John Williams Presents…The Sensation of Flight

By Steve D. Matchett

Composer John Williams has impacted the world like no other composer in modern times.  His brilliant film scores saturate the global consciousness…there barely being a person on the planet that couldn’t hum something that he has written.  Few composers can be described as creating an entire “musical iconography.” His music is as vital to the characters that it suffuses, as are their voices, costumes, and dialogue.  His music brings such power to the screen that audiences are washed along in its wake.  He is a composer who “nails it” so much of the time, that we forget that setting the right music to film, and by doing so, intensifying what we see, is an arduous process.  An entire industry of pops concerts has developed with the world’s symphony orchestras, which has his film music at the center, and has pulled other fortunate composers into the productions, along for the trip.  In many ways he has downright saved the symphony orchestra business, and given the public at large an important justification for the perpetual maintenance and support of a 19^th century institution.  His music makes us feel that the symphony orchestra also belongs to all of us in our own day.

Of the many things I could say about his music (which would take several weeks of continuous commentary), I wanted to point out here that his music has so brilliantly expressed the sensation of “flight” in so many films.  His music manages to propel us all into aeronautical plunges and ascents without ever leaving our seat.  Of course as a kid one of my favorite shows (and sooo Sci-Fi) was Lost in Space (“danger Will Robinson”), for which he did the theme music.  The music so humorously depicts a rickety flying saucer trying to find a place to plop itself down (hopefully smoothly, so that June Lockhart’s hair doesn’t get mussed).  William’s use of chromatic flourishes to represent the topsy-turvy flight of the Jupiter 2, would be revisited later when he helps propel the also hapless Millennium Falcon to fly into an asteroid and settle there (barely digested!).

When Superman decides that it’s time to give Lois Lane the ride of her life in his arms, the composer is there to make us safe with a soaring theme and a smoothly orchestrated landing (whew!).  Stephen Spielberg decided to give Mr. Williams free reign in the flying sequence at the end of E.T. E.T.’s boy rescuers and their friends take flight on their bikes, under the charm of the alien’s spell, to get the gnomish and homesick creature to his launching area.  Spielberg edited the film here in accordance with the music; reversing the norm of "film first, music later;" doing this in order to honor the composer with a rare Hollywood creative salute, which is one of the best composed “long” musical sequences on film.

Hippogriff

I would say that my favorite flight sequence is in the third movie of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Harry is introduced to Buckbeak the hippogriff, and after making his “acquaintance” is very reluctantly placed on the imposing animal’s back and told to hang on. Harry’s flight is accompanied by music, which is effective thematically and colorfully embellished orchestrally, and produces an oceanic sense (in us and in Harry) as it reinforces the powerful flap of the mythic creature’s giant wings.  In the first three films of the series we also get the hyper-flights of the Quidditch players who travel dangerously fast on their broomsticks to play their airborne sport.  [I wish I could find the video with John Williams conducting the Boston Pops brass section in the Quidditch music! His fanfare/ceremonial music “nails it" here too!] The creative musical mind that concocts and coordinates this affect of flight, to such success, seems to be one with strong synesthetic abilities between the visual and the musico/sonic—his ability to hear harmonic and rhythmic structure in what his eye sees, represents an intellect that few of us can comprehend.  To do this in such a musically sophisticated way, helps the art form and elevates the taste of audiences. We all joyfully succumb to the ride that his music takes us on!

© 2012 Steve D. Matchett