Soundtrack

[Felicia Rickmann]

I haven't seen Shindler's List but I know what you mean Amanda, whoever
didn't recgnise the argument you proposed was either very dim, or
deliberately obtuse.

It is a unique alikeness that tanscends the films he composes for.  Certain
arrangements of instruments (as with the brass mentioned) and tonal passages
recur whatever the film composed for, it's a fingerprint I recognise him by,
that and the debt to Gustav Holst and Prokofiev.

John Williams manages to create a soundworld unique to each film still with
his recognisable style, no more so than Philosopher's Stone which is a
hugely inventive series of variations on a theme that ranges from the
harmonically lush Hedwig's Theme (a real favourite of mine) to the wildy
dangerous Chess Game.

I was astonished that it did not do better at the Oscars, I did not find the
other music as exciting (any of it..... ;-))

Felicia
A sucker for C Major chords!!!!


> > Well much of John Williams music has phrasing that is similar to the
> > other movies he does.  It is partly because he loves the brass section
> > and partly because he works on so many soundtracks at one time.  In
> > the Hook soundtrack this is especially true.  It is eirry.  It almost
> > goes beyond noticing a composing style and into the realm of
> > unconscious tune mixing.
>
> I said this once, and nobody seemed to get what I meant, but for me the
main
> theme in the first movie always, when I'm humming it, manages to segue
into
> Schindler's List. The only comment I got when I pointed this out a year
ago
> was that Schindler's List and Harry Potter (as works) were nothing alike,
> which had not been what I was saying (I'm not even sure how the responder
> *got* there....anyway). Has anyone noticed this?
>
> --Amanda