Is Williams an authentic plagiarist?

[Hlao-roo 389]

You've heard that Barack Obama isn't black enough. You've heard that the Houston Rockets' 22-game winning streak is facile and phony.

Well, this week, as we commemorate the work of Alan Silvestri, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, and other plagiarists in the film music community, I would like us to think more deeply about whether John Williams indeed belongs among their fold, or is in fact a fraud. Most of us have known for a long time that Williams truly puts the poser in composer. He might be described modestly as a hack. Nonetheless, I wonder if he as diligent and as accomplished a plagiarist as many have suggested. My doubts are fueled by his apparent inability to fully replicate a melody penned by another. Rather than rising to the challenge by reproducing the precise phrasing and contours of others' passages, he lazily resorts to custom flourishes and alternative development born unforgivably of his own brain. In fact, his alleged plagiarisms sometimes bear only passing or superficial resemblance to their original counterparts.

I know that John Williams is a household name that possesses a certain cachet, but I feel we pay too high a price to let him carry the banner, as his allegiance to plagiarism is half-hearted at best. What do you think?

[Ollie 1,059]

Houston's win streak will mean more if McGrady can finally get them out of the first round.

Now I'll sit back and watch the fun as our musically educated members speak, hopefully.....

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I don't think he does a very good job.

He needs to make sure to use more of other people and his own works. I think that's what makes a great plagiarist. Bernard Hermann was authentic, he had the Picasso thing down pat.

James Horner is not very authentic either, he's too low-key with his plagiarism.

[Maglorfin 196]

I voted no.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

John Williams sucks at plagiarism.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Sometimes I think Alan's topics come at just the right time to keep the board from imploding.

[Maglorfin 196]

John Williams sucks at plagiarism.

Well, nobody's perfect.

[Ollie 1,059]

Sometimes I think Alan's topics come at just the right time to keep the board from imploding.

Yes.

[Hlao-roo 389]

So, six years later, has Williams gotten any better at plagiarism?

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I refuse to respond unless this is moved into the John Williams subforum.

[crocodile 8,000]

I reckon he has become a much more accomplished plagiarist over the years.

Karol

[Incanus 5,714]

Since there is a limited amount of notes, some poor bugger must have used them before him by now so he is stealing from overbody all the time! Damn you limited Western music system! Making John Williams stoop down to thievery!

And to answer the poll No, John Williams is obviously an inauthentic plagiarist!

[Mr. Brown 91]

You can hear his influences, but I'd say, overall, John Williams's work is his own. He has his own style that anyone can recognize after hearing several of his scores.

It's like when everyone claimed VERTIGO's "Scene de Amour" was a complete rip-off of Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde". It's clear that it wasn't, and those claiming it was a rip-off obviously never listened to Wagner's music. Herrmann's music is influenced by that, and you can hear it, but he doesn't pull a James Horner.

[Ludwig 1,120]

We all know that those who call Williams nothing more than a plagiarist are uninformed about his music. It's a rumour that began on faulty reasoning and became credible to some only because they want to believe that Hollywood blockbusters (for which they know Williams) can't possibly have great music.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

In my experience, the people you usually hear expressing the sentiment are largely uninformed and just think it's trendy to go around saying things like "LOLZ WILLIAMS STAR WARS HOLST ORFF LOLZ RIPOFF"

[c-moll 1]

John Williams has a lot of influences but he isn't a plagiarist! I hear many orchestrations from past centuries in his works. That makes him not to a plagiarist. Sure, a few passages are the quite the same in comparison of the classical music (Harry Potter theme with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake) and sometimes the structure is very similar (Approaching the Death Star from ROTJ with Shostakovich's 5th symphony in the middle of the final movement). 1:1 quotations are very rare in Williams' works. His music is eclectic.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Harry Potter theme with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake

Really? More than they are both in moll(c-moll possible )?