The Score Seeker: A Guide to Film and Classical Music

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull marked John Williams’ 100th film score of his career. Returning after a 19-year hiatus away from Indiana Jones, Williams said that it was like "sitting down and finishing a letter that you started 25 years ago". Williams' writing harkens back to the style of adventure music he was writing in the 1980s. Join me as I discuss the adventurous but conceptually odd main theme for the character of Mutt and the sexy, noir-ish main theme for Cate Blanchett’s villainess Irina Spalko. At the center of the score is the stand-out cue called “The Jungle Chase” featuring Williams' great skill at thematic action scoring.

For the trilogy capper of the Indiana Jones franchise, my favorite film of the franchise, Williams wrote a more mature and quieter score than its predecessors, but with no less attention to detail and thematic variation. In this episode, I break down the different variations of the “Father/Son Theme”, representing the rekindling relationship between Indy and his father — the heart of the movie. I also discuss the Lutheran hymn-like new melodies for the Holy Grail and the Grail Knights, as well as the martial theme for the Nazis.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the lesser of the original trilogy, but, I will try and change your mind about John Williams’ film score, my favorite of all the Indiana Jones scores. Along with the triumphant and epic return of the Raiders March, Williams write three new melodies for the characters of Willie and Short Round, and for the enslaved children within the temple. Williams’ writing is cranked up to ten as he delivers one of the most thrilling of his career! Be wary, though, this is Indiana Jones going to Hell!

Having worked with both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, John Williams was definitely the go-to choice for the composer of the first Indiana Jones film. Yet again, Williams wrote an iconic score filled with epic adventure, emotional passion, and terrifying horror. In this episode, I discuss the main leitmotifs of the picture, particularly how the Ark of the Covenant theme contains some "devilish" harmonies. At the center of the score are the two standout action cues: "The Basket Chase" and "Desert Chase", some of the best, most thrilling action music Williams ever wrote.

Entirely different from the first film in tone, The Lost World: Jurassic Park prompted John Williams to write one of the most unique scores of his career. Instead of the ample melodic writing we are so used to hearing, Williams wrote a score that relies almost completely on rhythm, employing the biggest percussion section he’s had since the 1972 film Images. While not relying on his old tunes from Jurassic Park, Williams writes a new ascending carnivore motif as well as "The Lost World Theme", a minor mode melody all harmonized with major chords.

Counted as one of John Williams’ greatest scores, Jurassic Park was also partly the origin and a continuing source for my ongoing love of his music. In this episode, the four main themes, including the rousing “Island Fanfare” and the majestic “Theme from Jurassic Park” will be discussed in detail as well as some of the relatively unknown but intimately beautiful passages contained within Steven Spielberg’s 1993 science fiction, action-adventure film.

For this episode on John Williams’ breathtaking music to the film that started it all — Star Wars — I am joined by fellow musician, educator, and composer, Keith Sisterhenm as we talk about why the phenomenon of Star Wars and its music are so important to film history and the history of our culture. For this famous score, Williams looked to the past and made the leitmotif technique mainstream again, bringing it back from utter antiquity. He composed ten leitmotifs to carry the emotion forward in this super-charged science fiction fantasy adventure. Keith and I discuss how the main leitmotifs serve the story and how sometimes Williams borrowed and made his own, music of the past.

We travel across the Pacific Ocean to the island of Japan to explore the incredible music of Isao Takahata’s final film, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, released in 2013. Join me as I discuss Joe Hisaishi’s continued association with Studio Ghibli, the famous Japanese animation production studio, in providing music for yet another masterpiece. Drawing upon the musical tradition of his home country, and the use of the pentatonic scale, Hisaishi crafted seven original themes and motifs to shape the great emotional range of the film. From the joyous “Happiness Theme” to the peaceful “Memories Theme”, Hisaishi created a bed of simple yet poignant music for this folk tale.

Michael Giacchino’s crowning achievement in film scoring, his score for Up won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2009. In this episode, where I am joined by composer Johan Macaraeg, we explore how Giacchino uses his two leitmotifs, “Ellie’s Theme,” and “Muntz’s Theme,” to deftly accompany the emotional story. After all is said and done, the score for Up basically can be whittled down to one sonority: a major 7th chord.

This episode of ‘The Score Seeker’ puts the spotlight on John Williams’ masterful score to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first film in the Harry Potter franchise. For this dense and incredibly rich score, Williams composed no less than twelve main and secondary themes and motifs to carry the magical film forward. Join me as I discuss how the main leitmotifs are melodically related and how Williams created a new musical syntax for his score. Highlights include the Quidditch match and the original, unused music Williams wrote for the Diagon Alley sequence.