28. John Williams Greatest Hits 1969-1999
John Williams leading the Boston Pops and the London Symphony Orchestra
“There’s a very basic human, non-verbal aspect to our need to make music and use it as part of our human expression. It doesn’t have to do with body movements, it doesn’t have to do with articulation of a language, but with something spiritual.” - Composer and conductor John Williams
What do the movies Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman, Harry Potter series, and Saving Private Ryan all have in common? I gave it away at the start, but the answer is the original motion picture scores to all of them and many of their sequels were composed by American composer and conductor John Williams.
Number 28 in our count up to the top 50 classical recordings of all-time is the album John Williams: Greatest Hits 1969 - 1999. Now if you had told me before compiling this list that the top 50 recordings would include a greatest hits compilation album, I would not have believed it. But here it is. A further confession is this album is not really one recording, but rather several recordings made by John Williams conducting his own compositions with some of the best orchestras in the world, and these selections are actually taken from other compilations. The pieces on the album are also not from the original soundtracks of the movies, and this is generally a good thing. These are really “showpieces” that Williams recorded with better orchestras and in better sound.
John Williams
John Towner Williams was born in New York City in 1932, and just turned 90 years of age this past February. Williams grew up in New York, where his father played in several prominent jazz bands. All the children were musically inclined, and as a boy Williams studied piano, trumpet, trombone, and clarinet. He took some composition classes while enrolled at UCLA, but then joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951, where he began arranging music and doing some conducting. After his service, Williams entered the famed Julliard School in New York to study piano with well-known teacher Rosina Lhevinne. Thereafter, he returned to California to study composition with Maria Castelnuovo-Tedesco. In the early 1960s, Williams was able to break into the industry by writing scores for television series such as Peter Gunn, Wagon Train, Gilligan’s Island, and Lost in Space. Williams worked with many of the biggest names in film music during this time period, including Andre Previn, Bernard Herrmann, Henry Mancini, Alfred Newman, and Franz Waxman.
Williams’ big breakthroughs came in the 1970s when he composed music for two blockbuster films, Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977). His work with director Steven Spielberg on Jaws was to begin an extremely fruitful collaborative relationship with Spielberg that eventually would produce film scores for many other successful films. Williams would also go on to work with director George Lucas from Star Wars on other sequels and prequels as well.
Williams’ music may be described as symphonic in nature, fully utilizing a more Romantic musical style, while incorporating elements from other styles and time periods. But the key to Williams’ success was just how well his music paired with the stories and visual aspects of the films. More than mere background music, his scores truly elevate the films with his memorable themes, his masterful use of orchestration and color, and how he mirrors the emotion and action of the movies.
While continuing to compose, in 1980 John Williams was named Arthur Fiedler’s successor as the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a post he would hold until 1993. Arthur Fiedler was an iconic legend in American music, and raised the Boston Pops to tremendous national fame through concert tours and recordings. Fiedler had been the Pops music director and conductor from 1930 until his death in 1979, an astonishingly long period. When Williams was appointed, he had big shoes to fill to say the least. But with his composing notoriety, and already having conducting experience, Williams would far exceed expectations. He continued the concert tours and recordings with the orchestra to great success, as well as continuing what Fiedler had begun with the Pops traditional July 4th concert in conjunction with the Fireworks Spectacular on the Charles River in Boston.
In case you are wondering, the Boston Pops Orchestra mostly focuses on “light” classical music and popular music adapted for orchestra. Founded in 1885, the Pops is made up primarily of musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, generally minus the first-chair musicians in each section. Using the fabulous Symphony Hall in Boston for concerts and recordings, the Pops made some incredible recordings under Williams. After stepping down in 1993 to focus more on composing concert music, Williams has maintained close ties to the orchestra.
In addition to compositions for film soundtracks, Williams was also commissioned by NBC in 1985 to compose music to be used for various news segments on air. He ended up composing a four movement suite called The Mission, and NBC still uses part of that music for NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, and Today. Williams also wrote music specifically for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. His Olympic Fanfare and Theme is for the 1984 games. NBC asked him again to write music for the 1996 Atlanta games, and that produced Summon the Heroes, an abridged version of which was played live at the opening ceremonies by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra led by Williams.
Now 90 years of age, Williams is a cultural icon. He continues to conduct his music around the world, and within the past two years has released recordings of his concerts with both the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic on the Deutsche Grammophon label to significant acclaim. Recently he also released a recording of his Violin Concerto no. 2 with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, also on Deutsche Grammophon.
Over the course of his career, Williams has won 25 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and seven British Academy Film Awards. He has been nominated a stunning 52 times for the Academy Awards, second only to Walt Disney. Williams is considered one of the greatest film composers of all-time, and in my opinion he is indeed the greatest film composer ever. Norwegian composer Marcus Paus argues that Williams's "satisfying way of embodying dissonance and avant-garde techniques within a larger tonal framework" makes him "one of the great composers of any century".
Whatever your tastes, you cannot help but be moved by John Williams’ music. From the epic, grand, and uplifting themes to the visceral marches to the more lyrical themes created to serve the story, this is life-affirming music to listen to again and again.
The Recording
There are numerous recordings of John Williams’ music, including those that highlight the main themes or titles from the complete scores. This recording of John Williams Greatest Hits 1969 - 1999 is the best in terms of selections and sound. The two orchestras used on most of the tracks, the Boston Pops Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra, are both among the best in the world. Both orchestras are also among the most versatile in the world because they are accustomed to playing film scores and more popular music along with other more traditional classical works. Because John Williams oversaw these recording sessions and conducted the pieces himself, and because both orchestras are accorded excellent sound, I find these to be the best recordings of the major John Williams works available. The playing is incisive, clear, and idiomatic, and captures what Williams really intended most accurately. Although the music was composed for different movies, I would argue most of these pieces are good enough to stand on their own for listening enjoyment.
Below are some highlights, but the listener will no doubt have her or his own favorites:
Track 1: Main Title from Star Wars (London Symphony Orchestra). The ideal way to begin the album with the arresting, jolting, and familiar brass fanfare from the beginning of Star Wars. Some consider this the greatest movie theme ever written. The main title basically runs through variations based on different scenes of the movie. I remember hearing this music when I was 9 years old in the theater and it still brings a thrill.
Track 2: Flying Theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (London Symphony Orchestra). Playful, uplifting, epic. This memorable theme perfectly encapsulates the wonder and awe of the film. The latter part of the theme, for me, is simply as good as it gets. It is something majestic and grand.
Track 3: Main Title from Superman (London Symphony Orchestra). Almost immediately recognizable, this theme from Superman again contains a brilliant theme and march. As is often the case with Williams’ film music, the brass are given priority, but there is also a lot of interesting string and woodwind writing as well.
Track 7: Bugler’s Dream and Olympic Fanfare Medley (Boston Pops Orchestra). If you have ever watched the Olympics in the United States, you have heard this music. It has become synonymous with the Olympics for many of us. There is some tremendous trumpet playing here. Bugler’s Dream at the beginning was actually composed by French-American film composer Leo Arnaud based on an ancient French military fanfare, and was first used at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Track 13: Raiders March from The Raiders of the Lost Ark (Boston Pops Orchestra). Again very recognizable if you have seen the movie, and has become another trademark Williams melody.
Track 1 of CD 2: Hymn to the Fallen from Saving Private Ryan (Boston Symphony Orchestra). It is a melancholy theme as you may expect, with a moving lyrical theme and voices as well as soft drums in the background. Brass enters in a hymn-like manner with a beautiful but bittersweet melody. It is evocative of the mourning and loss felt in a time of war. The wordless choral part adds to the impact of the piece, and it builds into a loud sort of exhortation.
Track 2 of CD 2: Theme from Jurassic Park (Boston Pops Orchestra). For me personally, this is the greatest movie theme ever written. The opening horn introduction brings you directly into dinosaur territory, and the gentle theme that follows continues to build to great effect, and the second marching theme is hardly less affecting. The music speaks of wonder and awe, alternates between more grand statements and quieter ones, then builds to a thrilling conclusion. I think it is the best thing Williams ever wrote, and I just love it. Williams recorded this also with the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic recently, and as nice as it is to hear the great European orchestra play Williams’ music, they don’t come close to this version.
Track 3 of CD 2: Main theme from Schindler’s List (Violinist Izthak Perlman with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra). A tearjerker for sure, especially if you have seen the film. This theme is most affecting, and speaks to the horrors of the Holocaust and the lost humanity. The original soundtrack to Schindler’s List was recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra under Williams, and even though Perlman is quite lovely here, I actually prefer the violinist Tamara Smirnova on the original soundtrack.
Track 10 of CD 2: Summon the Heroes from the 1996 Olympics (Boston Pops Orchestra). Again with prominent writing for brass and percussion, this begins as a fanfare but continues to develop as a sort of tone poem with a distinct theme and melody. You may be able to hear some influences of another great American composer Aaron Copland here. It speeds up and slows down alternately, and you will notice the virtuosic writing for brass. Williams proves again he was the right one to write music that fits the occasion so well.
Track 14 of CD 2: Duel of the Fates recurring in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices). This is a sort of theme that appears several times in the Star Wars prequel movies, and there are aggressive voices overlaying a fugue being played by the bass instruments. It is quite dramatic, and the volume continues to build as the track continues until it backs off in the middle, only to build again on the brass and strings. All throughout you hear the bass-line repeating the same notes. The lyrics continue to repeat a battle hymn. This powerful piece quickly became very popular, and it is by far the most streamed track of this entire album.
Other notable John Williams recordings:
As mentioned previously, John Williams has recorded his own works several times. Other conductors have also recorded his music. Here are some other albums you may want to hear:
John Williams and the Berlin Philharmonic: The Berlin Concert. It was recorded live by Deutsche Grammophon in October 2021 in front of sold out audiences. The album includes tracks from Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and his Olympic Fanfare. Good sound, though not quite as vibrant as the Greatest Hits album.
John Williams in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic. Recorded in 2020 just before the pandemic, this was to commemorate Williams’ first visit to Vienna if you can believe it. Describing it as “one of the greatest honors of my life” to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic, Deutsche Grammophon was there to record again. With selections from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park there is overlap with the Berlin Concert as well as the Greatest Hits.
Gustavo Dudamel with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in an album titled Celebrating John Williams recorded live in 2019 again by Deutsche Grammophon. I find the sound to be a bit too recessed and not as clear as the others. However, the performances are quite good, if somewhat less definitive than Williams’ own recordings.
I hope you don’t mind our brief detour out of the strict “classical” box for the music of John Williams! See you next time!
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Notes:
Brennan, Gerald. Morita, Patsy. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris. All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide. All Media Guide. Pp. 1513-1514. Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.
Green, Edward (2020). "Interview with Composer Marcus Paus". Iconi. Vol. 2, no. 3. pp. 56https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duel_of_the_Fates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Fiedler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summon_the_Heroes