This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This John Williams score premiered in the same year as Star Wars. If John Williams had only written one of these score that year it would have been impressive. Both ended up being iconic and helped cement his status.
Many movies are improved or even made with a great score. This film certainly fits that category but goes a step further. Stephen Spielberg insisted the film be edited to match Williams' score. In case you're wondering, it's almost always done the other way around.
If you make a list of memorable Tuba solos from film scores, this must be at the top of your list. It's hard to think of a more memorable Tuba solo than this. The music is so integral to the plot it fits perfectly.
In the video above, Spielberg and Williams talk about the origin of five note motive that appears throughout the film. If you looks real hard you'll see how hard they thought about this when you see a Kodaly reference. The Tuba solo at the climax of the film was performed by Tommy Johnson and Jim Self. It's a classic from the very beginning of the era when great scores began to be paired up with science fiction.
What do you think about Close Encounters? Let us know in the comments.
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