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The single most beautiful piece of music ever written by John Williams


Sandor

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If someone unfamiliar with the music of John Williams would ask: "Let me hear the single most beautiful piece of music ever written by John Williams..?", what selection would you choose..?

I'm so far unsure. It's sort of a tie between 'Theme From Schindler's List' and 'Cadillac Of The Skies' (the concert arrangement) for me...

Would probably go with Schindler if I had to choose one.

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A lot to choose from. Here's some of my picks:

"Blue Fairy" theme from A.I.

"Remembrances" from Schindler's List

"The Homecoming" from War Horse

"Love Theme" from Superman

"Growing Up" from The River

"End Credits" from Born on the 4th of July

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This one is easy. There is a lot of great stuff. But only one that is transcendental.

The last 45 seconds of The Visitors/Bye/End Titles: Special Edition from Close Encounters.

Williams is channeling the Universe in musical form right there.

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This one is easy. There is a lot of great stuff. But only one that is transcendental.

The last 45 seconds of The Visitors/Bye/End Titles from Close Encounters.

Williams is channeling the Universe in musical form right there.

My favourite moment is when Roy enters the ship and we get the calm, almost pastoral statement of the five note theme.

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Theme from Schindler's List - Schindler's List

Other great options to pick from:

Remembrances - Schindler's List

Cadillac of the Skies - Empire of the Sun

You Are the Pan - Hook

Cinque's Theme - Amistad

Across the Stars - Attack of the Clones

Confluence - Memoirs of a Geisha

There's just too many to realy come up with an accurate list!

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A lot to choose from. Here's some of my picks:

"Blue Fairy" theme from A.I.

"Remembrances" from Schindler's List

"The Homecoming" from War Horse

"Love Theme" from Superman

"Growing Up" from The River

"End Credits" from Born on the 4th of July

my choice, but Cadillac of the Skies is quite beautiful, and ET and Me as well.

Then if we micro manage go to around the 45/50 second mark and onward of Welcome to Jurassic Park

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last 10 minutes or so from E.T. (The Bike Chase - The Departure)

Schindler's List theme is another idea too, but it has been used over and over, and has lost some of its impact I think to me (i saw it everywhere in compilations, and in comedy series here when they wanted to make fun of something dramatic. I hate them for ruining this beautiful piece for me)

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Dry Your Tears, Africa

End Titles from Born on The Fourth of July

Buckbeack's Flight and A Window to the Past

The Peterson House and Finale

Love Theme from The Missouri Breaks

Remembering Emile and Finale from War Horse

Dogs, Ponies and Old Ruins from Images

The Five Sacred Trees and the Cello Concerto are gorgeous, too.

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Just for the sake of variety, I'll mention As The Water, from Memoirs of a Geisha

Wonderful choice :)

I would say another piece for cello and orchestra, that one being the final movement, "Song", from his Cello Concerto.

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I would say the fifth movement of the Horn Concerto (Nocturne), with a close second being the Chairman's waltz from the Memoirs suite for cello, particularly the violin/cello duet.

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It would be the finale of CEOT3K indeed, starting with THE VISITORS - all the best of Williams neatly packaged in one big cue.

Alternately, THE EARLY DAYS from BOTF, DRACULA's end title or SUO GAN, which sadly isn't from Williams. ;)

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Wow! Lots of good ones. I have to say that I agree with the tossup between the finales from E.T. and Close Encounters. It just doesn't get much better than that.

However, to be a little different, and I'm surprised no one added this, but Yoda and the Force from ESB is a force to be reckoned with too.

Also, because I've become a Chamber of Secrets nut lately since the leak of the recording sessions...... "Fawkes Heals Harry". :)

THAT!!! Was my first window into John Williams and film music!! Thank you for that!

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In my opinion, the best composition by JW is "Luke and Leia". "Princess Leia's Theme", the main theme of "Angela's Ashes" and several cues from Schindler's List (including "Making the List") are also strong contenders.

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"With Malice Toward None" would be a strong contender I think (piano version).

But then there's the Love Theme from Missouri Breaks, too.

I give up in happy exasperation at the wealth of material to choose from. :)

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It is for me impossible to name that single particular piece that would top everything else in this man's bountiful career. Too tough a challenge.

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It is for me impossible to name that single particular piece that would top everything else on this man's bountiful career. Too tough a challenge.

God, you're always so indecisive, it really is mind-numbing (and I'm not easily mind-numbed!)

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It is for me impossible to name that single particular piece that would top everything else on this man's bountiful career. Too tough a challenge.

God, you're always so indecisive, it really is mind-numbing (and I'm not easily mind-numbed!)

So your answer of Jedi Rocks is so much better then?!!

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It is for me impossible to name that single particular piece that would top everything else in this man's bountiful career. Too tough a challenge.

what a wishy washy answer. It is not impossible, you simple pick a piece of music that you keep going back too over and over. What harm is there for you to name one, or several is so be it but it's not a difficult or life and death question.
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Too many to choose from. So:

Yesterday: Audience with the Holy Father from Monsignor.

Today: The Levitation from Return of the Jedi.

Tomorrow: probably the Finale and Theme from JFK.

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- Theme from Sabrina

- Theme from Jurassic Park

- Theme from Schindler's List

- The Flight to Neverland

- Hide and Seek from A.I.

- A Christmas Quilt from Stepmom

- A Change of Season from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

- Hatching Baby Raptor from Jurassic Park

- Balloon Sequence from Witches of Eastwick

- A Tree For My Bed from Jurassic Park

- The Fountain Scene from The Terminal

- The Reunion from A.I.

- Jim's New Life from Empire of the Sun

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It would be the finale of CEOT3K indeed, starting with THE VISITORS - all the best of Williams neatly packaged in one big cue.

Williams never topped CE3K. He could have retired right there.

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