In a revelation that will astonish film lovers and music aficionados alike, legendary composer John Williams has confessed he never held much affection for film music itself, despite creating some of cinema's most enduring scores.
The maestro behind the iconic themes for Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park made the surprising admission in a rare interview, suggesting his heart truly belongs to the concert hall rather than the silver screen.
A Composer's Contradiction
Williams, now 93, explained that while he dedicated decades to film scoring, he always viewed it as separate from his primary musical passions. "I never really liked film music very much," he stated with refreshing candour. "When I'm working on a film, I'm thinking about the film and the story and trying to get the music to work."
This revelation creates a fascinating paradox: the man responsible for creating the musical backdrop to countless childhoods and cultural moments maintains a certain detachment from the medium that made him famous.
The Concert Hall Calling
Williams' true passion, it emerges, lies in absolute music—compositions that exist for their own sake rather than serving a narrative function. "I've always thought of myself as a concert musician," he revealed, highlighting his preference for writing music that "stands on its own two feet."
Despite this preference, Williams acknowledges the unique challenges and rewards of film composition: "When you write a concert piece, it's different. You're not thinking about whether it's supporting a scene or making a transition."
An Enduring Legacy
What makes Williams' confession particularly remarkable is the sheer cultural weight of his cinematic contributions. His scores have:
- Defined the sound of blockbuster cinema for generations
- Become instantly recognisable across global audiences
- Elevated film music to an art form worthy of concert hall performances
- Inspired countless musicians to pursue composition careers
Yet despite his monumental impact on film music, Williams maintains a composer's purity about his work, always measuring it against the standards of classical tradition rather than cinematic success.
The interview offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of an artist who changed how we experience cinema while personally preferring the purist world of concert composition—a contradiction that only adds depth to his extraordinary legacy.
