The Many-Splendored John Williams
Zoom – Tuesday 10:30 am – Noon
March 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
“A man of vigor, humility and incomparable musical talent. You could see the rapture on his face as he conducted. The force is strong with him.” These are the words of an admirer watching John Williams conducting the National Symphony in a performance of his “Imperial March” at the Kennedy Center on the occasion of his 90th birthday in 2022. John Williams has composed the music for some of the most iconic movies in the industry. With over 100 feature films to his credit, he has been composing music for movie soundtracks since 1959. We focus on Williams’s craft and his vast stylistic range, including his capacity for “creative plagiarism.” Among the movies to be discussed are The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens –both from the Star Wars series– Jaws, How to Steal a Million, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- Week 1: Setting the scene and reviewing some basics
- Week 2: The Empire Strikes Back
- Week 3: The Force Awakens
- Week 4: How to Steal a Million
- Week 5: Jaws
- Week 6: Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Week 7: Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan
- Week 8: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Joshua Berrett earned a BA from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, an MA from Columbia University and a PhD from the University of Michigan. He has also studied at the Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, and the Tanglewood Music Center. He is a Professor Emeritus at Mercy University, a violinist, and the author of many publications on music. He has appeared on NPR and made presentations nationally and abroad. With his wife, Lynne, he is co-founder of the non-profit Ageless Mind Project, Inc.