Hi restless 34,
You've asked one of those questions that makes doing Google research
the interesting experience it is. In the course of working on this
answer, I learned quite a lot about one of the best, most prolific
composers of this era.
John Williams, as most know, composed the music to Star Wars,
Schindler's List and many other well-known movies, many directed by
Steven Spielberg. As a matter of fact, it turns out Williams composed
the scores for all of Spielberg's movies except "The Color Purple",
going back to "The Sugarland Express", Spielberg's first feature film.
John Towner Williams, it turns out, also plays piano, clarinet, and
trumpet, and began playing at age seven. There is a good biographical
sketch here: http://nfo.net/.CAL/tw10.html
And, while most people know Williams composed the scores for George
Lucas' Star Wars movies, few realize that the man has received 41
Academy Award nominations and won that award five times, beginning in
1972 with his adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof.
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~cm1jwb/williams.htm
Also, few know that he was raised in the Hollywood film music
business, with a father who was a jazz drummer, and worked on a number
of early television shows. John Williams himself, after training
including a stint at Juilliard School of Music, was associated early
in his career with film composition greats Bernard Herrmann, Elmer
Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, and Henri Mancini, among others. He also
worked on many 1950's and 60's television shows including Wagon Train,
Playhouse 90 and even Gilligan's Island (no, he did not write that
theme song).
Besides Williams best known scores, most in collaboration with Steven
Spielberg or George Lucas, he has composed dozens of others including
Conrack, The Missouri Breaks, The Eiger Sanction, and Home Alone. In
addition to his film work, the seventy year old composer/artist has
written many concert pieces and has received to date seventeen Grammie
awards.
Here's another good site with TV credits going back to 1953, and movie
work dating back to 1959 when he worked on the film Daddy-O.:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/9337/williams.html
All of that is interesting background, but does not answer
restless34's question. It is at this point that I must stick my neck
out. The Internet is a broad source of information, but it is not
always as deep as we'd like. There are many references to Mr.
Williams' score for the 1971 Delbert Mann-directed version of Jane
Eyre. It is considered by many, including the composer himself, to be
one of Mr. Williams' very best works, and quite unlike the bombastic
Star Wars-style works for which he later became so well-known. For a
long time it was out of print and commanded prices of up to $200 even
though the recorded soundtrack is only 33 minutes long. Fortunately
for fans of this particular work, it was remastered and reissued in
1999 on the Silva Screen label. It can be found at Amazon.com (
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000026CHZ/qid=1035873641/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-1868850-8905531?v=glance&n=507846
)
I was able to find one direct reference to the question of the piano
piece played by Edward Rochester for Jane Eyre in an IMDB review by
Christopher Mulrooney: "While Delbert Mann is quietly generating his
masterpiece with a sensible gravity of motion, you might not mark
perhaps that the composer whose work is put to the test as Jane plays
it "a little" at the piano is none other than John Williams." That
review is found at http://us.imdb.com/Title?0065911 . It should be
noted that Mr. Mulrooney has written over 500 other reviews for IMDb
(including one for the 1944 Orson Welles version of Jane Eyre), which
is the Internet's premier source for movie information, designed for
both consumers and industry professionals.
I am inclined to believe that statement, but would be more content if
I could have found a backup source for Mulrooney's assertion. I was
unable to. Unfortunately, as a Google researcher, we are limited by
time and money to using mostly Internet resources. Had I carte
blanche, I would visit Vanderbilt University where, according to
http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/speccol/mannd_prod2.shtml
Delbert Mann's papers regarding his Jane Eyre are to be found. Here is
what Vanderbilt has catalogued:
"Title: Jane Eyre
Date: 1970 (Released 24 March 1971)
Director: Delbert Mann
Producer: Frederick Brogger
Writer: Jack Pulman (Based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte)
Music: John Williams
Distribution: Bell System Family Theatre/Omnibus Productions/NBC
Format: Television Film/Cinema
Principal Actors: George C. Scott, Susannah York, Jack Hawkins
Supporting Actors: Ian Bannen, Jean Marsh, Rachel Kempson
Contents: Outlines, Scripts, Cast Lists, Casting Photographs, Crew
List, Titles and Credits, Notes, Music Notes, Sound Notes, Background,
Scene and Actor Breakdown, Scene and Timing Breakdown, Scene Plans,
List of Suggested Cuts, Prop Lists, Program Format, Sheet Music,
Schedules, Production Plans, Daily Progress Reports, Rushes Reports,
Daily Diary, Continuity Sheets, Set Designs, Sketches, Location
Information, Location Photographs, Budget, Legal Documents, Publicity,
Correspondence, Memoirs, Photographs, Scrapbook
Memoirs: Part III, p. 86-125, 125A-125D
Scrapbook: Volume XVI, 1970-1972
Location: Boxes 26-28, 94, 99, 107, 114, Map and Print File
Where is the Special Collections Library located?
Special Collections is located on the second floor of the Central
Library at 419 21st Avenue South. There are entrances on the second
level of the building, across the street from the CVS Pharmacy at the
corner of 21st Avenue South and Scarritt Place. There is also an
entrance in the breezeway between the old and new sections of the
library building. View a map of the building location. You may also
view a floorplan showing the location of Special Collections at the
Central Library Virtual Tour:"
Chances are excellent the above collection would put to rest any
lingering doubts about the Williams Jane Eyre score, as well as
providing (if you could legally acquire it) the actual sheet music to
the movie. Sadly, Google has not yet implemented a program for
commissioning Google researcher travel or I'd be on my way to
Nashville tomorrow. Until that happens, or until someone "comments"
this answer with information to the contrary, I shall assert that the
piece you asked about was composed by John Williams rather than some
other "classical" composer.
As an aside, I did look for sheet music for this Jane Eyre and was
unable to find it on the Internet. It is certainly possible to find
sheet music for some of Mr. Williams more famous works, such as Star
Wars, but JE remains elusive.
I would like to commend one more bit of reading to you: there is a
fascinating (albeit horridly transcribed) 1980 Boston Globe Magazine
interview with Mr. Williams at this website:
http://johnwilliams.home.sapo.pt/artigos/ingles/boston-globe-29-6-80.htm
Also, if you're interested, there is a copy of the original Jane Eyre
soundtrack LP currently for sale at eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=916137736
While I believe I have found the "correct" answer for you, without a
verifying second source, I know my assertion could be disproved.
Should that happen, simply ask Google for a refund of your fee. If you
want clarification of anything in my answer, please post your request
and I'll do my best to provide it.
Google search strategies: "john williams" "jane eyre"; "john williams"
"sheet music"
Thanks for your question - I've enjoyed working on it.
ericynot-ga |
,
0 Comments
)