Williams not scoring Harry Potter and GoF

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Thanks for ruining my day...

I hope it is like PoA, and he changes his mind. Hell, I'd rather something like CoS again than no Williams score at all. GoF is guaranteed to be a hit, but this Memoirs of Geisha (apart from sounding like one of JK Rowling's false titles for book 7) may not. We'll see... And we'll hope...

So you only care for a Williams score if it comes from a hit film...

Not exactly... I don't know how to rephrase it but I just think Williams would also be guaranteed a great score even if it is in familiar territory (Potter), but if he ventured into something he doesn't do often the results may not please him or us. I guess I'm saying that I'm awfully fond of Williams' Potter scores, and would rather see him score that than something new.

[HPFAN_2 0]

I garuntee that Goblet of Fire has more potential for a brilliant score than Memoirs of Geisha.

P.S. Alexcremers i'm not going anywhere.

[Miguel Andrade 1,264]

I guess I'm saying that I'm awfully fond of Williams' Potter scores, and would rather see him score that than something new.

And I guess that I woudl rather have him scoring something fresh new -- and not necessarily film music -- than doing the same thing over and over again.

[Miguel Andrade 1,264]

I garuntee that Goblet of Fire has more potential for a brilliant score than Memoirs of Geisha.  

And why, do you mind telling me?

[Mari 279]

And I guess that I woudl rather have him scoring something fresh new -- and not necessarily film music -- than doing the same thing over and over again.

Kathy

[JoeinAR 1,949]

So you only care for a Williams score if it comes from a hit film...

basically that is true of how I feel

I garuntee that Goblet of Fire has more potential for a brilliant score than Memoirs of Geisha.  

I also agree with HPFAN, John could score the film of a great book in GOF, or he could score the film Geisha which is sourced from a terrible book.

And I guess that I woudl rather have him scoring something fresh new -- and not necessarily film music  

Miguel, maybe someone needs to remind you, John is a film composer, I don't care about any of his non film/tv related music. As far as I am concerned it doesn't even matter.

Joe, who is a bit bothered that Ricard would post that information over at a shithole like FSM, without posting the same info. here, not to mention the fact that he would post there, when many of us wish he would post here.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I also agree with HPFAN, John could score a great book in GOF, or he could score Geisha which is a terrible book.

John Williams is a film composer, he does not score a book.

Miguel, maybe someone needs to remind you, John is a film composer,

I see you agree with me.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

By "doing the same thing over and over again," do you mean writing film scores? Yes, how dare he!

Ray Barnsbury :roll:

[Miguel Andrade 1,264]

Miguel, maybe someone needs to remind you, John is a film composer, I don't care about any of his non film/tv related music.  As far as I am concerned it doesn't even matter.

Then again, I never saw Mr Williams as a film composer! And glad for that in fact. Is other music, the one you don't give a damn, can be quiet superior to his film work.

Now, i didn't read the Potter book, and don't intend to, but I might give it a try too Geisha. And since I'm not a book critic, I would never, ever state that one is a masterpice and the other plain garbage... but that's just me.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Goodbye, Potter fans, so looooong  !  

And I'll be the first one to welcome you all back the moment you like Williams and his music.  

 

sorry Alex, we are not going anywhere, we've got at least 3 Potter scores and that means we have a legitimate place here.

Joe, who thinks all the people who say we've had enough JW/Potter associations should go censored themselves with a broke coke bottle.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Now, i didn't read the Potter book, and don't intend to, but I might give it a try too Geisha. And since I'm not a book critic, I would never, ever state that one is a masterpice and the other plain garbage... but that's just me.

I've read both books, Geisha first, GOF later. Geisha is a book that is so self absorbed, and full of itself, it is better than say the DaVinci Code, but thats like saying green poop is better than brown.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Is other music, the one you don't give a damn, can be quiet superior to his film work.  

don't think so,

Joe, who would like to see this board if John were not a film composer, oh wait it wouldn't exist, 'cause no one would know, except Miguel, who John was.

[Mari 279]

John Williams is a composer. Film music is his primary medium of expression, but for some of us, his non-film/TV compositions are just as important.

For me at least, it's not that I want to see him stop writing music for films, it's that I want him to express his creativity by composing music for a variety of films.

Kathy

[TownerFan 4,983]

I would like to thank Ricard for pointing out his (very reliable) sources about this news. I've always trusted you, dear Ricard, and I'll continue to do it.

Best,

Maurizio

--

[Miguel Andrade 1,264]

Is other music, the one you don't give a damn, can be quiet superior to his film work.  

don't think so,

Joe, who would like to see this board if John were not a film composer, oh wait it wouldn't exist, 'cause no one would know, except Miguel, who John was.

Joe, the problem you and others seem to have is that they measure someones worth as an artist by his comercial sucess. I wonder if anyone will listen to Williams music in a thousand years, as we do now with Bach, Beethoven and others.

I do know about some composers that are really great ones and that no ones seems to know who they are, just because they choosed to work in a less comercial vein. They are as good, if not better than Williams, and who knows if they don't get to be more listen to in the future.

[A24 4,347]

Maybe someone needs to remind you, John is a film composer.

John Williams is a composer! Too bad you can't appreciate that. Too bad it has to be a certain type of music, a certain type of movie, in order for you to enjoy it. Next thing we know is that you demand that he starts using 8 French horns in his music.

I'm a fan of Williams, the composer. It appears that some of you are only fan of some of the projects he happens to be involved in.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

They are as good, if not better than Williams, and who knows if they don't get to be more listen to in the future.

Yeah, but that's not ganna help them now, is it?

[TownerFan 4,983]

John Williams is a composer.  Film music is his primary medium of expression, but for some of us, his non-film/TV compositions are just as important.

For me at least, it's not that I want to see him stop writing music for films, it's that I want him to express his creativity by composing music for a variety of films.

Kathy

Very well said, Kathy! I'm with you and Miguel on this. I really hope John Wiliams will not stop writing marvelous scores for every genre of movies, but I hope that he'll continue his career as a composer of other type of music... Gee, I'd love to hear a ballet scored by Johnny... or seeing him writing an opera...

[JoeinAR 1,949]

too all the above posts, except for Steef :roll: :roll: :roll:

nobody gives a shit about John Williams the composer, they only care about John Williams the film composer, they are two distinct personalities. One is important to the masses, the other is important to very few

[TownerFan 4,983]

Joe, the problem you and others seem to have is that they measure someones worth as an artist by his comercial sucess. I wonder if anyone will listen to Williams music in a thousand years, as we do now with Bach, Beethoven and others.

I do know about some composers that are really great ones and that no ones seems to know who they are, just because they choosed to work in a less comercial vein. They are as good, if not better than Williams, and who knows if they don't get to be more listen to in the future.

I'm with you, dear Miguel. It's sad that some people value John's output (i.e.: his music!) only on the kind of genre pictures he's working on... I really don't care if he wants to stop working on big fantasy/adventure franchise movies like Harry Potter. I really do care about his work as an artist, and as a composer, both of film music and all the other kinds of music.

It's great, from my tiny point of view, to see such an artist, arrived at the venerable age of 72, trying to reinvent himself, trying to find new paths that could stimulate his creative vein. It's clear that he wants to diversify the most his output and that he wants to confront himself with things that are new. The Potter films, as pure musical opportunity, probably now don't offer to John Williams the same creative challenge as, for example, the Star Wars or Indiana Jones movies did in the late 70's/early 80's. He has already shown almost everything and probably feels that musically there isn't much more to say now. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is clearly a score where he has demostrated still how fresh and lively his creative vein is. But probably now he wants to be challenged, as a composer, by different kinds of things.

And, hey, guys: that's what a real Artist is!!

[Lurker 5]

Joe, who is a bit bothered that Ricard would post that information over at a shithole like FSM, without posting the same info. here, not to mention the fact that he would post there, when many of us wish he would post here.

At FSM they seemed to be questioning this sites validity. The members who post here know better than to do that....unless it's April 1, and even then......

Neil

[Hlao-roo 389]

For me at least, it's not that I want to see him stop writing music for films, it's that I want him to express his creativity by composing music for a variety of films.

That's an admirable sentiment -- and certainly one I share -- but I'm really not so sure that it's automatically more interesting or more "artistically adventurous" for Williams to score films that are -- nominally -- of diverse genres. I think a single Harry Potter film provides a wealth of opportunities for Williams to explore and go, as I like to say, genre-smashing to his heart's content (certainly the Knight Bus was one example). Perhaps variety within a film is as worthy a consideration as variety between films.

[King Mark 3,631]

John Williams is a film composer.

His field of excellence is bigger than life Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Adventure more than any other,except for the 3 or 4 people that like his drawn out drama scores best(Miguel,Peio,Alexcremmer)

Goblet of Fire is the most epic Harry Potter book.

Harry Potter is now mong Williams best series right along SW and Indiana Jones

Only good things can come out of a Williams GoF score

Geisha is going to be another artistically challenging dust collector c.d.

So to most JWfans this is possibly the worst JW news ever.

K.M.

[King Mark 3,631]

 Perhaps variety within a film is as worthy a consideration as variety between films.

Exactly,there's far more variety within the PoA score than ther is in The Terminal

K.M.

[A24 4,347]

too all the above posts, except for Steef :roll:  :roll:  :roll:  

nobody gives a shit about John Williams the composer, they only care about John Williams the film composer, they are two distinct personalities.  One is important to the masses, the other is important to very few.

Whether you like it or not, John is an artist. Close Encounters would've had a more standard score, if people like you, with a discriminating attitude towards anything less commercial, had power over creative minds. That would be creativity on a leash! John says that he learns a lot from writing his serious work. He gains knowledge and musical insight which he then uses in his other work. Moreover, he thinks every film composer should write serious orchestral music too.

In fact, you are opposed to the very thing that makes Williams so great.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[John Crichton 4]

John Williams is a film composer.

His field of excellence is bigger than life Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Adventure more than any other,except for the 3 or 4 people that like his drawn out drama scores best(Miguel,Peio,Alexcremmer)

Goblet of Fire is the most epic Harry Potter book.

Harry Potter is now mong Williams best series right along SW and Indiana Jones

Only good things can come out of a Williams GoF score

Geisha is going to be another artistically challenging dust collector c.d.

So to most JWfans this is possibly the worst JW news ever.

K.M.

Once again I find myself saying:

Perfectly said, K.M.

If you really care about getting the best Williams music, Goblet of Fire is the choice. As long as the movie is made right there are so many scenes that have the potential to be classic Williams moments, moreso than the first 3 films put together. As much as PoA was a deeply personal story (reflected so by the score), GoF is epic, heroic, and eventually very dark. The last part of the score could have rivaled ESB.

And maybe some people here should be less snobbish and elitist when it comes to what they see as JW's "commercial" work. This is where his best stuff is! Just ask his fans.

[A24 4,347]

Many film music fans consider HP and the Philosopher's Stone a dust collector. One shouldn't confuse "Potter" fans with "music" fans. Stop leashing Williams' art.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[John Crichton 4]

Many film music fans concider HP and the Philosopher's Stone a dust collector. One shouldn't confuse "Potter" fans with "music" fans. Stop leashing Williams' art.

----------------

Alex Cremers

So there's no such thing as a Harry Potter fan that has appreciation for film music. Interesting position, since many of us here are both Potter and film music fans, myself included.

And who's "leashing Williams art"? Just because we disagree on which film is a better medium for his style, or which would produce the better score?

[Henry B 50]

A lot of these pro-Geisha or whatever people seem to be operating on the assumption that a Goblet of Fire score would be tired, redundant, and uninteresting.

...

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Many film music fans concider HP and the Philosopher's Stone a dust collector. One shouldn't confuse "Potter" fans with "music" fans. Stop leashing Williams' art.

----------------

Alex Cremers

whose the many Alex, you and your multiple personalities

this also proves your vast knowledge of potterdom is miniscule and insignificant. When you know something about the subject then post about it, otherwise, we know you don't like it, so don't was your time and ours posting about it.

And...just because you've never like it, doesn't mean its not worth liking. Your quick to take me to task for pushing my likes, but you need the same treatment for trying to push your dislikes upon the rest of us.

As for your assinine and idiotic post about Close Encounters, it proves you don't know jack about me. I am perhaps this boards biggest proponent of that score. Only a fool would tell John how to write film music, he does it best in todays envirnment.

As for his non film music, or classical style composistions, I don't care about them, they are monumentally boring. If you and Miguel, and Lord and Mari like them, great, they are for you, they are not for me, and I don't see alot here getting all orgasmic over them either.

[Morlock 11]

Just saw the news. I find this very, very sad.

I just hope Newell goes to Pat Doyle, and not Rachel Portman.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Joe, who would like to see this board if John were not a film composer, oh wait it wouldn't exist, 'cause no one would know, except Miguel, who John was.

Yes, and that'd make his music reaaally bad.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No, it would make his music completely unknown by 99% of people posting here, including myself.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

For those interested, Ricard L. Befan has expanded somewhat on the source of his info.

Our sources are Carter Armstrong, director of music at Warner Brothers, and Conrad Pope, Williams orchestrator.

It can be viewed in this thread.

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/post...21118&forumID=1

[Lurker 5]

This just in!!!

John Barry is not scoring Bond 21.

Neil

[Romão 2,274]

Well, I'm with Miguel and the others. Williams is a composer...he has scored films, made music for the Olympics, for opening galas, for weddings, concertos...al kinds of things. And I don't agree JW's field of excelence is in the action adventure genre...he's better at it than anyone else, true, but I prefer his dramatic scores, where he also excels. Still I would love to hear JW's take on GOF...but as long as he writes more music, whatever the medium, in order to pass GOf, I'm a happy man.

Romão, who thinks Schindler's List, Seven years in Tibet and Angela's Ashes are pinacles of JW's career.

[A24 4,347]

Lessons learned today:

The Potterdom thinks John Williams isn't a composer. They almost see this as a law.

The Potterdom (Mark and Joe) thinks Williams should only compose for very popular films. He's wasting his time on other films.

The Potterdom (feeders of the Beast) thinks Williams shouldn't enrich himself further in other genres. They and we should stick to eating steak every day.

The Potterdom thinks everyone loves the music of HP and the Philosopher's Stone. (And to think it's all based on old rehashed material, hahahahaha.)

The Potterdom is musically very narrow-minded and perhaps, even most likely, in other departments as well.

For what art concerns the Potterword is a place with extremely dangerous convictions, a musically discriminating world with uncreative inhabitants. What an interesting day (then again, there's nothing new under the sun).

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Miguel Andrade 1,264]

Only a fool would tell John which film he should be scoring!!!!

By the way, I don't mind Williams doing this kind of score, for the big fantasy/adventure genre. What I think is that his music for the so called art films -- which are still Hollywood films, not really art cinema, only less popular -- is much closer to his own musical heart. And anyone who may care for Williams concert works -- the larger ones, not the celebratory fanfares -- will understand that.

And I wonder why so many clasify the Potter books as literature masterpieces... I confess I only read the first one, and to be very honest I haven't felt any excited with it, as oposed to Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes -- to use another book-to-film score by Williams.

And about composers being unknown because they don't write for film... Everyone knows John Adams, Peter Maxwell Davies (he even composed for the Boston Pops, remember?), John Taverner, and so many others...

[HPFAN_2 0]

Alexcremers you have a talent for saying the dumbest things.

[A24 4,347]

Alexcremers you have a talent for saying the dumbest things.

Sorry, Mayor of Potter Land, but I didn't say all those things. I did draw some conclusions. What's your talent? You certainly aren't any good at listening to your own people. What else can you do?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

And about composers being unknown because they don't write for film... Everyone knows John Adams, Peter Maxwell Davies (he even composed for the Boston Pops, remember?), John Taverner, and so many others...

Miguel, I love you but you are just wrong.

Do you think as many people know who Adams, Peter Maxwell Davies or Tavener are as the people who know who John Williams is?

Are there as many people who know a piece by John Adams as there are people who know Theme From Star Wars, or Raiders March?

John Williams is the most person alive who's working in the gernre of orchestral music, he would never have become that famous if it was not for those blockbuster films that he scored.

He might have been a good or even great composer, but known to only a very limited crowd.

John Williams is who he is because he was smart enough to score Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman and Harry Potter.

[fommes 153]

John Barry is not scoring Bond 21.

Let's hope David Arnold is.

[Miguel Andrade 1,264]

And about composers being unknown because they don't write for film... Everyone knows John Adams, Peter Maxwell Davies (he even composed for the Boston Pops, remember?), John Taverner, and so many others...

Miguel, I love you but you are just wrong.

Do you think as many people know who Adams, Peter Maxwell Davies or Tavener are as the people who know who John Williams is?

Are there as many peiople who know a piece by John Adams as there are people who know Theme From Star Wars, or Raiders March?

John Williams is the most person alive who's working in the gernre of orchestral music, he would never have become that famous if it was not for those blockbuster films that he scored.

He might have been a good or even great composer, but known to only a very limited crowd.

John Williams is who he is because he was smart enough to score Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman and Harry Potter.

I'm not wrong, we are talking about diferent things.

You are confusing quality with popularity.

Yes, Williams is more popular, I won't discuss that, and he is so because of his film work, still those composer mentioned are also very, and i really mean VERY famous. You live on this boards were most don't know about them.

And for your reference, I also find them much better composers than Williams, despite Williams being my personal favourite.

[HPFAN_2 0]

What's your talent? You certainly aren't any good at listening to your own people.  

My own people!?

Again Alexcremers your talent shines brightly.

[TownerFan 4,983]

A lot of these pro-Geisha or whatever people seem to be operating on the assumption that a Goblet of Fire score would be tired, redundant, and uninteresting.

Well, that's not exactly the point. I am sure that if Williams will write the score for Harry Potter IV, it will be a damn great score, because John Williams doesn't write tired, redundant and uninteresting music... And that's a flat fact. But many of you intstead are sure that he'll write boring, uninteresting music if he's not working on a big fantasy/adventure blockbuster...

The fact is that maybe in these years he feels more challenged as an artist and as a composer if he put his own energy and talent on a drama like Memoirs of a Geisha or the upcoming Spielberg movie about the Mossad. Of course I don't know if these movies will be better than Goblet of Fire, but still that's not the point. Probably John Williams feels that he has already said everything that could be said for the Potter world and feels much more interested and stimulated in scoring other kinds of movies.

And for the fact that many people here seems to assume that John's "serious" concert music is boring or uninteresting, well, probably we have different tastes. It happens that I love his concert compositions. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, right? But remember that John Williams is a composer in the fullest sense of the term. Of course his film career is what made him famous and rich, and probably it's the reason why he will be remembered in times to come. But his musical life is a very rich, diverse and challenging one. He's great and inspired also when he's not writing bold fanfares and brassy anthems.

[A24 4,347]

Again Alexcremers your talent shines brightly.

I'm still waiting for your talent to shine through.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

[ because John Williams doesn't write tired, redundant and uninteresting music... And that's a flat fact.

The Patriot.

[A24 4,347]

Damn!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Damn who?

[A24 4,347]

He's great and inspired also when he's not writing bold fanfares and brassy anthems.

That's the line I needed for the print on my new T-shirt!