Alfred Reed plays John Williams Juke Box
John Williams' music has left a prolific impact on the world. Among his most famous soundtracks are those of Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I remember watching these movies as a child and feeling excited every time the main theme would play. Both of these movies are about a deep sense of adventure, and Williams encapsulates this well in his composition. A composer with credits such as his has surely influenced the next generation, and this is evident in the composer Alfred Reed.
Alfred Reed is a 20th century composer who was written works for most major ensemble instrumentation. He also wrote a number of pieces for brass instruments. These works sound the most Williams-esque out of all of Reed's compositions. Below are links to the first and last movements of Alfred Reed's Symphony for Brass and Percussion.
For the avid Star Wars fan, I recommend the first movement especially. The dense scoring are reminiscent of much of the impact points in Williams' score. If Indiana Jones is more your style -- fret not! This symphony has something for everyone. The third movement has many moments that could easily be substituted into the soundtrack toget Dr. Jones through any sticky situation he encounters.
What a cool connection that I had not considered before! Now anytime I listen to an Alfred Reed work I'll probably be keeping an ear out for Williams-inspired writing. Following your recommendations for which movements to pay attention to, the ascending minor 3rd riff that starts at 5:23 definitely gave off Star Wars vibes. Much of the Largo, such as the section starting at 8:45, seems like suitable music for the Empire. I agree with your Indiana Jones association too, especially in some of those drum patterns.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean about the comparison to John Williams. The handful of times that I have performed this piece, I have never once thought about that until I read this post. Thanks for sharing your insight!
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