Mike Matessino Talks The John Williams-Steven Spielberg Collaboration

Producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss the soundtrack reissues of three classic John Williams/Steven Spielberg collaborations, reflecting on the significance of such a unique relationship between composer and  director.

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg is by far the longest and most successful artistic relationship between a director and a composer in the history of cinema. The duo is synonymous of what means having a fruitful, honest and profound association between two people making films together. Calendar year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the very first encounter between Spielberg and Williams, which happened when the director was in preparation of his first feature film, The Sugarland Express; after being impressed by Williams’ work for such films as The Reivers and The Cowboys, the director decided he was the type of composer he was looking for. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

The Spielberg/Williams collaboration spans now six decades, 29 feature films (including the upcoming The Fabelmans, which will premiere at the 47th edition of the Toronto Film Festival in September) and several special projects, so it’s virtually impossible to sum it up in a few words. Their roster includes some of the most successful and everlasting movies in the history of cinema: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, but also such highly acclaimed dramas as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Munich and Lincoln.

Soundtrack label La-La Land Records has recently reissued three classic John Williams scores from the Spielberg canon: Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to offer commentary on these three classic Spielberg/Williams collaborations, while also offering an in-depth overall reflection on the partnership between the composer and the director.