Review: Maestro of the Movies: A Tribute to John Williams (Royal Albert Hall)
Review by Phil McCullough
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Creating genuine movie magic that can move generations of audiences is a skill mastered by only a handful of film auteurs since cinema began. Behind some of the greatest directors, from Steven Spielberg to George Lucas, there is one man who composed the soundtracks to many of their most iconic films: John Williams. Maestro of the Movies: A Tribute to John Williams celebrates the greatest film scores of his career, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, the very orchestra that recorded the original scores for many of his films. But does the magic of these classic film scores come alive in the Royal Albert Hall when heard outside the context of their original films?
The London Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1904 and is one of the world's leading orchestras, having recorded more than 200 film soundtracks. It is particularly well known for collaborating with some of the greatest composers in film history, most notably John Williams. The orchestra established its reputation as one of the world's leading film orchestras after recording the original score for Star Wars in 1977 and went on to record many more iconic soundtracks, from E.T. to Superman and Jurassic Park. The London Symphony Orchestra has had a prestigious residency at the Barbican since 1982, and its 2026/27 season includes works by Mahler, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev.
John Williams has enjoyed one of the most prolific careers in film composition, creating the music behind an extraordinary list of iconic movies. He has won five Academy Awards and received 54 Oscar nominations, making him the second-most-nominated individual in Oscar history, behind only Walt Disney. The carefully selected pieces from his film soundtracks for this concert really gave the audience a full sense of the breadth and depth of his talent. From the brooding tension of Jaws to the wonder and magic of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the heartbreaking score of Schindler's List, you get a genuine appreciation of the genius of this composer. There is a certain magic to his compositions, which helps explain why Steven Spielberg has collaborated with him on so many films throughout his career, including this year's blockbuster Disclosure Day.
The Royal Albert Hall has a certain magic of its own. It is a majestic Victorian concert hall and the perfect setting in which to experience such spellbinding and awe-inspiring music. Edith Bowman hosted the evening and did an excellent job of setting the scene, highlighting the background and tone of each composition before it was performed by the orchestra. A gigantic screen above the stage was used to maximum effect throughout the evening, with carefully curated film clips helping the music soar. The evening opened with a magical piece from E.T., accompanied by a beautifully edited montage of classic film moments featuring many of the films Williams has composed music for, from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Home Alone. It was a wonderful reminder of the sheer scale of his contribution to cinema. He has often been the unsung man behind the success of these classic films, providing the musical magic that brings the visual storytelling to life. This was brought home particularly well during the music from Jaws, when scenes from the now rather dated 1970s film were shown on the big screen. It was fascinating to see just how much a great piece of music can elevate relatively simple visual images, especially when compared with the technology available to filmmakers today. The mechanical shark looks obviously fake to a modern audience, and without expensive CGI at his disposal, Spielberg relied on reaction shots, a shark's fin circling a small boat and, crucially, Williams's score. The genius of the music is that it creates such a powerful sense of impending doom that you almost forget the limitations of the special effects. Even today, you become completely engrossed in the action because of the tension created by the soundtrack. It is a brilliant example of how music can make a film moment so much more powerful than the images alone.
Conductor Anthony Gabriele was bold and charismatic, doing an impressive job of bringing these dynamic cinematic scores to life. However, it was when the mood of the evening changed and became more reflective and sombre that we saw the true breadth of the orchestra's talent. The performance of the theme from Schindler's List was genuinely heartbreaking. This time, no images appeared on the screen, allowing the audience to focus entirely on the simplicity and beauty of the composition. It is light years away from the bombastic excitement of Star Wars and created a completely different atmosphere in the hall. It was deeply emotive and genuinely moving, demonstrating just how much range Williams has as a composer and how effortlessly the orchestra can move between such contrasting musical worlds.
The final part of the evening included tributes from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and J. J. Abrams, reflecting on the enormous influence Williams has had on modern cinema. Spielberg clearly understands the importance of a great film score and recognises that music can be just as important as the images on screen. As the main programme drew to a close with the epic finale of E.T., we heard how Spielberg actually re-edited the film to match Williams's music rather than the other way around. It says everything about the respect he has for the composer and the importance he places on the soundtrack as part of the filmmaking process.
Ultimately, this was a bucket list concert for any John Williams fan, packed with some of the most recognisable film scores ever written and performed by the very orchestra that recorded many of the original soundtracks. All the major themes were represented, with The Imperial March providing an appropriately epic encore to the evening. What makes Williams such an extraordinary composer is his ability to take an audience on such an emotional journey through music alone. One moment you can be moved to tears by a beautiful orchestral arrangement; the next, you are swept up in a rush of excitement and adventure. These are compositions that have become part of our collective cinematic memory, and hearing them performed live in such a magnificent setting only reinforced their power. At 94, Williams is still composing, which is an extraordinary achievement in itself. His music has helped define some of the greatest moments in cinema history, and this concert was a wonderful reminder of just how much of that magic comes from the man behind the music. You might leave the Royal Albert Hall remembering the films, but it is the music that stays with you forever.
Maestro of the Movies: A Tribute to John Williams was performed at the Royal Albert Hall on 31 October 2026.