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John Williams has a pacemaker!


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Well, that's a big news.

Hope he is okay now.

Does that mean that there will be no more concerts or directing?

Now we need two separate discographies: one for music Williams recorded without his pacemaker, and one for music he recorded with his pacemaker.

Good one ?

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I predict he'll conduct all of The BFG.

I also predict he won't score Star Wars 8.

I don't share your optimism. If a pacemaker implies no more strong efforts , well it means for a 83 year old man, at least no more directing of fast music or for a too long period of time.

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Well, that's a big news.

Hope he is okay now.

Does that mean that there will be no more concerts or directing?

Now we need two separate discographies: one for music Williams recorded without his pacemaker, and one for music he recorded with his pacemaker.

LOL! Sounds like classic "Bespin". ;)

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I predict he'll conduct all of The BFG.

I also predict he won't score Star Wars 8.

I'd be very happy with TFA being his Star Wars swan song. However, I'm still holding out hope for maybe Williams co-composing with someone like Giacchino for Episode 8 and then letting Giacchino do Episode 9 alone.

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Just a feeling I have.

He has to do The BFG and Ready Player One for Spielberg, and then his Jennifer Lawrence film too. Will he be able to fit in Episode 8 for Rian Johnson?

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I think more like unable to work, not dead. Of course it is only a guess. We are obviously lucky enough to get a Star Wars score, let alone The BFG (if we get it that is, you never know).

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I predict he'll conduct all of The BFG.

I also predict he won't score Star Wars 8.

I don't share your optimism. If a pacemaker implies no more strong efforts , well it means for a 83 year old man, at least no more directing of fast music or for a too long period of time.

He obviously conducted at least part of TFA.

Listen people, the purpose of a pacemaker is to improve a person's condition. He probably feels better and more able after having the pacemaker

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Man, so much ruckus.

It's been a rough year for Williams, health-wise. But I'm sure he's in good shape! He'll likely be reducing his scoring obligations. So that probably means TFA will be his last SW score.

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"In The Force Awakens Williams uncharacteristically made extensive use of a pacemaker, which was installed before the sessions, enabling the conductor to direct the orchestra in time with the film. It hardly inspires spontaneous expression, yet the players remain upbeat about the recording process, with some joining the orchestra specifically to take part in the Star Wars legacy."

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Enough with Giacchino!

Mike Verta or death!

Agreed on the Giacchino part. I've said this many times before, but I don't like the composer's music, and I don't like the way he gets every big franchise film. I pray to the film score gods that neither Giacchino nor Desplat will be involved (Desplat is already doing one of those spin-off movies, and that's enough).

I also don't necessarily think the task should go to Williams "imitators" like McNeely, Verta, Kaska, Debney, Griskey, Pearce etc. Rather, I want a more original composer voice who nonetheless can incorporate Williams' themes in their music.

I guess all will be revealed in due time. Heck, Williams might feel so good now, he even decides to do no. 8 himself!

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I think it depends more on scheduling and the director's "want"s, then it does Williams' "want"s.

Scheduling yes, but if given the opportunity to use Williams, I can't see how any director would refuse that -- especially not for a STAR WARS film.

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I'm fairly confident that if Williams doesn't do VIII, his replacement will not be Nathan Johnson...

LOL! (no offense to Johnson, btw, who's done some fine stuff -- LOOPER is fascinating!).

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Here's all the upcoming Spielberg and Star Wars films

2015-10-04 Bridge of Spies - Thomas Newman

2015-12-18 Star Wars Episode 7 (JJ Abrams) - John Williams

2016-07-01 The BFG - John Williams

2016-12-16 Star Wars Rogue One (Gareth Edwards) - Alexandre Desplat

2017-05-26 Star Wars Episode 8 (Rian Johnson) - ???

2017-12-15 Ready Player One - John Williams

2017-??-?? It's What I Do - John Williams

2018-05-25 Star Wars Han Solo (Lord & Miller) - ???

2019-05-?? Star Wars Episode 9 (Colin Trevorrow) - ???


Even though It's What I Do will be filmed after Ready Player One, it could come out before - like say, in the summer of 2017, which would conflict with Episode 8. Unless JW gives it to Newman and scores Episode 8 instead. But then he'd need to score Ready Player One right away after.

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Enough with Giacchino!

Mike Verta or death!

Agreed on the Giacchino part. I've said this many times before, but I don't like the composer's music, and I don't like the way he gets every big franchise film. I pray to the film score gods that neither Giacchino nor Desplat will be involved (Desplat is already doing one of those spin-off movies, and that's enough).

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I'm not disputing that. I'm just saying that I don't think this will put that much of a strain on JW's professional activity (although I don't really know how demanding conducting is, but that's a relatively small part of his time).

Conducting a live concert can put serious pressure on the cardiovascular system. Several conductors have died on the podium (e.g. Sinopoli in 2001). Karajan was worried about it and once had a team of physicians monitor him during a session to measure the stress levels. Apparently the stress of a conductor exceeds that of an aeroplane pilot during the landing.

I imagine though that recording sessions are much less demanding than actual concerts. If something goes wrong during a recording, you just repeat the take and lose some time. Perhaps Williams will stop doing concerts now.

Does Apple make them?

Their pacemakers would probably stop working a few days after the 3 year warranty runs out.

In any case, having a pacemaker doesn't mean you're at death's door. If fact, pacemakers are a reliable means of helping people live longer and are constantly monitored. It would be worse to not have one when you need one. The sky isn't falling, yet.

In fact, if things were so serious that he is expected to die soon, they might not even have done the pacemaker operation to begin with.

Anyway, I blame Spielberg. Letting Williams conduct portions of CE3K and E.T. without a click clearly messed up Williams's rhythmic balance.

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Man, so much ruckus.

It's been a rough year for Williams, health-wise. But I'm sure he's in good shape! He'll likely be reducing his scoring obligations. So that probably means TFA will be his last SW score.

GOOD!

And after JJ Abrams, THIS will likely be the LAST STAR WARS movie EVER!

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b) People who barely know my work think all I do is an impression of one of his flavors anyway, which is untrue but something I don't need to be encouraging.

If that was a reference to my post above, I can assure you that I know you do other things than Williams pastiche. I just think you do it extremely well -- maybe the best of the composers who've tried it. So if pastiche was a goal of the filmmakers, you'd be one of the hottest go-to guys. I just happen to think that one should strive for a more original voice with its own set of trademarks if and when the time comes that Williams is not able to do it.

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I think it depends more on scheduling and the director's "want"s, then it does Williams' "want"s.

Surely directors and producers have more than a say in this, but I believe Williams has a kind of first option deal when it comes to Star Wars, i.e. if he really wants to do it (and feels he has the energy to do it), he will score the sequels nonetheless.

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