Steven Spielberg is making a film about John Williams
NewsFilm website World Of Reel reports: “Spielberg is currently editing a documentary centered around his longtime composer, John Williams. That’s been taking up most of his time.”
Spielberg is executive producing the documentary along with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein and Meredith Kaulfers for Amblin Television, Imagine Documentaries and Nedland Media.
So I guess we can expect Spielberg to also write the music?
I’ve worked with Mr. Williams on many occasions. He is extraordinarily gracious and kind, and is of course a superlatively skilled composer.
This is what I’ve long thought about him. His work should never be under-rated; he’s a fine composer. I hope he remains well and with us as long as possible.
His score for “Catch Me if you Can” is one of the very best for film I’ve ever heard.
This is wonderful news! Very much looking forward to this.
When my fiance and I got married (1980), she put me in charge of the music for our ceremony. I called John Williams’ office at the Boston Pops, and asked for the orchestral score of the throne room scene at the end of Star Wars (no music had been published at that time) for us to use as the processional.
A few days later, a FedEx envelope shows up with the score, and a very nice note from Mr. Williams.
Wonderful! A fitting tribute from Mr. Spielberg.
Imagine being such a well-known composer (or anything, really) that Steven Spielberg makes a documentary about you. Wow.
Neither man would be where they are today without the other. They deserve equal credit.
All those producers but one director, listed as Laurent Bouzereau on IMDb.
Bouzereau seems to have a long career of making “making of” films.
What about the flying theme from E.T and the melody Mahler wrote in the trio of the 9ths Rondo Burlesque that first appears on trumpet.
It’s funny for film music, there is no one better. He writes music that everyone who has seen the films remembers, whether it’s Star Wars, Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark, or The Midway and so many more. He has a unique style where no one else can come close in bringing the moment to the theatre goers.
When he composes other commissions for symphonic and chamber groups, he tries to be something different. It’s not compelling, it’s typical of composers of his age group and it is not distinct like the film music. I bet if I played a few of his non-film works and did not tell you they were Williams, if you were not familiar with the piece, you would have no idea among a handful of non-minimalist modern classical composers wrote the works.
There are many more talented and interesting composers to consider for a film or documentary. However, not many of them have worked in the film industry, which is seen as the standard and benchmark of popularity, quality, and interest, especially for millions of musically uneducated individuals, particularly in the US.
In think we must strongly embrace the hybrid composers like Williams, at home in both worlds, popular film and less popular ‘absolute music’. And excellently so.
He does far more for building a bridge between the more generally musically interested audiences and the relatively small classical world, than a Xenakis or Birtwistle ever could.