JW's Best Use Of Piano?

[ABez 0]

What do people think is JW's best use of the piano in his movie scores?

I reckon Seven Years... and A.I. take some beating.

[Marian Schedenig 8,227]

I simply love that brief piano slam in The Hunt from Lost World. Probably not his best bit of piano writing, but one of my favourites.

Marian - who can't think of any others right now because his CD is playing too loudly.

MGV (Michael Nyman)

[DU Lou 1]

Sabrina hands down...

[Peio 0]

ALWAYS, closely followed by Presumed Innocent, Sabrina and Stanley&Iris.

Final Fantasy VII, Nobuo Uematsu

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I don't know, but the piano at the beginning of End Credits from E.T. is pretty cool.

- Marc, surprised that hadn't been mentioned yet.

[nja 0]

Sabrina hands down...

I concure- Sabrina without question.

There are many instances of piano used beautifully in JW scores, so just watch- half the replies in this thread will likely be, "Oh, but I think that one track in JFK, AI, or (you fill in the blank) is the most gooorgeous use of piano in any JW score."

But in regards to scores that actually the feature the piano consistently through the whole score- Sabrina is first with Stanley and Iris a solid second.

Of course you have the incredibly famous E.T. end credits/Over the Moon, but the piano really isn't prominent through the whole score.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I've never really heard any of the piano scores mentioned, but I do know that the piano music from the End Credits of E.T. IS gooorgeous.

U2 - Walk On from All That You Can't Leave Behind

[woodwindmaster06 0]

Presumed Innocent is the best Williams score that the piano I think is used a lot in and it is such a hauntingly good score!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

E.T. without a doubt.

[Adam 1]

Of the scores where piano is featured, I'd say my tastes tend to favor Accidental Tourist or Angela's Ashes. The Gershwinesque use of piano in Sabrina was a wonderul choice to create an atmosphere of an upper class, sophisticated fairy tale - I just prefer some of his other stuff.

Of his non-piano based scores, I like the way JW often features piano at the beginning of the end credits. ET, Minority Report, Schindler's List come to mind right away. Its a nice way of recapping a theme with a sort of classical, tasteful signature. Minority Report - Sean's Theme or ET might be my favorite for these kinds of films.

- Adam

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

And what about the piano at the beginning of the End Credits to Jurassic Park? I love the way the Theme is delicately played and the whole orchestra slowly comes into play for a last reprise before the fade out.

Randy Newman - On The Move from Toy Story

[Adam 1]

Yes, that's a nice cue, although the piano actually begins before the end credits. The piano is used over the scene of the 4 sitting in the helicopter, thinking or sleeping. Its sort of a quiet, reflective presentation of the main theme which works really well and then builds as Spielberg has us see the transition from dinasaur to bird to helicopter and the music reaches its culminating statement of the main theme as "Directed by Steven Spielberg" hits the screen.

Rosewood features piano this way in the scene before the end credits, also, with a relfective, bluesy piano version of the main theme.

- Adam

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Yes, that's a nice cue, although the piano actually begins before the end credits. The piano is used over the scene of the 4 sitting in the helicopter, thinking or sleeping. Its sort of a quiet, reflective presentation of the main theme which works really well and then builds as Spielberg has us see the transition from dinasaur to bird to helicopter and the music reaches its culminating statement of the main theme as "Directed by Steven Spielberg" hits the screen.

Er... yeah, that's the part I meant. It's track 7 on the soundtrack.

- Marc, who will listen to it now.

[RomanticStrings 10]

To be honest, I can never be sure when it's piano as opposed to pianissimo or mezzo-piano...

~Conor

[Miz 139]

Jurassic Park's piano is heart-melting (as was A.I, only less so), but Over the Moon (or End Credits) in E.T. has to be the best

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I agree with LittleRockJoe.

Stefancos-

[ymenard 54]

I can't decide between E.T.'s end credits (it sounds *so* hard and fast to do) and the incredible pulsating low piano strikes of TESB' BATTLE OF HOTH. I just love how the piano is introduced at the beginning, when the rebels first see the AT&T.

Bangbangbangbang bang bang bang... bang........ BANG! <cue starts>

[fommes 154]

Sabrina, E.T. End Credits, but I found the chords on piano at the climax of 'Abandoned in the Woods' pretty impressive as well...

[Uni 306]

You've all hit the good ones. I dunno about total score consistency, but I think I'd have to give highest marks to Always, with Presumed Innocent and Stanley and Iris close behind.

I'm ticked, though--I thought I would get to be the first to cite Williams's most intruiging use of piano (one of the most intruiging by any composer, I think), but ymenard beat me to it. That "Battle of Hoth" intro, simple as it may seem, is brilliant, if only for the use of a piano in lieu of another, more common bass instrument.

- Uni

[ChrisAfonso 188]

Some good ones have already been mentioned, but what about the short piano melody near the beginning of Nixon's "Turbulent Years"? I didn't discover that part but after a few listenings, and I think it's really brilliant, especially for such a short theme (I don't know the rest of Nixon, so perhaps it's more prominent in some other tracks). there aren't many who can make that much out of such a tiny piece of music.

[That_Bloke 115]

I find the piano effective on: Over the Moon (start of ET End Credits), the end credits of Schindler's List, the intro to the Battle of Hoth in ESB, all of Stanley & Iris, the crashing descent on AI as David is being abandoned, the choppy ostinato on How to Steal a Million/Two Lovers Theme, the "one-note" statement of the Eiger Sanction Theme (just before the rest of the band kick in on the LP), the rippling continuo under on the Earthquake theme, and the slow/cocktail version of the Earthquake theme on the LP.

[King Mark 3,631]

E.T.,End Credits(to me much better than Over the Moon)

Amazing Stories,End Credits(very similar to E.T.)

Climax of Abandonned in the Woods(A.I.)

Last part of The Poseidon Adventure End Credits(also great dramatic effect).

The Float(CMIYC)

Jurassic Park,Pre-End Credit

Growing up in Paris(Sabrina)

forgot about Battle of Hoth,I thought there was no piano in Star Wars.

K.M.

[King Mark 3,631]

Some good ones have already been mentioned, but what about the short piano melody near the beginning of Nixon's "Turbulent Years"? I didn't discover that part but after a few listenings, and I think it's really brilliant, especially for such a short theme (I don't know the rest of Nixon, so perhaps it's more prominent in some other tracks). there aren't many who can make that much out of such a tiny piece of music.

i don't like that piano is in that cue,it ruins the feel or pacing or something

K.M.

[Marian Schedenig 8,227]

forgot about Battle of Hoth,I thought there was no piano in Star Wars.

Battle of Hoth is certainly one of his best. But I think there's a piano in the original Star Wars as well, in some of the Death Star action music? Anyway, ESB has more piano, it's in the Imperial March, and possibly in Asteroid Field (not sure about the latter). And of course there's Luke and Leia in ROTJ.

Marian - not sure about the two newer scores.

Gerhardt's Waxman compilation

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

Theme from Sabrina - reprise.

I don't know if this is the best "use", but it is gorgeous. Wonderful, soft, evocative, and for such an unevocative movie. It must be wonderful heard live, in a concert. Did Johnny ever performed a single note from Sabrina at a concert?

[Trumpeteer 302]

I join the masses in praising the end credits of "ET." That had to be fun to play with the dueling pianos (if it's one piano, that's some masterful playing).

I also praise the piano at the beginning of "Battle on Hoth," but it's not included in the film, so I don't count it. It's a nice gem to have on disc, however.

I just love how the piano is introduced at the beginning, when the rebels first see the AT&T.

"Look at the size of that phone!"

"Cut the chatter Red Two!"

... Sorry, couldn't resist.

But the best piano work is in the beginning of the end credits to "Schindler's List." Stunning when paired with the images of gravestones used to make a road. I can imagine JW sitting at his piano playing this in his studio while those images played on the screen. I would have wept. I always cry when I hear that. It's such a masterfully done piece of work.

Jeff -- who thinks Williams is the only composer left who really loves the piano

[MSM 126]

Theme from Sabrina - reprise.

I don't know if this is the best "use", but it is gorgeous. Wonderful, soft, evocative, and for such an unevocative movie. It must be wonderful heard live, in a concert. Did Johnny ever performed a single note from Sabrina at a concert?

Hi Yoda!

Good to see you! Still looking for time to mail you.

You know my opinion, Sabrina is awesome. I don't ever want to see the movie because don't want the music to be associated with anything but my own thoughts.

I think I have seen Theme from Sabrina listed in concert programs of Williams once.

MSM

[MSM 126]

And what about the piano at the beginning of the End Credits to Jurassic Park? I love the way the Theme is delicately played and the whole orchestra slowly comes into play for a last reprise before the fade out.

Yeah that one is great too. I especially love this part in which the piano plays the theme unisono with the celesta.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

The bit in The Battle of Hoth is awesome! Too bad it was cut from the final film.

- Marc

Requiem For A Dream (TTT Remix)

[Uni 306]

But I think there's a piano in the original Star Wars as well, in some of the Death Star action music?

Oh yeah....you're right. That reminds me of another good one. There is a virtuoso Williams piano moment during the stealth raid aboard the Death Star--perhaps one of the only moments a film character actually gets involved in the effect, too. When Ben Kenobi needs a quick distraction, he lifts a finger and uses the Force to influence the "weak-minded" LSO pianist into tapping a note in the higher range. (Pretty cool that the stormtroopers heard it, too, considering the score was recorded months later.)

How much more clever can it get than that?

I just love how the piano is introduced at the beginning, when the rebels first see the AT&T.

"Look at the size of that phone!"

"Cut the chatter Red Two!"

... Sorry, couldn't resist.

;) ROTFLMAO

- Uni

[Elmo Lewis 6]

I was going to say The Float from CMIYC and Battle of Hoth, (not the ATAT-walking part, but the part when Luke crashes on the snow).... But those are already taken, so I'll stick to The Lost World main theme.

[Justin 2]

Jeff -- who thinks Williams is the only composer left who really loves the piano

Thomas Newman uses the Piano in every one of his scores, he even plays the solos.

Justin

[Albaicin 0]

I agree that 'Sabrina' and 'E.T.' are the best examples of the use of piano by Williams.

But appart from 'Over the Moon' (or 'End Title) in the 'E.T.' score, there is another highlight in 'The Magic of Halloween' just before the 'Flying' theme plays for the first time (at 1:21 in 'The Magic of Halloween' cue in the 1996 Special Edition).

Also 'Pressumed Innocent' and 'Angela's Ashes' (which has the best use of chamber-like music: oboe, harp, cello, piano...)

The use of the piano allongside the percussion section in TESB is inspired, too. And I'm not sure but I think I've read somewhere that there were actually two 'prepared' pianos (alla 'McArthur' by Goldsmith), in order to create a 'mechanized' atmosphere.

[WLW 0]

How about Jane Eyre and Monsignor?

[Hector J. Guzman 1]

Angela´s Ashes

[stuart 0]

My fav piano is the end credits from Monsignor and Sabrina!

[Hector J. Guzman 1]

I was going to say The Float from CMIYC

Ah, yes. That part reminds me of Lenny´s Symphony No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra "The Age of Anxiety".

For the concert version he had the piano slides be played by the vibraphone instead. It sounded really cool.

Bartok Piano Concerto No.3

Peter Donohoe, piano

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Simon Rattle

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

Battle Of Hoth (I believe it's also in The Imperial March if I'm not mistaken?), Departure Of Boba Fett, E.T., The Hunt on TLW, A.I., Hook all come to mind. The softer scores too, (like an Always) but maybe a little overkill because so much piano on them?

[Justin 2]

Hook's Banning Back Home has piano in it. Can't say I'm in love with the cue though.

Justin

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

Theme from Sabrina - reprise.

I don't know if this is the best "use", but it is gorgeous. Wonderful, soft, evocative, and for such an unevocative movie. It must be wonderful heard live, in a concert. Did Johnny ever performed a single note from Sabrina at a concert?

Hi Yoda!

Good to see you! Still looking for time to mail you.

You know my opinion, Sabrina is awesome. I don't ever want to see the movie because don't want the music to be associated with anything but my own thoughts.

I think I have seen Theme from Sabrina listed in concert programs of Williams once.

MSM

Regards from the Czech Republic!

I remember Sabrina being our favorite score to discuss. It's a delicacy at its best. I'm playing it when I feel bad.

Except for the Gershwin Fantasy, where else does John Williams perform on piano? I'd like to know.

[Marian Schedenig 8,227]

Peter Gunn.

Marian - who still only knows the Blues Brothers version.

[Omen II 1,235]

Did Johnny ever performed a single note from Sabrina at a concert?

YL,

John Williams conducted the theme from Sabrina at his most recent European concert with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1998, although he did not perform as soloist. The orchestra's regular keyboard player tinkled the ivories.

That Bloke mentioned the theme from The Eiger Sanction but overlooked the superb Fifty Miles of Desert with its fiendish bass piano riff throughout. Surely one of Johnny's best uses of the pianoforte! Good call on 'Earthquake', though.

Damien

[Marian Schedenig 8,227]

That Bloke mentioned the theme from The Eiger Sanction but overlooked the superb Fifty Miles of Desert with its fiendish bass piano riff throughout.

Is that the one foreshadowing that bit of action music when climbing the mountain in CE3K? Those are two great bits.

Marian - who hasn't listened to Eiger in many many months.

Jesus Christ Superstar (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

[Adam 1]

A couple things that have come up :

I also recall reading that JW used two pianos (or more, I can't remember) for the Hoth sequence in addition to all of the added percussion.

Chris Crushercomix, you seemed to mention/ask about Always and the prominence of the piano. The score uses very little piano. In fact, I was a little surprised several people mentioned it as a favorite for use of piano. I think maybe people are going by the concert arrangement on the Spielberg album which incorporates piano in a more complete and striking fashion. There's a little piano in the actual score like the pretty beginning of track 11, but overall, very little and not that notable when it is there (at least to my ears).

I think JW performs the piano on JFK though I can't recall the source that leads me to say that.

Fifty Miles of Desert, another great cue left out of the movie! Speaking of great piano bass riffs, Sleepers - The Football Game certainly qualifies.

- Adam

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

I rarely read in booklets and I actually hoped for more scores to have been blessed by Williams' performing.

Anyway, with the amount of great piano cues we've mentioned so far, I certainly can imagine John Williams composing a score consisted of only piano tracks performed by maestro himself. No orchestra, no other instruments or artificial sounds, only the lone piano and JW's breath. It would be thrilling! I so much wish he would make one of such scores.

Roman.-)

John Williams: Sonata for Piano and the JWFan.net Boys Choir