February 8, 2007

  • John Williams 75th Birthday

    Today marks the 75th birthday of John Williams.  Friends know me well enough to know that I am a big JW fan.  Pretty much everything he has written I have a recording of somewhere in my collection.  In 1977, I went to my neighbor's house where he played for me this new two-disc set of music for a little science fiction film called Star Wars.  That music would change my life and led me to consider a career in music.  John Williams' music was the first film music I sought out to purchase (and yes, I even have a disco version of the theme from Close Encounters on the original small-sized 33 1/3 LP).

    Last year, I finally got to see the maestro in concert with the Boston Pops.  I had read plenty of times about other people's responses to hearing their favorite film scores conducted by their favorite composer with a slight grin of disbelief on my face.  I can tell you though that when the baton was brough down on the opening "Main Title" from Star Wars at that concert I got goosebumps.  Yes, I had entered the final stages of geekdom.  It was at that concert when I also realized that here was a composer who had written music that is known across at least three generations of people.  Whether it is Jaws or Star Wars, or Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, or later the Harry Potter films, there was something for everyone. 

    The power of orchestral music is still fascinating to realize when you hear it reach young people.  This was hit home to me when I went to see Monsters, Inc. in the theater.  It was filled with young children talking and goofing around as children do.  The cinema music blared abstractedly to cause more noise.  Then the announcer said, "Now, music from the upcoming Harry Potter film, here's "Hedwig's Theme.""  Believe it or not, there was instant silence.  Every kid sat quietly listening intently to this magical piece of pure orchestral music.  Now that was amazing. 

    Williams' began as a jazz pianist, he even had his own little ensemble.  He can be heard playing the wonderful piano solos for Henry Mancini's "Dreamland" on the Peter Gunn recordings, and he conducted the orchestra for a few LPs with Franky Laine, Johnny Desmond, and Vic Damone.  The 1960s found him composing music for a number of television shows culminating in a series of fine themes for several Irwin Allen productions (Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants).  You will even see his name pop up once in a while on Gilligan's Island (though he did not compose that theme) as Johnny Williams.

    He has some interesting historical highlights.  His score for 1968's Heidi was the music heard right after the network segued into the film from a big football game!  Ironically, Williams recently composed the theme for NBC's Sunday Night Football.  He has written new music for several Olympic games and a number of fanfares (inluding one for Michael Dukakis!).  His first notice came for his adaptation of music by Andre Previn for Valley of the Dolls.  Two years later he would receive two Oscar nominations: one for the semi-musical Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and one for the interesting drama The Reivers.  It was the latter score that would get Spielberg's attention and lead to the meeting between George Lucas and Williams that would make film music history.  His first Oscar would be for the adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof which featured Isaac Stern.  His own music would then be nominated yearly (setting a trend that has recurred throughout the composer's life) until he would win his first Oscar for Jaws.  Every decade seems to have its favorite JW score but I thought I would recommend a few below worth listening to in celebration of the composer's special birthday.

    From the 1960s
    Lost in Space
    The Reivers

    From the 1970s
    The Cowboys
    The Towering Inferno
    Jaws
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    Star Wars
    Superman
    The Fury

    From the 1980s
    Raiders of the Lost Ark
    E.T., the Extraterrestrial
    Return of the Jedi
    The Witches of Eastwick

    From the 1990s
    Home Alone
    Hook
    Schindler's List
    Jurassic Park
    Sabrina
    Rosewood
    Amistad
    Saving Private Ryan

    The New Millenium
    A.I.
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    Minority Report
    Catch Me If You Can
    Memoirs of a Geisha

    The suggestions below are for people who want a taste of the music without owning all of the scores, but the scores bolded above are worth the time and effort.