In his younger days Williams was himself an orchestrator (and orchestrated Dmitri Tiomkin's score for The Guns of Navaronne among others). In fact, Williams' sketches are actually quite detailed as far as counterpoint, instrumentation, etc. He uses orchestrators mainly as a labor-saving device, due to the time pressures to which film composers are routinely subjected (five weeks to write a score is not atypical).
So does John Williams, when there is time (his concert works are all orchestrated by him alone).
However when scoring a film, a composer often has a mere five weeks to compose 60-80 minutes of orchestral music -- which is painstakingly synchronized to motion picture images, and very often subject to re-writes at the request of the director.
Because of these working conditions, even composers like Aaron Copland and John Corigliano also used orchestrators when working in Hollywood.
I'll cut you some slack because you're only 22, but you really have a lot to learn about the music business, and what it means to be a working composer in the real world.
Keep telling yourself that. Your profile says you're 23, yet you're "old school". Composers have hired orchestrators since before your grandparents were born.
Most composers, as you should know start out, arranging their mentors compositions. But I suspect the closest you've been to an orchestra is the pirate copy of East West you downloaded.
john williams does that sometimes too... id like to see you take on a big task like he does, compose the music in a limited time, orchestrate it, often produce the album and conduct the music to film... if you could do that, you would be where john williams is now
I've never found John Williams' scores to stack up against previous names: Max Steiner,Alfred Newman,even Dmitri Tiomkin. Check out the classic films and then decide.
What r u sniffin, does ur mom u steal medication out her purse when she aint lookin.
Williams is the best composer of the 20th century. THE best, even when Miklos Rozsa, and Herrmann and other great composers were alive, they always gave remarks to Williams, and also Williams never talks down about another composer. EVEN that slack Horner.
@Tuxster3 Utter bollocks. Listen to IMAGES, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, MINORITY, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, SUGARLAND EXPRESS, THE RIVER, THE FURY, JFK, NIXON, SLEEPERS, MUNICH, AMISTAD, THE LOST WORLD, and then come back to me.
I found Williams' melodies to be merely tunes, no knock on Courage.
sidonie3 4 years ago
I agree, and that's all the more reason you need a great arranger like Courage to make the material attractive.
madamerotten 4 years ago
In his younger days Williams was himself an orchestrator (and orchestrated Dmitri Tiomkin's score for The Guns of Navaronne among others). In fact, Williams' sketches are actually quite detailed as far as counterpoint, instrumentation, etc. He uses orchestrators mainly as a labor-saving device, due to the time pressures to which film composers are routinely subjected (five weeks to write a score is not atypical).
CaliforniaCaledonian 4 years ago 4
I'm from the old school. If I write it, I orchestrate it.
Tuxster3 3 years ago
So does John Williams, when there is time (his concert works are all orchestrated by him alone).
However when scoring a film, a composer often has a mere five weeks to compose 60-80 minutes of orchestral music -- which is painstakingly synchronized to motion picture images, and very often subject to re-writes at the request of the director.
Because of these working conditions, even composers like Aaron Copland and John Corigliano also used orchestrators when working in Hollywood.
CaliforniaCaledonian 3 years ago 3
Wow! You poor thing. You really think you're telling me something I don't already know.
Again, I'm from the old school.
If I write it, I orchestrate it.
Besides, most of the film music that's come out of Hollywood the past many, many years could have been written and orchestrated by ANY hack.
LOL!
Tuxster3 3 years ago
I'll cut you some slack because you're only 22, but you really have a lot to learn about the music business, and what it means to be a working composer in the real world.
CaliforniaCaledonian 3 years ago
Gee, why aren't YOU generous? Not! ;-P
You say I'm 22?
Well, says you and whatever I put down as my age on my YouTube home page.
Surely, you know you shouldn't believe everything you read online, right?
Tuxster3 3 years ago
Keep telling yourself that. Your profile says you're 23, yet you're "old school". Composers have hired orchestrators since before your grandparents were born.
Most composers, as you should know start out, arranging their mentors compositions. But I suspect the closest you've been to an orchestra is the pirate copy of East West you downloaded.
kentrel2 2 years ago
john williams does that sometimes too... id like to see you take on a big task like he does, compose the music in a limited time, orchestrate it, often produce the album and conduct the music to film... if you could do that, you would be where john williams is now
ThePiano1991 2 years ago
I've never found John Williams' scores to stack up against previous names: Max Steiner,Alfred Newman,even Dmitri Tiomkin. Check out the classic films and then decide.
sidonie3 4 years ago
Though I like many of John William's scores, I find him to be an overrated composer.
Tuxster3 4 years ago
What r u sniffin, does ur mom u steal medication out her purse when she aint lookin.
Williams is the best composer of the 20th century. THE best, even when Miklos Rozsa, and Herrmann and other great composers were alive, they always gave remarks to Williams, and also Williams never talks down about another composer. EVEN that slack Horner.
UFOSPACE1999 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
*yawn*
Again,Williams music is nothing special. It's okay.
It all just sounds the same.
Tuxster3 3 years ago
@Tuxster3 Utter bollocks. Listen to IMAGES, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, MINORITY, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, SUGARLAND EXPRESS, THE RIVER, THE FURY, JFK, NIXON, SLEEPERS, MUNICH, AMISTAD, THE LOST WORLD, and then come back to me.
RogueRotting360 4 months ago
Yes, and thank God Bernard Herrmann and Miklos Rozsa disagreed with you. They greatly enjoyed John Williams, particularly.
lehah 3 years ago 2
Yes, and thank Satan, Bernard Herrmann and Miklos Rozsa have a right to their opinion.
Herrmann and Rozsa can get their dead asses in line behind the thousands of other people I presume disagree with me.
Tuxster3 3 years ago
What a wonderful, eye-opening doc! Thank you!! I'm glad this fiestival has named an award after Mr. Courage.
Gorillamydreamz 5 years ago
I am so happy to have found this. I want the DVD!
scottgilesmusic 5 years ago
I Love John Willams, Superman and Harry Potter and Jurrasic Park and Jaws movies he worked on were faboulous!!
PrueStar 5 years ago
Is it just me or does the Fred Astaire number at the end sound like music Sandy eventually wrote for various Star Trek episodes?
GentleGim 5 years ago
I see your point, and don't think you're imagining it.
madamerotten 5 years ago
If you're talking about the famous "Spock vs Kirk" fight music, Courage didn't write that anyway - Gerald Fried did.
mmuk64 5 years ago