Star Wars - The Genius of John Williams
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- čas přidán 5. 12. 2019
- John Williams' scores for the Star Wars series contain some of the most recognisable, and popular music ever written for film. In this essay I analyse one theme, or set piece, from each of the three trilogies - 'Duel of the Fates' from the prequels, 'Princess Leia's Theme' from the original trilogy and 'The Battle of Crait' from the sequels. I use these to consider how Williams created the iconic sound of the Star Wars universe, as well as how he uses the music to enhance the narrative and add depth to the characters.
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FURTHER WATCHING
Star Wars - Music by John Williams Rare 1980 Documentary: • Video
Star Wars The Force Awakens: John Williams - The Seventh Symphony Featurette: • Star Wars The Force Aw...
FURTHER READING/RESEARCH
Listening to “Star Wars” [Alex Ross]: www.newyorker.com/culture/cul...
A Field Guide to the Musical Leitmotifs of “Star Wars” [Alex Ross]: www.newyorker.com/culture/cul...
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars [Frank Lehman]: franklehman.com/starwars/
Modal Interchange and Semantic Resonance in Themes by John Williams [Tom Schneller]: www.academia.edu/9865115/Moda...
#StarWars #JohnWilliams - Hudba
There's no way Star Wars would ever have been as successful as it was without John Williams.
There is not one without the other, the music and the story/theme are 2 sides of the same coin.
@@dyamigerhold8009 yeah but most the Star Wars movies weren’t that good, but all the scores are legendary and timeless.
@@thewu6252 the prequel trilogy has some of the best scores but they’re also the prequels
@@bocaj7766 It's comments like yours that gave us the sequel trilogy. Never forget that.
@@bocaj7766 lmao I'm sure you're the kind of guy who prefers the sequels 😂
“Without John Williams, bikes don't really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes, There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth, we do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.” Spielberg on John Williams
This man made the soundtracks that defined the childhood of billions. A true legend.
dude. you're gonna make me cry
This man really grew me up using music...
Oh, it's you again.
Or thieves get tortured
@@harveymartinez3079 He got me. Damn.
The more I listen to Duel of the Fates, the more I realize it is Williams' crowning achievement. He essentially has the entire orchestra battling itself to show the battle going on screen, not only between the combatants, but inside characters like Obi Wan.
Freaking brilliant.
I wish the movie itself was that good as the music is, but old Lukas ruined it and Mickey Mouse killed it.
I live I the country and this one time I went to the city and duel of the fates came on my playlist, just as the city came it to view, silhouetted against the fading sunset. Man, I felt like I was in a movie.
@@Bluewizard55
Life can be so beautiful can't it? I love it my friend. Cheers!
duel of the fates is super overrated IMO, there are so many star wars themes way better than it
I actually think his crowning achievement is the redition of the Force Theme when Yoda lifts Luke's X-Wing out of the bog. It's a resurrection theme, and it was perfectly put together for the moment. But Duel of Fates is similarly excellent.
John Williams is like J.R.R Tolkien of music, influenced a whole genre of music while doing something so daring yet so brave
Tolkien is the father of high fantasy. Williams is really only the father of his children
Stole it all from Holst. What's brave about that?
@@Eibon_of_Iqqua don’t talk about something you don’t understand
I would grant the title to Ennio Morricone rather, who opened movie music to so many unexpected sources for soundtrack (from the field canon to human cries by crossing through the harmonica). But I get why you say it about Williams.
@@Eibon_of_Iqqua For the record Lucas wanted it to sound like Holst and Korngold but yeah, it's not original.
"try and imagine what it was like to experience this for the first time"
I don't have to. I was there. I was 8, and had never seen a movie with an orchestral score, as they were not popular at the time. I was so moved I started taking piano lessons so I could learn to play this stuff. I even wrote John Williams a letter telling him how much St5ar Wars changed my perception of music. The best part is John wrote me back. I still have it, a handwritten and signed letter of thanks
That's a great story. I was also 8 when I saw Star Wars in the theater.
👍 His Music - and his reply to you show - what a musical genius, and what a good man he is ! - 🙂 -
Freaking amazing! An heirloom to be cherished. I was 10, and we stood in line at the theater for hours. No pre-sales, they didn’t sell tickets until the previous showing had cleared and the theater was cleaned.
I don't have to imagine either. I was 10 in 1977 when Star Wars came out and was already a John Williams fan. However, I saw several movies in the theater with an orchestral score that came out before Star Wars including Earthquake, The Towering Inferno and Jaws. All scored by John Williams.
That’s so cool!
In my opinion John Williams' Star Wars scores were some of the best of his career.
I would say 'remembrance' and 'adventures on earth'
*schindlers list soundtrack has entered the chat*
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has entered the chat
Harry Potter too
And Jaws, and Jurassic Park
Fun fact: the music at 19:29 is actually a heroic version of the Imperial March. It symbolized Luke carrying his father's spirit with him into the battle.
@@celkyterwilliger maybe 😏
What is the name of that piece of music?
@@vylerdurden2615 “The Spark” from
Last Jedi
@@MariOmor1 Duly noted. I appreciate you, Mari!
Before watching this I was watching some Omori videos…what a surprise, Mari really DOES follow you around everywhere
The Duel of Fates is and forever will be one of the greatest pieces of music every produced.
It is influenced too much by "O Fortuna" in my opinion:
czcams.com/video/GXFSK0ogeg4/video.html
You CANT help but get chills when listening to it.
When I'm feeling charitable, I describe 'Duel of the Fates' as being about 38% as good as "Pump up the Jam'" by Technotronic. Williams' song would have been a great deal catchier if it had featured a woman shouting "Oh-wa, a place to stay, get your booty on the floor tonight" a few times, just as God intended.
@@AutPen38whats wrong with you?
@@AutPen38 😆
I’ve always understood Williams’ score to *be* the Force.
That’s so true. I’ve seen clips of the movies without the music over the years and it’s definitely not the same.
interesting appreciation man... i´never think of it that way
@@artiek1177 you can say that for any movie
The force is strong in this comment.
@@HawkLad Except No Country for Old Men, which has practically no score, and only functions as well as it does because of this lack of music.
Hi! I'm an opera singer, and I know Strauss' Elektra quite well. My mouth literally FELL OPEN when you made the connection between the Agamemnon melody and what Williams did in the Battle of Crait. Mind blown! ✨LOVE this video!
Ahem.
There's an even _earlier_ reference here being made; the resolution there to the end of Crait is in a sense just a modified version of the same base as another piece. Just take it from that "modified 3/4" sort of building semi-Ostenato, and turn it into a straight 4/4 Marcato instead, and if you're playing it in A minor, you fill in the gap at the tail end after the drop down to F minor with an 8th four steps up at C, then repeat that structure into landing on a lingering Am again so that the two bars complete each other to match the even pacing...
It becomes especially obvious if you pay attention to the initial part with the violas in agitato, as however briefly they play that same 3 down, then 4 up melody...
Yeah, that's right. The Imperial March was _already_ a reference to Elektra and the familial vendetta theme. Always was.
@@Sakhmeov ...AWESOME.
hmm hem..
yes yes I concur.
@@Sakhmeov just “Tech’d” us.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
@@DanielBowen1 Techs do that in music as well? Nice. Should have expected no less.
You got an engine or watch or boost pump or something needs repairing?
Princess Leia‘s Theme would even impress Mozart. It’s absolutely angelic. Hard to hear without getting touched at the absolute center of your heart.
Those beats where it hits together just sends shivers through my whole body
leias theme has always brought me to tears.. its one of those songs that does it to me like clockwork.
@@JungleScene especially now that she’s gone…
Probably the theme that gives me the most chills every time I hear it. The nostalgia levels go through the roof!
Across the stars is also amazing
This is, unequivocally, the most comprehensive synopsis on the significance of John Williams and his contributions to music and society at large that I’ve ever come across.
Yes
This channel put out some of the best content I’ve ever watched on CZcams
With most music I like trying to guess the time signature when I listen. With John Williams music, I've just given up. He's a master of forcing you to stop paying attention to the technicalities of the music and just enjoying it instead.
I don't think most of his work hasn't got a defining time signature because he writes to the visuals. Whatever the beats of the scene are he writes to fit. If it cuts to another scene the music reflects it. Listen to the Death Star Battle. When they cut to the rebel control center the music is different, and it randomly changes back and forth with the film edits
Oh hey, it’s Skul
@Richard Peters Sure, but with John, and film scoring in general, it may very well change every measure to match the film cuts
Good for you
As if his music itself is the force.
the prequels need an episode on their own for the other pieces like Anakin's betrayal. amazing video
Totally agree! The prequels have the more story telling themes! It occurs to me that the soundtrack of the OT is more of a keeping up with the action score instead of reflecting the emotions and psychy of the characters, as it is done in the prequels. The title of most of the prequel's scores already indicate that:
Anakin's Theme (TPM)
Anakin Defeats Sebulba (TPM)
Anakin's Betrayal (RoS)
Anakin's Dream (RoS)
Anakin's Dark Deeds (RoS)
Anakin vs Obi Wan (RoS)
Anakin and Padme (AoTC)
Enter Lord Vader (RoS)
Padme's Rumination (RoS)
Palpatine's Teachings (RoS)
Jar Jar's introduction (TPM)
Qui Gon's Noble End (TPM)
He is The Chosen One (TPM)
Duel of the Fates (TPM)
Across the Stars (AoTC)
Battle of Heroes (RoS)
Love Pledge and The Arena (AoTC)
I would love to see his dissection of the beautiful menacing chaos that is "General Grievous."
The Great Jedi Purge is so amazing. I dunno how he put so much emotion into a score but my god he did it.
czcams.com/video/Ab943UeSGPs/video.html
I agree. Revenge of the Sith alone is like an opera.
I don't like the prequels very much
"Try and imagine"... I was there. 13 years old, theater debut. 22 times in 2 weeks. John Williams wrote the music of my LIFE. He is THE master composer of the last century who will be counted as one of the greatest ever for centuries to come.
Peter I was there too, 13 years old, completely changed that first day. I didn't have the financial means to go as many times as you did but I likely saw it 6 times. I purchased the album and listened to it over and over. I had played piano my entire 13 years and played violin for 5 years at this point, so both the Movie and Soundtrack blew this little 13 year old girl away. All these years later I'm still being blown away by both Masterpieces. Between the Star Wars Universe and the Harry Potter universe my nieces and nephews know their Aunt Football Princess carries a wand and a broom because she can feel the force and has a light saber. She also can't hear any of the music without crying-she's a little force sensitive you see. She (me) is also quite grateful to share these memories with others of us who were also there. Thanks for posting.
I think my dad was a couple years older than you, and he said he saw it 17 times that summer. It's so nice to hear someone else's firsthand experience is so similar to my dad's. :) Thanks for sharing!
"A good composer does not imitate; he steals"
- Igor Stravinsky
Hearing Leia’s theme always brings a tear to my eye
It’s so beautiful
Same. Rest in peace, Princess. ❤
Same here
Yep. It just hits different now after Carrie's death.
@@TheSnekDen omg! That made me cry. I hear of her death over a stupid Alexa. She was my hero. Gone too soon
I'm not a musician, can't even read music beyond a few notes, but watched this whole video just because you do such a good job making the music sound so impressive. You do a really good job making the viewer feel that they're watching a masterwork, even for someone who does not understand 3/4 of what you're saying. Great effort.
I play piano for 10 years and to me, this video was disappointing. John Williams is the greatest composer of all time and this robotic boring analysis doesn't do him any justice in my opinion. Would rather have him talk about what the music does to the actual movie.
@@KakaACMiIan
we are waiting for the video with your own analysis, genius
@@KakaACMiIan Pull a Franchen, I dare you
@@alejandro8649 If you don't understand my comment, why are you replying? You seem to think my comment was negative well it wasn't at all. You just make it negative because you're clueless about what I just said. Your comment even has 5 likes that says it all, too many clueless people when it comes to real music. Such a shame
@@annonymous6827 that has 0 correlation to my earlier comment. At the end of the day almost no one without musical experience will understand what I said.
I teared up a few times hearing Leia’s theme. And I literally cried when Luke met Leia for the very last time. I have never cried so happily before.
Two hundred years from now, how will John Williams be viewed? I’d like to think he’ll be ranked among those composers from whom he drew inspiration. For me, he’ll always be the greatest composer of my lifetime. Thank you for this video.
I think he already is viewed amongst them - his name is entirely fit to be uttered alongside those of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Rachmaninov.
This video is criminally underviewed! Brilliant work again ⚡️
Thank you David!
I wholeheartedly agree.
he copied the planets, kings row, and the right of spring by Stravinsky. He really doesn't have original music, heres my proof @
AHA, this is why the youtube algorithm brought me here. It know I follow you. Glad I found this place.
he copied the planets, kings row, and the right of spring by Stravinsky. He really doesn't have original music
I genuinely think the prequels have the best overall scoring. But damn what episode 4 built is incredible. Leia's theme is excellent
I know that the "firsts" are usually the best and leave the longest lasting impression but I think scores for Episodes V and III are far more interesting than the original.
Revenge of sith particularly.....that film is a masterpiece in scoring
The prequels music is great but I do think that the original trilogy has better character themes
@@cheeseisjar3058 I agree. Vader theme, Luke theme, Leia, Luke and Leia and so on.
I don't recall any characters in prequels having their own distinctive motifs. It's like Williams focused more on giving events their own themes rather than the characters
Across the stars is the best love theme in the saga fight me so beautiful
This dude’s narration is legendary.
I know one CZcamsr who was ever able to do that and that was Ahoy, but this dude, is something else
"try and imagine what it was like to experience this for the first time"
Like a lot of other people commenting on this site, I don't have to imagine it. I was there. It was the summer of 1977 when the first "Star Wars" movie hit theaters and my father took me to go see it. I was 9 years old. Take your self back to the summer of '77. Nobody had ever seen anything like this before. The movie just blew people's minds. Williams' score was recognized as an instant masterpiece.
Starting with "Star Wars", Hollywood really mastered the art of the summer blockbuster: Star Wars, Alien, E.T., Superman, Indiana Jones, Terminator, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and so on. All through my youth, in the late 70's and the 80's it seemed like every summer there was at least one blockbuster movie that you had to go see, and, more often than not, it was John Williams who wrote the score for it. I saw them all when they first hit theaters.
This seems like an appropriate place to share this memory. What I remember about all those movies in that period - late 70's through the 80's - is that, with any other movie and with any other composer, when the movie was over and the music came up and the credits rolled, you just got up and left. That was it. But with John Williams - and I have a distinct recollection of seeing this with movies like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the Empire Strikes Back among others - when John Williams scored a movie and the movie was over, the music would come up, the credits would roll and the audience would get up out of their seats AS IF they were about to leave. But almost nobody left. Maybe 10% of the audience would trickle out of the theater, but the other 90% would just stand there, not moving, watching the credits roll and listening to Williams' music. It was incredible to watch. People would just stand there - 5 minutes, 6 minutes - watching the credits roll, drinking in every note of Williams fabulous score just as a tribute to him. Then, finally, the last notes of the score would play, the credits would end, the houselights in the movie theater would come up, everyone would applaud and THEN everyone would make their way out of the theater. I never saw any other composer in that period or since who got the kind of street cred that John Williams did. The only one even remotely in his league was Jerry Goldsmith - Goldsmith got a little bit of that audience respect too, as I recall, but not like Williams. It was just amazing to watch, people standing there 5, 6 minutes in a darkened theater, staring at the screen, saying nothing because that would spoil the moment, just drinking in the music and paying their respects to the Maestro who composed it. I've never seen anything like it since.
Well, that's my memory of the great JW from my childhood. I hope you emjoyed it.
My understanding of the narrator goes something like this, "????????????????????," but he his voice is so pure and beautiful that it mixed beautifully with John William's music.
John Williams made me expand my musical tastes more than any other artist or composer. He made a 10 year old kid who listened to Kiss open his mind to classical music with the soundtrack to a silly science fiction movie which is still a huge part of that 10 year old’s universe 44 years later. When I heard Duel of the Fates for the first time, I realized that he wasn’t just one of the greatest movie soundtrack composers ever, but I believe he belongs in the pantheon of greats alongside the likes of Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky.
Absolutely. Star Wars and Jurassic Park alone earn that praise.
If only he didn’t steal from them lol
@@andyhostas3841 he didn't "steal" from them, he used inspiration from them to create themes that resonate in other pieces throughout. Ffs.
Most modern music artist do that, even in pop and country.
@@andyhostas3841 This is nonsense. Inspiration and sampling has been part of composing music and general creativity for centuries; it's not theft, it's how the human brain works. Shakespeare "stole" entire stories to write his plays, and though I'm not as well-versed in music history as I am in literature I'd bet my life that Mozart did the same with his music.
Same, I was 11.
John William’s work is a beautiful piece of art. I might not be the biggest fan of the sequels but you can’t deny that the new themes he created are equally beautiful to the original ones. I especially like Rey’s theme.
Rey's theme is really good
He actually has a very special fondness of Rey's character, which I think shines through immensely in his theme for her. There's also a wonderful video of him giving Daisy Ridley a copy of the sheet music.
Fun fact. Rey’s theme is a major key variation of the Emperor’s theme. The narrative that the sequels had no planned arc is not entirely true. Rey’s lightsaber style in The Force Awakens is also akin to a certain Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious. But I’m sure both of those are pure coincidences 🤦♂️ I try not to jump onto the mob mentality train of ripping on the sequels. There’s a lot of good in there. And Luke not being a saint and living with doubt and shame make his sacrifice and awesome display of Force power in The Last Jedi all the more meaningful. In my opinion.
They’re the only good thing about those abominations, along with Palpatine’s scenes.
@@scottwallace1 You are playing a dangerous game boy...
All you need to hear is that first high note in the main theme and you immediately know which universe you’re in. John Williams is an absolute legend. I had the privilege to go to 2 concerts in my life, one when I was very young and one in Hollywood 2021. He is the greatest composer of ALL time.
🤣🤣🤣
That moment when you realize that not only Darth Maul stood up from every collapse he had and rebuild himself over and over but also his god damn theme song does so as well
"Try to imagine what is what like to experience this for the first time..." I was just a couple rows back in a large dome theater in 1977 when I experienced it for the first time. Blew my 9 year old mind! That music I had never experienced, the Imperial destroyer rolling right over my head! The first album I ever bought with my very own money, just a few weeks later, was the double album Star Wars sound track. I am writing this on the 4th of July. I heard John Williams conduct the LA philharmonic 25 years ago on the 4th at the Hollywood Bowl. Listening to the Star Wars score while fireworks went off overhead (I was in the back parking lot - tickets were sold out) is one of my most memorable experiences!
My dad used to work at the Hollywood Bowl for a number of a years from high school through college at UCLA and it’s amazing how much of an impression some of these shows like you mention had on him as well. Memories the two of you will probably take with you until the end
I saw it on vid. But this piece in ep 1 i saw in the cinema. Was really great!
In 1977 My dad took my sister and I, plus my best friend to see Star Wars at the Cinema 150 in downtown Seattle Washington. I was 15 years old and somehow I felt my life wouldn’t be the same after seeing that movie. Not sure that my life actually changed but it definitely took my ability to suspend disbelief into the next level and I experienced a freeing of my already large imagination to an almost limitless level. I think, for a non drug user like myself, it was like being given a hit of heroine. I’ve craved ever more incredible movie experiences ever since. Avatar was one of those hits just like Star Wars in 1977. So was the movie Stargate, and the Lord Of The Rings movies.
Thank you for talking about that scene between Luke and Leia in TlJ. It's an incredibly powerful musical moment. That Luke and Leia theme is incredible!
One of my favorites. I like it more than Leia's theme and Han and Leia
When I saw this in my feed I was like, "oh great, another williams video." Thank you for totally surpassing my expectations. This was absolutely the most insightful and enjoyable Williams analysis that I have seen in ages!
Ha! I know what you mean... I'm very glad I surpassed your expectations! Thank you for watching.
I agree. Most others just go on and on about Leitmotifs, this analysis actually went into some more profound musical techniques. Very refreshing.
It’s so strange, yet beautiful, that music can get someone excited. I love it. It gives me great pleasure.
I have previously dismissed film-score composers as lesser than the Classical composers but, I realise that this was an ignorant opinion.
This video changed my mind.
I'm really pleased. I definitely think there is a huge amount of film music out there that is worth analysing. It just needs to be given the time.
Remember that many classical composers were simply writing scores for the "films" of their times (operas, plays, etc.).
Film music is the conglomerate counterpart, vital.
@@ListeningIn have you/could you take a look at "The Last of the Mohicans"?
Well, he is stealing from classical pieces so
I have listened to this opening score 100 times(still get chills). And people don’t like Darth maul, but he has he the best musical introduction. I loved the first prequel. Ewan Megregor as obiwan was great.
Makes my hair stand no matter how many times i listen to it
Who tf doesn’t like Maul?
@@mikedobson1678 yeah, l usually think of Maul as one of the best liked characters in the entire prequel trilogy.
Maul has quite a large fan base.
A good musical score can elevate a forgettable character.
Leia’s theme is among the best in a sea of amazing music. So complex and rich and melancholic, it gets me every time.
Across the stars in my opinion is one of the most beautiful and heartwarming themes I’ve ever heard. You can sense the passion and the love within it and it really lets you feel what they are feeling in the moment.
That and leias theme is probably the most Beautiful movie songs ever dare I say even better than ecsticy of gold or western themes like that
“I don’t like sand”.
-Anakin Skywalker
If they had been 22 minutes explaining "The Force Theme" I would have seen them more than delighted.
That soundtrack makes me cry. Is incredible.
I think it's actually Old Ben Kenobi's theme
@@jurassictheory6110 it is not
I am of the opinion that the Force Theme/The Light of the Force is THE greatest piece of music ever composed. I love so much music, but that one, I could listen to it on repeat for the rest of my life, and only that, and still have goosebumps when I die.
@@mdroberg thx for reminding me! I'll start it right after that comment xD
The Force theme and Leia's theme are probably my favorite Star Wars tracks, though every song is wonderul.
I just watched him live at Carnegie Hall last month. It was an incredible experience. I was waiting to see him for over 45 years. It was worth the wait.
I don't have to imagine being there there in the theater hearing Star Wars for the first time. That day in May 1977 at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood will be with me for the rest of my life. My eternal thanks, John Williams. You take me back to being 10 years old every time I hear the open theme for Star Wars. And thank you for the explanation of the music.
19:05 - Damn. Even just watching it here, hearing Luke & Leia's theme, knowing Carrie Fisher is gone, is making me weep.
Same.
And it just happened again. Came to comment it, and lo-and-behold, I commented it when I first watched this video… I am nothing if not predictable.
Because of Duel of the Fates and Leia's Theme, I kept having to restart because I kept listening to the music instead of you.
Same
He wasn't wrong when he said the song demands our attention.
I’m fortunate to have developed skills that allow me to “hear the music” that I’d see in a written score. Your description of what’s happening musically, as the score is shown, deserves high praise. I also agree with your opinion, that “Tie Fighter Attack” ranks near the top of all John Williams’ Star Wars cues … As brilliant as his craft and skill is, the heart and soul of John Williams’ music has been a gift to the world for the past 50 years … his influence is as profound as any of history’s greatest composers. I personally feel blessed to have heard, enjoyed, and learned from his contributions to the world, as I live in the same moment in time as JW.
We sensed that John Williams was brilliant all along. And yet, you, good sir, give us the whys a and hows of it all in a voice that is as expansive and yet precise and rhythmic as that which you explain. Thank you
You just helped me realize how much I adore Princess Leia's theme. Hearing it alongside the score gave me pause. Near teary-eyed for a few seconds. Then, you enlightened me to the nuances of Luke's appearance on Crait, with an evocative ending that, not referencing previous material, was an unexpected move by Williams. Superb video, thanks for reminding me and/or reaffirming why he's my favorite composer.
Thank you Christian. I always appreciate your comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed this video.
@@ListeningIn You're welcome, Barnaby! Thank you for consistently alerting me to new things in the realm of music.
John Williams Main Themes are incredible and part of my regular lineup. However, the scores he did for fight sequences I found to be to classical in nature: being very erratic as stated in this video at 7:09 . That aside he is truly original in his compositions and I have a tribute to him in 1 of the vids on my channel. He's as Absolute - SUPER MAN!!!
What scores do you prefer for fight music?
@@sonkeschmidt2027 Httyd and Kung Fu Panda have there own good fight music
Of course it sounds classical in nature; a ton of it is lifted straight from Holst's Planets.
You miss the point. The vid creator already acknowledges this. You, him, and everyone else. This does nothing to hamper the greatness of williams.
@@MichaelClark-zc7ht:
It really does. Williams' works are mostly cheap imitations, there's no "greatness" there at all.
John Williams is the greatest composer of this generation. Just like the greats, he used the styles of those before him and made them his own. What sets him apart from those greats, is that he used his music not just to paint a visual, but to make the already-made visuals in front of you a part of the music. You cannot hear the Imperial March or the Force Theme and not think of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, respectively. It takes a genius to make music that paints its own picture, but it takes a master to take another person's picture and make his own music synonymous with said pictures.
I had the great pleasure and privilege of experiencing this in the theatre when it first came out. I was 16. We all knew even before the first showing that this was going to be something special. I still remember the opening credits as is scrolled across the screen and that musical score! Amazing.
It brings me sorrow that I will never get to experience the resolution at 11:54 for the first time again
How about 12:30?? Just unbelievable
he copied the planets, kings row, and the right of spring by Stravinsky. He really doesn't have original music, heres my proof he copied the planets, kings row, and the right of spring by Stravinsky. He really doesn't have original music.
@@juanrevelo2440 Well, you are not wrong but this is not new. Many of the great composer of our time and before have done this. It's nothing new and will keep happening. You should watch Tantacrul videos on this. czcams.com/video/gB4lULC87Oo/video.html
Howard Shore, Hanz Zimmer, Ennio Morricone and Danny Elfman have all done it. Agian It's nothing new. Even classic composers do this. There is nothing wrong with taking some melody from another composer as long as you don't directly steal the piece and blatantly use it without asking.
@@nickgismo I know them and i consider them as non original composers because they never shown who they were inspired by
@@juanrevelo2440 the problem is that there’s really only a certain amount of music that can be made, a 8 note scale doesn’t give you a whole lot to work with. Everyone takes inspiration and occasionally copies others, be it on purpose or not. It’s just kinda inevitable.
Bruh. This video is an absolute masterpiece
Your videos are amazing
Both of yours.
-A history and Star Wars nerd
Refreshing. New. Classy too.
I think everyone, myself included, vastly underestimates the impact a musical score has on the films (and even TV shows) we love, and how much these sounds truly move us.
That poem that goes with Duel of the Fates matches up so good with what’s happening in the story. Couple this with Dave Filoni’s explanation of the severity of the scene and it’s one of the best in cinema.
Not only is your analysis great; the way you present it is almost poetic.
Oh shut up.
@@noneofyourbusiness1199 hahaha NICEEE the pretentiousness is strong in that original comment indeed👌lolz
Also God that last line of yours. "And transports us to a galaxy far. Far away." Just put me to fucking tears I love it.
It's pure genius. You don't even have to understand the terminology and technical things about the score to understand that it's unworldly. That it's beyond the norm and very complex. The way he shifts and balances, slows down, speeds up. The emotions that it invokes in you, it's so human.
I’m so happy you chose to analyse Leias theme, it’s one of my favourite melodies of all time
I'm blown away by your cinematic-level editing, insight and care you put into this analysis. I don't know music, but you left me with goosebumps and a desire to learn a whole lot more. Do you have a Patreon? Let us donate $$!!
Wow! Thank you so much! I do have a Patreon as it goes: www.patreon.com/listeningin. Would be amazing to have your support!
I like secretly critique everyone's youtube channel in my head.
This guy fucking crushes it.
Less than 5 minutes automatically earned a subscription for me. Analysis like this, specifically for Williams’ music, is exactly why I studied music in college. Sadly, my own theoretical education did not grant me sufficient understanding and comprehension to notice these things myself. What I wanted more than anything was to find out what it was about my favorite music that made it my favorite music. Well done, amazing content.
Do you play any instuments?
Sounds like a story repeated over and over by people like myself and you who have gone to college.
When you see the 6 lines of sheet from duel of the fates, each showing different instruments, it just makes you appreciate the amount of work Williams had to put in just for one song
A thank you to John Wiliams always seems like it isn't enough. The joy of his music is equal to Beethoven and often exceeds it because he is here today continuing to compose gifts to us all.
That insight on “The Spark” regarding Luke’s appearance is insane. The sequel trilogy’s music is so often cast aside for reusing older themes but I’ve always felt it doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the new, even non-thematic material that Williams created for it.
"The Spark" is the height of a brilliant score for TLJ. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to it. Weaves old motifs with the Strauss "Electra" echo in a way that is pure, original art. You just don't see any of the characters with nearly the same dignity otherwise.
There is a fair bit of reuse, but a lot of the new stuff is really good. Kylo and Rey's themes are obviously excellent, but I really adore Rose's as well.
The music of the sequels suffers mostly because the movies as a whole are garbage. Listening to the music of the original trilogy, and even the prequels, took my mind back to the world of Star Wars to relive the epic moments of the story time and again. But the sequels? There's pretty much nothing that's worth reliving or reminiscing. Most fans rather just want to forget that they ever even existed. It's a shame that such great music is wasted on such criminally bad movies.
I guess I should pay more attention to the score just out of sheer respect for John Williams. I'm never going to watch the sequel movies again anyway, so the music won't be as connected to their badness.
@@WilfredIvanhoe yeah, sure, “most fans”. I mean, if you say so, dude
The sequels don't exsist
This is an exceptional breakdown. That analysis of TLJ of John Williams not only recalling but inventing just shows why he's a master of his craft.
Here you can see how well he ripped off another composer
@@BobbyBriscoeBeats what on earth are you talking about?
@@noneofyourbusiness1199 John Williams stole a ton of his themes from previous compositions
@@BobbyBriscoeBeats What a load of rubbish? Where did you hear that?
@@noneofyourbusiness1199 originally from my high school band director back in the day. Just listen to the planets man. You can look it up on CZcams as well. He stole so many themes and melodies
Luke's Theme on a French Horn is one of the most beautiful, mournful pieces of music ever.
Yet, at the end of _A New Hope,_ it becomes one of the most triumphant pieces ever written in a minor key, especially with that chordal fanfare at the beginning.
Off Topic: That high note on the violin at the very end of the epilogue in _Schindler's List_ makes me cry every time.
P.S. My friend recently commissioned me to write a piece closely reminiscent of John Williams' _Superman_ theme. It was my most challenging and enjoyable composing project ever.
I get chills still. He is a master.
Master at stealing pieces, to be exact.
I remember hearing the opening for the first time. I was six years old, and my dad had just told me that I should watch this movie(episode IV). I already was into science fiction, so when he showed me Star Wars for the first time I was absolutely enthralled. I still remember watching the original(unedited) trilogy with my dad as one of the highlights of my childhood.
You are a lucky individual!
I grew up in Buenos Aires Argentina and was 16 years old in 1977. My cousin Walter came to my house terribly exited because he had just seen The Star Wars movie at our local cinema and wanted me to come with him to see it again. It was a must in his opinion and though I had seen no advertising nor heard of the movie (anywhere) I trusted his taste and went along that same day (Saturday). It had subtitles as we spoke only Spanish and though we had no musical formal training, we just loved it! Even up to this day (Nov 2021) I vividly remember the score and visuals as fresh as it had had happened yesterday, that is the power of John Williams music!
You liked Science Fiction so he made you watch a Fantasy movie ? It doesn't make sense.
@@Steak818 I agree that Star Wars can also be seen as a fantasy series. To be fair my dad also got me into Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. So either way I'm grateful that he showed me the movies that I've come to love as an adult. I only hope that when I have kids that I can do the same with movies and video games that I love.
For me, Star Wars music is some of if not the best pieces of music ever. I remember watching The Last Jedi in theater back in 2017 and getting chills from the epicness of the soundtrack throughout the whole movie, especially in Crait. Williams is a true master.
The story is another, well, story.
@@derekhofstetler3998 Can you just let it go? We’re all aware of the internet’s general opinion of TLJ. Stop being incessant about it.
@@SkiDaBird lol its funny that every time someone mentions that movie, someone has to show up and say how terrible it was. Must've been really, really bad. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this.
@@SkiDaBird Yes, you are right. I should not dwell in the past.
For me, Last Jedi is the best score in the sequel trilogy, my favorite track is The Spark.
Man, I don’t know what it is about this video. But I felt strangely motivated listening to you dissect Williams like this. Incredible video man.
I wish I could go back and hear the intro for the first time every and fully appreciate it. Also, as much as everyone disagrees on the movies themselves, the one thing all star wars fans can agree on is how absolutely magnificent the score is. John Williams cannot miss
i understood all of about 3 words in this video. But it was a wonderful excuse to listen to the best of John Williams and have a little cry over how beautiful it is
I may not love the film overall like some do, but that meeting of Binary Sunset, Luke and Leia’s Theme, and Han Solo and the Princess in TLJ brings me near, if not fully, to tears every time. John Williams has never dropped the ball.
100%.
Why don’t you like the film?
@@thefilmrookie3099 It’s sort of a death by a thousand cuts for me, but I can generally say it’s not the Luke thing. Broadly, it’s down to some logical inconsistencies, odd humour, and that it really squandered a lot of potential (especially for Fin). It also suffers from the same thing the other two films in the trilogy do, which is lack of context. The best way I’ve heard it summed up is that it was a good effort made by a guy who just didn’t quite do his homework.
John Williams made so many people love star wars and they didnt even know it
He's a music genius. He understands what emotions need to be shown with music through the movie .
I grew up in Buenos Aires Argentina and was 16 years old in 1977. My cousin Walter came to my house terribly exited because he had just seen The Star Wars movie at our local cinema and wanted me to come with him to see it again. It was a must in his opinion and though I had seen no advertising nor heard of the movie (anywhere) I trusted his taste and went along that same day (Saturday). It had subtitles as we spoke only Spanish and though we had no musical formal training, we just loved it! Even up to this day (Nov 2021) I vividly remember the score and visuals as fresh as it had had happened yesterday, that is the power of John Williams music!
The track “A New Hope and End Credits” in the ROTS soundtrack brilliantly pulls the prequels score and ANH score together seamlessly for such an epic conclusion. It’s one of my favorite tracks.
It makes my eyes water everytime.
I was 8 back in 1999 when I saw The Phantom Menace. My first time watching Star Wars in a theater (I was already obsessed with the original trilogy lol) Hearing Duel of the Fates during the final duel literally made me shake with anticipation and excitement. I went and purchased the movie soundtrack on cassette later that week. The magic of John Williams has been a blessing in my life ever since. I listen to him jus about every day ♡♡♡
I was 12, already a fan of Starwars , in 92. I loved the music so much I recorded the music from some games at the time onto cassette. Just so I could listen to them later. Luckily for me, my folks got me Standard cassette tapes of the movie soundtracks later.
Shoutout to the many individual live professional musicians of the ever epic London Symphony Orchestra for literally decades of perfect recorded performances captured for these films.
You know, a lot of YT "Content" around Star Wars is just ... well, just for clicks, just for bashing, just for certain types of people.
But this, this is a great exception; a video that's just swimming in passion and shared knowledge.
This honestly earned my like and my subscription. Thank you for this.
John Williams and Howard Shore: how lucky we are to hear what they've written!
Those two men literally forced emotion into us every scene, and I’ll be damned if I hate them for it. They are big reasons I love both series
im just imagining people who have no idea who howard shore is
Playing any John Williams piece is always so fun even as an amateur orchestra
Ever since I was two years old and saw the first Superman Movie scored by John Williams, I was forever affected by John Williams and his unknown (then unknown) muse. But over the years, I was further amazed by his Star Wars and E.T. scores. E.T. probably the most personal score for me, because I was in wonder as a child over E.T., and had to see it many times in theaters. Only in recent years, after my friend Katie died of brain cancer, and left me her two cats, did I one day afterwards felt driven to look up and listen to 'E.T. and Me', the music cue where E.T. and Elliot are exploring Elliot's room and learning materials. The harp being an eternal device to suggest ancient interpretation . . . and here comes Katie's oldest of the two cats, with his brown fur, and Stark blue/grey eyes to chirp at me as I lay on the couch (reminding me of E.T.), exhausted from work, and sad over my lost friend. Loki came to comfort me as I listened to 'E.T. and Me', and I looked down at his E.T.-like face, and remembered another John Williams moment from HOOK as I said Loki's name with favor, and love. It was the moment when Robin Williams said the word "daddy" in HOOK (another John Williams score) as he held and gazed upon his original teddy-bear from a precious memory recollection, of his initial life as a baby. Suddenly the genius of John Williams in my memories overcame me as I pet this little companion left to me by the bestest friend that I ever had. Life is no coincidence, and neither is John Williams's genius. It binds us and penetrates us all, just like The Force. And perhaps that's what John Williams is trying to tell us, in the end . . . that there IS a Force that connects us all. "Be EXCELLENT to each other".
As a huge fan of Star Wars and John William's work... I ended the video like "thats why I love CZcams".
Your job is so underrated, thank you!
Holy crap that was an incredible video. This deserves 100 times the views it has. New subscriber for sure
Thank you - welcome to the community!
I just subscribed. Both my kids understand music theory and are musicians. They try and try to explain it to me. I cannot comprehend. I am visually oriented. I have an auditory processing problem. I can, however, play melodies by ear and have always appreciated the power of music. Keep up the good work!
I don’t want to hype this but honestly this is one of the best videos I’ve ever seen. The commitment to detail and insight is mind boggling
I don’t have to try and imagine it... I lived it! I was 7 when episode iv was released. I was completely gushing with excitement from that first big chord! Then the giant star destroyer that flew across the screen accompanied by that amazing music. I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough John Williams.
That Agamemnon quote as an indication of it being a projection is absolutely next level stuff. JW is on an entirely different wavelength. How do you not have all the subscribers? Your work is some of the best music content on the internet.
The amount of time Williams interweaves between different time signatures all the while introducing new motifs is masterful.
Thanks CZcams Algorythmus for this video! I have absolutely no idea about music and can not read a single note, but the music of Star Wars you just have to love and is definitely one of the best film music there is! Super insight about the structure of this great music, top video!
There are a lot of Williams assessments online, but this video essay is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Well written analysis, great audio mix and editing, this whole piece is really impressive. I’m a new fan!
I am not an emotional person, yet this video made me tear up in pure enjoyment to be able to hear these masterpieces analyzed in such a nice way and brining back so much nostalgia from years past. I am not a musician nor did I understand many of the ideas presented, but hearing it is more than enough to understand the genius of the man
Yes
Wow. I can't get my head around the enormous effort this must have taken. Watched it for your analysis, going to have to immediately re-watch it to fully take in all of your incredible editing skills. This has inspired me to want to dig out some old scores and get to work myself. Thank you so much, can't wait for the next one!
Thank you so much! This comment has made my day!
You can not imagine how mind-blowing it was to sit in a dark theater in 1977 with this orchestra hit starting the movie which changed your life forever. That was not the usual music in cinemas in the 1970s. It blows you away. You read the text which you can't really understand. A few seconds later, the biggest starship in history goes over your head. You can not imagine how big the "oh sh*t" was, that came out of the mouth of hundreds of people sitting there with you at the beginning of the biggest adventure in movie history.
If you aren't there, you can't.
EVERYTHING he writes is gold!!!!
It’s really satisfying to see someone articulate exactly how the score from the Crait battle contributes to the narrative. The whole set piece feels like a distillation of everything that makes the Star Wars series great and the underlying music really contributes to that
Thank you for including Princess Leia's Theme. It's probably one of the greatest classical modern movie themes in music history.
Although sadly around half of it is unused in the movie.
When you listen to John Williams talk he is such a calm, respectful and warm person and then someone asks him to make music for their film and he becomes an absolute genius. Some of the best and most iconic songs ever written are written by this genius. Absolute legend. Star Wars and so many other films wouldn’t have been the same without him.
He’s come a long way since Lost in Space. John will be remembered as on of the greats.
I'm not crying...
Man, I could watch this all day. It evokes such a unique combination of old memories and emotion.
As a kid I also loved Across The Stars, but there are so many more character themes and colouring music (like the Asteroid Field), what a genius.
He's also written the music to so many other movies, to me Harry Potter 1-3 is a close second.
Simply astounding.
Due to my lack of musical theory knowledge I have always struggled to understand and express exactly why I have always loved the Star Wars films. I knew the biggest share of credit was to John Williams' compositions, but this video has helped me realize what made his scores so inspiring and memorable. Thank you
If this video got copyright claimed by star wars or Lucasfilm or something, I'm commuting a crime. This is such a great homage to John Williams ! I loved this vid. One of my fav ALL TIMES !
Williams is one of the most creative minds in music. I love his music. It is inspirational and magical.