Admittedly Admitted John Williams, famed Star Wars composer, expressed disdain towards film music in general.
John Williams, the most decorated film score composer in history, has confessed a dislike for film music in an interview for his upcoming biography, John Williams: A Composer's Life. The author, likely Richard Schickel, delves into Williams' self-deprecating views about his own work.
Williams, who has been nominated for 54 Oscars (more than any living person), has won five of these awards for his iconic film scores. Some of his most famous works include the themes for Jaws, Indiana Jones, Schindler's List, Star Wars, and Harry Potter.
Despite his success in the film industry, Williams has expressed that if he could do it all over again, he would have made his film music and concert music more unified. He believes the idea that film music has the same place in the concert hall as the best music in the canon is a mistaken notion.
Williams has often been critical of the ephemeral and fragmentary nature of film music. He stated that a lot of film music is not good, except for occasional eight-minute stretches. He believes that until it is reconstructed, it isn't anything that can be considered a concert piece.
Tim Greiving, the interviewer, noted that Williams has an internalized prejudice against film music. However, Greiving considers Williams' film music to be a sublime art at its best. Williams has also composed concertos for various instruments, including the piano, violin, flute, tuba, clarinet, cello, trumpet, horn, viola, and oboe.
In the interview, Williams also expressed his views about the nostalgic memory of great film music. He believes that it is often remembered in a sentimental way rather than for its artistic merit.
Williams' first piano concerto was premiered earlier this year with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His upcoming biography will be published in September, shedding more light on the complex relationship between the legendary composer and the genre he has dominated for decades.
