John Williams and the Illusion of Life Theory
What do Superman, Schindler’s List, Home Alone, and NBC News have in common? They all have a score or theme song composed by the legendary John Williams. Williams is famous for his iconic film scores, so much so that they have become just as identifiable and popular as the films themselves in the pop culture lexicon. It is difficult to hear the iconic notes of Harry Potter’s “Hedwig’s Theme” or the Star Wars “Main Title” and not immediately identify them as John Williams’ work. The style of his compositions evoke emotion and convey meaning, typically without the use of lyrics. Although Sellnow’s explanation of the illusion of life theory argues that music and lyrics work together to convey messages of conceptual and emotional content, I contend that John Williams’ music is unique in its ability to successfully convey conceptual and emotional content without words. (It should be noted that a few of John Williams’ orchestrations do have lyrics, though he is not typically the writer).
One of the most striking examples of John Williams’ ability to convey conceptual and emotional content is the theme from Schindler’s List. The haunting violin solo elicits feelings of despair and struggle which also mirrors and supports the plot of the film, set during the holocaust and World War II. The song is dramatic and emotional, which is typical for a film score, yet it also assists in telling the story of the film and its characters -- perhaps just as effectively as dialogue in the script.
Likewise, consider another John Williams classic, the 1978 Superman theme. In the first few measures of the theme, the music crescendos and sounds like someone’s voice could be overlaid with the music saying “it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s superman!” energetically emphasizing “superman”. This example demonstrates how instrumental music can mimic dialogue or rhetoric, and cause an emotional response without a single word ever uttered. Though this musical strategy is not specific to John Williams, I believe his scores are some of the best examples of its effectiveness. In that sense, I do believe that the illusion of life theory can be extended to the film scores of John Williams for their ability to conceptualize, dramatize, and tell a story. Many of the films we know and love today would not be as impactful without the music of John Williams helping to tell the story and make us laugh, cry, and gain a deeper understanding of the characters.
Do you agree that contextual and emotional content can be conveyed through music without the use of lyrics? Why or why not?
What examples would you add to the two I shared above?
One of the most striking examples of John Williams’ ability to convey conceptual and emotional content is the theme from Schindler’s List. The haunting violin solo elicits feelings of despair and struggle which also mirrors and supports the plot of the film, set during the holocaust and World War II. The song is dramatic and emotional, which is typical for a film score, yet it also assists in telling the story of the film and its characters -- perhaps just as effectively as dialogue in the script.
Likewise, consider another John Williams classic, the 1978 Superman theme. In the first few measures of the theme, the music crescendos and sounds like someone’s voice could be overlaid with the music saying “it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s superman!” energetically emphasizing “superman”. This example demonstrates how instrumental music can mimic dialogue or rhetoric, and cause an emotional response without a single word ever uttered. Though this musical strategy is not specific to John Williams, I believe his scores are some of the best examples of its effectiveness. In that sense, I do believe that the illusion of life theory can be extended to the film scores of John Williams for their ability to conceptualize, dramatize, and tell a story. Many of the films we know and love today would not be as impactful without the music of John Williams helping to tell the story and make us laugh, cry, and gain a deeper understanding of the characters.
Do you agree that contextual and emotional content can be conveyed through music without the use of lyrics? Why or why not?
What examples would you add to the two I shared above?
I do believe that although songs may lack lyrics, they can still convey meanings, similarly to how songs with lyrics can. Take Hans Zimmer’s Time (2019), for example. The song was written for the 2010 Christopher Nolan film, Inception, and is considered by many to be Zimmer’s greatest piece of music. The song conveys the emotions of someone going through their life. The song begins very quietly, reaches its crescendo toward the middle, and then fades out to single piano chords to close out the song. The song somehow gives a sense of both empowerment and sorrow through its chords, as one experiences moments of both throughout one's lifetime. In addition to your examples from John Williams, I would agree that meanings and content can be conveyed through song, even with no words attached.
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WaterTower Music [Username]. (2019, April 29). Hans Zimmer - Time (Official Audio) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c56t7upa8Bk