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Favorite instrument group Williams writes for?


Which instrument group does JW write the best music for?  

37 members have voted

  1. 1.

    • Brass
      19
    • Woodwinds
      1
    • Strings
      6
    • Percussion (pitched and un-pitched)
      0
    • A combination (please specify)
      1
    • It's all good (no one section has better music)
      10
    • Chorus
      0


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I have to say that he's an all-around awesome composer. He doesn't work specifically in one section. Rather, he pushes every section to its potential and maximum for a combined wonderful effect.

~Harry :)

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I agree, but I can never get enough of his brass. There is not doubt in my mind, however, that he completely understands every section. I know that he is the best at every section.

Conor :)

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Yes, Williams writes fantastically for all sections (even woodwinds-how much can you really do with them? :) ) But I enjoy his wonderful brass and lush strings sections the most. Anyone who features trumpets so well has his head in the right place!

Ray Barnsbury

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I think that what Williams is exceedingly good at is having the different sections of the orchestra work together. If I had to choose a section, I'd say strings because I'm exceedingly biased and because of the climaxes of Leia's theme and such (and specifically, strings + horn). But working on Star Wars, there's this one place that always gives me the tingles when I listen to it that I didn't really notice before.

The violins are sitting there for 4(?) measures playing 16th note runs down (I don't know the exact notes, but along the lines of G-F-E-D-G-F-E-D-G-F-E-D etc.), then they switch to doubled eighth notes (i.e., theyare still playing 16th notes, but it only changes note value every other note) as the brass picks up and does their da-daaaa-duh-da-daaaa-duh thing (pergaps notes like G-G-D?, values 16th, quarter.., eigth). Yeah, if I had my CD handy, I'd give you a timecode. But look for a thread for recordings of the concert (whole thing, not just SW) and the long-awaited(?) updated attempt at playing Seven Years in Tibet, and maybe a coupld other things if I can think of them. I'll post the time then. And it'll be easier to hear; I made the violins play louder than other recordings. (There are a lot of awsome accompanient parts that are easy to miss without the score in front of you, but that once you know about, you always hear.)

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Even though I really love all his writing, (And i do think that most scores for some reason "sound" like John Williams), I think his brass writing takes the cake! It makes me want to crank up the volume on my cd player! HEAVY METAL!!!!! Now don't get me wrong, I don't think all his music sounds the same, I just think there is something about his writing, his doubling perhaps that makes his music HIS!

The strings, percussion, and vocal writing comes in a tie in second!!!!

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Well this is very specialized, but for insiders you must admit that Williams is brilliant in writing for the Cymbals a Deux and the Bass Drum. Examples are Land race from Far and Away or Summon the Heroes.

Clash Booom !!! Fantastic

I wander what cymbals they use, they have to be LARGE

PetePan

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I wonder how many "inches". . . . :oops:  :twisted:  

Ren, I'm really considering to use this quote as my signature, just as your other quote is also used already.

Only one woman on this board, and a naugty one :(:|:)

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Brass definitely, and more specifically, I'm a sucker for the horns ("french" horns). I don't know that I can cite any examples (only one comes to mind at the moment -- the one measure at the end of the Star Wars fanfare, before the strings do their big run and things quiet down). And I really like it when the bottom really falls out and the low brass boom in. Trumpets are cool, too, but I'm all about some horns and low brass.

:( The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps...talk about some brass!...

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Hey! It's not me! You guys here leave everything wide open for the taking!!!!!!! (get it!0

about the french horns. . . oooooooo they make me get goosebumps! ESPECIALLY Grainger's writing for them!

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I love his music overall, but I especially like his writing for brass. One of my favorite examples is in Raiders of the Lost Ark. I love the theme, which is mainly carried by the brass, and all of the double tounging stuff that the brass players do in In the Idol's Temple. That's just awesome. Sure that's a dumb reason, but whatever. Other examples include: the Superman theme, Summon the heros, and Olympic Fanfare. I love all of the brass parts in all of those songs.

-Jason

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c2001h and Morn: His brass is the most amazing stuff. I'm a sucker for horns and, arguably, Williams' horn lines are downright amazing and unmatched. Being a trombone player (like Johnny, by the way), I appreciate his excellent use of t-bones in the SW scores and at the end of the "Raiders March" and "Imperial March".

His strings are my second favorite. Angela's Ashes was gorgeous, I thought, and, between Brass and Strings, it makes up much of the reason(s) why I love his music so much.

He's a damn genius, for goodness' sake!

Dan - who knows many genii

:mrgreen: "A Christmas Quilt" from Stepmom

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Dan, you say Williams plays trombone? I read somewhere that he plays trumpet and clarinet. Anyone know anything else about what instruments he plays?

Ray Barnsbury

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He plays some trumpet, but it's at a very amateur level, he says. He took t-bone lessons all throughout high school as he was mastering the piano.

So - to answer your question: he plays piano, trombone, and trumpet (in order of best skill, too.)

I've never read of him playing the clarinet -- that's what Spielberg plays.

Lucas plays the radio.

Dan - who knows Johnny could do it all if he wanted to --- maybe except for strings....

:mrgreen: "Viewing Daedalus" from SpaceCamp

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I don't think that there is one particular group that he writes the best music for. Serioussly, he's great with everything. One thing that is often overlooked about him though is percussion. Especially for the Star Wars films, Williams has written some amazing percussion. I love what he does with the timpani and xylophone

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I love anything Williams works on. I could not say what especific group of instruments Williams does better because all of them sound good. Of course in certain pieces or cues one is more astounding then in other.

:music:

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I thought first about brass because of the fanfares and then thought about the different concertos and how well he writes for each instrument and then thought about the choral works like Duel Of The Fates and finally realized he writes excellently for all instruments. (My brain is now tired from all this thinking). :)

Mari: cat-woman :music:

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well, being a piano player I'm quite attached to playing JW music on it. . .BUT if I had to do my life all over again, I'd have played cello

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well, being a piano player I'm quite attached to playing JW music on it. . .BUT if I had to do my life all over again, I'd have played cello

That's the spirit. :)

Evan, being way too celloisitc (cellosm is like nationalism, except over an instrument instead of a country) :mrgreen:

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i don't know what it is about cello. When I studied it in string methods in college I really liked playing it. Almost every pianist I talk to says the same thing too: If they had to do it over again, they'd pick cello.

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I love the euphonium, Harry! I think it's the most beautiful, mellow-sounding instrument.

Yes, c2001h, the t-bones at the end of Superman are outstanding.

Of course, Morn, I overlooked the fact that his piano writing is beautiful as well.

And yes, his percussion is excellent. There are some composers that are "better" than Johnny at percussion, but when he concentrates on it, he really is phenomenal.

Dan - who plays piano, t-bone, baritone (b.c.), saxophone, tuba and his CDs. And I'm thinking of buying myself a cello and learning how to play!!

I loff eet!

:) "Come On, Jerry" from Pay It Forward (T. Newman)

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So you know Steven Mead then Harry, or the Childs Brothers? They are some well known euphonium players from the UK. I played a couple of times with them.

PetePan

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Cool, Pete! You're a euphonium player too? Or you've played with them in an ensemble (meaning you at a different instrument)?

Dan - who played with Arturo Sandoval once

:music: "Ellen Leaves" from The Age Of Innocence (E. Bernstein)

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in combination with your Valentine's Day performances, yes.

Dan - finding that admirable

:music: "The Cider House" from The Cider House Rules (Portman)

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It's the most popular concert of the year. We played a lot of Williams music too. Last year March from Midway.

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