John Williams's film music
Subtitle: Jaws, Star wars, Raiders of the lost ark, and the return of the classical Hollywood music style
By: Emilio Audissino
Series: Wisconsin film studies; Wisconsin film studies
Publisher: The University of Wisconsin Press
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 317
ISBN-13: 9780299297343
Subjects: Star wars (Motion picture); Motion picture music; Jaws (Motion picture : 1975); Analysis, appreciation; History and criticism; Criticism and interpretation; Raiders of the lost ark (Motion picture); Boston Pops Orchestra
Other titles: Film music :
Description: John Williams is one of the most renowned film composers in history. He has penned unforgettable scores for Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Superman, and countless other films. Fans flock to his many concerts, and with forty-nine Academy Award nominations as of 2014, he is the second-most Oscar-nominated person after Walt Disney. Yet despite such critical acclaim and prestige, this is the first book in English on Williams's work and career. Combining accessible writing with thorough scholarship, and rigorous historical accounts with insightful readings, John Williams's Film Music explores why Williams is so important to the history of film music. Beginning with an overview of music from Hollywood's Golden Age (1933-58), Emilio Audissino traces the turning points of Williams's career and articulates how he revived the classical Hollywood musical style. This book charts each landmark of this musical restoration, with special attention to the scores for Jaws and Star Wars, Williams's work as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, and a full film/music analysis of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The result is a precise, enlightening definition of Williams's "neoclassicism" and a grounded demonstration of his lasting importance, for both his compositions and his historical role in restoring part of the Hollywood tradition [Publisher description]
Notes: "Glosary": pages 247-249.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-302) and index.
Table of contents: title: The classical Hollywood music : a chronicle; title: The classical Hollywood music : a stylistic definition; title: The "modern Hollywood music style : the context of Williams's restoration; title: Star wars : an oppositional score; title: Williams's early years : spotting the first traces of neoclassicism; title: Jaws : Williams's neoclassicism floats up to the surface; title: Williams's neoclassisicm : style and habits; title: Williams's naysayers : a deconstruction of classical and new criticisms; title: Raiders of the lost ark background : a neoclassical film; title: Raiders of the lost ark analysis : the return of Max Steiner; title: Beyond the films : conductor John Williams; title: Appendix 1. Completing the picture. Williams's versatility for Spielberg (and others) ; The Spielberg/Williams collaboration ; Williams's eclecticism besides Spielberg (and Lucas); title: Appendix 2. Film and TV scores, concert pieces, and arrangements. Scores for feature films ; TV scores ; Principal early-year collaborations ; Fanfares, orchestral miniatures, and concert pieces ; Catalogue of film-music concert pieces ; Principal medleys and arrangements from film scores, songs, and popular music.