Mike Matessino Talks The John Williams-Steven Spielberg Collaboration

08/20/22 • 136 min

Producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss the soundtrack reissues of three classic John Williams/Steven Spielberg collaborations, reflecting on the significance of such a unique relationship between composer and director. Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg is by far the longest and most successful artistic relationship between a director and a composer in the history of cinema. The duo is synonymous of what means having a fruitful, honest and profound association between two people making films together. Calendar year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the very first encounter between Spielberg and Williams, which happened when the director was in preparation of his first feature film, The Sugarland Express; after being impressed by Williams’ work for such films as The Reivers and The Cowboys, the director decided he was the type of composer he was looking for. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

The Spielberg/Williams collaboration spans now six decades, 29 feature films (including the upcoming The Fabelmans, which will premiere at the 47th edition of the Toronto Film Festival in September) and several special projects, so it’s virtually impossible to sum it up in a few words. Their roster includes some of the most successful and everlasting movies in the history of cinema: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, but also such highly acclaimed dramas as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Munich and Lincoln.

Soundtrack label La-La Land Records has recently reissued three classic John Williams scores from the Spielberg canon: Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to offer commentary on these three classic Spielberg/Williams collaborations, while also offering an in-depth overall reflection on the partnership between the composer and the director.

Previous Episode

L.A. Studio Legends #17: Gloria Cheng

Award-winning pianist talks her career as a classical performer specialized in contemporary repertoire and her many collaborations with John Williams, including her solos on Munich and The Adventures of Tintin, and the recent premiere of ‘Prelude and Scherzo’ for Piano and Orchestra Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

Pianist Gloria Cheng belongs in the category of instrumentalists who are true favourites of John Williams to the point of being even an inspiration for the composer. One of the most acclaimed musicians of his generation and an advocate of the contemporary repertoire and new-music, Gloria Cheng performed as pianist for John Williams in many film scores since the mid-2000s and has been spotlighted as soloist on such scores as Munich (2005), The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and War Horse (2011). She also performed on other Williams’ scores including The BFG, The Post, and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In addition to the film work, Cheng also had the unique honour of performing Williams’ rare piano compositions for the concert hall: the 4-movement Conversations for solo piano (written and dedicated to her between 2013 and 2014), and the Prelude and Scherzo for piano and orchestra, which premiered in Barcelona in 2021 with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallès under Marc Timón, and later for its American premiere with the Albany Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Alan Miller.

Gloria Cheng is one of the world’s leading interpreters of piano works by major composers and a true advocate for new music, establishing fruitful partnerships with such contemporary music icons as Gyorgy Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Terry Riley, Thomas Adès and Steven Stucky. Gloria Cheng also works frequently as pianist and keyboardist for film scores and has performed on soundtracks by by such composers as Randy Newman, James Horner, Michael Giacchino. In 2005, she began a fruitful association with John Williams that continues until this day.

In this conversation, Gloria talks about her career as a classical performer and her path that led to perform as pianist for film scores; she recollectes her first experience playing for John Williams on Munich, the challenges of playing the solo on Tintin and her views on the Maestro’s style when writing for piano, reflecting upon her experiences playing Conversations and the Prelude and Scherzo.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/08/05/gloria-cheng-podcast/

Next Episode

’The Fabelmans’ First Listen

The Legacy of John Williams, in collaboration with Sony Music, is proud to announce the latest John Williams release - The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack); a soundtrack album by the five-time Academy Award® winner for director Steven Spielberg’s deeply personal cinematic memory of the forces, and family, that shaped his life and career. The release marks the latest collaboration between Spielberg and Williams, whose longstanding creative partnership spans nearly 50 years and 30 films. From E.T., Jaws and Jurassic Park to Schindler’s List, Lincoln and Saving Private Ryan, Williams and Spielberg’s collaborations have produced some of the most stirring and well-recognized music in film history.

The Fabelmans is a deeply personal portrait of a 20th century American childhood. Written by Spielberg together with Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, it's a universal coming-of-age story about an isolated young man’s pursuit of his dreams, the film is an exploration of love, artistic ambition, sacrifice and the moments of discovery that allow us to see the truth about ourselves, and our parents, with clarity and compassion. The musical score by John Williams accompanies the film during its key moments with a poignant, lyrical tone that enhances the characters' most intimate and profound feelings--the main theme (heard in the opening track, "The Fabelmans") is one of the most heart-rending and touching themes ever composed by Williams. The music features chamber-like solos for piano, harp, guitar and celeste, painting a heartfelt portrait of the story and its main characters.

The Legacy of John Williams is proud to present this special podcast episode featuring a commentary on John Williams' new soundtrack by Editor Maurizio Caschetto and Head Contributor Tim Burden. The talk focuses around three tracks from the soundtrack album selected by Caschetto and Burden, "Mitzi's Dance", "Mother and Son", and "The Journey Begins," which offer a beautiful representation of Williams' poignant and delicate scoring for this film.

You can listen to John Williams' wonderful new music in full here: https://soundtracks.lnk.to/thefabelmans

Special Thanks to Maria Kopp and Dani Chwatt (Sony Music)