Show Notes
Host Jeff Commings presents his longest solo episode to date, discussing the Oscar-winning score to the 1993 drama "Schindler's List." It's 13 minutes longer than the amount of original music Williams composed for the 192-minute film. In addition to discussing the often-told backstory of Williams' reluctance to accept the job, you'll learn about the three locations in which the score was recorded and why the Boston Symphony Orchestra was picked to play a portion of the score. You'll hear musical excerpts from many of the score's highlights, including the 12-minute cue that sets up the bulk of the film and the heartbreaking music for violinist Itzhak Perlman during the Auschwitz scenes. But the episode goes beyond discussion of "Schindler's List," stepping into 1994 during Williams' time off from film scoring as he created two concertos for celebrated musicians.
More from The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey
This special episode details the exciting music for the Hoth battle from The Empire Strikes Back.
Steven Spielberg convinced semi-retired John Williams to write the film score for his new science-fiction epic about alien visitations called Disclosure Day. The result is a "restrained" score that lacks the thematic richness we have come to expect from Williams. But the score, as host Jeff Commings details, is one of the best Williams has written in the 21st century. Join this episode to hear music from the score, including a brooding first cue, an intensely scored cue for a car chase that doesn't focus on the car chase, and a lovely end credits cue that takes variations of a melody that is sparsely used throughout the film.
The fifth Indiana Jones movie brought 79-year-old Harrison Ford back into the old fedora for another adventure involving a precious artifact that could spell doom if put into the wrong hands. Along for the ride was 91-year-old John Williams, who completed his 43-year association with Indy with a score that features callbacks to moments from previous Indiana Jones films and a lack of a major theme that had the potential to make the score a major standout. Host Jeff Commings details some of the highlights of the score on this latest episode of The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey.
Looking for something to pass the time as you wait for episode 113 of The Baton? Since the next John Williams film score won't be released until summer 2023, there won't be a new episode of The Baton until then. But host Jeff Commings has another podcast that can help you fill the time with more Hollywood history. This show, called The Best Song Podcast, is perfect for fans of Hollywood history, of music history, of movie songs, and movies in general. You'll go on a 92-episode journey through 90 years of the Academy Award for Best Original Song, featuring all the songs nominated for the big award from 1934 to 2023. Chances are you'll find a new favorite movie song, or learn a bit more about one that is already near to your heart! The show is available on all podcast platforms, and new episodes are released every Monday. Enjoy the show!
Host Jeff Commings is back on The Baton to discuss what might be the final film collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. The Fabelmans is Spielberg's semiautobiographical film about his family and the beginnings of his career as a filmmaker. Though the film is 200 minutes long, there is only about 30 minutes of original music from John Williams in it. Commings details a couple of the highlight musical cues, including a now-iconic dance scene with Michelle Williams, and what Williams had been doing in the two years since finishing work on The Rise of Skywalker..