Sandor 798 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 I've been trying to determine the lengthiest themes Williams has written and I think I have narrowed it down to the 'Top 5'. Two notes: 1. I look at the time it takes for a theme to reach completion on the original soundtrack recording. I am not counting the 'number of notes', which would form a completely different criteria to determine 'long lined melodies'; 2. With some themes -With Malice Toward None and the Love Theme from The Patriot especially- I took some liberty in determining whether all the melodic content involved is part of a single theme. I can imagine some will state that the themes in question end earlier and that I mistakenly included a B-section. However; I find that these melodies are truly resolved at the end points I indicated below. 1. WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE (LINCOLN) Theme starts: 00:00 - Theme ends: 01:46 | TOTAL TIME: 01:46 minutes 2. LOVE THEME (THE PATRIOT) Theme starts: 00:05 - Theme ends: 01:45 | TOTAL TIME: 01:40 minutes 3. HYMN TO THE FALLEN (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) Theme starts: 00:24 - Theme ends: 01:32 | TOTAL TIME: 01:08 minutes 4. THEME (JFK) Theme starts: 00:00 - Theme ends: 01:01 | TOTAL TIME: 01:01 minutes 5. GROWING UP (THE RIVER) Theme starts: 00:29 - Theme ends: 01:21 | TOTAL TIME: 00:52 seconds Bayesian and Ricard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-8 3,515 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Anakin's theme is probably quite lengthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post GerateWohl 4,412 Posted September 28, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted September 28, 2022 47 minutes ago, Sandor said: I've been trying to determine the lengthiest themes Williams has written and I think I have narrowed it down to the 'Top 5'. Two notes... At first view I thought, that was a joke, talking about lenghtiest themes and as first of your top 5 you refer to the Jaws theme. ThePenitentMan1, Chen G., Brando and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,623 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 I've always thought that the theme heard in the Main Title from SLEEPERS is pretty serpentine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-8 3,515 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 At which point does Yoda's Theme end? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandor 798 Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 4 minutes ago, BB-8 said: At which point does Yoda's Theme end? I would say the melody completes itself between 20 to 30 seconds, which is about the average length of a John Williams theme. Of course, this says nothing about the quality of a melody or theme. In fact; I think John Williams excels at short and long-lined themes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Not Mr. Big 4,646 Posted September 28, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted September 28, 2022 The Long Goodbye Sandor, Raiders of the SoundtrArk, Brando and 4 others 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,623 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 6 hours ago, BB-8 said: At which point does Yoda's Theme end? Around the four minute mark. BB-8 and Brando 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joni Wiljami 1,206 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 I think Eiger Sanction's main title is quite long. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,623 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 Yeah. It seems to be two themes in one. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,682 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 Rey's theme is long-lined depending on how you characterize its parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-8 3,515 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 41 minutes ago, Tom said: Rey's theme is long-lined depending on how you characterize its parts. Is it true that the introductory chimes of Ray's theme and even the whole theme are based on the Emperor's theme? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,984 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 If it is, its probably just in the interest of keeping the score unified, not for some underlying thematic reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbeck 123 Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 I'll go with the shortest: JAWS. Two notes are enough. Pure genius! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,623 Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 "End Title" from JAWS 2, is a lovely, meandering theme. Andy and Sandor 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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