John Williams

Started by arpeggio, January 22, 2025, 06:17:47 AM

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arpeggio

Interesting.
I did a search and I could not find a thread on John Williams.  So I guess I will start one.
I have learned that Mr. Williams could be a very versatile composer.  I read in an interview that when he was younger he wanted to sound like Varese.  He abandoned that when he became a film composer.  He felt that style was inappropriate for most film scores.
I have been listening to the soundtrack of Prisoner of Azkaban.
At one time Mr. Williams was a jazz pianist and composer.  One of the tracks, "The Knight Bus", sounded like a jazz work.
I was listening to a Berio piano sonata.  There were several tracks in the soundtrack that sounded like the Berio.

relm1

I don't think he's given up on jazz performance, it's just not what he's known for today after the decades of blockbusters he scored.  I recently saw a clip of him during a session playing around with the session pianist on a jazz piece and he kind of suggests to the session performer how that piece should be played.  It's a super sweet behind the scenes moment.

Karl Henning

Quote from: arpeggio on January 22, 2025, 06:17:47 AMAt one time Mr. Williams was a jazz pianist and composer.
It's a series I watched as a boy, so at the time I didn't note who had written the theme:

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Karl Henning

Quote from: Karl Henning on January 23, 2025, 05:45:06 AMIt's a series I watched as a boy, so at the time I didn't note who had written the theme:


The theme I remember starts 2:55-ish.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

relm1

Did you know he also did the music for Gilligan's Island?  You can really tell it's him sometimes.


arpeggio



This is a recent purchase.  It is not from my new CD box that was misplaced during the move.

There are several different Close Encounter Suites.  The one used in the CD is my favorite.

This was originally an LP that was released by RCA.  It appears that an English recording company, Vocalion, obtained the rights for this recording: https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLK4642

It was released in 2022.  I had obtained my copy from Presto Classics.  I could not find it with any domestic dealers, including Amazon.  One can purchase vinyls from Amazon.  Along with Presto I found a few dealers in England that one can order the CD from including Dutton.

This suite has more material than then other suites.  They only used some of the atonal sections and instead concentrate on the so la me so do (sorry if I got the solfège wrong).  It contains the cues that cover the final events of the film starting with the "Barnstorming" section.

This music really shows the versatility of Mr. Williams.  Stylistically it covers the transformation of tonal music to atonal.  In this case he does it in reverse.  It starts with atonal music, then there is an impressionistic section and the finale is neo-romantic.

relm1

#6
Quote from: arpeggio on January 24, 2025, 07:02:58 AM

This is a recent purchase.  It is not from my new CD box that was misplaced during the move.

There are several different Close Encounter Suites.  The one used in the CD is my favorite.

This was originally an LP that was released by RCA.  It appears that an English recording company, Vocalion, obtained the rights for this recording: https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLK4642

It was released in 2022.  I had obtained my copy from Presto Classics.  I could not find it with any domestic dealers, including Amazon.  One can purchase vinyls from Amazon.  Along with Presto I found a few dealers in England that one can order the CD from including Dutton.

This suite has more material than then other suites.  They only used some of the atonal sections and instead concentrate on the so la me so do (sorry if I got the solfège wrong).  It contains the cues that cover the final events of the film starting with the "Barnstorming" section.

This music really shows the versatility of Mr. Williams.  Stylistically it covers the transformation of tonal music to atonal.  In this case he does it in reverse.  It starts with atonal music, then there is an impressionistic section and the finale is neo-romantic.


All the Charles Gerhart rerecordings are excellent, including the Bernard Herrmann one too.  I rented this album from my library when I was a kid and thought it was the soundtrack of those two movies.  I was delighted to discover the true OST had so much more music, but always had a fond memory of hearing the music on its own for the first time from this album.

I once performed next to the man who played the original Close Encounters recording tuba part and was the mothership voice.  I was so starstruck, during breaks and rehearsals, I constantly asked for details about that experience.  He must have been very young at the time, maybe late 20's.  They used three tubas for the mothership sequence and when he first saw the sheet music, it felt like a tuba concerto.

foxandpeng

Quote from: arpeggio on January 24, 2025, 07:02:58 AM

This is a recent purchase.  It is not from my new CD box that was misplaced during the move.

There are several different Close Encounter Suites.  The one used in the CD is my favorite.

This was originally an LP that was released by RCA.  It appears that an English recording company, Vocalion, obtained the rights for this recording: https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDLK4642

It was released in 2022.  I had obtained my copy from Presto Classics.  I could not find it with any domestic dealers, including Amazon.  One can purchase vinyls from Amazon.  Along with Presto I found a few dealers in England that one can order the CD from including Dutton.

This suite has more material than then other suites.  They only used some of the atonal sections and instead concentrate on the so la me so do (sorry if I got the solfège wrong).  It contains the cues that cover the final events of the film starting with the "Barnstorming" section.

This music really shows the versatility of Mr. Williams.  Stylistically it covers the transformation of tonal music to atonal.  In this case he does it in reverse.  It starts with atonal music, then there is an impressionistic section and the finale is neo-romantic.


I am a bug Dan of John Williams and his film music. Glad to see this, and indeed, the whole thread.
"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy

kyjo

Quote from: foxandpeng on January 25, 2025, 02:26:34 PMI am a bug Dan of John Williams and his film music. Glad to see this, and indeed, the whole thread.

"Bug Dan"...surely you mean "big fan"? ;)
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

foxandpeng

Quote from: kyjo on January 26, 2025, 11:53:55 AM"Bug Dan"...surely you mean "big fan"? ;)

Who knows? Clearly I can't spell check my posts, so it's probably anyone's guess.
"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy

arpeggio

Sew watt if a person maid a typo  ;)

Karl Henning

Quote from: foxandpeng on January 26, 2025, 01:07:18 PMWho knows? Clearly I can't spell check my posts, so it's probably anyone's guess.
I kind of like "Bug Dan."
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Papy Oli

Olivier

relm1

He's saying he's a bug named Dan.  I mentioned Johnny scored Gilligan's Island but want to refine that further.  He scored the unaired pilot but the music from that score was tracked throughout the series.  This for example is John Williams music and is in every episode:

https://youtu.be/w6-8huP2QVc?t=104

relm1

Today is John Williams' 93rd birthday and he's still going strong!!!  Happy birthday to you...and wishing you many more and more music too!  His Piano Concerto for Emmanual Ax will premiere this summer.


LKB

Someone should create a Bug Dan avatar for foxandpeng...

And yes, John Williams has done some amazing work over a long stretch of years.
Mit Flügeln, die ich mir errungen...

foxandpeng

Quote from: LKB on February 08, 2025, 06:26:32 AMSomeone should create a Bug Dan avatar for foxandpeng...

And yes, John Williams has done some amazing work over a long stretch of years.

 ;D 🤪😝
"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy