The Fury (Main Titles)

Okay, for those of you who don't know this, I am a HUGE John Williams fan. His music has inspired me and my writing in ways nothing else has and for that I am eternally grateful. This year the maestro turned 80 and while he's busy putting the final flourishes to his score for Spielberg's Lincoln, I was looking for the right song of his to post on my blog to honor the native New Yorker. There are thousands of pieces I could have used but I didn't want to be obvious, I also didn't want to be to obscure. One day, on the commute to work this piece hits my ears and I knew I'd found what I was looking for.

John wrote this dark piece and the rest of the score for the 1978 movie The Fury and while the movie is very forgettable, the music is just the opposite. In my opinion it's one of John's darkest pieces, and one of his best. It starts out with the melody that will carry through the piece and the oboe and clarinet start it off. The flute is eventually accompanied by the the heavier woodwinds and brass which takes the piece from light to dark. There's a short respite but then it gets even heavier in the third movement.

It's classic Williams, dark, beautiful, and haunting all at the same time. It's the reason I consider the man to be a genius. Thank you John and happy 80th. Enjoy!