Of his longtime collaborator composer John Williams, director Steven Spielberg has said, "He sees my movie, rewrites the whole thing musically, and makes the whole thing better." Williams's scores, which include Jaws, Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, are among the most memorable in film music history, and his 1982 Academy Award-winning score for E.T. is his crowning glory. Perhaps the score's beauty is best illustrated by the closing passage, "Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye," which begins slowly with muted brass joined by quickly darting strings. Oboes flicker in the background and then the full orchestra comes in, an accelerating tension signaled by horns and timpani. The quickening, strings-driven tempo is interrupted by a brief, lovely piccolo restatement of the main theme, which recurs throughout the score. In a sudden, transcendent moment -- as E.T., Elliot, and the listener are swept skyward -- the passage shifts, incorporating rapid strings before the full orchestra soars and gradually fades into a tender conclusion.
Track Listing
Side A
1.Three Million Light Years From Earth John Williams 02:57
2.Abandoned And Pursued John Williams 02:58
3.E.T. And Me John Williams 04:49
4.E.T.'s Halloween John Williams 04:07
5.Flying John Williams 03:20
Side B
1.E.T. Phone Home John Williams 04:18
2.Over The Moon John Williams 02:06
3.Adventure On Earth 15:06