Legacy Conversations: Tim Greiving, author of John Williams: A Composer's Life
LA-based arts journalist sits down to talk about the path that led him to write the first major biography on John Williams and his lifelong love for the music of the Maestro
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden
Edited and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto
John Williams: A Composer's Life is the first major biography in English language on the legendary American composer, authored by Los Angeles-based writer Tim Greiving and published by Oxford University Press (release date is September 2, 2025). The 640-page book is an engaging overview on the life and career of the renowned composer, a comprehensive retrospective of a musician who defined the sound of movies for at least two generations of filmgoers and whose body of work is among the most well known of the modern era, going beyond its mere function as musical accompaniment to a film and becoming a revered object in itself. Yet the man has remained very private all throughout his career and while he became a beloved public figure, he kept his personal life very far from the spotlight.
Through unique access to the composer himself and many of his longtime collaborators, friends, and family members, Greiving offers an exhaustive portrait of the man behind the genius, accurately chronicling his entire life and the incredible career trajectory that led him to become "the Maestro of the Movies."
Tim Greiving sits down with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about his lifelong love for John Williams' music, his quest in bringing the first biography on the Maestro to life, the thorough learning process he went through when meeting and talking with his idol and the weight of the daunting task he chose.
Read more at The Legacy of John Williams:
https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2025/07/16/tim-greiving-podcast/
Pre-order John Williams: A Composer's Life on Oxford University Press:
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/john-williams-9780197620885
Tim Greiving's official website:
https://timgreiving.com/
Follow Tim Greiving's Substack Behind The Moon:
https://behindthemoon.substack.com/
Listen to a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music
Hosted by Tim Burden
What are the best re-recordings of John Williams’ music by other conductors? Star Wars is famously one of the most re-recorded pieces of music in the world, yet there are so much more John Williams re-recordings by many top conductors which deserves a bit of recognition. Join The Legacy of John Williams Head Contributor Tim Burden in a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music—from the superb readings by Charles Gerhardt and Zubin Mehta to the recent vibrant recordings by Gustavo Dudamel, including some fun and unexpected oddities in-between.
If you want to dig deeper on the subject, read the in-depth essay by Editor Maurizio Caschetto chronicling the history of John Williams’ re-recordings.
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Soundtrack Spotlight: The Reivers and The Patriot
Producer Mike Matessino returns to talk about the remastered and expanded reissues of two riveting Americana scores by Maestro John Williams
Hosted by Tim Burden and Maurizio Caschetto
Special Guest: John Takis
2025 began with two long-awaited archival reissues of John Williams’ scores: The Reivers (from La-La Land Records) and The Patriot (from Intrada). Both are presented in fully remastered and expanded presentations by GRAMMY-nominated soundtrack producer Mike Matessino, finally giving fans of Maestro Williams the chance to rediscover two masterworks from the composer’s catalogue. The scores also presents the occasion to observe the evolution of Williams’ voice when writing music for American-themed subjects, a recurring motif in his career.
Producer Mike Matessino returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast together with film music writer John Takis to discuss these two milestone releases from John Williams’ filmography, offering commentary and reflections about how the two scores sit in the composer’s canon and their specific nature as part of Williams’ exploration of the American sound. A special tribute to Intrada’s late founder and producer Douglass Fake is included at the end of the episode.
Special Thanks to Roger Feigelson, Jeff Johnson (Intrada) and MV Gerhard, Matt Verboys (La-La Land Records).
Read more at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com
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Exclusive Listening Preview: 'The Patriot' Expanded Soundtrack Edition
Intrada Records announced the release of a newly expanded and remastered soundtrack 3-CD limited edition of John Williams' triumphant score for The Patriot, the historical epic drama from 2000 directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson as a hero of the American Revolution.
The Academy Award-nominated score by Maestro Williams is a powerful, ambitious work full of stirring emotions enhancing the rousing adventure aspect of the film, but also replete with lyrical moments accompanying the inner feelings of the characters, including tender folk-like violin solos by Mark O'Connor. The score has plenty to offer in terms of themes and leitmotifs: a sonorous Americana theme and fanfare-like material for main hero Benjamin Martin; a gorgeous love theme for the characters of Anne and Gabriel; a haunting trumpet solo echoing Benjamin's traumatic war memories; plus a handful of secondary motifs. Williams also addresses the period in which the film takes place with authentic fife-and-drum music.
The new soundtrack release is mastered, edited and produced for Intrada by Mike Matessino and presents the complete film presentation of Williams' score on Disc 1 and 2, plus a solid selection of alternate cues and a generous selection of source music tracks, including several composed by John Williams (got to thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com for the full track listing). A remastered presentation of the original Hollywood Records soundtrack album from 2000 rounds off the third disc. The 3-CD set also features a colorful booklet with film stills and in-depth liner notes by John Takis.
The release will be available to order starting January 20th at Intrada.com and will begin shipping immediately afterwards.
Intrada has graciously allowed The Legacy of John Williams to present an exclusive preview of this magnificent new release, hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden, including a full unreleased track ("The Defeat At Charleston").
Special Thanks to Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson at Intrada, Mike Matessino and John Takis.
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