John William's War of the Worlds

[Hrothgar15]

Ooh, tell me the story about Jack Stamp and the 1992 Cavaliers. I've met Mr. Stamp and he confessed that he wrote Gavorkna Fanfare in about three days, so I can't see him getting too upset about their arrangment (which was incredibly close to the original).

[TommySopranoContra]

Now that I own the cd, I was wondering what you all think about the soundtrack from War of the Worlds as it is and if it could be arranged into a successful and competitve show. I used italics because any music could be arranged into a show, I just don't know how good it would be...ala John Cage's works :P

(I think the soundtrack is pretty great)

Sounds very santa clara vanguard-ish like 99-03 kinda shows.

I hope no one does Pirates of the Carribean for a show.

[KevinSop85]

Sounds very santa clara vanguard-ish like 99-03 kinda shows.

I hope no one does Pirates of the Carribean for a show.

I hope no one does Pirates either :sshh:

Ryan Turner: Movie Music is not just "Movie Music", some music within movies can be incredibly brilliant and have the ability to make a huge connection with people all throughout the world, although this doesn't happen very often. I know that Mr. Williams may have an ego about his work being performed only by absolute professionals (which I think is extremely cold and in bad taste towards musicians, especially young ones), but do not dismiss his work or any movie music as garbage anyways.

Also, can you back up how his Movie Music is "Hacked to Death in the Final Edit"?

-Ever heard of "The Red Violin", "Amadeus", "Braveheart", or "Interview with the Vampire" ?

Edited December 9, 2005 by KevinSop85

[Ryan H. Turner]

Ryan Turner: Movie Music is not just "Movie Music", some music within movies can be incredibly brilliant and have the ability to make a huge connection with people all throughout the world, although this doesn't happen very often. I know that Mr. Williams may have an ego about his work being performed only by absolute professionals (which I think is extremely cold and in bad taste towards musicians, especially young ones), but do not dismiss his work or any movie music as garbage anyways.

I'm looking....still looking....wait...no not there....let's see....looking over here...nope, not that there either.

Can't say I ever referred to movie music in general as "garbage". And yeah, movie music does make a connection to people. I'm not devoid of understanding of that. But in the whole "heirarchy" of what's important, movie music isn't all that high. SOME of it may be, but most is not.

And while some of Williams' stuff is particularly deep and poignant, most of it is not. EXCITING. Yes. Translatable VERY well to the field? Absolutely. Important? Important enough to NOT be given the chance to have new life in a different medium? Puhleeeeeeeeeze.

[KevinSop85]

I'm looking....still looking....wait...no not there....let's see....looking over here...nope, not that there either.

Can't say I ever referred to movie music in general as "garbage". And yeah, movie music does make a connection to people. I'm not devoid of understanding of that.

Ok.

But in the whole "heirarchy" of what's important, movie music isn't all that high. SOME of it may be, but most is not.

Also true... which could be the result of poor acting/poor movie directing and the lack of free expression but rather composition based on visually set and timed ideas.

And while some of Williams' stuff is particularly deep and poignant, most of it is not. EXCITING. Yes. Translatable VERY well to the field? Absolutely.

I agree

Important? Important enough to NOT be given the chance to have new life in a different medium? Puhleeeeeeeeeze.

I agree that he should not be so dismissive of a marching band/ drum corps performance.

Sorry about the assumption on "Garbage", but my assumption is not way out of line considering the way you worded your opinion about "movie music".

Other than that, I mostly agree with you :P , I just have to stand up for some good music within the genre in which you so easily dismissed before.

Also, I havn't met John Williams so I can't honestly stand up for him as a person, but some of his compositions (although someone else on here says that he really doesn't fully compose many peices without his help, which could be further speculated) are pretty good. Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Bach good? No way!

[madscout96]

Ooh, tell me the story about Jack Stamp and the 1992 Cavaliers. I've met Mr. Stamp and he confessed that he wrote Gavorkna Fanfare in about three days, so I can't see him getting too upset about their arrangment (which was incredibly close to the original).

I had heard that the Cavaliers did not properly get permission from Stamp to use Gavorkna Fanfare, and when Stamp found out he got pretty mad. And he didn't like their treatment of it either, even though it was VERY close to being done verbatim (except for that last little tag at the end, and the big loud chord at the beginning). I don't know first hand, this is just what I heard.

[Tsar Nikk]

Personally I think John Williams is a pompous ########. And his scores for Jurassic Park and Hook suck. Why is he a pompous ########? It's because of his attitude. It's MOVIE MUSIC FOR GOD'S SAKES!! Stand down on the "if it's not played right they can't do it" crap. That just really rankles me.

Now I can "get" Maslanka getting sort of picky about his music because there's a whole spiritual dimension to what he does and what have you. That's fine. But WILLIAMS??? Please. It's movie music. The same music that gets HACKED TO DEATH during the final edit anyway.

So ergo, talented as he may be, with all the weight of his multiple Oscars he has...he's a pompous ########. He needs to relax, and maybe get to a drum corps show soon to see what CAN be done by a dedicated group of professionals with some of his stuff that WOULD translate well over to the field.

Jerk.

Rant over.

I usually agree with you, Ryan, but I must disagree here. Sure, it's movie music...but it's still his creation. It's still his music, his reputation on the line. I am a fan of John Williams, and sure, he has written some repetitive stinkers over the years, but I actually think Jurassic Park and Hook are fairly good. They're no Empire Strikes Back, or Close Encounters, or ET, but they're not terrible.

I can understand him being a little defensive, especially when people go around saying "it's just movie music." It may just be movie music, but it's still someone's creation. John Williams writing music for a film is not much different (in intention/function) than Mozart or Haydn having to write music for a dinner party hosted by their patrons, or for some special ceremony.

If Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms were alive today, do you think they would write movie music? #### yeah! It's an easy paycheck in an uncertain field. Even our greatest living composers today, Glass, Corigliano, and Adams, have toyed with movie music.

Bottom line...he may be a pompous ###, I don't know him personally, so I can't tell you. But in the end, it's still his music, and if he wants it shielded from a gazillion bad marching band arrangements, then that's his call. He has people he trusts to make his arrangements, so it's not like it's an all-out ban on the material.

[geluf]

I know that Mr. Williams may have an ego about his work being performed only by absolute professionals (which I think is extremely cold and in bad taste towards musicians, especially young ones)

This is entirely untrue, he just doesn't want people arranging his work that are going to mess it up. His works are still arranged, by carefully selected people. There are concert band versions of "Harry Potter" out there even.

Also...to an earlier post..."Hook" is one of the best scores of the 90's.

[chris ncsu]

Also...to an earlier post..."Hook" is one of the best scores of the 90's.

Hook is a FANTASTIC score.

That's all.

[boilerman_05]

Sounds very santa clara vanguard-ish like 99-03 kinda shows.

I hope no one does Pirates of the Carribean for a show.

...Magic 2004