Forty Filmscores and 81 on my Birthday

You've heard them all from the early 70's screen hits like Jaws and Star Wars to the more recent Harry Potter and Lincoln. John Williams turned 81 yesterday, on my birthday. We took in a tribute at the Kravis Center played by the Palm Beach pops, conducted by Bob Lappin.

Does he ever stop creating and composing? Not likely, at this rate. Here are a few tunes we heard last Friday that you might be able to hum along to:

• Olympic Fanfare (1984 LA Olympics, I heard it live back then at the Hollywood Bowl)

da dunt da dunt dunt digguty dun da dun

da dunt da dunt digguty dun da dun, etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBaFuPS5Jzs 

• Star Wars - 

                                                              Bum pa bum pa bum-------

Bap bup pa pa buum
Bum pa bum pa bum-------
Bap bup pa pa bup bum

bup pa pa buuuuuum bum

bup pa pa  buuuuuuum bum

ba pa pa bup pa pa bum 

ba ba ba bum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXQCG8rIRJA

And my favorite, the soul-torturing theme played exquisitely by a single violin in duet with the mournful oboe counterpart from:

•  Schindler's List  -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1UvabfIbl8 

The thickly suspenseful contrabasses, harmonies dissonant and clashing:

• Jaws -  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-sX2Y0W8l0 

He has won 9 Academy and Golden Globe awards. He holds the most nominations, second only to Walt Disney. 5 Chamber works, 17 orchestral works, 14 Concertos.

Forty Filmscores. 

Amazing.

Crazy Prolific.

Composer.