Episode 77 - Sabrina

05/06/20 • 59 min

The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey

We've approached a new chapter in John Williams' career: the post-Golden Age era when the films he chose were not always of superior quality but still gave him the chance to write mostly memorable music. Host Jeff Commings is joined for the third time by Gianmaria Caschetto to discuss the breezy score to "Sabrina" that gave Williams the opportunity to reach back into his jazz roots, as well as his romantic comedy score past from the 1960s. He collaborated with lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman for two original songs for the film, one of which was nominated for an Academy Award and bears a resemblance to a previous song the three wrote together. Caschetto provides some insight into Williams' composition of Sabrina's theme and the foreboding undertones playing underneath the piano. And it's none other than the Maestro himself tickling the ivories for part of the score, offering us the opportunity to marvel at Williams' mastery at the piano.

Previous Episode

Episode 76 - Schindler's List

Host Jeff Commings presents his longest solo episode to date, discussing the Oscar-winning score to the 1993 drama "Schindler's List." It's 13 minutes longer than the amount of original music Williams composed for the 192-minute film. In addition to discussing the often-told backstory of Williams' reluctance to accept the job, you'll learn about the three locations in which the score was recorded and why the Boston Symphony Orchestra was picked to play a portion of the score. You'll hear musical excerpts from many of the score's highlights, including the 12-minute cue that sets up the bulk of the film and the heartbreaking music for violinist Itzhak Perlman during the Auschwitz scenes. But the episode goes beyond discussion of "Schindler's List," stepping into 1994 during Williams' time off from film scoring as he created two concertos for celebrated musicians.

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Episode 78 - Nixon

The 1995 film "Nixon" was the third and final collaboration between director Oliver Stone and composer John Williams. The film presents a fractured story of Nixon's rise from humble beginnings in California to the presidency. That uneven presentation likely hampered Williams' ability to paint -- musically speaking -- on the canvas Stone presented him. The film features strong themes, from the main theme on Tim Morrison's trumpet to the mournful family theme on strings. Host Jeff Commings doesn't shy away from talking about the obvious connection one of the themes has with "The Imperial March" and how it symbolizes Nixon's strength at his highest points politically. Some of the best musical moments were not used in the film, including music for Nixon's misdeeds and for his older brother's death, and those are presented to let you figure if they deserved to be featured in the film.