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Piano teachers v. Williams


JWfangirl1992

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Dont ask why I named this thread that.

Is it just me or is John Williams not getting the recognition he deserves.

For instances I am playing Across the Stars for my piano recital and I had piano practice today. My piano teachers tells me I have to eliminate one or two lines because its to boring and we might lose a few people in the audience...WOW!!!! But of course if I said i wanted to remove a line from Fur Elise she would have shot me.

You don't have to reply to this but I just wanted to say how stupid my piano teacher is.

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i have to agree with ur piano teacher. Across the stars SUCKS as a piano version. TERRIBLE arrangement (not even made by williams).

i have to say my position is, for a piano piece, choose one that was ORIGINALLY written for piano. EX: the beginning of ET end titles, or Sabrina Theme. All very beautiful (and difficult) piano pieces. much better than a terrible arrangement that some dude made of AOTC.

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Something about Across the Stars without strings doesn't do it for me.

Then again something about Across the Stars doesn't do it for me...not until it's performances in RoTS anyway :|

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To each his own ( i Think thats the right quote).

It is.

Anyway, I remember skimming the piano sheet music for Across the Stars at a store once, and found it pretty straight forward (again, as previously stated, because it wasn't arranged by Williams). I would have gone with something from Harry Potter, like Fawkes or Dobby's theme.

Then again, I'm not sure how far you are into your studies...

Tim

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Well, it gets kind of repetitive the piano part.

Edit: Nevertheless, I guess it's an interesting question to pose to your teacher - why not cut parts from Für Elise, but cut parts from this piece.

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My piano teachers tells me I have to eliminate one or two lines because its to boring and we might lose a few people in the audience...

It sounds like your piano teacher really doesnt like John Willliams music. :devil:

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but ur teacher does have a point about the boring part. i mean williams has this thing in concert works of doing AABAA. Proof? Just about every theme he puts into a 'concert' arrangement Including Across the stars, yoda, imperial, etc. So she is right when it could get boring to the audience. I'm not saying williams' music sucks. only his concert works. In the context of the film, its brilliant. little repetition, and constant changes. just wonderufl. as a concert work tho...erm...ya.

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Ultimate solution? Arrange your own music by ear and set up the structure the way YOU want to. Give credit where credit is due, and as long as you're not selling the arrangement, it's perfectly legal. Just about everything I play on piano frequently these days was arranged by me or is in the process of being arranged by me. If there's a part of the music that doesn't translate well to piano--which happens all the time, even with great music--change it.

If your piano teacher honestly isn't worth your money, discontinue lessons with him or her. Get a new teacher (or study independently). If you merely have differences of opinion on which composers deserve the most merit, get used to it. Most people are stupid enough to actually not care about John Williams' music. I don't get it, but sometimes you gotta let things go. :devil:

Maestro Williams' concert arrangements aren't usually brilliant. The themes of which they are constructed are usually brilliant--don't get me wrong. But he has to create those concert suites in time for the release of the movie, just like the rest of the music, except he doesn't have any visual cues. He's basically writing a very short symphony in a very, very short amount of time. The results aren't always fabulous as a whole, but any one section is a great deal of fun to listen to. Usually. :)

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but ur teacher does have a point about the boring part. i mean williams has this thing in concert works of doing AABAA. Proof? Just about every theme he puts into a 'concert' arrangement Including Across the stars, yoda, imperial, etc. So she is right when it could get boring to the audience. I'm not saying williams' music sucks. only his concert works. In the context of the film, its brilliant. little repetition, and constant changes. just wonderufl. as a concert work tho...erm...ya.

I'm guessing you haven't heard his concert arrangement of The Asteroid Field.

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But of course if I said i wanted to remove a line from Fur Elise she would have shot me.

If I was your paino teacher, I would have shot you for wanting to learn that piece.

And now I am a piano teacher. Watch out kiddies! ROTFLMAO

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I tend to agree that when Johnny created a concert suite version of a certain cue on albums, it tends to be for the most soft and very close to the thematic work in the movie. There isn't much departure nor complex passages that add to it.

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across the stars is a very weak piece, I personally would be embarrassed to play it.

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Joe and I agree on something! beerchug

Steef suggested Leia's Theme above. It's a fairly easy piano arrangement (at least in the ROTS piano book it is) and it's fairly good. The ending is a little rushed and it completely omits the climax from the end of the orchestral version. However, the theme is much better than Across the Stars to begin with. Only trouble is it may be too short for your recital. It's only a couple of pages long.

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I like it as well, Josh500. I loved it from the first time I heard it at that cheesy Episode II album website in April of 2002. It's sweeping, bittersweet, poignant, and heartbreaking at the same time.

Ted

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It's an absolutely beautiful theme, it portrays the love between Anakin and Padme better than the movie does in my opinion. The middle part is excellent, i did learn it by ear and it was a bit tricky to get it but the rest is easy but beautiful. If I could do the arr I would put flourishings and kindda concert style piano to beef it up a bit. Saying that I don't know what the published work sounds like

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I love Across the Stars music too. I'm sure that almost all musics can be reduced for the piano, above all lyrics musics like John Williams verry famous themes. I did a reduction of Across the Stars (for those who are interested, I have put it there : http://s46.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1UZCFEU...SD0O8S9SF51U8HM

My main goal was to reduce all the musics (even the middle part), not part of it like the published arrangements. I hope some other pianists would like to try my version :thumbup:

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I love Across the Stars music too. I'm sure that almost all musics can be reduced for the piano, above all lyrics musics like John Williams verry famous themes. I did a reduction of Across the Stars (for those who are interested, I have put it there : http://s46.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1UZCFEU...SD0O8S9SF51U8HM

My main goal was to reduce all the musics (even the middle part), not part of it like the published arrangements. I hope some other pianists would like to try my version :thumbup:

Good job :)

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Say what you want, but I love Across the Stars (Love Theme from Attack of the Clones). Apparently I'm the only here who does, but I don't give a S**T!!!

:thumbup:

I liked it better when it was called Prologue from Hook. :)

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It is a wonderful piece I don't know how some of you dont like it !

I agree its not as good on the piano but its still quite good.

Does anyone know any sites where I can get older sheet music, like Luke and Leia and The Princess Leia's Theme (even though thats in ROTS)

Oh and has anyone ever played Battle of the Heroes on the piano?

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Sites? Why don't you just buy the sheet music? It's all money going to a good cause. Williams' bank account. There are several books of Star Wars sheet music for piano. You can find Luke and Leia AND Leia's Theme in the Star Wars Trilogy book, and an older publication called The John Williams Anthology. You can find Princess Leia's Theme in the Revenge of the Sith book. Happy ivory-tickling.

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"I'm not saying williams' music sucks. only his concert works."

No, I wouldn't say that!! Check out his Clarinet Concerto and see if you still think that way.

http://www.mytempo.com/williams.htm or look it up on ITUNES - it's a very cool work and very typical John Williams. That piece isn't at all like his other Concerti (it has more film element to it).

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I hope Empty doesn't mind...

but for those of you who enjoyed his piano arrangement...but didn't like the whole synthy midi...

http://s58.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0XO2X8K...6605D7IQ3PP6KPU

Now it's a real piano!

Enjoy...

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I hope Empty doesn't mind...

but for those of you who enjoyed his piano arrangement...but didn't like the whole synthy midi...

http://s58.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0XO2X8K...6605D7IQ3PP6KPU

Now it's a real piano!  

Enjoy...

;) Excellent !! I hate also those midi sound, I never tried to do a good midifiles, only a clean sheet. You seem good with samples, I didn't send it in the YSI link, but maybe would you prefer the Finale file for doing a better audio Blumenkhol (you can PM me if you want it) ? In all case, that's not my first piano arrangement of Star Wars, I'm seriously thinking about recording all my piano arrangement myself and share it on the internet... I fear only some copyrights problems ;)

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Well I've made an arrangement that includes Marion's theme, but the march part of it is mainly based on the existing piano arrangements (with some improved chords, though). I sent the midi to the "Music by JW" website, but I don't know if he wants it...

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I actually used the melody from the piano reduction of Across the Stars for my audition (on French Horn) to the MIT Wind Ensemble. The director, who is used to hear Mozart and Strauss horn concertos was very happy with my choice (and in past years I have used excerpts from the LoTR and other scores.) The director knows, though, that I have a strong passion for listening to and composing film music.

Dont ask why I named this thread that.

Is it just me or is John Williams not getting the recognition he deserves.

For instances I am playing Across the Stars for my piano recital and I had piano practice today. My piano teachers tells me I have to eliminate one or two lines because its to boring and we might lose a few people in the audience...WOW!!!! But of course if I said i wanted to remove a line from Fur Elise she would have shot me.  

You don't have to reply to this but I just wanted to say how stupid my piano teacher is.

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I'm listening to that now....mind if I download that to my ipod? I want to make sure i wouldn't be going against any copyright laws. I'm gonna play that for my piano teacher, hopefully that will change her mind. Beautiful, but did you add some notes your self? I want to make sure I'm not going crazy.

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