John Williams: genius or hard work?

John Williams - Ảnh 1. — John Williams - Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™

From the mysterious melody like the magical bell that opens each Harry Potter film to the background music like the rhythmic footsteps on a tatami mat in *Memoirs of a Geisha*, from the heroic music that rings out when Superman swoops in like a savior to rescue a girl falling from a height to the warm, cheerful Christmas melodies in *Home Alone*… composing just one of these musical pieces is enough to make a name for oneself.

But John Williams composed all of those songs, and countless others both inside and outside of film.

Packed into a documentary just over 100 minutes long, Laurent Bouzereau's Music by John Williams (2024) certainly can't cover every important work of the greatest living film composer (he has too many works). Nevertheless, it at least gives us a glimpse into how one person could continuously rise from one peak to another.

Music by John Williams Trailer - Disney+

Is it innate talent? Of course, he's a genius, but that's not enough. Is it family inheritance? That's also a factor; his father was a musician in Hollywood, but not as prominent.

Was it luck? John Williams himself would humbly nod and tell us, yes, he was incredibly lucky; but as spectators, we know there's more to it than that. And the answer lies nowhere else but in hard work, immense hard work.

John Williams rarely turned down even the smallest offers in the early stages of his music career.

Today we know John Williams as the composer of some of the most famous film scores of all time, from the Star Wars series to Schindler's List, but do we know about a John Williams who was a piano player rarely mentioned, who played for countless Hollywood productions, from classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Apartment to films that have been completely forgotten?

Do we ever know of a John Williams who used to compose music for mediocre television shows and tasteless sitcoms by relatively unknown directors, to the point that an earlier composer advised him to leave the film industry if he didn't want to lose himself in this commercially commissioned music?

And further back, do we know of a John Williams who was once offered the opportunity to compose music for a travel documentary about the Canadian coast from a small studio, and who accepted the offer?

Be amazed that this composer had just finished the soundtrack for Jurassic Park, capturing the most innocent and adventurous aspects of childhood. He had just brought the colossal dinosaurs to life through music, and immediately set about composing for one of the greatest films about humanity in World War II – Schindler's List.

But don't think that he achieved this solely through God-given talent. These musical works are merely the culmination of a life of tireless labor and continuous sowing, whether in fertile or barren lands.

Williams's range of work was so broad because, for him, there seemed to be no distinction between high and low in art.

He might agree to compose music for films that others consider terrible. He might compose music for television channels like ESPN, but at the same time, he also writes the most challenging, experimental concertos for solo artists.

The most recent footage in Music by John Williams was filmed in 2023. That year, Williams announced that after Indiana Jones 5, he would retire from writing film scores and focus solely on orchestral music. However, he later changed his mind, saying he wanted to stay in Hollywood for another 10 years, until he was 100 years old.

So, Williams fans shouldn't worry. John Williams is only 93 now, and he still sits down at his desk writing music every morning.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/john-williams-thien-tai-hay-no-luc-20250706084928776.htm