performance with the Houston SO, under Williams, but on the last minute, it was replaced by some film music.

The confusion with the second symphony comes formthe Sinfonnieta for woodwinds, which isn't a symphony. Hence, there is only one symphony that remains unpublished.

Oh. I thought it was "American Journey" that was considered to be his second symphony...

Don't even remember that... furthermore, since there isn't a published first, there coulnd't be a second.

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

hey, hold one... I just thought of something. Final Masterwork? I think ol' Johnny has many a trick up his sleeve. How old was his mother again? Last I heard, she was still alive and as sharp to boot! Judging by the quality of Sith, Geisha, WOTW and Munich - and all in one year?! And with Sith being one of my all-time favorite scores instantly? I don't see him slowing down at all. The right movie and the right inspiration at the right time will always get a masterpiece, as JW has done in every era... and it only goes to show you how great a composer he is!

[King Mark 3,631]

Well at least you agree with me about Sith,and not whining that his last masterpiece was in the mid 80's.

K.M.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

sith is a piece of shit, face it guys,

only the original Star Wars music is a masterpiece, the other is worthless, and Battle of the Hero's is the worst "major" theme Williams has come up with in years. You can bet when John was done, he thought finally Im free of this.

[rsp3studio 1]

I won't even bother to reply to that comment.

[Ollie 1,059]

I love it when people post that they are not going to post a reply.

Makes all the sense in the world.

[John Crichton 4]

Mark, that's so ridiculous that I'm not even going to dignify it with a reply.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

well please don't expect any response from me either.

[Ollie 1,059]

I refuse to respond to your responses.