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From: rlw@wxlvax.UUCP (Richard L. Wexelblat)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: more on John Williams and stealing
Message-ID: <286@wxlvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-May-84 08:01:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: wxlvax.286
Posted: Wed May 30 08:01:58 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jun-84 07:29:34 EDT
References: abnjh.635
Lines: 28

The Hollywood composers of today (and since the 40s) are without doubt the
best orchestrators ever.  They are for the most part musically descended from
Rimsky-Korsakov in their ability to create feeling and mood through
orchestration -- as opposed to melody.  (The skill is, however, a technical
one: even if you don't like, say, jazz, you might still be able to appreciate
the piano virtuosity of a Peterson.)

There is a difference between quotation and plagiarism -- and the difference is
acknowledgement.  The grand finale of Close Encounters (Mod II) explicitly
quoted from the song "When you wish upon a star" from Disney's "Snow White."
It gave me the giggles as I thought of the seven dwarfs climbing aboard this
giant Simon Game in the sky.  Nevertheless, it was an impressive use of a
simple theme in a complex orchestral schema establishing a mood and building on
it.  Manipulative?  Of course.  That's exactly what film scores are for.

Williams, however, quotes without acknowledement.  He is a hack melodist
combined with a fantastic orchestrator and an excellent "musico-psychological"
manipulator.  It's fun to try to sort out all of the sources of themes from
"Star Wars."  The Holst is obvious.  The Wagner is not there, I think.  Try
looking for Schumann, though.  He appears twice.  I have forgotten at the
moment the source for the barroom music.  I remember being highly surprised
when I heard that jazzy theme on a record made at least a decade prior to the
movie.

--Dick Wexelblat

P.S.  What tune from Gilbert and Sullivan appeared on "Hill Street Blues" this
season?