Contemporary Film Music (book) - Chapter on Williams by Emilio Audissino

[Ludwig 1,120]

In this book, Emilio Audissino has written a chapter titled "John Williams and Contemporary Film Music", which discusses versatility as one of the composer's keys to success over the decades.

 

After mentioning several musical styles with which even 1960s Williams was fluent in his film scores, he cites Stravinsky's famous quote: "lesser artists borrow; great artists steal". I found Audissino's dissection of this pithy comment most insightful:

 

Quote

Borrowing here means a superficial and opportunistic act--I don't have something and I need to borrow it from someone else. Stealing means to take possession of it; it is a more assimilative and personal act. If one appropriates someone else's music, that music becomes part of the composer and is likely to be transformed, personalized by the new owner--if I borrow something I don't have the authority to personalize it, which I have if I steal it and become the new owner. The criticism of those who blame Williams for plagiarizing other composers is based on misunderstanding: Williams does not secretly borrow but 'patently steal'.

 

Succinctly put.

[Jack Gatehouse 0]

[Fabulin 3,511]

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[Jurassic Shark 12,065]

Audissino's explanation is well put, but since there's no reference to any elaboration provided by Stravinsky, it's merely an interpretation of Stravinsky's quote. I've always interpreted that quote to be a naughty comment about artists that are considered great tending to get away with more: They steal without trying to hide it, and perhaps this contributed to their perceived greatness in the first place.