Schubert's "Unifinished Symphony" in Minority Report (and Isaac Albeniz)
Retro_T_Bop
and noticed they used Schubert's Unfinished Symphony in a scene. It was
just after the Tom Cruise character realized that he was the murderer in one
of the "pre-cog's" visions. He grabbed the "murder" ball (which had his
name on it) before the other agent saw it, and the slow cello intro played
as Tom convinced him to leave. Just as he left, the strings came in with
their opening, as Tom rushed over to the screen to double-check what he saw.
It was a remarkably effective scene.
Anyways, does anybody know WHY John Williams chose this particular piece for
this scene? I know many reviewers of the movie compared the motions the
Tom Cruise character made while cycling through the images with conducting a
symphony orchestra, but with John Williams background, why didn't he compose
something himself??
On another note, a thread was started a while back about under-rated
composers. Was Isaac Albeniz mentioned? He definitely ranks up there in my
books.
mike
Mason Verger
> I watched the movie "Minority Report" the other night (which was
> quite good) and noticed they used Schubert's Unfinished Symphony in a
> scene. It was just after the Tom Cruise character realized that he
> was the murderer in one of the "pre-cog's" visions. He grabbed the
> "murder" ball (which had his name on it) before the other agent saw
> it, and the slow cello intro played as Tom convinced him to leave.
> Just as he left, the strings came in with their opening, as Tom
> rushed over to the screen to double-check what he saw. It was a
> remarkably effective scene.
>
> Anyways, does anybody know WHY John Williams chose this particular
> piece for this scene? I know many reviewers of the movie compared
> the motions the Tom Cruise character made while cycling through the
> images with conducting a symphony orchestra, but with John Williams
> background, why didn't he compose something himself??
>
>
Because John Williams is no Schubert, and he knows it.
sch...@gefen.cc.biu.ac.il
: Retro_T_Bop wrote:
:> . . . but with John Williams
:> background, why didn't he compose something himself??
: Because John Williams is no Schubert, and he knows it.
Or maybe it's because John Williams's background is that he hasn't *ever*
composed anything by himself, and he's just being a bit more honest about
it this time?
-----
Richard Schultz sch...@mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
"You go on playing Bach your way, and I'll go on playing him *his* way."
-- Wanda Landowska
Mason Verger
What do you mean John Williams *NEVER* composed anything by himself that was
original? At least the Star Wars main theme and Imperial March are pretty
original, not considering his other body of work.
Nicolai Zwar
Depends on what you mean by "original". There's certainly a lot of the
old Hollywood swashbuckling music in the STAR WARS movies. The music for
STAR WARS was supposed to sound "familiar". But anyway, John Williams is
a very talented composer -- way underrated in this group, probably
because he is also enormously popular -- who has composed some excellent
film scores, far more than just STAR WARS, or JAWS.
I suppose the reason Schubert was used in MINORITY REPORT is because the
people in the Pre-Crime center are actually listening to it and it is a
familiar, soothingly classical piece.
--
Nicolai Zwar
"Billions of dollars have been spent to make these nuclear plants safe.
Fail-safe! The odds against anything going wrong are astronomical, Doctor!"
"I appreciate that, Doctor. But let me ask you: In all your fail-safe
techniques, is there a provision for an attack by killer bees?!"
(From Irwin Allen's "The Swarm")
Highwood
> What do you mean John Williams *NEVER* composed anything by himself that was
> original? At least the Star Wars main theme and Imperial March are pretty
> original, not considering his other body of work.
John Williams never hides the fact that he's been influenced by
Walton, Holst, etc.
Have you heard the "Harry Potter" or "Star Wars: Episode 1"
soundtracks??? VERY imaginative and colorful music.
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
Yes indeed. Pity that the imagination and color came from Tchaikovsky
and Holst, for the most part. The soundalike ripoffs of 'Swan Lake' and
'The Planets' were way too close for comfort.
--
Regards,
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
Helsinki, Finland
"Nil significat nisi oscillat. Du vap. Du vap. Du vap."
sch...@gefen.cc.biu.ac.il
: Highwood wrote:
:> John Williams never hides the fact that he's been influenced by
:> Walton, Holst, etc. Have you heard the "Harry Potter" or "Star Wars:
:> Episode 1" soundtracks??? VERY imaginative and colorful music.
: Yes indeed. Pity that the imagination and color came from Tchaikovsky
: and Holst, for the most part. The soundalike ripoffs of 'Swan Lake' and
: 'The Planets' were way too close for comfort.
kind of guilty sneaking fondness for Williams's soundtrack for _Family Plot_.
-----
Richard Schultz sch...@mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
It's a bird, it's a plane -- no, it's Mozart. . .
mike
news:3E37D40...@bigfoot.com:
that's a shallow assumption. i don't know anyone here who would judge on
that basis. the problem for most of us it that his music is close-looped
to the films. watching the films, his music works well. music in the new
harry potter is seamless, for instance.
> -- who has composed
> some excellent film scores, far more than just STAR WARS, or JAWS.
> I suppose the reason Schubert was used in MINORITY REPORT is because
> the people in the Pre-Crime center are actually listening to it and it
> is a familiar, soothingly classical piece.
or the flavor of evil... naturalist film, so believeable as appropriate
music.
>
Nicolai Zwar
>
> that's a shallow assumption.
Well, it would be a shallow reason for dismissing something, too.
> i don't know anyone here who would judge on
> that basis.
Let's hope you are right.
> the problem for most of us it that his music is close-looped
> to the films.
Indeed, it's film music.
> watching the films, his music works well. music in the new
> harry potter is seamless, for instance.
I would agree. Not a particularly original score, but nice ear candy.