Ice Cold in Alex - John Williams did some plagiarism?

[Nick]

Much as I love Star Wars and the superb score, I've just noticed how incredibly similar parts of the theme are to the score for the much earlier, classic war film, Ice Cold In Alex.

If anyone is near a freeview TV, hit Dave ja vu at 3pm and check out the opening title sequence of Ice Cold in Alex... it's on Dave now and will be repeated at 3. There's get snippets of it as incidental music but it's most obvious in the opening sequence.

Basically, it's near exactly the same as parts of the Star Wars score... namely 'the Death Star/Stormtroopers' medley.

I can't find an example of the Ice Cold in Alex soundtrack but turn on your telly and have a listen...

[kalniel]

Star Wars is hardly a sparkling new direction for music - most music draws (intentially or otherwise) on previous work, eg Brahms' 1st and Beethoven's 9th and 5th. Film music is even more similar because there's so little variation in the genre.

[TheAnimus]

as humans we like the familiar.

Even some of the messed up stuff like vientian snares if you're able to componentise it, draws upon what we know.

[david@scan]

Even some of the classic composers had regular sections of music they reused... I seem to recall Mozart did this as well... (Could be wrong however!)

[Knoxville]

Very very similar, especially the section that kicks in at the end of the credits as the camera pans across the bay/port area. I expect a little better from Mr Williams but he's not the worst offender by a long shot and plagiarism or not there are only so many notes and so many ways you can play them.

[Clunk]

Even some of the classic composers had regular sections of music they reused... I seem to recall Mozart did this as well... (Could be wrong however!)

Yep, Mozart used to sell MP3 and DVD on Salford market.

[Zak33]

Yep, Mozart used to sell MP3 and DVD on Salford market.

When Mozart was a little lad, he went to a Church and heard a piece of music which the church had banned from being published as a score/sheet music.

The young Mozart heard it through live, went home and wrote it all down note for note, and then went back once to listen again to confirm he was right.

He was, he had made a perfect copy of it.

His family got into mega trouble for this.... it was heavy dooooh doooh for his family.

but I cant remember which piece of musis it was

[david@scan]

http://www.mozartforum.com/Lore/article.php?id=002

[Zak33]

Found it so even Mozart copied the odd bit here or there

Leopold Mozart wrote his wife in Salzburg from Rome on April 14, 1770:



"You have often heard of the famous Miserere in Rome, which is so greatly prized that the performers in the chapel are forbidden on pain of excommunication to take away a single part of it, to copy it or to give it to anyone. But we have it already, Wolfgang has written it down and we would have sent it to Salzburg in this letter if it were not necessary for us to be there to perform it. But the manner of performance contributes more to its effect than the composition itself. So we shall bring it home with us. Moreover, as it is one of the secrets of Rome, we do not wish to let it fall into other hands, so that we shall not incur the censure of the Church now or later".

[Zak33]

bingo.. .David does too same page....good find bud