Even if you don’t recognize his name, you probably know his music.
His name is John Williams and he is the man responsible for composing some of the most memorable movie scores of all time – cinematic classics like Star Wars, Schindler’s List, E.T., and Superman.
This Saturday and Sunday evening, MISO pays tribute to the work of John Williams and other celebrated film score composers with “Golden Sounds from Hollywood” at the Gusman Concert Hall and the Lincoln Theatre.
In preparation for this event, we wanted to give MISO fans a behind the scenes perspective on some of William’s most memorable film scores.
The Force Behind Star Wars
When John Williams was approached by George Lucas to compose the music for the first Star Wars film, he had no idea the film would soar to the heights of cinematic significance it enjoys today. Looking back on the experience, Williams recalls that:
“…We all looked at the film, George Lucas, our mutual friend Steven Spielberg and others, and we all thought, ‘Wow, this is a fantastic movie. It’ll be great for children on Saturday afternoons,’ never realizing that this newly minted mythology that George Lucas had created would find such a deep and continuing and long-lasting audience around the world.”[1]
The choice to pursue a symphonic orchestral sound for this space-age film was deeply rooted in the epic storyline of Star Wars. As Williams notes in a May 2005 interview with National Public Radio:
“The translation of heroic impulses and feelings and reactions, and thinking in terms of melodrama and opera bring us in the direction of a symphony orchestra rather than with a group synthesizers or computers that might produce the spacey, otherworldly sounds you might expect.”[2]
The success of the Star Wars soundtrack was unparalleled: 4 million copies of the soundtrack were sold in the first year alone, helping the symphonic film score make its deserved comeback in contemporary film. It also won Williams an Academy Award for Best Musical Score in 1978.
The Superhero Sounds of Superman
Comic book fans around the world delighted when they saw their favorite graphic novel hero come to life in Superman.
From the opening title music to the lyrical love theme (”Can You Read My Mind,” a best song nominee), with a stirring motif for the planet Krypton and a comic march for the villains, this score captured all of the comic-book thrills of Richard Donner’s 1978 film with the late Christopher Reeve.
The Emotion of Schindler’s List
Of all of John Williams’ movie scores, Steven Spielberg says Schindler’s List remains his favorite. It’s not difficult to see why. The emotive, haunting melody and moving violin solos capture both the horrors of the Holocaust and the resilience of humanity, helping the film’s message remain in the hearts of moviegoers long after the credits rolled.
Close Encounters with E.T.
Williams won his fourth Oscar for Spielberg’s 1982 hit about the cuddly alien and the boy who helps him go home. MISO fans may remember the classic scene at the end of the film when the bicycles fly over the moon; this remains one of John Williams’ favorite moments in the films he has written for. Here’s why:
“Everyone remembers the kids taking off on the bikes to take E.T. back to the spaceship while the police are pursuing them. That’s a tremendous chase. It’s the magic of cinema…an unreal world, but if you’re prepared for it emotionally, story-wise, musically, when those bikes take off, the kids soar above the moon, and the orchestra soars…We’ve hit a moment that everyone working in this medium lives for. They don’t come every day.”[3]
Williams’ soaring orchestra helped lift E.T.’s bicycle over the woods and endeared the little guy to millions of hearts. The final moments of the film are as grand and emotional as any in modern film, thanks to Williams’ brilliant score.
Golden Sounds from Hollywood
Join MISO this weekend for Golden Sounds from Hollywood to hear these cinematic classics, as well as works from other celebrated composers including Strauss, Wagner, Garcia, Morricone and more!
Date: Saturday, December 5
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Gusman Concert Hall at University of Miami, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables
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Date: Sunday, December 6
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Lincoln Theatre, 541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL
For the Dec. 6 concert, please remember to bring a toy or a pair of pajamas for a local child in need to benefit Broward Cares for Kids, an organization dedicated to protecting abused, neglected and abandoned children in Broward County.
[1] CNN Live Today, May 15, 2002
[2] National Public Radio, May 22, 2005
[3] ABC Nightline News, March 1, 2006
