John Williams on Variety Cover (article & video)

[JNHFan2000 2,966]

 

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/john-williams-oscars-star-wars-steven-spielberg-collaborations-1235929403/

[Jay 37,370]

There's a big new article too:

 

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/john-williams-oscars-star-wars-steven-spielberg-collaborations-1235929403/

[JNHFan2000 2,966]

Added it to the main post!

[Alex 2,835]

“I have the time I need to finish this concerto, and I will begin to have some free time later this year. If there’s an opportunity there that I think I can fill and enjoy doing with people I will enjoy, I see no reason not to do it.”
 

Well, I hope there are some directors reading this.

[enderdrag64 624]

"People ask about a legacy, I don't think about [that] very much - I think I'm much too young to think about such things" - John Williams

[Edmilson 7,466]

12 minutes ago, Alex said:

“I have the time I need to finish this concerto, and I will begin to have some free time later this year. If there’s an opportunity there that I think I can fill and enjoy doing with people I will enjoy, I see no reason not to do it.”
 

Well, I hope there are some directors reading this.

Come on, Spielberg! Time to gets some scripts out of that drawer! Now would be an excellent time for that Bullit movie to happen 

[Falstaft 2,132]

Alright, who's going to "ENHANCE!" this so we can speculate wildly on his current project:

 

[JohnnyD 1,223]

I love this! When are we getting the Documentary on the Maestro? I'm hoping sometime this year. Any update on that?

[Falstaft 2,132]

35 minutes ago, enderdrag64 said:

"People ask about a legacy, I don't think about [that] very much - I think I'm much too young to think about such things" - John Williams

 

The smirk and glint in his eye when he says this...

 

[Holko 9,529]

Classic great-grandpa humor!

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

What a smart erudite man - even at this age. 

[Ludwig 1,120]

5 things I loved in this article:

1. Williams confirms the Jaws theme is three different notes (not two!).
2. He keeps a poster of The Adventures of Robin Hood in his office doorway.
3. Like many others, the author feels that film music succeeding in the concert hall is largely because of Williams.
4. Mangold got emotional at the final Dial of Destiny session because he felt Williams doing his job confirmed a kind of idealism of working in film.
5. Williams will have some free composing time this year that he may want to fill "if there’s an opportunity there that I think I can fill and enjoy doing with people I will enjoy."

[Chewy 2,391]

4 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

 

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/john-williams-oscars-star-wars-steven-spielberg-collaborations-1235929403/

 

The man looks and sounds GREAT in this  

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

21 minutes ago, Ludwig said:

Williams will have some free composing time this year that he may want to fill "if there’s an opportunity there that I think I can fill and enjoy doing with people I will enjoy."

 

 I've been wondering how often he composes without having any commission or immediate plans for the music. Not often, it seems.

[Bellosh 3,419]

Nice!

 

This is even more evidence Dial is gonna win best score.

 

I don't see Ludwig Göransson on this cover.  Sorry Oppie fans

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

New to my was the fact that they he wrote Hedwig's theme in like an evening?

 

It is much too complex a piece - one of his most elaborately orchestrated to be written so quickly.

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

Probably the main ideas.

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

I quite liked this post from a Reddit thread on the video:

Comment
byu/MarvelsGrantMan136 from discussion
inmovies

 

[Tom 4,665]

5 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

 I've been wondering how often he composes without having any commission or immediate plans for the music. Not often, it seems.

I think he is asked so much that large stretches without anything rarely come up.  He talks about the tuba and viola concerto being somewhat spontaneous.  Heartwood probably the same.  I wonder how much the piano concerto is him and how much Ax asking.  

 

I do think that he loves the popular vein of composing more than he realizes or at least sometimes lets on.  Jumping at the ESPN thing the way he did and the comments in this interview point to him wanting more than just concert-hall composing.  

 

50 years from now, musicologists are going to be dumbfounded that he pulled off a lifetime worth of work for the concert hall and a lifetime worth of work for movies (and a hell of a lot of occasion pieces to boot).   

 

He seems so balanced.  His comments on Goldsmith and others being unhappy due to their career frustrations is so perceptive.  He found the recipe for a lifetime of happiness as a composer--something that very, very few composers (from Mozart to Beethoven to Goldsmith) have pulled off.  

[KK 3,307]

Quote

“I thought, ‘Well, that’s not a complaint that I want to have to live with.’ So I went about it not to try to compete with Igor Stravinsky or the great classical composers, but to learn from the process of doing — the best school of all.”  

 

Even at 92, this man is spinning gold in wisdom.

 

12 hours ago, Tom said:

I do think that he loves the popular vein of composing more than he realizes or at least sometimes lets on.  Jumping at the ESPN thing the way he did and the comments in this interview point to him wanting more than just concert-hall composing.  

 

Agreed, though I think this is a recent thing he's embraced. I feel like the same insecurities he speaks to have plagued him for much of his career in his prime. But now he seems to have let them go, especially since many of those institutions now celebrate him and his craftsmanship, a caliber and mode of working that has more or less disappeared across the spectrum, be it film or concert music.

[Arnaud2 10]

I’ve waited many years for this Variety cover. It’s about time!

 

Speaking of Time (Magazine), what are they waiting for?? I hope he wins the Oscar - though I doubt he will -, it may open their eyes…

[artguy360 1,843]

Great video! He looks very healthy and full of life.

[Holko 9,529]

5 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

New to my was the fact that they he wrote Hedwig's theme in like an evening?

 

It is much too complex a piece - one of his most elaborately orchestrated to be written so quickly.

Well it's not what we now know as Hedwig's Theme but the piece that's on the LLL as "Teaser". It's half as long and lacks the Nimbus section for example.

[JTN 2,033]

“Over the nine “Star Wars” films he scored, Williams has written 45 identifiable, recurring themes — or so he’s been told by fans. (“It’s hard to believe, but I imagine people are seriously counting.”)”

 

😂

[Badzeee 110]

“…The fact that he is so kind and generous and brings that spirit to his music-writing capabilities — I think that’s why it’s so connective with people, because he does bring that element of his personality to his scores.” - Chris Columbus

 

A genial genius. The work is its own reward, and for the rest of us, a huge and ongoing cultural legacy to enjoy. We are so lucky to have him. 

 

I really enjoyed reading this lovely, celebratory article.

[BB-8 3,480]

20 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

What a smart erudite man - even at this age. 

 

Now just give him that damn 6th Oscar!

[Once 605]

I like this comment from the Variety article:

Quote

Brilliant story – made me re-live many scores that I had forgotten, but I can now hum them in my head (and to the chagrin of my family, outloud).

Thanks Chris for the story, and John for the music.

 

I wish this article was published before Oscar voting ended. It sounds like many rediscovered how great he really is.

[Bespin 8,484]

34 minutes ago, Once said:

 It sounds like many rediscovered how great he really is.

 

OMG he's still alive?

[BB-8 3,480]

The portrait photo has a classic touch to it, like:

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 1,793]

He's got my vote!

 

[Andrej 50]

I know it's a bit of an odd request, but would anyone be willing to buy 2 copies of the printed version and send it to an address in Slovakia, Europe? I would cover all expenses, of course. Just got back from John's concerts in Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall two weeks ago, and this issue just came up now It's quite challenging to find it in Europe. If there's a kind soul out there, I'd be immensely grateful. Thank you in advance for your help.

[Chen G. 3,950]

15 hours ago, JTN said:

“Over the nine “Star Wars” films he scored, Williams has written 45 identifiable, recurring themes — or so he’s been told by fans.

 

I seem to remember that in an interview from the time of Attack of the Clones, he also gave a kind of estimate on the number of the themes. Can't remember how many he thought he was up to then.

 

The latest version of Frank Lehman's document lists 70 themes across the nine films, Adventures of Han, Kenobi and Galaxy's Edge.

[Peter Gee 1]

Hi fellow JW fans. I would love a copy of this edition of Variety but alas cannot source it in New Zealand (we have plenty of Hobbits though!). Would someone in the US be willing to purchase a copy for me and post to NZ? I'd like to keep this as an item for my JW collection so would need to be kept in mint condition and boxed for shipping. I'd obviously pay all and any associated costs. If you would be happy to help I'd love to hear from you. Thanks.

[Jay 37,370]

Does Variety even have a physical printed edition any more?

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

1 minute ago, Jay said:

Does Variety even have a physical printed edition any more?

 

I suppose they do, and it should be available e.g. here:

https://www.newsstand.co.uk/620-media-magazines/3268-subscribe-to-variety-magazine-subscription.aspx

 

I was confused because that's a new cover today (yesterday they still displayed the previous issue, which is marked as sold out). But apparently this thread's titular "on Variety Cover" doesn't actually mean the cover of the magazine?

[Peter Gee 1]

There are some on eBay (eBay JW Variety) but seem pricey. Guess this will be the way to go if I can't find one elsewhere.

[pete 907]

I'd love to hear pieces based on the seven note melodies that Williams prefered over the five-note CE3k signal! I'd heard the story before, but it just struck how many unused precious gems could be found on scraps of paper in Williams' office and in linen cupboards in his home.

 

But it's fascinating to know of Spielberg's influence regarding musical decisions: combining and using the two Indy melodies. the preference for Remembrances and Schindler's List theme as the score's main theme, and keeping the CE3K signal to five notes. And Spielberg urging Williams to conduct the ET finale without looking at the footage. There must be so many other examples - decisions from every score I'm sure - where one influenced/nudged the other to achieve the results we all know and love. All without ever having an argument. I think they must have the most trusting and respectful relationship between two humans in the history of the world!

 

I'll love the upcoming doc and book - that's just a given, but I would really love to be able to learn of more similar examples.

[JTN 2,033]

7 hours ago, Chen G. said:

I seem to remember that in an interview from the time of Attack of the Clones, he also gave a kind of estimate on the number of the themes. Can't remember how many he thought he was up to then.

“It’s hard to believe, but I imagine people are seriously counting.”

[BB-8 3,480]

[Chen G. 3,950]

16 hours ago, JTN said:

“It’s hard to believe, but I imagine people are seriously counting.”

 

I realise more and more that "counting" and designating the motives, in and of itself, is a rather reductive exercise. Of course there'll be a difference, in a score of a given length, between one with a four or five "signifying" motives like Euryanthe to one with several dozens like Das Rheingold, or between a cycle with 60 motives (Star Wars) and one with 180 (The Ring). But when its more on points (say, squabbling over whether there's 55 motives or 86 motives which can be quite elusive), its really not an exercise that gives you a lot of insight as to how the score functions.

 

The defining structural conceit of Williams' score is less the individual motifs, how many they are, or how we name them, but rather the way they musically fall nicely into being either "Sith/Empire" motives or "Jedi/Rebel" motives, and how these two musical factions are juxtaposed. You can think of it a little like the contrasting theme groups of a symphony, although it has antecedents closer at hand in programmatic music a-la Freischutz or Lohengrin, and certainly in previous Hollywood scores.

[mrbellamy 6,287]

I genuinely can't tell anymore if the Indiana Jones theme playing during Harrison Ford's colonoscopy is a joke or something that really happened 

[Faleel 5,357]

16 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

I genuinely can't tell anymore if the Indiana Jones theme playing during Harrison Ford's colonoscopy is a joke or something that really happened 

Well, the theme plays any time someone pulls into my driveway.... (driveway alarm)

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

56 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

I genuinely can't tell anymore if the Indiana Jones theme playing during Harrison Ford's colonoscopy is a joke or something that really happened 

 

It's funny because it's true. 

[mrbellamy 6,287]

It would definitely be funnier if it's true

 

This is the kind of summarizing that drives me absolutely bonkers in these mass media pieces. LET US READ THIS!!!

 

Quote

Even then, Williams delved deep into how different approaches might reflect Jewish music. “I wondered about the violin and Jewish popular culture, because you wouldn’t take the violin in those years into the synagogue, because instrumental music was not allowed.” With this, he leans back and spends several casually erudite minutes discussing his research into the scales and modalities of Jewish music in different European countries across centuries. 

 

[Tom 4,665]

My guess is that it actually happened--though, of course, as a joke to Harrison Ford.  

[mrbellamy 6,287]

When Ford said it at Williams's AFI ceremony, it just struck me as one of those lame quips they always have at awards shows. It's hilarious to think of Ford in the doctor's office realizing he is in a showbiz nightmare. I guess if it was in Los Angeles, there's an above average chance one of the receptionists was also a Hollywood comedy writer. 

 

On 06/03/2024 at 10:29 AM, Alex said:

“I have the time I need to finish this concerto, and I will begin to have some free time later this year. If there’s an opportunity there that I think I can fill and enjoy doing with people I will enjoy, I see no reason not to do it.”
 

Well, I hope there are some directors reading this.

 

Abrams, Johnson, and Mangold have to be making their friends jealous. It does read like an open invitation. Hope Williams gets an offer he likes, or Spielberg rushes something out by Christmas.

 

Or just saying, Robert Eggers' upcoming Nosferatu movie is produced by Chris Columbus 

 

On 06/03/2024 at 2:21 PM, Jurassic Shark said:

I've been wondering how often he composes without having any commission or immediate plans for the music. Not often, it seems.

 

He's always claimed he "writes something" every day but I wonder what that means when he's not actively working on anything in particular. Does he count improvising at the piano without ever picking up a pencil? Does he write love songs for Samantha?

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

6 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

Hope Williams gets an offer he likes

 

Indy VI, with Short Tall Round.

[mrbellamy 6,287]

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

24 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

He's always claimed he "writes something" every day but I wonder what that means

 

He's posting on JWFan under multiple accounts. 

@John Williams

@John Williams is a legend

@john Williams is the best

@Thor

 

[Once 605]

43 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

Or just saying, Robert Eggers' upcoming Nosferatu movie is produced by Chris Columbus 

Man, that would be something!