Episode 88 - The Patriot

07/22/20 • 50 min

The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey

For the final time in his career, John Williams stepped in as replacement composer, this time for the Revolutionary War action film "The Patriot," starring Mel Gibson in a role very similar to the one he played in "Braveheart" five years earlier. Though the film is largely fictional, the war setting provided John Williams with some great opportunities to write music for instruments of the time. But, the focus in the action scenes relied on some incredibly difficult writing for brass instruments. Host Jeff Commings analyzes some of those cues with the fun brass runs, as well as the three themes written for the film. The episode concludes with a brief listen to a special concerto Williams wrote for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its lead violinist that would be another highlight for Williams in 2000.

Previous Episode

Episode 87 - Angela's Ashes

Though two composers had won Oscars for their scores on previous Alan Parker films, the director didn't reach out to them to write music for his first straight nonmusical drama in almost 10 years. Neither Giorgio Moroder or Michael Gore would have fit the mold for the music needed for "Angela's Ashes," based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir by Frank McCourt. John Williams had read the book and agreed to do the score, opting to forgo any of the typical Irish instruments that he employed seven years earlier for "Far and Away." Host Jeff Commings examines the score's universal appeal through its two themes played on piano and strings, as well as some cues that were not used in the final film version. As this film was unspooling in theaters in late 1999, Williams was ready to conduct a six-part composition for a short film by Steven Spielberg about the American experience. Enjoy a portion of that composition on this episode as well as we move ahead to the new millennium!

Next Episode

Episode 89 - AI Artificial Intelligence

John Williams' score to "AI Artificial Intelligence" has a cold and detached feeling for most of the film, mostly using synthesizers to depict the life of a robot boy who wants to become human. But, some of the best moments in the score come when Williams unleashes the organic strength of the orchestra, in scenes such as David's abandonment in the woods or the arrival to Manhattan. But, one of the standout moments comes during a nighttime chase through the forest, when Williams' son Joseph provides a heavy metal-style jam that perfectly encapsulates the feel of the scene. Host Jeff Commings details all of this music and more, including the piano-driven finale that had him -- and plenty of others -- weeping through the end credits.