Jerry Goldsmith (and John Williams, and James Newton Howard) frequently use an old opera style of Themes for each specific character/setting/etc. The little theme isn’t whole songs, but little flourishes that makes it somewhat obvious which character the song is about. It’s fantastic when you pay attention and notice it. Listen to “Memoirs of a Geisha” soundtrack by John Williams, or “The Village” soundtrack my James Newton Howard. Star Wars of course is very obvious in its use.
Makes Williams sound like a blunt instrument (pun ever so intended) comparatively. But then, at the mere mention of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, or Jurassic Park, we all know and hear it in our heads.
That’s the thing about John Williams. He may not be the best composer of film soundtracks or even the most original, but he has basically written the soundtrack of our lives.
Wait is this true?
Absolutely. Different music is used for the action scenes, but other times it’s the same basic theme.
Jerry Goldsmith (and John Williams, and James Newton Howard) frequently use an old opera style of Themes for each specific character/setting/etc. The little theme isn’t whole songs, but little flourishes that makes it somewhat obvious which character the song is about. It’s fantastic when you pay attention and notice it. Listen to “Memoirs of a Geisha” soundtrack by John Williams, or “The Village” soundtrack my James Newton Howard. Star Wars of course is very obvious in its use.
The term your referring to is Leitmotif.
Thank you! I couldn’t recall the term offhand.
My favorite piece illustrating this concept
Bear McCreary uses Leitmotif to incredible effect in Battlestar Galactica.
Makes Williams sound like a blunt instrument (pun ever so intended) comparatively. But then, at the mere mention of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, or Jurassic Park, we all know and hear it in our heads.
When you are John Williams, you don’t need to apologize for being said blunt instrument.
That’s the thing about John Williams. He may not be the best composer of film soundtracks or even the most original, but he has basically written the soundtrack of our lives.
Until the sequels, when the themes are all over the place and get utterly disconnected from the characters so it feels not obvious at all anymore.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L_8-dWSLDWI
It’s usually fairly obvious what a song is about though, due to the words.