Music Review

So, its been a long time since I have done any music reviews. I'm going to give it another shot. I did quite a few back in my Verge days. (For those who were not part of my EIU days, I used to be the editor of a weekly 8-page entertainment news piece. The Verge was my baby and I miss those days! If you like my reviews, maybe I will do more of them in the future.)

Yesterday, the Obama inauguration welcomed a new piece from John Williams to add color and grandeur to an already grand event. "Air and Simple Gifts" was composed by John Williams and featured Itzhak Perlman on violin, Yo-Yo Man on cello, Gabriela Montero on piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet. The piece was about 4 minutes long and was a nice backdrop to take in the enormity of the day. While it was pleasant on the ears, I was left wanting more.

John Williams gets a lot of hype for being a great composer. I will give him credit where credit is due. Yes, he is a great composer, but unfortunately, Williams is unable to come up with a central theme on his own. He is a musical thief. Every great film score he has ever done, harks back to a classical composer's previous work. Star Wars was vagrantly ripped from Holst's "The Planets" as was the theme from Jurassic Park. Other great films, most of them directed by his long-time buddy Steven Spielberg, also have essences of classical works Jaws and Close Encounters to name a few. The Indiana Jones movies might be the only one not taken from a classical composer, although I have to say much of the Indiana Jones music is reminiscent of the iconic film Lawrence of Arabia.

So, when I heard that the quartet was playing during the inauguration, you can imagine my thrill. As a longtime follower of Ma and Perlman, who grace my CD collection, I was ready to hear their collaboration. I was eager to hear their new piece "Air and Simple Gifts." I was certain upon hearing the words "Simple Gifts" in the title that it was going to pull themes from the Shaker hymn and I wasn't decieved. Sure enough, one stanza through the piece kept coming up.

'Tis a Gift to be Simple

This kept coming up over and over, but only the one stanza. Williams never quite turned it over (for lack of a better phrase) to the next stanza of the hymn. It's a beautiful hymn, but already well known from Aaron Copland's use in "Appalachian Spring," a favorite of mine and many others. It would be a hard feat for Williams to live up to such a grand work done by the beloved Copland. I just can't understand why Williams had to choose that as his backbone of the 4 minute piece. Yes, it did provide grand American visions to those paying attention, but it was nothing new. Isn't change and a new vision what Obama is standing for? This sir was not a change.

It's time for Williams to show us what he is really made up. Give us a completely original piece of music. Please don't steal from a composer, even if the copyright is no longer an issue. Those composers work hard on their music and have a gift. You sir, have a gift of stealing or mimicking. I want an original work.

I will say the musicians did a beautiful job. The piece was pleasant on the ears and I did feel a bit patriotic while listening, but I will give my thanks to the Shakers and Mr. Aaron Copland for that, since they made the music patriotic in the first place.