John Williams, the legendary composer behind iconic film scores such as Jaws, Star Wars and Jurassic Park, has admitted he never held film music in high regard. In a rare interview for an upcoming biography, the 93-year-old said he believes film music pales in comparison to the great works of classical music.
“I never liked film music very much,” Williams confessed. He added: “Film music, however good it can be – and it usually isn’t, other than maybe an eight-minute stretch here and there … I just think the music isn’t there.” The five-time Oscar winner suggested that nostalgia often clouds people’s judgment of film scores.
Williams, who has scored more than 100 films including Schindler’s List, E.T. and the first three Harry Potter movies, described his film work as “just a job”. He said: “If I had it all to do over again, I would have made a cleaner job of it – of having the film music and the concert music all being more me.”
Biographer Tim Greiving, who interviewed Williams for John Williams: A Composer’s Life, described the comments as “shocking” but noted that Williams is genuinely self-deprecating. Greiving said: “He has this internalised prejudice against film music. It’s a functional type of music.” However, he argued that Williams’s music defies this, calling it “sublime art” that elevated film scoring.
Despite his reservations, Williams has approved a new concert performance of his famous scores. Titled John Williams Reimagined, the event will take place at Cadogan Hall in London on 27 October, featuring new arrangements for flute, cello and piano.
