Is John Williams **really** the greatest composer?

Well is he? Bash me for saying this but John Williams may be a great composer but I'd rank him as "one of the best" not "the best".

Of course, I go through my many periods of listening, first I'll shuffle through a bit of Danny Elfman, then a bit of Jerry Goldsmith and then some David Arnold and Hans Zimmer and then John Williams.

But it's really difficult to say who is **the** composer of films. Every composer has their own unique style and John Williams has his own. Of course it's like algebra, you can't compare things that are greatly different. Elfman to Williams? Not a chance in comparing who is better, it's just that Williams seems to be more recognised as a great composer than most others unless one goes through countless amounts of time studying another composer's music of course.

So in conclusion, Williams (to me) is just one of the other great composers who has placed a great impact on us like Goldsmith and the others.

 

well, JW is definately an incredible composer... "the best" ...it's a matter of opinion. i mean i know people who *gasp* don't like his music.
he's in the top 10 of my list, although it depends on what exactally i feel like listening to

 

Well, of course there is always Bartok, Mozeart, ect...

 

Yes.






Though there's others who certainly come close.

 

Yes, he ***really*** is.

 

I'd say he's the best living film composer. There are very few other film composers working today that I have any respect for.

 

I'd say he is one of best living composers.

 

He won another Grammy tonight! Yeah!

 

John Williams rocks. He's about the best modern classical composer, IMHO.

 

I don't know if I'd call him the "greatest composer", but Williams is definitely my favorite living composer.

 

He's composed a lot of non-movie music and most people don't even know about it.

 

Ennio Morricone comes a little in front of John Williams IMO

 

Darn, I haven't heard any of Ennio Morricone's music.

 

I've alwyas maintained that Williams, Horner, Goldsmith, etc. are the Mozarts, Bachs and Beethovens of our time.

 

It's a matter of opinion. If I lived in the 18th century perhaps I would consider Bach the best composer ever. Now, I consider JW the best ever and that includes Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. It is just my opinion however.

 

He is certainly one of the best...

Especially considering the challenges he had to answer for Episode I, and still being able to fulfill most peoples' expectations. I could listen to Star Wars music all day!

 

In the realm of movie music, I personally rank John Williams as being the best ever.

Outside of the realm of movie music, I have always enjoyed the classical work of Beethoven and Bach.

I think it's safe to say that John Williams and Aaron Copland, both American composers, are two of the finest in the world and two of my favorites.

 

Horner is probably the closest Movie Composer to JW. Anyone agree?

 

I agree with you Dolphin. Horner is nothing short of brilliant. I usually place Horner and Hans Zimmer as number 2 and 3 in the industry.

There are certainly other composers who have created some brilliant and memorable soundtracks. It's just that Williams, Zimmer, and Horner seem to reach excellence with each and every score they compose.

Has anyone heard the soundtrack to Unbreakable? It's composed by James Newton Howard. Brilliant score!

 

Agreeing with dolphin here. Horner's style certainly resembles JW's in some aspects.

 

I agree.....Zimmer and Horner are in the Top 3 with JW at #1.


Yes, the Unbreakable score is magnificient!! I listen to it constantly. "Visions", "Reflections of Elijah" and my fave "Hieroglyphics" convey a deep sense of mystery and coolness that was prevalent in the film.



Amberfishy - I don't think Horner and JW have similar styles. JW is known for his frequent use of brass and trumpets which make the overall score a little louder on average than the scores typically heard by Horner. Of course there are many exceptions.

Some of JW's scores are quiet on average - "Presumed Innocent" , "Schindler's List", etc

Some of Horners scores are louder than JW's - "Glory"

 

Glory...now there's a soundtrack that is destined to be remembered for a long time. It's amazing what you get when you mix one of Horner's finest with a movie whose content can't help but move you. Definitly one of the finest war movies ever made.

 

QUOTE:------------
The best modern classical composer
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JW isn't modern at all. The style he uses is over a hundred years old. Modern classical music is some of the most disorganized stuff you've ever heard. It can be argued that music is coming to an end: We've gone from Renaissance and Baroque music, the most structured works imaginable, to twelve-tone, the least structured works possible. Where do we go from here? Are there even any avenues left for modern classical music to explore?

 

Perhaps I'm wrong but I think he meant best composer of this current time period. I don't think his use of "modern" implied a particular style in regards to period. Maybe "modern day" would have been a better choice of words.

 

There are many avenues for Modern Classical music to travel. Instruments can be experimented with for instance. Instead of flutes, trumpets, and violins more exotic instruments might be used.