Episode 88 - The Patriot
For the final time in his career, John Williams stepped in as replacement composer, this time for the Revolutionary War action film "The Patriot," starring Mel Gibson in a role very similar to the one he played in "Braveheart" five years earlier. Though the film is largely fictional, the war setting provided John Williams with some great opportunities to write music for instruments of the time. But, the focus in the action scenes relied on some incredibly difficult writing for brass instruments. Host Jeff Commings analyzes some of those cues with the fun brass runs, as well as the three themes written for the film. The episode concludes with a brief listen to a special concerto Williams wrote for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its lead violinist that would be another highlight for Williams in 2000.