Bruce Alan Wilson writes concerning John Williams:

>...if I were doing a remake of Ben Hur or Quo Vadis, who else would
>one call on for the music?

Let's see if I have this in the right order.  Composers such as Korngold
wrote film scores for swashbuckling films in the 1940's, give or take a few
years.  John Williams continued with this type of music for swashbuckling
films from the late 1900's.  Now we are in the 21st century, and the same
type of music is again mandated? Whatever happened to progress, creativity,
and innovation? Can it really be true that this continuation of one
particular style is the only viable way to provide music for new
swashbuckling films?

I can't go with this premise, and I don't believe that human evolution is
so stagnant that alternative musical styles are not available.  There was
a progressive rock group in the 1970's with the name "Emerson, Lake, and
Palmer".  I have no idea what those guys are doing these days or even if
they are alive, but I think they could come up with film scores for the
above films mentioned by Mr.  Wilson that would make the typical Williams
film score just sound like a relic of the past.

Actually, what concerns me more is when movies about the distant past use
music from present time.  There's a new movie on the market about knights
and jousting, etc.  I was watching a commercial for this new film, and the
music being played was of the pop category from our current age.  What's
next? King Louis and his wife doing some shopping to Madonna's "Material
Girl"?

Don Satz
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