Bernard Gregoire wrote concerning critic Richard Dyer's review of the
new Williams score for the new Star Wars movie:

>Dyer speaks to the complaints of many listers that movie music is
>frequently derivative in nature.

I'm not one who maintains that music for movies is usually derivative.
There are many movies which have had scores that I love as pure music and
in the context of the film.  But, John William's scores are not in that
category.

This is all a "dumbing down" process from the start.  First, a motion
picture company makes a childrens' movie, but feeds on the typical adult's
yen for simple/exciting/childish entertainment.  Then, they hire a well
known artist to compose the soundtrack for the childrens' movie.  Finally,
we all gush over the movie and the soundtrack.

The way many recent postings have been written, one would think that
Williams is one of the greatest classical music composers of the 2nd
half of the current century.  Well, he may go down in history with that
designation, but it's gratifying to know that there's much better classical
music that's been written during the same time period.  Again, popularity
and quality do not connect.

Don Satz
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