The Most Williams like Score by Another Composer?

[Loert 2,515]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Based on the responses so far, I may need some further guidance on what exactly makes a score Williams-like apart from being well orchestrated and traditional.

 

Lots and lots of xylophone.

[Pieter Boelen 740]

4 hours ago, JTW said:

It has to contain a cue called "Something and End Titles" or "Something and Finale" and  "Scherzo for a Vehicle and Orchestra". 

Then...

 

On 07/01/2024 at 12:07 AM, Loert said:

I always thought that Clint Bajakian's work on Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb (video game) totally captured the "feel" of Williams' Indy scores,

I find that one more engaging than Skull or Dial.

Fun variations on the March in there too!

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

Was it released on CD?

[ThePenitentMan1 744]

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Was it released on CD?

 

Yes.  As MP3 files on CD-ROM.  Comes with the rest of the game, too!

[Holko 9,532]

A very small selection that leaves off so many highlights, no?

[ThePenitentMan1 744]

50 minutes ago, Holko said:

A very small selection that leaves off so many highlights, no?

 

The opposite, actually, there are way more tracks than there are actual unique cues in Emperor's Tomb's score.*  I've never been able to make time to properly fanedit them.

 

_{(Unless you're talking about a different score?)}

_{*I didn't realize you might've been only joking when I typed that...}

[Holko 9,532]

...oh. Just realised what you meant.

[GerateWohl 4,373]

11 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

Based on the responses so far, I may need some further guidance on what exactly makes a score Williams-like apart from being well orchestrated and traditional.

Right. I was thinking about this point a lot. especially why I feel that Young Sherlock Holmes is overall such a good immitation. I mentioned the ballance already, that I miss in most of the other mentioned examples. In the end it would be good to have a qualified description of what makes a Williams score a Williams score. A lot has been talked about his harmonization. But that doesn't do it justice as well. I am afraid, I am not qualified to make a detailed and complete assessment. And I am afraid to start a thread on the subject. Because this will not result in a meaningful assessment as already the examples here show, that everyone here seems to have a different feel or opinion in this subject. And we declare things Williams-like that might be far from it.

 

One little thing that makes Williams more sophisticated than others is, that he, as far as I recognized, never uses a simple ostinato longer than 6 to 8 bars, then he varies it or does something different. Other composers manage to use a simple string ostinato like a drum beat for almost a whole piece, which makes the music particularly boring after a few bar while still effective in the picture. But thats what makes the difference and qualifies Williams music to be enjoyed on its own.

His music is not just layered like much modern movie music but a permanently bllanced interplay between instruments and instrument groups. He is kind of a brilliant juggler of orchestra.

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

3 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

never uses a simple ostinato longer than 6 to 8 bars

 

TLW called. 

[GerateWohl 4,373]

17 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

TLW called. 

There he was young and needed the money.

 

And the ostinati there are not that simple.

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

It's a hard topic to respond to as there's either the scores which are straight off pastiche; Joel McNeely and Kevin Kaska are probably the closest, although Joel McN's more recent scores don't allude to JW quite so close as they used to (and are still great) to those composers who write in a detailed, symphonic, multi-thematic style which can be compared to JW, such as Bruce Broughton. My only thought about Young Sherlock Holmes is that the main thematic material just doesn't feel like it could have been written by JW so while the writing in general does definitely have that detailed, symphonic style, the themes definitely suggest a different composer.

 

Good shout on Peter Boyer, I listened to one of his albums recently and it's fun hearing someone basically writing more like JW's Olympics style than his film music. If you can't get enough of that side of JW's music, the Boyer albums on Naxos are well worth a listen. He's recently written a work called Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue (low key eye roll) which I'm looking forward to hearing. Recently recorded in London I believe.

[Richard Penna 3,696]

If I looked at it another way and asked suggestions for composers or scores similar to a particular composer I'd expect to be asked a follow-up question in return: what it is about their music that I like? In some cases there's an intangible element - you just find their music enjoyable and emotionally resonant but you can't explain why. But in other cases, perhaps you always find their themes interesting, or their approach to scoring a particular type of scene always results in music you find interesting.

 

There are no composers from whom I like everything (which is why I'm somewhat anti-completist) but within the work I do like, there will be some common element which in technical musical terms stands out, and which other composers will employ.

 

So hence my earlier suggestions - scores that are traditional, minimise modern influences, complex orchestrations and memorable melodies. However... that's not a 'Williams' thing is it? Many composers out there are traditional writers, just probably working in places other than Hollywood.

[Luke Skywalker 1,796]

Giachinnos Secret weapons over normandy main theme and to some extent some medal of honor main themes too, probably closer is moh allied assault.