JW scores/sketches for study

[Loxley11 0]

First time poster here. I get the impression from reading some of these posts that there are copies of JWs scores and sketches floating around out there. I work in healthcare currently, and am only a mediocre pianist, but I’ve been thinking lately about studying composition/orchestration for film, and would love to be able to study the techniques of a master. It seems an unfortunate circumstance that the works of non-film composers are readily available for study, while film scores are kept under lock and key, or released in tiny, heavily rearranged bits for symphony performance. Is there a source for any of JWs unadulterated film music? I could also use some clarification of what’s “legitimate” or not. I’ve no interest in profiting from, or even performing any of this, and would have gladly paid a reasonable price for a study score or sketch if such materials were published by the studio. But I don’t think they are, and I don’t want to do anything that would get me or anyone else in legal trouble. Any advice?

 

thanks, 

Drew

[Jay 37,351]

Legally, you can only buy the pieces approved by JW and sold by Hal Leonard

 

https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?keywords=John+Williams

 

Illegally, some fans share scans of the actual sheet music prepared at the time of recording the original scores with one another, but people can't post download links for that stuff on the forums here, they'd have to PM you.  Maybe somebody will!

[Datameister 2,042]

What @Jay said.

 

For what it's worth, the Signature Editions are typically the original orchestration, sometimes with very small tweaks. It's still a very limited repertoire, but if you want to legally study Williams' composition and orchestration, that's the way to go.

 

EDIT: And if you want to legally study some film scores from start to finish, check out Omni Music Publishing. The only catch is that I don't believe they have any Williams, at least so far.

[stravinsky 206]

This is one of the great mysteries for me. Why music publishers have never released miniature scores of film Soundtracks. I'm sure they would sell more copies than any contemporary composer from the past 30 or 40 years with the possible exception of Reich, Glass, Adams, Part etc. It would be my dream to have minuature scores of my favourite film music. 

[Loxley11 0]

Thanks for the helpful replies; and thanks for the tip on Omni; very interesting!

[Fabulin 3,511]

2 minutes ago, stravinsky said:

This is one of the great mysteries for me. Why music publishers have never released miniature scores of film Soundtracks. I'm sure they would sell more copies than any contemporary composer from the past 30 or 40 years with the possible exception of Reich, Glass, Adams, Part etc. It would be my dream to have minuature scores of my favourite film music. 

Because film studios would rather not have the schematics of their properties copied?

[stravinsky 206]

Perhaps. I guess also the money made would be trifling. 

[Datameister 2,042]

That reminds me - the book On the Track has some condensed score excerpts from a variety of scores, including some Williams. I wouldn't buy the book just for those, but fortunately it's a great book all around.