By: Jeremy Dudar
Music 1010
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Born February 8, 1932
Was born in New York City
Has always had a love for music
Married an actress in 1956 and had three
children
Wife passed away in 1974
In 1980 he remarried
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1960’s starting composing music for the film
industry
1975 composed music for Jaws and Sugarland
Express
Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra
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Steven Spielberg
Composed for George Lucas
Has done over 100 movies
Star Wars
 Minority Report
 Indiana Jones
 Superman
 Catch Me If You Can
 Harry Potter
 American Journey
 Many, many more
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http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a3
59163/steven-spielberg-john-williams-makesme-look-good.html
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5 Academy Awards
18 Grammies
4 Golden Globes
Has received several nominations
“So much of what we do is ephermeral and
quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it’s
gratifying to have something you have done
linger in people’s memories.” (Film Tracks,
2006).
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“Duel of the Fates” from Episode I: The
Phantom Menace
Anakin vs. Obi-Wan” from Episode III:
Revenge of the Sith
“The Imperial March” from Episode VI: Return
of the Jedi
Lumos! (Harry Potter theme song)
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1999
Darth Maul fights OB-Wan Kenobi and QuiGon Jinn
London Symphony Orchestra and London
Voices.
“Anakin vs.
Obi-Wan”
Written in
2005
Anakin
becomes
Darth Vader
Darth Vader’s
theme song
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Harry Potter Theme song
Also called Hedwig’s theme
Starts the Harry Potter movies
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0:00-A chorus starts by singing in homorhythmic the words
“Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah”. They stay in homorhythmic
the whole song. In English translation is “under the tongue root a
fight most dread, and another raging, behind, in the head.” (Film
Tracks, 2006). Williams wanted to give this song an interesting feel
and so he had this phrase translated into several different
languages. He went with the Sanskrit language because it gave
him the feel he was looking for. They start singing in Fortissimo
and then get a little bit higher and repeat the phrase. This starts
creating a suspenseful feeling in the song. It is very tense song and
is the part of the movie everyone has been waiting for.
0:15-The chorus stops and the strings enter. They just repeat about
5 notes over and over in the song and give it unsettling feeling.
The first two notes ascend and then quickly descend giving it an
arch contour.
0:25-The violas and contrabass continue their theme, and quietly
the woodwind section enters.
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0:40-The strings continue to play getting a little bit
louder this time, and the woodwinds stop playing.
0:42-Violins enter and play with the violas, bass, and
contrabass and they repeat the same pattern.
0:45-The brass section enters louder. This is played four
times. The song starts to gain volume and intensity.
The brass starts decrescendo.
1:04-The orchestra is still playing and the chorus starts
to sing. The flutes enter and start playing with the
strings.The chorus sings “Korah Rahtahmah Yoodhah
Korah” at a Forte(loud) level. The chorus sings while
the bass plays a couple random notes. The chorus goes
quiet at 1:16 and the orchestra takes over.
1:21-The chorus and the main theme come in. This time
the chorus sings at Fortissimo. They sing “Korah
Syahdo Rahtahmah Daanyah.”
1:33-The chorus and orchestra are together and in
Forte.
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1:40-The chorus has been singing long notes and now switch
to staccato. The words are: “Nyohah Keelah Korah
Rahtahmah / Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah.” After this
phrase, they go start to hold their notes longer and they sing
the words “Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah.” The bass
instruments join them.
1:58- The chorus stops, while the strings and woodwinds
continue playing. The brass instruments come in to intensity
the feeling of this scene. The orchestra plays this and
crescendos.
2:04-Everything goes quiet.
2:06-The beat picks up and the strings come in. This theme is
repeated from the beginning of the song.
2:11-This is repeated from the beginning of the song and is
played faster and they repeat it two times. It is played in
crescendo.
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2:25- the violins play a trill. The orchestra keeps
singing and gets louder in crescendo and starts
to get a more tense feeling.
2:37-The orchestra plays a repetitive piece.
2:44-The chorus starts to sing “Korah Daanyah
Korah Rahtahmah,” while the orchestra plays.
They start playing and singing louder. The
chorus starts singing “Nyohah Keelah Korah
Rahtahmah” the brass section plays a note
between each word that they sing. The chorus
holds the word “Korah” before becoming
silent, the orchestra starts playing the quick
notes.
3:07-Everything stops
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3:08-The chorus starts singing without the
orchestra, singing “Korah Matah Korah
Rahtahmah.” This time they are slower than
before. The timpani plays a drum roll between
Matah and Korah. After they sing this, the
orchestra plays the notes that the strings have been
playing.
3:25-The orchestra comes back in. The brass plays a
couple measures.
3:28-The cymbal plays a solo. The theme the
strings were playing gets played by the orchestra.
4:01-The chorus gives its final “Korah.” The rest of
the orchestra continues to play.
4:05-The coda is two percussion solos, the theme
that was introduced by the strings is played one
last time to finish the song.
4:14-The orchestra gets cut off and the song ends.
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0:00-This song is at the climax of the movie and starts with a
simple beat by the low strings.
0:03- There are different themes throughout the song. Theme I has
the brass section with a cymbal crash at the end. This sets the tone
for the whole song.
0:09-The harp joins, and Theme II is introduced into the song. The
brass plays it and this is one of the main songs we hear repeat in
different parts of the movie. It goes Theme II to Theme I back to
Theme II.
0:21-The flutes come in and do a scale.
0:36-The lower bass comes in to do Theme II, but the strings get
added.
0:42-Theme I is played.
0:47-Theme II is played.
0:56- The song adds “The Imperial March” into this song. It also is
played at 1:13.
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1:25-The “Imperial March” section ends and the strings
still are playing.
1:37-The trumpets play and then the strings come in
and play. The music starts to get faster.
2:19- Theme I is played.
2:34- The woodwinds and triangles are added.
2:37-The composer adds a new theme we haven’t been
hearing. It is Theme III. This is sung by a choir
accompanied by the strings.
3:10- Theme I is played in a higher octave. Then Theme
II is played.
3:18-Everything stops except the brass where they hold
their note.
3:21-The choir starts.
3:34-Theme II returns. This is in a minor mode and the
song starts to end. The orchestra plays a chord and
3:57-the strings play until the song ends.
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0:00-A snare drum plays and the lower strings play. Theme I is
repeated four times. I would say this song is played in minor
mode.
0:09-The next theme comes in being played by the brass.
Percussion plays. This is Theme II. The first few seconds of this
theme are Darth Vader’s “theme song.” This is played for Darth
Vader when he enters the screen. Theme II sounds similar to his
theme song, but then it has a little variation. Theme I and II are
played. Theme I is just more quiet.
0:38-Theme I is played three times while theme II stops. The brass
gets added when Theme I is played the third time.
0:47-The flutes and triangles play. This gives it a major mode
feeling.
0:57-The lower strings repeat what the flutes had played. This is
played in a minor mode feeling since the strings play lower than
the flutes.
1:06-Darth Vader’s theme song is played. It sounds like it is in a
higher octave that the first time this song introduced it to us. The
flutes and strings play.
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1:38-Theme II gets played followed by Theme I.
1:47-Theme II plays but in an octave higher and
Theme I plays in unison with Theme II.
2:25-Theme I plays and then Theme II.
2:39-Theme II is played in variation which is
indicating it is close to being the end. The tension
starts to increase.
2:43-Theme I stops from the bass and they join in
Theme I. They are on the same rhythm.
2:52- The coda plays a variation of Theme I. They
play the same rhythm but the notes are different.
3:03-They play the timpani a few times before the
song ends.
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0:00-the music starts playing in a very minor
mode. It is played with a very eerie and quiet
tone. It is playing in ¾ time. The song starts
with the organ playing a solo in a sustained
note and very pianissimo. This is Theme I.
0:11-Theme I is repeated in the same
mysterious feeling for eight more measures.
0:20-Theme I is played again with a little more
strength on certain notes. This helps the song
start to introduce power and grab the listener
into the music. It starts to give a tense feeling.
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0:21- They introduce the strings (violins, cello, and
viola) with one note to bring in a soft mellow
background. It sounds similar to the soft wind in the
distance.
0:32- A strong crescendo begins by all of the
instruments.
0:41-An ascending then descending appegio scale is
played. This gives the feelings of wind, ghosts, and an
eerie feeling. This continues with a crescendo and a
stronger forte.
0:49-While the appegio scale is still played in the
background Theme I is repeated.
0:58-Appegio scale is still continuing and continues
getting forte while Theme I is repeated again. They are
stressing the first beat of every measure with more
intensity as the song progresses.
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1:06-The chimes and cymbals get added while
still repeating Theme I and crescendo keeps
increasing and still in forte. The appegio scale
has now been changed to playing chords. It
continues to play to fortissimo until 1:23.
1:23-For the coda, Everything stops except the
base while they hold one note and then the
organ plays Theme I’s last stanza gently and
softly to finish the song, like an echo fading
away in the distance.
1:35-Everything quietly stops and the song
ends.
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Befan, R. (2009). Filmography; Concert Works; and TV Works. Retrieved
February 17, 2012, from John Williams Fan Network website:
http://www.jwfan.com
Biography. (2006, June 5). Retrieved February 17, 2012 from The John
Williams Web Pages website: www.johnwilliams.org
Davies, R. (2012, January 10). Digital Spy. Retrieved February 23, 2012,
from http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a359163/stevenspielberg-john-williams-makes-me-look-good.html
Film Tracks. (2006, September 24). Retrieved February 23, 2012, from
http://www.filmtracks.com/composers/williams.shtml
Hable, M. (2001). Biography. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from The John
Williams Collection website: http://mahawa.jw-music.net
John Williams Fan Network. (1997, February). Retrieved February 17, 2012,
from http://www.jwfan.com/?page_id=132
Wheeler, J. (2010). Biography for John Williams. Retrieved February 17,
2012, from The Internet Movie Database website: www.imdb.com