The most requiem-like music by Williams?

[filmmusic 1,843]

Today is Good Friday here, and i was just thinking how great it would be if John Williams left the Star Wars soundtracks and composed a requiem, a death mass.

How sublime it could be.

 

And then I was wondering which piece of the music he has written (film music and concert music) could be considered close (of course he has some snippets here and there in films), but i was talking more about a complete piece.

For me it's the choral piece from A.I. (0.00 -2.16)

 

 

What about you?

[Bespin 8,484]

I'm currently listening the Saint-Matthew passion of J.S. Bach (by Gardiner), a work composed for Good Friday.

 

Unfortunately, JW never really composed a work that is closely related to "death" itself... or that is close to a mass. There are some religious works in "Monsignor", but that's not really that...

 

There is Schindler's List, but it's very thematic.

 

But there's is the "Finale" from Book Thief, a piece that I want to be played at my funeral.

 

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,556]

I would say that EPILOGUE, from THE FURY, coupled with BOT4OJ, might do it...but what to use for the resurrection?

 

"My funerals"?!  

How many times are you planning to die, Bes?!

 

With Bach, John Elliott Gardiner is the only way to travel! 

[Incanus 5,716]

I feel that The Empire of the Sun has several sections that could be parts of a requiem including the absolutely haunting Return to the City (and its gorgeous alternate on the LLL release!).

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,556]

Ooh, that's nice. I agree with RETURN TO THE CITY, for the Via Dolorosa, and, perhaps, EXULTATE JUSTI, for the empty grave?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

HE HAS RISEN!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,556]

Never heard of that cue. What OST is it on?

[Bespin 8,484]

1 minute ago, BloodBoal said:

HE HAS RISEN!

 

Morning wood?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Who gives a fuck about Easter? (I know lots of people do)

 

It would never even enter my mind to have listened to religious music today.

[thx99 1,740]

11 minutes ago, Bespin said:

Unfortunately, JW never really composed a work that is closely related to "death" itself...

 

Williams' "Elegy for Cello and Orchestra" (though not a truly original work, having been adapted from Seven Years in Tibet) is associated with death - the memorial service for two children.

 

As for Williams' "Requiem", I agree with @Richard's suggestion of Born on the Fourth of July wholeheartedly!!  And here are some other recommendations:

• "A Prayer for Peace" from Munich
• "Duel of the Fates" from The Phantom Menace (for the "Dies Irae" segment)
• "The 1960s: The Turbulent Years" from Nixon (for the "Dies Irae" segment especially from 1:44-4:09)
• "A New Beginning" from Minority Report
• Excerpt from "Farewell Neverland" from Hook (2:14-4;15, my favorite non-recurring Williams "tune"):

 

[Bespin 8,484]

1 minute ago, thx99 said:

 

Williams' "Elegy for Cello and Orchestra" (though not a truly original work, having been adapted from Seven Years in Tibet) is associated with death - the memorial service for two children.

 

Honestly, I never found this piece very suitable for a "funeral" service.

[filmmusic 1,843]

30 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

Honestly, I never found this piece very suitable for a "funeral" service.

Yeah, it sounds too romantic to me..

31 minutes ago, thx99 said:

 

As for Williams' "Requiem", I agree with @Richard's suggestion of Born on the Fourth of July wholeheartedly!! 

 

 

Well, am I the only one that hears most of it as very hopeful and optismistic, thus not fitting for a requiem?

 

edit: Oh, how have I forgotten the vocal theme from Munich (in Remembering Munich) ??

Although it sounds too ethnic,and I had more of a western-type music on my mind..

[aviazn 273]

Well, there's the third act of ROTS, of course. Battle of the Heroes is a fine Dies Irae, and then you have Padme's funeral. I've always wished for an expanded concert arrangement of that theme.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

What is a "requiem" and what's it meant to sound like? And why is it in the title of Aliens vs Predator: Requiem?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

A requiem is when you've done one quiem, and you're doing another after that.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

The most requiem-like pieces are probably "New March" and "Death March".

 

Additionally "Remembering Munich", "Anakin's Betrayal", "Journey Through the Ice Part I", "Epilogue (The Fury)", "Quiet Moments", "Stolen Memories" and of course the Emperor's Theme.

 

That's my opinion, but I could have forgotten a few good examples.

[Thor 7,531]

Uhm....."Hymn for the Fallen", anyone?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Uhm...it's a hymn, not a requiem...

[Thor 7,531]

It IS a requiem in application, if not necessarily in 'style' (whatever 'style' a requiem has or should have).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What?

 

It's a hymn!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I agree with Thor. In recent decades, the term requiem has come to mean any composition whose purpose is to memorialize the dead, with war requiems being especially common. I don't think it's inaccurate to categorize "Hymn to the Fallen" as a war requiem, personally.

[Thor 7,531]

That is correct. The term is no longer ONLY used for lithurgical circumstances.

[crocodile 8,020]

Neither of the following pieces really fit the more religious theme but they deal with death in one way or another.

 

I think Arlington would fit this mood quite well.

 

 

And the second movement of Williams' violin concerto no. 2 (which is actually a requiem of sorts for his late first wife)

 

 

And the unnerving adagio "theme" from War of the Worlds serves almost as an elegy for humanity:

 

 

And since we're having so many string adagio, why not throw in yet another one:

 

 

Karol

[crumbs 14,319]

13 minutes ago, crocodile said:

And the unnerving adagio "theme" from War of the Worlds serves almost as an elegy for humanity:

 

 

Brilliantly put, this was my first thought as well. Such a haunting, dark piece; apocalyptic to the extreme.

[ins 42]

Scoring death itself, beautiful gem. 

Tragedy and death as well... 

[Josh500 1,615]

Hymn to the Fallen, definitely. That's also the first thing that came to mind for me. 

 

In fact, didn't JW describe it as a requiem himself in one of the SPR related interviews?

 

Edit: Yes, just rewatched the making of. JW calls it an "almost requiem style piece."

[crumbs 14,319]

The Immolation Scene feels like a requiem too. I hope we get another such piece from Williams before his contribution to Star Wars finishes.

[Josh500 1,615]

5 minutes ago, crumbs said:

The Immolation Scene feels like a requiem too. I hope we get another such piece from Williams before his contribution to Star Wars finishes.

 

There are two Immolation pieces from JW, and they sound astonishingly alike, though composed for vastly different movies.

 

Schindler's List and Revenge of the Sith.

 

I love both. 

 

 

[crumbs 14,319]

Williams has always been exemplary at writing for the human voice. Disappointing that he felt compelled to downplay this ability in his recent interview; such mastery is unchallenged in modern composing.

[Josh500 1,615]

1 minute ago, crumbs said:

Williams has always been exemplary at writing for the human voice. Disappointing that he felt compelled to downplay this ability in his recent interview; such mastery is unchallenged in modern composing.

 

It's called being modest.

 

I don't think it's disappointing, or negative in any other way.

[crumbs 14,319]

Then why has he practically abandoned choir in scores for over a decade? If you look back at his scores from the late 90s through to Munich, he couldn't resist it.

[Josh500 1,615]

Don't know. Like I said in the other thread, I missed it a little in TFA. Other than that, I don't think it was strictly needed.

[filmmusic 1,843]

On 15/4/2017 at 1:16 PM, Godzilla said:

What is a "requiem" and what's it meant to sound like? And why is it in the title of Aliens vs Predator: Requiem?

from Groves dictionary:

 

In the Roman Catholic rite, a votive Mass on behalf of the dead. It may be sung on the day of burial and on succeeding anniversaries, as well as on the third, seventh and 30th days following interment. (In the 4th century commemorations occurred on the ninth and 40th days in certain places.) It is celebrated also in memory of the faithful departed on All Souls' Day, 2 November. The name derives from the first word of the best known of the introits for such occasions: Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.

[publicist 4,643]

I'd throw The Fury's/Dracula's end titles into the mix:

 

 

 

[Mitth'raw'nuorodo 43]

Qui-Gon's/Padme's Funeral(s) pretty much hit the nail on the head for me as far as a Dies Irae sort of Williams piece should sound. It has the gravitas and weight, and you could easily change the lyrics from Sanskrit to some part of the Latin Mass.