Steven Spielberg and John Williams have collaborated on multiple projects over the years, where the filmmaker’s compelling narratives are enhanced by Williams’ musical compositions. Among their cherished collaborations, one that has become particularly special to the Oscar-winning filmmaker has been the soundtrack for the 1993 war drama Schindler’s List.
Spielberg has described it as the greatest piece of composition Williams has done for him. However, settling on one soundtrack proved challenging, especially after the composer presented him with two choices, leading to conflict over which theme music best captured the sorrow of the Holocaust.
Steven Spielberg and John Williams Clashed Over Schindler’s List Theme Music
Based on Thomas Keneally’s novel Schindler’s Ark, the 1993 epic historical drama follows the German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who saved thousands of Polish Jews from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories during World War II.
It is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. However, the process of getting the perfect composition that captured the horror and the emotional resonance in the movie brought Spielberg and Williams to a dispute.
In an interview with Variety, John Williams shared that he initially wrote two musical scores for the film, one that featured in the movie and the other one titled “Remembrances.” They recorded both with violinist Itzhak Perlman and presented it to the film director.
He shared that he preferred Remembrances for the movie. However, he was surprised when Spielberg chose another one. “I played both for Steven and he said, ‘No, no, no, it should be this one,'” Williams recalled before adding, “He said, ‘No, there’s a spiritual aspect to this one.'”
Spielberg persisted in his choice, which would go on to win an Oscar for Best Original Score. While the duo has continued working together, the filmmaker still finds the theme music for Schindler’s List the greatest composition Williams has done for him.
Steven Spielberg Hails Schindler’s List as John Williams’ Best Work in His Films
Soon after meeting in the 1970s, Steven Spielberg initially collaborated on the 1974 film The Sugarland Express, and since then the duo has worked on multiple films. During their conversation with Variety, The Terminal director praised Williams’ incredible work, while highlighting what makes it so unique.
“Every score he’s ever composed, and even the ones that might have the most complicated orchestrations, he always has a beautiful main theme — Film composition isn’t a lost art, but thematic scoring is becoming more and more a lost art. And the great thing about Johnny is, he’s still got it.”
He also reflected on their extensive collaboration, stating that Schindler’s List is the “greatest piece of scoring John has ever done for me.” He explained that the theme music not only resonated with his vision for the film but also touched the souls of the audience.
Schindler’s List is available on Prime Video.
