Happy Birthday, John Williams

[filkertom]

Born on this date in 1932. Love him or loathe him (and I unabashedly love him), his film scores have influenced several generations.

What are your favorite Williams pieces? It's hard not to just rattle off the iconic themes for Superman, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and nearly every note in six Star Wars films, but I'm also extremely fond of his work for Hook, Jurassic Park, and the Olympics. I've got a long love for the theme from Lost In Space. But the ones that really get me are his scores for Jaws and especially Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Phenomenally evocative music, unlike anything heard before.

Comments

[terriwells.livejournal.com]

Parts of his theme for "E.T." are wonderfully soaring.

[kilbia.livejournal.com]

My husband *really* hates that I introduced him to the Moosebutter "cover" of John Williams' stuff. The Indiana Jones theme song *was* DH's favorite, but now he can't hear it without also hearing "Kiss a Wookiee, kick a droid...".

[sveethot.livejournal.com]

Hedwig's Theme from the HP movies. Hands down.

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

As much as I like the main theme of Star Wars (and Vader's theme), I think my favorite will always be the cantina band.

[ebenbrooks.livejournal.com]

Superman. Hands down.

[bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com]

John Williams is hands down my absolute favorite living composer/conductor. And it goes beyond just his film scores (which are epic on their own).

That being said, I can't actually say what my favorite piece(s) of his is/are because there are too many to name :)

~*::Meow::*~

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Tom: WHICH theme from Lost In Space? He did two.

I've got a soft spot for the theme from Time Tunnel, myself.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

When I saw that today is John Williams' birthday, my brain immediately started playing the fanfare from Superman.

I love the fanfares he wrote for the Olympics, too.

Two years ago I attended a DSO concert, conducted by Erich Kunzel, of music from Star Trek and by John Williams (billed as "Star Trek Meets Star Wars", but featuring more of Williams' music than just the Star Wars soundtracks). I loved what Kunzel had to say about all the music, and especially about how Williams was so often underrated (by snobs) because he writes soundtracks instead of "real" music.

[pandoradeloeste.livejournal.com]

Seconding the Moosebutter a capella medley, and adding a vote for the Imperial March. (I wanted that to be my wedding processional song. It was voted down, as were a lot of my geekier ideas.)

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I still remember going to see the first Harry Potter movie, and the way the hair on the back of my neck stood up at the very first notes of the opening theme. I knew right then that the music was going to be perfect. And it was.

I also remember realizing, when I listened to the soundtrack album later, that part of the reason it was so perfect was that he'd used far more 3/4 and 6/8 meters than he does for most movies. Gave it an entirely different feel.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

The Throne Room theme from the end of Star Wars. Even more than the Main Theme, that's just the purest essence of what makes the movie.

[liddle-oldman.livejournal.com]

Vader's Theme!

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

The Superman Theme moves me the most.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5_OSsawz4

A Great Tribute... excuse the ad

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Both, actually, but the later one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llNnlE6Hbuc) really rocks.

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

John Williams is the bomb, and I'd say that even if I didn't play French horn. :)

I've watched Star Wars at least once just to pay attention to the soundtrack. And the soundtracks to the first three movies are one of their few saving graces. ("Duel of the Fates", in particular, was an interesting departure for Williams, as he doesn't usually do choral music.)

In Star Wars specifically, Leia's theme and "The Battle of Yavin" are some of the bits that reliably still bring the hairs up on the back of my neck.

And while I don't play tuba, I suspect that tuba players probably enjoy their time in the limelight at the end of Close Encounters more than a little. :)

[jrtom.livejournal.com]

+a couple of items relating to my wedding music:

* The Throne Room was meant to be played for our return to the room after we processed out, but the DJ forgot. sigh.
* We considered having my wife swing up to the front of the hall on a rope, to the "Raiders" main theme, but eventually decided that there was no way they'd let us. :)

[jss]

Someone — I'll let them comment if they're so inclined — used the Imperial March as their wedding recessional.

Edited to correct pronoun trouble. Shoot me now!

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Who DOESN'T like John Williams?

[his-spiffyness.livejournal.com]

Ever hear his Theme from 1941? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKGr2M2JGQU&feature=related)

Interesting fact about the movie: There's a deleted scene where Christopher Lee's character intimidates a prisoner with the "Nazi coat hanger" like Toht later used in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[saganth.livejournal.com]

LMAO! I have the same trouble, sometimes.

[saganth.livejournal.com]

Userpic. For. The. WIN. (just had to say!) :)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to find sources, and can't find many right now. Which pleases me. Basically, for several years, there were voices here and there saying he was too derivative of Tchaikovsky, re-used his own material too much, focused too much on French horn and cello, that kind of noise. In the same universe where Danny Elfman ostensibly writes different music for each of his scores. Shrug.

[susan-the-rogue.livejournal.com]

It's a toss-up between Star Wars and Harry Potter. (Not even going to try and figure out which piece from each movie is my favorite....though the new ending from "Return of the Jedi", where there's fireworks and celebrating on each world, definitely ranks right up there.)

I have to admit, I kinda wish that Moosebutter would do a new John Williams-related song, with lyrics related to one of his other movies. Harry Potter, or possibly Indiana Jones.

[judifilksign.livejournal.com]

I love Leia's theme.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

I love a lot of his movie work--Star Wars being iconic, but I'll also mention that the piece he wrote for Obama's inauguration (based on Simple Gifts) really did something for me, too.

[tomreedtoon.livejournal.com]

The only good thing Harry Knowles ever did on his site, IMHO...was posting a brief MP3 of a British orchestra, at a benefit, that played the themes before the movie premiered. I heard that music and nearly cried.

[bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com]

When two of my friends got married almost 4 years ago, they used the Imperial March for their recessional.

~*::Meow::*~

[bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com]

Addendum: I wrote an entry earlier today linking to some of his other works that aren't film scores.

http://bonnie-rocks.livejournal.com/170151.html

~*::Meow::*~

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I love that video! "John Williams Is The Man!!!"

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I ended up using Throne Room and End Title. :)

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

*grins* I know who! I won't out them, though. :)

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Strings players. He often has the violins headed in about six different directions; it's a right b*tch to follow.

[jss]

Well based on what bonnie_rocks said below, it might be different friends, since the ones I'm thinking of got married more than 4 years ago.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

could be more'n one... :)

[doctorpinkerton.livejournal.com]

We're learning the 'Empire March' for the Chewbacchus Ball down here in New Orleans! I have to say, you don't even realize the depths of Williams's genius until you learn how to play his music. Stunning!

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Us too. And the Jerry Goldsmith Star Trek theme for the processional.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

The moment where it all gelled for me the 1st time I saw the original movie was Luke standing under the twin suns as that lovely, melancholy statement of the Throne Room theme played. That's when I realized that this movie was an instant classic.