Today is John Williams' 80th
birthday and I thought it apt to pay tribute to a composer who, through his oscar
winning catalogue of scores, has engrained a vast array of films into the
memory of several generations. After a career of nearly 60 years, Williams
has 140 composing credits to his name and the most academy award nominations, second
only to Walt Disney.
Throughout my childhood I
continually enjoyed stomping around the house chanting the themes from Jurassic
Park whilst fighting off velociraptors, and hiding in the far corners of the house when my sisters plagued me with the soundtrack to E.T. (I had an immense
fear of the number one “family” film of all time). Now as an adult, I still
jump for joy when ITV2 play another instalment from the JP trilogy and continue
to hide when E.T. comes on at Christmas; the audio memories remain as strong
and sentimental as ever.
Perhaps most notable for character themes, Williams has provided the fear behind a finned sea creature, the menace
of a masked, fallen Jedi and the vulnerable endearment of a young wizard. These themes have
become people’s first point of reference when recalling the films themselves.
It is worth mentioning Williams’ relationship with director Steven Spielberg. Long standing collaborations between composer and
director offer a distinct signature to film. Pairings include Sergio Leone and Ennio
Morricone, who provided the backbone of the Spaghetti Western; Tim Burton and
Danny Elfman, who continue to capture fantasy with a purely unique set of visual/audio
syncs, and; the masters of the family blockbuster themselves, Steven Spielberg
and John Williams.
The score to Warhorse is Williams’ latest masterpiece and has already been tipped
for an Oscar. With no indication of retirement, here is hoping Williams will be
writing the soundtrack to my childrens’ childhood.
A few gems for the road...
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