Sorbonne Université Alice PAROISSIEN

UFR de Musique & Musicologie

Choose the right answer(s)
Anglais musicologique M1

Listening test
1. What aspects of Williams’ music for Home Alone do especially
make us think of Tchaikovsky?

• His themes

• The instruments

2. According to the speaker, why does Williams refer the audience to

Tchaikovsky?

• Because he expects the audience to understand the reference to

Christmas

3. Which description best fits the job of a film composer?

• He/she must abide by the whims of the film director even if it means
composing a soundtrack that is clearly inspired by or derived from
existing music

4. How does the speaker explain resemblances between some of

Williams’ themes and pre-existing music?

• The recognisable pattern serves a totally different purpose in Williams’

music































 5. Why does the speaker refer to Beethoven?
• Because Beethoven is a model of authenticity, primarily writing music
for the sake of his art

Answer the following questions

6. An error has slipped into this video: find it and explain how the
speaker has tried to partially correct it.

The speaker makes an error by saying that Elgar quotes Beethoven, when he
actually quotes Mendelssohn. In order to correct his mistake, he doesn’t
correct his words orally, but he does through the images of the video with
« Correction: **Mendelssohns**… », thus the mistake is only partly
corrected, as if someone just listened, they wouldn’t notice it.

7. Why does the speaker mention Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey?

Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is mentioned because the director fired

Alex North, the film composer. Indeed, he « fell in love » with the temp
tracks he had done from Strauss. And decided, if I understood well, to use
the music from the original composer in his film, instead of the temp tracks.

8. Are you convinced by the speaker’s arguments regarding

Williams’ themes? Justify your answer.

I understand from the argumentation of the speaker that music nowadays,

probably in the more educated field, is a bit mystified. It is considered to be
something original, authentic, that has to convey the soul of the musician,
who creates for the sake of his art.

Whereas it probably should be handled with a wider vision, that includes that
musicians must also live from their art, and thus consent to the obligations of
their jobs.








When the speaker explains a bit more in details what the job of a film
composer consists in, I understand that what they do can be more considered
as craft, than art. So I am convinced by his arguments, that John Williams is
not a thief. To conclude, it especially reminds me that in music history, a lot
of composers that are nowadays idealized as incredible geniuses had their
own obligations, their own commands and crafted their art through an
environment of rules and creations, that they didn’t ignore in order to only
let their souls speak.

So the craft that is nowadays looked down on, might become the art of the
next centuries.