I don’t make a particular distinction between ‘high art’ and ‘low art.’ Music is there for everybody. It’s a river we can all put our cups into and drink it and be sustained by it.
- John Williams
Two legends around the piano. John Williams and Ray Charles jam together, 1980.
I just got to see “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter performed by John Williams himself!
“It’s been such a fine balance, all the way along, finding the right level of ‘Star Wars’ homage, because we’ve got heritage characters,” she says, referring to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) and others, “and adding in new elements as well,” she says.
“These heritage characters have big themes that everybody expects to hear when they get on screen. But we’re also doing something new for them. [The story takes place] just before ‘A New Hope’ so we’re leading to that place.”
Holt began before Williams contributed his new theme. Her first meeting on “Obi-Wan” actually occurred before the debut of her much-talked-about “Loki” score a year ago. Then, in late December, as post-production ramped up, Holt got together for two days with director Deborah Chow and “we musically explored what she wanted.”
In episode 1, Holt explains, “Obi’s in the desert, he’s given up everything, he’s lost, he’s alone. I tried some single instruments but it just didn’t feel right. Suddenly John was on board, and his involvement unlocked the use of those heritage themes.”
[…]
For “Obi-Wan,” he did more than just write a theme, Holt discloses. “He did a suite, including the main theme, which is used in the titles, and different versions of it. So we have this ‘Obi-Wan’ suite that we used within the show as appropriate. For me,” she adds, “it was almost paralyzing, I’m such a big fan of John Williams.”
She describes Williams’ theme as “contemplative, soulful, quite lonely and slightly angst-y, but there’s a sort of hope, which is exactly what Deborah had instructed.” Holt wrote her own Obi-Wan theme, before it was clear that Williams would be contributing, “and weirdly, it’s very similar to his,” she says.
“My job was basically bringing in some new elements, a slightly fresh approach. I’ve given some characters origin themes. Just storytelling, drawing from John and the tradition while adding something new,” Holt says. New music was also required for the Inquisitors, characters originally invented for the animated “Star Wars” series.
[…]
She still has not met or spoken with the 90-year-old maestro. Williams did autograph the Obi-Wan sheet music for her, however. “I’m going to frame it,” she says.
stop it i’m gonna cry
During the virtual press conference for the upcoming “Star Wars” series that sees Ewan McGregor reprise his fan-favorite role from the prequels, Chow revealed that they would play music on set while shooting action scenes. Naturally, the music of John Williams was the go-to playlist of choice. Actor Moses Ingram, who plays the villainous Inquisitor Reva in the show, shared how the music enhanced the experience and made the performers feel larger than life. Chow shared that this was exactly the outcome they were looking for.
“That was the big reason we did it. The music obviously brings the emotional component. What John Williams has done is so inexplicably tied [to the franchise]. It is "Star Wars.” We put it on and all of a sudden I see Moses grow two inches taller. Everybody responds to it.“
was just watching the Olympic men’s figure skating and I gotta say Jason Brown made a great choice picking this music for his free skate routine. never fails to get me in my feelings.
Track: John Williams - A Window To The Past
From: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Home Alone Theme
Composer: John Williams
Film: Home Alone (1990)
*Academy Award Nominee, Best Original Score, 1990*
my favorite video ever made ever will always, without a doubt, be the video of the low brass section changing their part to play darth vader’s theme in the middle of their orchestra rehearsal
imagine star wars but in the baroque era
The Imperial March playing from another room John Williams Star Wars
I am not exactly sure why this made me laugh so hard, but it totally did.
Lmao. -clerk at desk looks up, looks at cubicle buddy- ‘We need raises.’ ‘Yep.’
