The John Williams Piano Collection

[The Lost Folio 186]

New update to The John Williams Piano Collection! I added a bibliography of books and academic articles written about John Williams's music. This will be of interest mostly to scholars and researchers who wish to get a quick overview of where studies of John Williams stand; but I think it's a fine addition to a website devoted to John Williams "on paper." Hope it can be of interest to some of you!

Here's the link: https://sites.google.com/view/johnwilliamspiano/bibliography

[pete 970]

Thanks for that

Wow, $130 for the book. John Williams: Music for Films, Television, and the Concert Stage

I'd buy it if it were reasonably priced. I know that's not uncommon for academic books, but I don't quite understand the reasoning behind such pricings. No Kindle version either. 

[ciarlese 272]

Hi The Lost Folio,

your website and collection are really impressive.
I am trying to find the Tony Esposito's arrangement of Superman folio, as well as the folios of the two Home Alone movies, but it seems that they are impossible to find, any clue?
I also noted that about E.T folio you are referring to the 2002 edition as a reissue of the 1982, but I think you know it is a different presentation with more difficult arrangements.
I am sad that Last Crusade never got a folio: I love the graal theme as well as a few others (luckily we got the scherzo for motorcycle and orchestra somewhere else).

Do you also play? Any video of you playing any of those score? That would be really nice.

Thank you for your work, it's a crucial source of information for all the collectors.
 

[The Lost Folio 186]

3 hours ago, ciarlese said:

I am trying to find the Tony Esposito's arrangement of Superman folio, as well as the folios of the two Home Alone movies, but it seems that they are impossible to find, any clue?
I also noted that about E.T folio you are referring to the 2002 edition as a reissue of the 1982, but I think you know it is a different presentation with more difficult arrangements.
I am sad that Last Crusade never got a folio: I love the graal theme as well as a few others (luckily we got the scherzo for motorcycle and orchestra somewhere else).

Do you also play? Any video of you playing any of those score? That would be really nice.

 

The Superman and Home Alone folios are very hard to find now. The best way to start is to see if your local library does interlibrary loans. You might get some folios that way, especially if you are in the U.S.

As for E.T., I only have the original 1982 folio with me, but I am almost 100% sure that the 2002 reprint had exactly the same arrangements. There was also an easy piano folio published (I don't list the easy alternatives on my website), so maybe you are thinking of that one? Do you actually own both and can compare?

I agree there is a lot of material in Lost Crusade that could have made a wonderful folio. The Indiana Jones folios are all quite disappointing, with few arrangements, and most of them uninspired. At least, the Scherzo is really well arranged.

 

I play piano, and I frequently play everything listed on the website. I have not made recordings of any of it though. Maybe in the future I would like to record it all. It's a crazy idea that will likely never happen - I know I will never manage to play perfectly the hardest pieces. There are two concert recordings of me playing Poulenc and Kabalevsky from ten years ago: https://soundcloud.com/tristanparemorin

 

16 hours ago, pete said:

Thanks for that

Wow, $130 for the book. John Williams: Music for Films, Television, and the Concert Stage

I'd buy it if it were reasonably priced. I know that's not uncommon for academic books, but I don't quite understand the reasoning behind such pricings. No Kindle version either. 

 

The book is rather big and heavy, with hardcover. But even then, I think $130 is too much. Again, as with the folios, your library might be able to get it for you. Good luck!

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

On 10/12/2019 at 6:25 PM, The Lost Folio said:

As for E.T., I only have the original 1982 folio with me, but I am almost 100% sure that the 2002 reprint had exactly the same arrangements. There was also an easy piano folio published (I don't list the easy alternatives on my website), so maybe you are thinking of that one? Do you actually own both and can compare?

 

I've got the 2002 anniversary folio - if you like I can send you a picture of a page when I have time.

[The Lost Folio 186]

I updated my piano collection website with info on the latest publication of The Rise of Skywalker. It's interesting to note that the ad changed from "features Williams' arrangements" to "Williams-approved ... arrangements". I wonder if Williams was actually ever approached to do these new arrangements, and never did, resulting in the delay from an original January publication to late March.

 

https://sites.google.com/view/johnwilliamspiano/home/folios?authuser=0#h.p_TYU-7pMebwcY

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Sounds plausible. 

 

Too bad the new arrangements are mostly quite short.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Has anybody come across a piano arrangement of The Ballroom Scene from The Witches of Eastwick? I know there's no official arrangement.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Hal Leonard's piano folio for The Post can now be purchased for £1 at amazon.co.uk and €2 at amazon.de:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Williams-Post/dp/1540026175/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=the+post+hal+leonard&qid=1600939053&sr=8-9

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/John-Williams/dp/1540026175/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=1540026175&qid=1600939165&sr=8-1

 

Quite a deal, I'd say!

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

@The Lost Folio, I can't find your JW piano collection site through googling. Perhaps it could be possible to make it more visible?

[The Lost Folio 186]

I've tried, but sadly there are now so many John Williams websites and websites selling sheet music that it's almost impossible for a very small personal page using all the same keywords to score high in Google's algorithms.

[The Lost Folio 186]

I've updated the website with information on The Fabelmans sheet music: https://sites.google.com/view/johnwilliamspiano/home/folios?authuser=0#h.5ma4jzgw7hao

 

This is John Williams' 34th piano folio, and 84th film or TV sheet music publication!

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

A folio! I thought we were getting only a single piece.

[The Lost Folio 186]

It's practically the whole album except for the two more atmospheric tracks ("Midnight Call" and "New House") and the end credits suite ("The Journey Begins").

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Are you aware of this anthology from Warner? 

 

[Miguel Andrade 1,361]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Are you aware of this anthology from Warner? 

 

I gave that one to my stepdaughter, ages ago, when she was studying piano. If memory serves, they are very easy piano arrangements.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

11 minutes ago, Miguel Andrade said:

I gave that one to my stepdaughter, ages ago, when she was studying piano. If memory serves, they are very easy piano arrangements.

 

As stated in the contents, the pieces are arranged in progressive difficulty from easy to intermediate. The depicted Superman march arrangement is more advanced than the one from the original folio, if memory serves.

 

Btw, I don't own this, so I'm interested in purchasing if anybody has a copy for sale.

[The Lost Folio 186]

10 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

The depicted Superman march arrangement is more advanced than the one from the original folio, if memory serves.

 

I've never seen that collection, but based on your picture it is much simplified. The original Superman folio arrangement uses full chords (3 to 4 notes) in the right hand in practicality every measure, often with tricky register jumps.

Also, I'd be wary of a book that includes "Theme from The Cowboys...... Home Alone". 🤔

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

1 hour ago, The Lost Folio said:

Also, I'd be wary of a book that includes "Theme from The Cowboys...... Home Alone". 🤔

 

Yeah, I saw that.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Star Wars: The Piano Anthology - Music by John Williams Featuring Themes from All Nine Films Deluxe Hardcover Edition with a foreword by Mike Matessino

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like the main title theme has gotten a new arrangement! Let's hope they've updated more of the simplest arrangements from the OT.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Anthology-Featuring-Hardcover/dp/1705165583

[The Lost Folio 186]

So that's what Matessino has been working on! I'm sure we all wanted his next Star Wars project to be a piano book... 

 

The Star Wars main theme printed here is the one that debuted in the Revenge of the Sith folio. All the other excerpts I looked at are reprinted with minimal alteration (but I noticed different slurs or accidentals, or removed choral lines in "Duel of the Fates").

 

Episodes 1-5 are presented almost complete, since the original folios were sadly quite slim. They are only missing "Jar Jar's Introduction" (Ep. 1) and "Ben's Death - TIE Fighter Attack" (Ep. 4). So, this is the book to get for anyone who missed out on these folios!

 

Episodes 6-9 had very good folios, and except for #6 are still in print. The one unforgivable omission is "The Forest Battle" from Return of the Jedi. This was one of the most exciting Star Wars arrangements in any folio! It's a true concert piece for piano that highly deserves to be revived and performed!

 

Will you be getting this? I definitely will!

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

12 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

So that's what Matessino has been working on! I'm sure we all wanted his next Star Wars project to be a piano book... 

 

Well, perhaps this is a companion to Star Wars: The Anthology - Music by John Williams, on 50 LPs.

 

19 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

Will you be getting this? I definitely will!

 

I don't know if there's only minor changes, as I seem to have all the pieces/arrangements. 

 

Although the hardcover format is tempting!

 

28 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

The Star Wars main theme printed here is the one that debuted in the Revenge of the Sith folio.

 

You're right, of course. 

 

I wish they had included The Adventures of Han and Obi-Wan as bonuses.

[That_Bloke 124]

This new Piano Anthology would be great for someone who doesn't have any SW piano music. 

 

But the contents is a collection of what was released in individual folio when each film came - something which already have. And not everything that was previously released is in this collection.

 

Now if there was to be a release of piano transcriptions of the complete scores...

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

49 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

All the other excerpts I looked at are reprinted with minimal alteration (but I noticed different slurs or accidentals, or removed choral lines in "Duel of the Fates").

 

There's a lot of pages not shown in the preview, so I still hope some of the early easy arrangements have been replaced by better ones.

 

49 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

Episodes 1-5 are presented almost complete, since the original folios were sadly quite slim. They are only missing "Jar Jar's Introduction" (Ep. 1) and "Ben's Death - TIE Fighter Attack" (Ep. 4). So, this is the book to get for anyone who missed out on these folios!

 

There's also Padme's Destiny missing from Sith.

 

49 minutes ago, The Lost Folio said:

Ben's Death - TIE Fighter Attack

 

That's mandatory!

[The Lost Folio 186]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I wish they had included The Adventures of Han and Obi-Wan as bonuses.

 

Obi-Wan especially, since it has not yet appeared in print (only digital). And why not add Galaxy's Edge to make it something truly special?

 

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I still hope some of the early easy arrangements have been replaced by better ones.

 

I would be pleased if they had just rearranged the 4 pieces from ESB. But they're still all 2 pages...

 

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

There's also Padme's Destiny missing from Sith.

 

That was a reprint of "Qui-Gon's Funeral".

 

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

That's mandatory!

 

More so than "Jawa Sandcrawler" I'd say!

 

1 hour ago, That_Bloke said:

This new Piano Anthology would be great for someone who doesn't have any SW piano music.

 

For someone who just wants to play Star Wars on piano for fun, the Philip Keveren anthology from a few years back is the way to go. The arrangements all sound really good on the piano and are fun to play!

 

The problem with the new anthology is that the arrangements style and difficulty is all over the place. The arrangements were made over a period of almost 40+ years by several editors who all had different ideas of what was the purpose of publishing film music for piano, and who was the audience. Recently, we've had the "as much as possible" approach, giving us fairly faithful arrangements, but sometimes in ways that make little sense at the piano. Earlier folios were more focused on presenting basic themes, but took more liberties with the material. This anthology presents both approaches. Few Star Wars arrangements are both faithful to the score and interesting to play on piano. For example, the faithful arranger will transcribe a crescendo on a sustained orchestral chord as a piano tremolo. It's alright, but it can sound cheap. A pianist would probably prefer to play a swelling arpeggio even if there is none in the score. Arranging is extremely complex!

[fommes 155]

Would anyone have this new anthology yet? Any reviews?

[The Lost Folio 186]

Now that summer has passed and there still hasn't been a Dial of Destiny piano folio, is there still hope that we'll ever see one?

 

If not, this will be the first time since War of the Worlds and Munich in 2005 that a JW score does not receive a dedicated folio.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Perhaps we get a Helena's Theme sheet. 

[The Lost Folio 186]

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Perhaps we get a Helena's Theme sheet. 

 

I thought it would already be available by now, at least digitally.

[The Lost Folio 186]

I finally updated my "Piano Collection" website with the information from the new Star Wars: The Piano Anthology: https://sites.google.com/view/johnwilliamspiano/home/star-wars

 

It's now possible to see which arrangements from all 9 films are available in which anthology.

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

The Harry Potter Piano Anthology

Transport yourself to the magical world of Harry Potter with this stunning collector’s edition piano anthology. Featuring an exclusive, bespoke cover by MinaLima, the graphic design studio behind the Wizarding World, with special gold foiling and a treasure trove of magical illustrations. This ultimate collection of Harry Potter piano music makes the perfect gift for pianists and Potterheads alike! 

 

The Harry Potter Piano Anthology contains 56 of the biggest and best musical themes from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, arranged for intermediate level piano. From the best-loved John Williams tunes Hedwig’s Theme and Harry’s Wondrous World to The Crimes of Grindelwald and Dumbledore’s Theme from the Fantastic Beasts films, this book has been created for pianists to enjoy and return to again and again.

 

 

 

 

 

Harry's Wondrous World looks like the old Alfred arrangement in a new engraving. I don't know about the rest.

[The Lost Folio 186]

"In Noctem" is a different arrangement (the original folio had a vocal line and different accompaniment), but I'm not sure if it is new as such (it could have been made for previous anthologies). I don't have the Fantastic Beasts folios, so I can't say anything about "The Ceremony".

 

I will most probably be skipping that one. If anyone gets it, let us know if there are new arrangements!

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

Any news on a Helena's theme piano arrangement?

[The Lost Folio 186]

No --- it's a real shame! Not having a folio for War of the Worlds in 2005 was one thing, but not even a single piece for a major thematic score like Indiana Jones? I don't understand.

 

I think Hal Leonard more or less gave up on solo piano folios in recent years. Perhaps they don't sell well anymore? I believe the only new one that was published in 2023 was The Fabelmans. In comparison, in 2022 they published Nomadland, Minecraft, Syberia: The World Before, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Encanto (piano solo version), The Queen's Gambit, and Bridgerton. But then again, in 2021 there was only one: Soul. They now almost only publish songbooks (Little Mermaid, Stranger Things, etc.)

[ConorPower 151]

On the note of folios, and in light of recent releases, I'm wondering if anyone is able to share piano sheet music to Jane Eyre or if anyone has arranged anything of Heidi? (I'm to lazy to transcribe)

[Falstaft 2,172]

10 hours ago, ConorPower said:

On the note of folios, and in light of recent releases, I'm wondering if anyone is able to share piano sheet music to Jane Eyre or if anyone has arranged anything of Heidi? (I'm to lazy to transcribe)

 

@ConorPower, don't tempt me, I've got enough on my plate right now!

[The Lost Folio 186]

I did a piano arrangement of the entire Jane Eyre suite for my personal use, but I'm not sure I can legally share it or if I even want to. Part of the fun is making the arrangement itself and fine-tuning it to my own skills and preferences. I've never done anything with Heidi but that would be a fun project, and possibly easier than Jane Eyre.

[That_Bloke 124]

15 hours ago, ConorPower said:

On the note of folios, and in light of recent releases, I'm wondering if anyone is able to share piano sheet music to Jane Eyre or if anyone has arranged anything of Heidi? (I'm to lazy to transcribe)

 

I think the activity you describe is illegal

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

13 minutes ago, That_Bloke said:

 

I think the activity you describe is illegal

 

Sharing privately is of course allowed. 

[Falstaft 2,172]

21 hours ago, ConorPower said:

On the note of folios, and in light of recent releases, I'm wondering if anyone is able to share piano sheet music to Jane Eyre 

 

Found this on YouTube -- quite a good arrangement:

 

 

[GerateWohl 5,040]

48 minutes ago, Falstaft said:

 

Found this on YouTube -- quite a good arrangement:

 

 

Was these days trying to remember where I once used to hear a similarity between Jane Eyre and Hook. Probably it is this piece and "You are the Pan".

 

This arrangement is really beautiful.

 

 

[The Lost Folio 186]

Yes, it's a nice arrangement. But I think there's a sort of archaic simplicity to this score that is lacking from this arrangement. I think its countermelodies tend to be too busy, and sometimes use chords that sound foreign to the harmonic language of Jane Eyre. Still, I'd be happy to hear this in concert!

[ConorPower 151]

14 hours ago, The Lost Folio said:

I did a piano arrangement of the entire Jane Eyre suite for my personal use, but I'm not sure I can legally share it or if I even want to. Part of the fun is making the arrangement itself and fine-tuning it to my own skills and preferences. I've never done anything with Heidi but that would be a fun project, and possibly easier than Jane Eyre.

That’s entirely fair and a good point actually. It must be fun tailoring it to your own likes/skills.  

 

2 hours ago, The Lost Folio said:

Yes, it's a nice arrangement. But I think there's a sort of archaic simplicity to this score that is lacking from this arrangement. I think its countermelodies tend to be too busy, and sometimes use chords that sound foreign to the harmonic language of Jane Eyre. Still, I'd be happy to hear this in concert!

This will do me for now (thanks @Falstaft!). But I do agree, that the simplicity to Jane Eyre is what really makes it - similar to Heidi and Lincoln, I suppose. 

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

14 hours ago, The Lost Folio said:

I did a piano arrangement of the entire Jane Eyre suite for my personal use, but I'm not sure I can legally share it or if I even want to. Part of the fun is making the arrangement itself and fine-tuning it to my own skills and preferences. I've never done anything with Heidi but that would be a fun project, and possibly easier than Jane Eyre.

 

How's the official Jane Eyre sheet?

 

[Falstaft 2,172]

7 hours ago, The Lost Folio said:

Yes, it's a nice arrangement. But I think there's a sort of archaic simplicity to this score that is lacking from this arrangement. I think its countermelodies tend to be too busy, and sometimes use chords that sound foreign to the harmonic language of Jane Eyre. Still, I'd be happy to hear this in concert!

 

Hmm, it sounds surprisingly one-to-one with JE's Reunion to me -- is there a bit in particular you're hearing that harmonically diverges from what JW wrote in that cue? Maybe my ears are disintegrating! 

 

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

How's the official Jane Eyre sheet?

 

 

Whoa! Never seen that before. 

[Jurassic Shark 13,158]

28 minutes ago, Falstaft said:

Whoa! Never seen that before. 

 

It's from @The Lost Folio's website, so I assume he has.

[The Lost Folio 186]

6 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

How's the official Jane Eyre sheet?

 

It's very close to the piano performance in the movie (but not exactly), and then continues for slightly longer to properly end the second phrase. (There's a convenient repeat so you play the whole thing twice.) Simple, but that's the sort of intimate, domestic character I associate with this score and that I think a piano arrangement should strive for.

 

 

1 hour ago, Falstaft said:

is there a bit in particular you're hearing that harmonically diverges from what JW wrote in that cue?

 

I guess not  -- but it does sound different to me, especially the second page, perhaps because the arrangement brings out some chord tones that are more faint in the original score and that I had never really heard (or paid attention to) before? (Actually, probably because the "Reunion" track has a lot of material not in the orchestral suite, which I've listened to so many more times!) Not quite sure. Your ears are fine, don't worry!

 

51 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I assume he has.

 

I do have everything that's on my website!

[The Lost Folio 186]

Following up on the Star Wars Piano Anthology (Hal Leonard) and the Harry Potter Piano Anthology (Faber), Hal Leonard is publishing an Indiana Jones Piano Solo Collection: https://www.halleonard.com/product/1243151/indiana-jones-piano-solo-collection

 

Included are two excerpts from each of the five films. Entirely new are "The Keeper of the Grail" from Last Crusade (finally!) and "Helena's Theme" and "Archimedes' Tomb" from Dial of Destiny! It also looks like "Parade of the Slave Children" is a new arrangement. Samples at the link above.

 

I am glad we finally get an arrangement of "Helena's Theme", and an additionnal excerpt from Last Crusade. But I also feel that compared to the Star Wars and Harry Potter anthologies, this one is lackluster. Why not, at least, also include the other 4 pieces that had previously been published but not reprinted since their original folios ("The Basket Game", "Love Theme" from Temple of Doom, "The Crystal Spell", and "The Journey to Akator")?

 

 

 

[DangerMotif 1,101]

Does anyone have the star wars anthology? How are the arrangements?

[ConorPower 151]

2 hours ago, The Lost Folio said:

Why not, at least, also include the other 4 pieces that had previously been published but not reprinted since their original folios ("The Basket Game", "Love Theme" from Temple of Doom, "The Crystal Spell", and "The Journey to Akator")?

 

Agreed! I'd especially appreciate the ToD pieces as I don't own theme, but at least we're getting something from DoD.  

 

2 hours ago, The Lost Folio said:

But I also feel that compared to the Star Wars and Harry Potter anthologies, this one is lackluster.

 

Again, agreed! This feels slight by comparison to those. At least the difference is reflected in the price though. 

 

2 hours ago, DangerMotif said:

Does anyone have the star wars anthology? How are the arrangements?

 

They're pretty much the same as the SW: A Musical Journey (Episode I-VI) book and the folios for the sequels. Still, its beautifully presented in a sleek hardback (not ideal for balancing on the piano's music stand) with a nice note from Mike Matessino on the piano and SW. It was a must-buy for me as it had numerous arrangements of PT tracks which were absent from SW: A Musical Journey. If, like me, you never had folios for Eps I-VI then its worth it, IMO.