# Do You Like This Overture By John Williams?



## ArtMusic

A contemporary composed art music that showed strong characterization and composed in the 1970s by the great John Williams.

Do you like it?


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## ArtMusic

It almost reminded of the Wedding March theme by Wagner. Most majestic and in my opinion on par with that piece, with a very strong theme! Well done Mr Williams!


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## Chronochromie

There should be an option between "Yes, I love it!" and "Indifferent", don't you think?


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## Harold in Columbia

Answer 1 - It's okay, but not nearly as good as, for example, this aria composed in the same year: 




Answer 2 - I find music like this an instructive reference when listening to, say, Auber. It reminds me that what sounds to me now like blank clichés probably would have sounded like pretty good tunes if I'd heard it in its own time.


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## starthrower

Well done? As in send it back to the kitchen, I didn't order this pablum porridge.


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## Manxfeeder

I picked I Love It. But I can't be neutral; that movie was pegged to a big time in my life, so there are pretty strong emotions and nostalgia attached to it. I do like the offbeat rhythms in the A section, and he puts details in the piece which he didn't have to for a movie score.


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## mstar

OP: No, not much - but I do like the Princess Leia/Han Solo theme. (I think that's it - is it Leia? I have no clue.)


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## Richard8655

Actually, I think the Williams' work here is very good and original. I can't imagine better fitting music for such a story. But it's the story/plot I find pretty silly and comic-bookish. In a way, what a waste of fine music on visual special effects.


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## Weston

Sure I loved those movies and I loved some of the themes and the throw back to Wagner vibe he was doing by using leitmotifs, but I've never liked rah-rah celebratory music. This is about the most anthemic bit from the series, so it's not my favorite.

I voted indifferent.


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## Harold in Columbia

Richard8655 said:


> Actually, I think the Williams' work here is very good and original. I can't imagine better fitting music for such a story.


The Horst Wessel song worked pretty well in the original.


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## SimonNZ

Harold in Columbia said:


> The Horst Wessel song worked pretty well in the original.


Heh. I was just about to say I love the moxie / brass neck it took to visually quote "Triumph of The Will" in that scene.


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## Guest

"Contemporary composed art music!" What a joke.


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## Sloe

I would not say that I love it but I like it.
I can also say that I like John William´s music to Star Wars more than the films.


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## GreenMamba

Maybe it works in the context of the film (I haven't seen it in forever), but as a standalone piece, I'll pass.


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## SimonNZ

How is this an "overture"?


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## KenOC

Richard8655 said:


> Actually, I think the Williams' work here is very good and original.


As a famous man once wrote, "Unfortunately, the part that's good is not original, and the part that's original is not good."


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## Richard8655

SimonNZ said:


> How is this an "overture"?


Overture, musical composition, usually the orchestral introduction to a musical work (often dramatic), but also an independent instrumental work.


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## Clairvoyance Enough

I just listened to the Star Wars OST yesterday oddly enough, and this track reminds me of how I felt. I really love the themes and motifs themselves, and tracks like Duel of the Fates, binary sunset, or the opening theme that get in and get out are very satisfying, but the big suites like this one are boring. This one in particular is annoying, actually.


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## SimonNZ

Richard8655 said:


> Overture, musical composition, usually the orchestral introduction to a musical work (often dramatic), but also an independent instrumental work.


You approve of this use, then? Is the Star Wars soundtrack made up of twenty overtures - including this second-to-last one?


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## violadude

Shouldn't this be in the movie section?


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## SimonNZ

violadude said:


> Shouldn't this be in the movie section?


I assumed Art wanted to reopen the whole "are soundtracks classical?" foodfight. Star Wars is always the first port of call for that fun.


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## Gordontrek

I don't think this is an overture. But it's pretty dang awesome. 
BTW John Williams wrote a tuba concerto. The principal tuba of the New York Philharmonic, Alan Baer, soloed it with my local symphony a couple years ago. It was a pretty cool piece.


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## Alfacharger

Here is a real Overture by John Williams based on his film music from the seventies.






Alex Ross on Williams.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/listening-to-star-wars?intcid=mod-latest


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## Truckload

I wish I could go back in time to 1977 and once again be in the movie theater as the lights go down, the kid in the projection room cranks up the volume on the sound system, and wow, movies were never the same again.

Yes, it's corny, or hokey, or sentimental. Yes, he "borrowed" from Korngold and others. But it's like the chocolate cake your Mom made for your ninth birthday. Who cares about the recipe. It was wonderful, it still is wonderful.


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## Guest

violadude said:


> Shouldn't this be in the movie section?


I've sent in the request for a move.


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## ArtMusic

violadude said:


> Shouldn't this be in the movie section?


Yes, you are quite right. John Williams has done wonderfully well out of Star Wars and the sake of contemporary music too.


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## isorhythm

I like it. I don't think there's any need to try to classify it as "classical" or "art" music - that's not what it's aiming for.


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## Poppy Popsicle

ArtMusic said:


> A contemporary composed art music that showed strong characterization and composed in the 1970s by the great John Williams.
> 
> Do you like it?


Yes, I think it's great! I also love fatty foods such as pizza and french fries.


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## ArtMusic

Poppy Popsicle said:


> Yes, I think it's great! I also love fatty foods such as pizza and french fries.


Yes, I like the theme when it was played at the end of the movie as the heroes marched up to take their medals.


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## pianozach

"_*The Throne Room*_" uses a very simplified version of the American march structure made popular by *John Phillip Sousa*

The introduction sounds pretty similar to the introduction of the famous "_*Wedding March*_" from *A Midsummer Night's Dream* by *Felix Mendelssohn*.


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## Bulldog

Typical Williams - didn't enjoy it at all.

What's with all the Williams threads being brought back to life? Could be revenge. Anyways, perhaps Williams should have his own subforum.


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## pianozach

Bulldog said:


> Typical Williams - didn't enjoy it at all.
> 
> What's with all the Williams threads being brought back to life? Could be revenge. Anyways, perhaps Williams should have his own subforum.


That was me being passive-aggressive. I did it deliberately simply because of all the Williams-bashing.

If Williams isn't relevant, then why are there so many threads here dedicated to him?

Yeah, a subforum. I'd be surprised if there weren't already a Film Score forum.


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## Prodromides

pianozach said:


> If Williams isn't relevant, then why are there so many threads here dedicated to him?


Perhaps this is in part due to a collective perception (especially after the death of Ennio Morricone) that John Williams is the eldest living statesman for classically-composed music attached to pop-culture story-telling entertainments.

[even though other practioners are still alive - Lalo Schifrin (b. 1932), John Scott (b. 1930), Gerald Fried (b. 1928), Laurie Johnson (b. 1927), Laurence Rosenthal (b. 1926), etc. - Williams is most associated with popcorn/summer blockbusters.]


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## Phil loves classical

Yup agree the wedding march intro is very similar. Also Dvorak's Symphony 9 finale after the intro, starting around 0:22.


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## neofite

"A contemporary composed art music that showed strong characterization and composed in the 1970s by the great[?] John Williams."

"Do you like it?"

No.


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## Bulldog

pianozach said:


> That was me being passive-aggressive. I did it deliberately simply because of all the Williams-bashing.
> 
> If Williams isn't relevant, then why are there so many threads here dedicated to him?


I never said he wasn't relevant, whatever that might mean. I did say I wasn't a fan of his music.

As for "so many threads", all it takes is a couple of fanboys.


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