Music : The Music of John Williams: 40 Years of Film Music

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- the greatest movie themes ever-almost
This collection has intended to bring together some of the best work from this centurys greatest composer! And it achieves this just.

On the four disc that you get for your money, you are bombarded by william's talent for creating mood in the music that brings you so close to the film itself, you almost no longer need the pictures or the actors to see the film. His scores help to set the mood of the film and every note played every chord struck fits the action of the film exactly. Great examples are the raiders march, duel of the fates or hedwig's theme.

However, there is one very big drawback to this CD boxset, and that is the attention given to one of his greatest soundtracks. I'm talking about superman. This was a soundtrack that actually sounded as incredible as the film itself was. There was no sense of O.T.T about and neither was it underplayed and shadowed by the film, but it made the film as much what it was as christopher reeve playing the man of steel himself. The superman score makes you want to put a red bedspread round your neck and fly off the building. But here in the box set of his greatest work, john william's superman score is reduced to having just one track on one of the discs. At the very least it should have had fortress of solitude on there aswell!!!

But apart from that this is a truely a value for money CD collection.

Rating:

- "John Williams still riding high after 40 years ~ GREAT!"
Much like the John Barry Collection, this latest release from Silva America "The Music of John Williams:40 Years of Film Music", a four compact disc collection is also worth their weight in GOLD! Williams creates visual moods for each film he scores ~ strings, brass and lush-velvet arrangements overlay each cue in his distinctive style. Williams musical movements fit the story and must resolve rather quickly as each cue of the film passes quickly, as in Harry Potter and Star Wars. John has the ability to emphasis music in a similar fashion to Holst. Williams use of strings sets the mood and has the ability to make the whole scene come together.

John Williams compilation traces 40 years of film music, featuring "The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra" ~ conducted by Paul Bateman, Nic Raine and Mario Klemens (outstanding) ~ "Crouch End Festival Chorus" ~ David Temple (choir master) ~ perform 45 selections ~ 36 blockbuster films ~ most complete collection of Williams compositions ever assembled ~ over four hours of symphonic suites with full orchestra all individually wrapped-up into one neat package ~ Silva's collection covers all his major works and some lesser known but memorable cues ~ just the way "film-score-buffs" like 'em!

Take a bow Silva America, James Fitzpatrick (producer), Reynold da Silva (executive producer), Rick Clark (associate producer/compilation mastering) and of course the one and only legendary composer of the millennium ~ Mr. John Williams!

Total Time: 4-CD-Set ~ Silva America 810 ~ (10/07/2003)

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