Theme
from "Schindler's List" - John Williams, arr. Custer
John Williams (b. 1932) is perhaps the most famous and accomplished
composer alive today. Even Wikipedia's extremely dry
introduction to his biography can't dull the luster of his career:
John Towner Williams (born
February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a
career that spans six decades, Williams has composed many of the most
famous film scores in Hollywood history, including Star Wars, Superman,
Home Alone, the first three Harry Potter movies and all but two of
Steven Spielberg's feature films including the Indiana Jones series,
Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park and Jaws.
He also composed the soundtrack for the hit 1960s television series
Lost in Space as well as the fanfare of the DreamWorks Pictures' logo.
Williams has composed
theme music for four Olympic Games, the NBC Nightly News, the
rededication of the Statue of Liberty, and numerous television series
and concert pieces. He served as the principal conductor of the Boston
Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993, and is now the orchestra's laureate
conductor.
Williams has been
nominated for 45 Academy Awards and won five. He has also won four
Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards and 21 Grammy Awards. With 45
Academy Award nominations, Williams is, together with composer Alfred
Newman, the second most nominated person after Walt Disney. He was
inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a
recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004.
The movie Schindler's List
tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a Czech businessman and member of
the Nazi party. At the beginning of World War II in 1939, he
opens a factory in Poland at which he uses Jewish workers because they
are cheaper than non-Jewish Poles. After witnessing Nazi
atrocities against Jews, he resolves to save as many Jews as he can by
creating a list of essential workers. The people on his list
thereby avoid being shipped to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
All this Schindler accomplishes at immense personal expense.
He is remembered today as a hero who saved over 1100 lives.
Williams's theme for the film
captures all the drama and melancholy of the story. It was
originally recorded with violinist Itzhak Perlman as the featured
soloist.
Here is
the theme, identical to our version in form, with a montage
of scenes from the movie (unfortunately embedding is disabled so you'll
just have to follow the link - it's worth it!)
And now a servicable band
version with flute soloist, identical to what we are playing: