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Pieces You Wished You Had Composed


Nigel

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When I think of Jaws.....I think Dvorak!

ME TOO!

totally taken from his 9th...

anyway, I wish I had written the Firebird. It's pretty fabulous...

John Adams Violin Concerto. I always picture myself coming up with those ideas. If you hadn't heard it, I think it's the greatest piece in the last 20 years (probaly ALOT longer). Mendelssohn's Overture to a Midsummer's night Dream. He was 16 when he wrote this. How is that possible? I wish I could write that piece.

It's possible when your family is rich, and instead of going to school or getting a job, you learn music non-stop. I think what's more amazing is Mozart's compositions at a MUCH younger age than 16...

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Artistically, I've never had the feeling of wishing I wrote someone else's piece of music. I don't get how it could be desirable to have written something that wouldn't have naturally come from your own inner creativity. :iffy:

Having not seen Schindler's List I just purchased the main theme by itself. Honestly, it's fine, but I don't see it as a wonderful work of art. I can think of plenty of concert works that are far more beautiful, and even some other film scores/themes that are more beautiful (finale to Edward Scissorhands, for one)

Just my opinion though.

Ditto.

When I think of Jaws.....I think Dvorak!

Yup. \m/

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Guest QcCowboy
ME TOO!

totally taken from his 9th...

sorry, I'd really like a specific reference here.

that's quite the assertion.

Do you mean the opening motif of the final movement of the Dvorak?

That is so completely different from what Williams wrote that it's not comparable in anything but a superficial way.

"oh wow, williams used the same two notes as another composer, what a rip-off artist"

First of all, the Jaws theme is more than just those two notes.

Secondly, oh jee, now we can't use two notes in a row, or else we're just ripping off Dvorak.

Thirdly, well, believe it or not, Dvorak wasn't the first to do that.

Quite honestly, I find the opening of La Valse much more similar to the opening of Jaws. Why doesn't anyone ever say "oh look, Williams ripped off Ravel".

Wait! that's because then you'd ALSO have to say "Ravel ripped off Dvorak".

Cut the crap.

The Jaws "shark theme" is considerably more complex than just the "duh-du" that everyone seems able to plunk at the piano.

The density shifts, the chords thicken, there's a rich polychordal texture that gets installed, and then the horn comes in with its leaping intervalic motif.

Yeah, REALLY "dvorak" sounding.

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sorry, I'd really like a specific reference here.

that's quite the assertion.

Do you mean the opening motif of the final movement of the Dvorak?

That is so completely different from what Williams wrote that it's not comparable in anything but a superficial way.

"oh wow, williams used the same two notes as another composer, what a rip-off artist"

First of all, the Jaws theme is more than just those two notes.

Secondly, oh jee, now we can't use two notes in a row, or else we're just ripping off Dvorak.

Thirdly, well, believe it or not, Dvorak wasn't the first to do that.

Quite honestly, I find the opening of La Valse much more similar to the opening of Jaws. Why doesn't anyone ever say "oh look, Williams ripped off Ravel".

Wait! that's because then you'd ALSO have to say "Ravel ripped off Dvorak".

Cut the crap.

The Jaws "shark theme" is considerably more complex than just the "duh-du" that everyone seems able to plunk at the piano.

The density shifts, the chords thicken, there's a rich polychordal texture that gets installed, and then the horn comes in with its leaping intervalic motif.

Yeah, REALLY "dvorak" sounding.

:innocent: LAAAAAAAAAAA :innocent:

Oh how amazing that post was! QC, that was brilliant!

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sorry, I'd really like a specific reference here.

that's quite the assertion.

Do you mean the opening motif of the final movement of the Dvorak?

That is so completely different from what Williams wrote that it's not comparable in anything but a superficial way.

"oh wow, williams used the same two notes as another composer, what a rip-off artist"

First of all, the Jaws theme is more than just those two notes.

Secondly, oh jee, now we can't use two notes in a row, or else we're just ripping off Dvorak.

Thirdly, well, believe it or not, Dvorak wasn't the first to do that.

Quite honestly, I find the opening of La Valse much more similar to the opening of Jaws. Why doesn't anyone ever say "oh look, Williams ripped off Ravel".

Wait! that's because then you'd ALSO have to say "Ravel ripped off Dvorak".

Cut the crap.

The Jaws "shark theme" is considerably more complex than just the "duh-du" that everyone seems able to plunk at the piano.

The density shifts, the chords thicken, there's a rich polychordal texture that gets installed, and then the horn comes in with its leaping intervalic motif.

Yeah, REALLY "dvorak" sounding.

I think someone needs a life. No offense, but it was just an excited utterance. CLEARLY I don't John williams took it from his 9th.

so, relax, take a chill pill.

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Guest QcCowboy
I think someone needs a life. No offense, but it was just an excited utterance. CLEARLY I don't John williams took it from his 9th.

so, relax, take a chill pill.

Actually, I do have a life.

If you clearly "don't John Williams took it from his 9th" then don't say it.

What's the point?

By the way, this IS a composers' forum. Don't be surprised if you trash a well-known and admired composer and someone reacts to your baseless accusation.

And if you're wondering why I reacted as violently as I did, you might be interested in looking around the forum. "John Williams bashing" seems to be a favourite sport of people who have no clue.

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I think someone needs a life. No offense, but it was just an excited utterance. CLEARLY I don't John williams took it from his 9th.

so, relax, take a chill pill.

This is funny. Someone expresses surprise that people discuss things on a discussion forum. Happens now and then, and I never get the hang of it.

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QC has a point though. Not only on YC, but generally everywhere on the internet, people tend to bash John Williams. I've seen some of the Amazon reviews for his soundtracks... there are too many people that have nothing else to say except "JW cheats like heck. He steals others' music....." As a John Williams fan, it can become slightly irritating for me. :)

- BiddyPocket: I'm not directing this towards you in any way. ;)

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Actually, I myself would rather not have written the Pachebel Canon... I want to think I would rather have written something more innovative. Oh, wow, a diatonic chord progression, a simple figure, and ... a canon! :P

Some things I wish I were capable of churning out would be Dvorak's 9th, Liszt's first concerto, Debussy's Bergamasque, Frank's violin sonata, a few things of Rubinstein's, the score to Lord of the Rings, a Joplin or Confrey rag or two, Fnugg Blue, and... Haydn's national anthem for what is now Germany. Those are just a few things I can think of off-hand... but I'd much rather write something of my own that has an impact on people like those pieces I mention have impacted on me.

Hmmm... I wish I had composed the blues. character43.gif

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I think the first and the fourth symphonies are the best symphonies; they're the ones I'd most like to have composed.

Not that the D major is bad, nor the F major, but in my mind it certainly falls below 1 and 4.

I would be gratified to have composed 1st and 4th.

But to chose only one, I would have composed the 3rd though maybe the 2nd, and would have made only a few harmonic alternations respectively.

I also would not mind making alternations to a lot of Schumann's music, especially the 3rd, structure as whimsical, it is potent.

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hmmmm.... let's see......

Definitely Bach's 1st Brandenburg concerto! Its contrasts and overall flavor is quite pleasing.

Then..... hmmm... Beethoven's op.18 string quartets (all of them) his 3rd symphony (the best structure and development of all of his works imo), his 6th symphony (beautiful. but a little too repetetive). Of course, his 9th symphony (it is simply powerful, majestic, and easy to connect to), his Egmont and Fidelio overtures (majestic), and FINALLY the 32nd piano sonata (it brings tears to my eyes)

then...

Schubert's 9th ... it's so catchy.

Mendelssohn's Hebrides overture (wow so elegant), his 3rd symphony (it is gargantuan), his 4th (beautiful), and his songs w/o words

Schumann's A min piano concerto (fabulous themes)

Lalo's symphony espagnole (very contrasting and spanish)

Bruch's violin concerto 1!! Such a powerful piece. It is full of the composer's soul + each movement has memorable themes.

Mahler's 2nd - It is a giant.

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