John Williams Says He 'Never Liked Film Music Very Much' Andrew McGowanAugust 27, 2025 at 4:47 AM John Williams is one of the most prolific film composers of all time, having created some of the most iconic scores of the past 60 years, winning five Oscars and becoming the gold standard of movie musi...
- - John Williams Says He 'Never Liked Film Music Very Much'
Andrew McGowanAugust 27, 2025 at 4:47 AM
John Williams is one of the most prolific film composers of all time, having created some of the most iconic scores of the past 60 years, winning five Oscars and becoming the gold standard of movie musicians. Ironically, though, the 93-year-old maestro recently admitted to his indifference and criticism of film music as a genre, telling a biographer "I never liked film music very much."
In this Guardian interview with author Tim Grieving about Grieving's upcoming biography of the composer, Williams broke down the craft that he's contributed so much to. "Film music, however good it can be – and it usually isn't, other than maybe an eight-minute stretch here and there," he said, "I just think the music isn't there."
More from Variety
'Superman' Composers on Honoring John Williams' Original Heroic Theme and Creating Lex Luthor's Villain Motif
'John Williams Reimagined' and 'Interstellar in Concert' Among Soundtrax Film Music Festival Lineup
Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard Salute Hollywood's Favorite Maestro as 'Music by John Williams' Documentary Kicks Off AFI Fest
He continued, brushing off the appreciation for film music as the product of "remembering it in some kind of nostalgic way," before adding, "Just the idea that film music has the same place in the concert hall as the best music in the canon is a mistaken notion, I think." Furthermore, he criticized most film music as "ephemeral" and "fragmentary and, until somebody reconstructs it, it isn't anything that we can even consider as a concert piece."
Williams' greatest works include the Academy-Award winning scores for "Fiddler On The Roof," "Jaws," "Star Wars," and "Schindler's List," and his unmistakable music in "Jurassic Park," "Indiana Jones," "Superman," "Harry Potter," "Home Alone," "Saving Private Ryan," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Empire of the Sun" and more. His latest original score for a theatrical film was for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" in 2023.
Part of the reason that his scores are so remarkable is because they take influence from classical and romantic composers like Johannes Brahms and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Unsurprisingly, Williams has also composed music apart from the screen, including numerous concert works.
Best of Variety
What's Coming to Netflix in September 2025
Best Early Labor Day Deals on Samsung, Bose, Criterion Collection and More
Oscar Predictions 2026: Venice and Telluride Will Spark the Start of Awards Season
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Source: "AOL AOL Entertainment"
Source: FORTE MAG
Full Article on Source: FORTE MAG
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities
