Jan 03, 2005 07:12 PM
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(Updated Jan 03, 2005 07:12 PM)
Cinema is an art of sound and light. A movie can be made without songs but cannot be made without music. Do you think a stand alone visual can create an impact without music? Just try it out, mute the sound when you get a chance to watch these scenes
The visual showing top angle shot of the entire Titanic ship with camera flying in a direction opposite to that of the motion of the ship when it starts its journey from Southampton. Cut to next shot, Titanic crosses a small boat sailing in the sea which makes the whole screen black
Do you think this visual gave us an idea about the grandeur of the ship? Of course it did but to some extent but now replay the scene with sound on, you will realize how effectively the impact of the visual is amplified by the score. This scene was my first realization of importance of background score (by James Horner) in a movie.
And more recently one more visual which stunned me was from the movie E.T. Elliot takes E.T with him in a bicycle to a forest and when he loses his control, E.T with its supernatural powers lifts the cycle and they start to fly in the air crossing an exaggerated blue moon in the sky. John Williams gave an exhilarating background score for this scene in which the sound conveys exact thrill, fantasy, miracle and surprise embedded in the visual.
“I want to salute John Williams – the quintessential film composer. John has transformed and uplifted every movie we’ve made together” – Steven Spielberg
I felt Spielberg’s words are 100% true when I watched the movie E.T and also later when I heard this album “John Williams (1969-1999) Greatest Hits”. This is a 2 CD package which has selected 28 themes written by John Williams fro various movies covering three decades of his life from 1969 – 1999 as a film composer. Sony classical has given a great tribute to Williams by making this compilation. This I feel as the most complete album and one of the best compilations that I have in my music library. The tracks in this album are not its original versions. All the scores are rerecorded and conducted by John Williams himself and also digitally remastered to enhance the audio quality.
John Williams gives an extremely catchy tune in his each and every theme which when elaborated and orchestrated with all minute details and complexities introduced into it, we get evocative, vibrant, and grand roaring scores. When the same theme is orchestrated differently according to the mood of the visuals in a movie, the catchy theme sets a unique sound to the movie so that whenever we hear the theme, the movie and its visuals flashes in our mind.
Previously I had a notion that OST albums of action and war movies can’t be heard and enjoyed separately (Read my review on Matrix revolution OST album) without the visuals but this album proved me wrong. Among the 28 themes in the album, I have seen only few visuals in which these themes are used but I instantly liked all the tracks. This never happens with the scores of any other composer.
This compilation explores the versatility of the composer. What kind of theme you want? Heroic, action, war, horror, thrill, humor, pathos, love, fantasy, miracle, adventure, surprise, hymn and what else. You name it he has done it already.
The most fascinating thing about his score is that even a brief stream of notes added by someone sitting in the corner of a huge orchestra having some instrument in his hand will add to the overall beauty of the score. Like a movie having main plot and subplots, his scores will also have a main theme and sub themes emerging out of it. Even these little prodigies has got catchy stream of notes which adds more complexity and elegance to the score when all converges into the main theme again.
The major plus of his scores is that it appeals to all kind of listeners. Those who listen to it on a surface level also will enjoy the score and well for serious music listeners it is a delight. If you listen to it more deeply (with headphones) unlayering the minute details, subtlety and the complexity in the score, it will take you to a different world of music where you live alone with violins, brass, trumpets, cellos, woodwinds etc., We have heard of trend setter but these scores are mood setters as you get into hearing the CD having various scores written for various moods, the sound of it virtually pulls you into its respective moods.
Well with all been said we will get into a brief description on the tracks.
War and Action Themes
“Star Wars” theme will easily get into any list of best film scores ever. The pulsating rhythm with roaring and thundering orchestration leaves the listeners dumbstruck. The complexity and yet its ability to reach and kindle the sensory of commoners is still a subject to do research and write a thesis on. And we do have “Dual of Fates” from its sequel “Phantom of Menace” with a completely different theme. This time Williams uses the Choir for evocating the grandeur. This score explores the wide range of grandeur and emotions that a choir can produce than any other instrumental orchestra.
Anti Gravity Themes
These themes orchestrated with a stream of violins in groups creating an airy and wavy feel in sound makes us fell like virtually flying in the air. This is the effect exactly produced in “Flying theme” from “E.T”. “Flight to Neverland” from “Hook” takes us to a roller coaster ride in a flight. And one cannot forget main title theme of “Superman”. Superman is a larger than life hero having the power of flying in skyscraping speeds. Superman theme perfectly sounds all the characteristics of this character with trumpets and horns blowing to full throat and strings striking an airy and wavy feel in it. Similar feel we get when we hear the first part of the theme of “Jurassic Park” which I think is used in the background for the visual of flying helicopter across a vast ocean and it reaching the Island of Jurassic Park.
Marching Ahead
The compilation includes 4 tracks on this theme. “Parade of the slave children” from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “The imperial march” from “The Empire Strikes back”, “The Raiders March” from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, and “March” from “1941”. Initially, all the scores may sound similar but on repeated hearing one can spot the variety in the themes written for the same purpose. The disciplined orchestration of leaping trombones, banging percussions and rolling drums evocate the discipline in the March.
Non film scores
John Williams has got the privilege of writing scores for Olympic Games. “The Olympic Fanfare and theme” written for 1984 Olympic games, Los Angeles has a grand inaugurating and celebrating mood in its sound which also injects sermons of enthusiasm of participation, spirit of success and ecstasy of watching the game together into the listeners. Similarly his score “Summon the Heroes” for 1996 Atlanta Olympics is also included in the album.
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