John Williams borrowed from who?

[Bob]

I know I asked this already.  I want more input though.... new people.  I still haven't gotten the answer I'm looking for.


Where did John Williams borrow from?  I have heard he "stole" music from someone else for some famous themes (Imperial March) but I don't remember what that source music is.  Anyone know?

[allthumbs]

I can't answer your question, but I do know that Williams is a good composer, which brings me to the following quote.

'A good composer does not imitate; he steals.'

                                                         Igor Stravinsky


Cheers

allthumbs

[JCarey]

I believe the question should be "where didn't John Williams borrow from?" 

Actually, I greatly respect his achievements. But much of his music is very obviously... "inspired" by the music of others. Listen to the Jaws theme and then the final movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony, for instance.

[stevie]

which was in turn inspired by liszt's norma fantasy

[contrapunctus]

How dare you insult Williams! His ideas are completely original!

Actually I thing he stole most of his stuff from Wagner.

[cjp_piano]

From the movie "Hook", there's a theme that is VERY similar to Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain"

[BoliverAllmon]

Saint-Saens PC 2 reminded me of star wars especially when the french horns play a bit.

[Waldszenen]

Someone told me that the Imperial March theme off Star Wars V was "inspired" by Chopin's Funeral March from the 2nd Sonata.


But to be honest I can tell no resemblance.


Besides, Williams is a genius.

[BoliverAllmon]

Apparently Lucas put the entire movie to his favorite classical music and gave it to Williams. Williams was asked to make it sound like this, therefore it sounds like it is ripped.

boliver

[allchopin]

I just happened to be pondering this musical allusionment the other day, while listening to Mahler's 2nd.  Check out this piece and see if you can't see the resemblance!

[mikey6]

The love theme from superman is a total rip of the transcendental theme in Death and Transfiguration.  Then again Strauss did a lot for movie composers anyway..

[BoliverAllmon]

I just happened to be pondering this musical allusionment the other day, while listening to Mahler's 2nd.  Check out this piece and see if you can't see the resemblance!

what piece?

[panic]

Superman main theme (or at least that of the new Superman Returns movie) - Sibelius Symphony no. 7.

[quantum]

Solen or not, I love his music and I think he is an excellent composer who has shown great ability in successfully expressing a great diversity of ideas through his music. 

Go see a film who's soundtrack that horidly is mismatched with what is happening on the screen, and hopefully you will see what great things John Williams has done in comparrison. 

[gruffalo]

i think you maybe mistaking  him from James Horner, the one who wrote the music for Titanic. correct me if im wrong JCarey, but i believe that he often stole other peoples ideas.

[allchopin]

what piece?

Mahler's 2nd symphony, esp. mov. 1.