John Williams and his early aesthetic

By Simon Cummings, 17 May 2017

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“Williams leapt beyond the confines of convention to produce a score laden with innovation”

Bachtrack, 12th November

A ceremony honoured the legendary composer and conductor’s enduring impact on film and orchestral music, and his long-standing relationship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Film composer Lalo Schifrin dies at the age of 93

Bachtrack, 27th June

The composer of scores for films such as Mission: Impossible, Bullitt, Cool Hand Luke and Dirty Harry has died aged 93.

The wolf returns: Debbie Wiseman talks The Mirror and the Light

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, 7th November

Composer Debbie Wiseman talks about returning to Wolf Hall and the world of the Tudors, for the BBC’s adaptation of the conclusion to Hilary Mantel’s story of Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII, The Mirror and the Light.

Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and beyond

Lawrence Dunn, 10th March

We profile one of the most advanced and best-sounding concert halls in the UK, and take a look further afield at arts and culture across Manchester.

The world over: Bachtrack’s Classical Music Statistics 2025

Bachtrack, 28th January

How is the classical music world changing? Looking back on a dizzying year, we pay particular attention to performers’ international connectedness. Documenting more than 30,000 events, Bachtrack’s statistics provide valuable insight into an unstable world.

The magical world of composers’ handwriting

Lawrence Dunn, 17th December

From Buxtehude, Bach and Handel, to contemporary composer Liza Lim, we take a tour of the myriad forms of composers’ handwriting and calligraphy – and how music makes itself on the page.

Simon Cummings

Simon Cummings is a composer, writer and researcher based in the Cotswolds. He composes instrumental and electronic music, exploring aspects of algorithmic composition, and has recently completed a Ph.D. in composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire under the supervision of Richard Causton and Howard Skempton. His musical tastes are ludicrously broad but are focused most on contemporary/avant-garde classical and electronic music. When not composing, he writes regularly about new music; Simon is the author of the contemporary music blog 5:4 (5against4.com), and regularly contributes articles for a variety of books, journals and websites. Follow him on Twitter @5against4.

The film music of John Williams: the makings of an aesthetic