Author Topic: John Williams should give half his income to Beethovens heirs (Read 2136 times)

Matthew · « **on:** April 01, 2011, 10:30:35 AM »

Has anyone (besides me) noticed how similar some of Beethoven's music is to John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones)?

I can't believe the great Beethoven would lower himself to copying a modern like John Williams! :rolleyes:

It's funny how things you thought were great and/or original aren't actually so.

Jitpring · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2011, 11:57:22 AM »

hehehe.... But better Beethoven as an inspiration than the likes of Schoenberg, von Weber, and Berg!

MrsZ · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2011, 01:22:04 PM »

My daughter plays the piano and has taken a particular interest in movie soundtrack themes over the years. She told me about the connection between Beethoven and Williams and frankly, it was something that we both thought was great. That's a good influence on someone in the modern age. And we like many of his themes (for what they are); not to compare them in quality to Beethoven, however.

Jehanne · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2011, 09:44:54 PM »

George Lewis copied from Camelot, Arthur, Star Trek, 2001, not to mention many others. Poor James Earl Jones did not even get mentioned in the credits in the original Star Wars!

ManuelChavez · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2016, 05:10:31 PM »

John Williams is an excellent composer. At the age of 83, he is still going strong. I listened to his score to the 1976 film Family Plot, which my brother got me for Christmas. His scores for the films "Angela's Ashes", " Raiders of the Lost Ark", "The Fury", " Superman" are all excellent listening experiences. I could name a dozen more examples besides these.

His concert works are also worth noting.

OldMerry · « **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2016, 06:35:27 PM »

I like Miklos Rozsa. Quo Vadis, Ben Hur, El Cid, King of Kings ... in fact, watching Ben Hur today, one of the 4th graders happened to pipe up and say, "I like the music!"

I felt quite validated ....

ManuelChavez · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2016, 06:43:40 PM »

Miklos Rozsa is a good composer. Although he was a composer of the golden age, he was not given a stamp when the US Post office recognized golden age film composers. This is because Miklos Rozsa lived a long life, and died in 1995, having outlived all his contemporaries. His last score was completed in the 1980s.

clare · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2016, 04:25:50 AM »

There's a hint of Erich Korngold in the Star Wars theme; and the music during the part where Princess Leia gives the heroes medals is like William Walton.

ManuelChavez · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2016, 03:31:49 PM »

Quote from: clare

There's a hint of Erich Korngold in the Star Wars theme; and the music during the part where Princess Leia gives the heroes medals is like William Walton.

Correct. Korngold's "King's Row" is a particular score of note, in regards to inspiring John Williams.

Funny story about "King's Row." Korngold, as I understand, wrote the theme without knowledge of the film's story. He assumed it was a picture about royalty, and wrote a fanfare/theme to match his notion of the story.