Music Questions Anyone?

[Marion]

If anyone has any questions on the Indiana Jones music please post your questions here. I have all of the music and am a musician myself and I would be more than happy to answer any questions.

[theinfiniteweird]

Being a music buff myself, I've always wondered if John Williams musical style was copied off anyone elses- in better words...
if any certain composer(s)/musician(s) influenced his music, for this music (for Indy) or for his style in general.

College is starting up soon, and I'm going to see if I can do this for a project maybe- research John Williams musical style- particularly for Indy- and compare it to other musicians/composers.

By the way, how'd you get the music?

[Canyon]

Hi Marion!

Are you Maryon Ravenwood from COW?

[theinfiniteweird]

Man, I stumped her!

[maquino]

John Williams has done so many different flavors of scores for so many different flavors of films at this point that you could probably cast a Classical inspiration net very wide indeed!

In the case of Star Wars, I would say Richard Wagner is a good bet. I vaguely remember George Lucas saying that he had used some Wagner clips to indicate to JW the sort of "operatic" experience he was trying to create for audiences. Certainly the JW soundtrack was "Wagnerian"-powerful: at least as important to the movie as the on-screen visuals.

Raiders was, I think, the same approach. You were meant to be "very aware" of the music, not just let it be a background-enhancement. In Jaws, on the other hand, the music was not supposed to distract you from the action, just accent it.

Strangely, just as the second and third Star Wars and IJ movies don't seem to me to recapture anywhere near the thrill of the first film, the follow-up JW soundtracks also strike me as just assorted extra music using pieces of the initial soundtrack themes. Just about everything on the Star Wars and Raiders album is world-class, and just about everything on TESB, ROTJ, TOD, and LC is forgettable.

Michael Aquino

[Chattar Lal]

Originally posted by maquino
Strangely, just as the second and third Star Wars and IJ movies don't seem to me to recapture anywhere near the thrill of the first film, the follow-up JW soundtracks also strike me as just assorted extra music using pieces of the initial soundtrack themes. Just about everything on the Star Wars and Raiders album is world-class, and just about everything on TESB, ROTJ, TOD, and LC is forgettable.

Michael Aquino

[Chattar Lal]

ROTJ is JW's best score

[Indydan13]

Ya, where can I get soundtracks for the movies?

[Indy Smith]

Originally posted by Indydan13
Ya, where can I get soundtracks for the movies?

In the shops. :)

[Aaron H]

John Williams was the protégé of another great composer: Henry Mancini. I also know that he (Williams) gains inspiration from some of the great composers, Bach, Wagner, Lizt, etc.

[Pale Horse]

Mancini was the master of melody. Any tune is better if you can himm along. Just think of "Dead-Ant. Dead-Ant. Dead-Ant dead-ant dead-ant, dead-ant. Dead Aunt!"

[Indydan13]

What did the pink panther say when he stepped on an ant?

[IAdventurer01]

Originally posted by maquino
and just about everything on TESB, ROTJ, TOD, and LC is forgettable.

Michael Aquino

Not true. I find that although Raiders probably does have the best all-around music, the others have their few great ones. And its a good thing that he mixes music from pervious ones in. It helps create an "Indy styled" sound.

[Indydan13]

Why did they come out with a special edition Star Wars soundtrack but not the special edition Indiana Jones soundtrack?

Note: i just recently got ROTJ on cd, great cd...

[VP]

They did do a special edition Raiders soundtrack.

[Indydan13]

When? Do they still sell it?

[VP]

In 1995. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000001AE/002-7876843-1648059?v=glance