The Film Music of John Williams: Reviving Hollywood's Classical Style

by Emilio Audissino

From the triumphant “Main Title” in Star Wars to the ominous bass line of Jaws , John Williams has penned some of the most unforgettable film scores—while netting more than fifty Academy Award nominations. This updated and revised edition of Emilio Audissino’s groundbreaking volume takes stock of Williams’s creative process and achievements in music composition, including the most recent sequels in the film franchises that made him famous. Audissino discusses Williams’s unique approach to writing by examining his neoclassical style in context, demonstrating how he revived and revised classical Hollywood music. This volume details Williams’s lasting impact on the industry and cements his legacy as one of the most important composers in movie history. A must for fans and film-music lovers alike.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Reference, Star Wars

376 pages, Paperback

Published July 6, 2021

Reviews

[Melindam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really deserves a review, now I should just find the time to write it.

I mistakenly thought this was a biography when I stumbled upon the audiobook in the Audible Plus catalogue, but it isn't. It is a very interesting, detailed analytical study of John Williams' music in relation to the various movies for which he was the composer. I knew about Star Wars, Jaws and Indiana Jones, but was ignorant about quite a lot.

The author also gives a historical overview/analysis of how Hollywood's music evolved from the beginnings.

Occasionally dry and certainly academic in style, I still found it all fascinating. And while I'm not a big movie buff, this book made me want to watch/re-watch all those that were mentioned and pay close attention to their music. :)

[Kryptonian Fletch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stuff ... But then a good portion of it was just too 'inside baseball' for me.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Tied in very nicely with my degree studies a lifetime ago 😆

Big thank you to Mel for letting me know about this one.

also: John Williams is the Man.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd edition of John Williams's Film Music: Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Return of the Classical Hollywood Music Style, according to Audissino in his preface (I have the 1st edition in print, listened to the current edition on Audible Plus, and essentially all but one chapter is the same). Fantastic source for any lover of true film scoring, not the overly electronic, melody-lacking, slapdash stuff that most of the industry puts out today. It helps while reading this book to be familiar with the first and second generations of film composers, like Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Dimitri Tiomkin, Miklos Rozsa, Henry Mancini, etc. The chapters on what John Williams was actually reviving might be confusing if you don't know film history 101. Even a small handful of films like The Adventures of Robin Hood (Korngold), Casablanca (Steiner), Laura (Raksin), It's a Wonderful Life (Tiomkin), High Noon (Tiomkin), Ben-Hur (Rozsa), and Breakfast at Tiffany's (Mancini) give a good overview of those composers' output.

The only place where the book gets a bit tedious is the play-by-play retelling of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's necessary to know what's happening in any given scene in order for Audissino to analyze the musical cues, but when you've seen a film a few times, you don't need every scene described, every visual payoff recounted. Raiders is far from my favorite Williams score, but I suppose it illustrated Audssino's thesis most directly, especially since George Lucas's premise for the film is also revivalist.

[Douglass Gaking · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as much about the neoclassical style of film composing as it is about Williams and his compositions. It is an excellent resource for anyone interested in studying or composing film music. Part 1 covers classical and modern film music. Part 2 focuses on Williams scores, including Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, and Dracula. Audissino is comprehensive and points the reader to other scores and resources that they can study to better understand film music. This would be a great book to use for a class on Williams or on film music. I personally used it as a resource to write questions for Indiana Academic Super Bowl, and students around the state are currently studying it to prepare for the competitions.

[Eileen McCauley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book focuses on the music of John Williams written for films, it also includes a history of American film music. In the earliest films, directors resisted music, thinking to would distract from the visual. A similar belief explains the current lack of orchestral film scores in Hollywood. The 1031 Frankenstein lacks any music while "The Bride of Frankenstein" films in 1935 does have a score. "Bride" has a better script but the addition of music also makes a big impact.

[David Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating introduction to the history and revival of the classical Hollywood style in film music. The book provides a brief synopsis of John Williams musical contributions and career, and the author gives a detailed analysis of several films and how Williams uses the music to reveal or color a character.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, more fun if you know music theory

[Cody Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I’m not all that knowledgeable on the academic side of music but John Williams is the greatest film composer of all time and any discussion of a music is a win in my book.