After more than six decades of making bicycles soar, sending panicked swimmers to the shore and other spellbinding close encounters, John Williams is putting the final notes on what may be his last film score.

B次元官网网址淎t the moment IB次元官网网址檓 working on B次元官网网址業ndiana Jones 5,B次元官网网址� which Harrison Ford B次元官网网址� whoB次元官网网址檚 quite a bit younger than I am B次元官网网址� I think has announced will be his last film,B次元官网网址� Williams says. B次元官网网址淪o, I thought: If Harrison can do it, then perhaps I can, also.B次元官网网址�

Ford, for the record, hasnB次元官网网址檛 said that publicly. And Williams, who turned 90 in February, isnB次元官网网址檛 absolutely certain heB次元官网网址檚 ready to, either.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to be seen as categorically eliminating any activity,B次元官网网址� Williams says with a chuckle, speaking by phone from his home in Los Angeles. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 play tennis, but I like to be able to believe that maybe one day I will.B次元官网网址�

Right now, though, there are other ways Williams wants to be spending his time. A B次元官网网址淪tar WarsB次元官网网址� film demands six months of work, which he notes, B次元官网网址渁t this point in life is a long commitment to me.B次元官网网址� Instead, Williams is devoting himself to composing concert music, including a piano concerto heB次元官网网址檚 writing for Emanuel Ax.

This spring, Williams and cellist Yo-Yo Ma released the album recorded with the New York Philharmonic, Pablo S谩inz-Villegas and Jessica Zhou. ItB次元官网网址檚 a radiant collection of cello concertos and new arrangements from the scores of B次元官网网址淪chindlerB次元官网网址檚 List,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淟incolnB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淢unich,B次元官网网址� including the sublime B次元官网网址淎 Prayer for Peace.B次元官网网址�

Turning 90 B次元官网网址� an event that the and are celebrating this summer with birthday concerts B次元官网网址� has caused Williams to reflect on his accomplishments, his remaining ambitions and what a lifetime of music has meant to him.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 given me the ability to breathe, the ability to live and understand that thereB次元官网网址檚 more to corporal life,B次元官网网址� Williams says. B次元官网网址淲ithout being religious, which IB次元官网网址檓 not especially, there is a spiritual life, an artistic life, a realm thatB次元官网网址檚 above the mundanities of everyday realities. Music can raise oneB次元官网网址檚 thinking to the level of poetry. We can reflect on how necessary music has been for humanity. I always like to speculate that music is older than language, that we were probably beating drums and blowing on reeds before we could speak. So itB次元官网网址檚 an essential part of our humanity.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 given me my life.B次元官网网址�

And, in turn, Williams has provided the soundtrack to the lives of countless others through more than 100 film scores, among them B次元官网网址淛aws,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淐lose Encounters of the Third Kind,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淓.T.,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淪chindlerB次元官网网址檚 ListB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 an amount of accomplishment thatB次元官网网址檚 hard to quantify. Five Oscars and 52 Academy Award nominations, a number bested only by Walt Disney, is one measurement. But even that hardly hints at the cultural power of his music. A billion people might be able to instantly hum WilliamsB次元官网网址� two-note ostinato from B次元官网网址淛awsB次元官网网址� or from B次元官网网址淪tar Wars.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 told that the music is played all over the world. What could be more rewarding than that?B次元官网网址� says Williams. B次元官网网址淏ut I have to say it seems unreal. I can only see whatB次元官网网址檚 in front of me at the piano right at this moment, and do my best with that.B次元官网网址�

All those indelible, perfectly constructed themes, he believes, are the product less of divine inspiration than daily hard work. Williams does most of his work sitting for hours at a time at his Steinway, composing in pencil.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like cutting a stone at your desk,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淢y younger colleagues are much faster than I am because they have electronic equipment and computers and synthesizers and so on.B次元官网网址�

When Williams began (his first feature film score was 1958B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淒addy-OB次元官网网址�), the cinematic tradition of grand, orchestral scores was beginning to lose out to pop soundtracks. Now, many are gravitating toward synthesized music for film. Increasingly, Williams has the aura of a venerated old master who bridges distant eras of film and music.

B次元官网网址淩ecording with the New York Philharmonic, the whole orchestra to a person were awestruck by this gentleman at now 90 who hears everything, is unfailingly kind, gentle, polite. People just wanted to play for him,B次元官网网址� says Ma. B次元官网网址淭hey were floored by the musicianship of this man.B次元官网网址�

This late chapter in WilliamsB次元官网网址� career is in some ways a chance to place his mammoth legacy not just in connection with cinema but among the classical legends. Williams, who led the Boston Pops from 1980 to 1993, has conducted the Berlin, Vienna and New York philharmonics, among others. In the worldB次元官网网址檚 elite orchestras, WilliamsB次元官网网址� compositions have passed into canon.

WilliamsB次元官网网址� enduring partnership with Steven Spielberg has, of course, helped the composerB次元官网网址檚 odds. Spielberg, who first sought out a lunch with Williams in 1972 after being captivated by his score to B次元官网网址淭he Reivers,B次元官网网址� has called him B次元官网网址渢he single most significant contributor to my success as a filmmaker.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲ithout John Williams, bikes donB次元官网网址檛 really fly,B次元官网网址� Spielberg said when the AFI honored Williams in 2016.

They remain irrevocably linked. Their offices on the Universal lot are just steps from one another. Along with B次元官网网址淚ndiana Jones,B次元官网网址� Williams recently scored SpielbergB次元官网网址檚 upcoming semi-autobiographical drama about growing up in Arizona, B次元官网网址淭he Fabelmans.B次元官网网址� The two movies make it 30 films together for Spielberg and Williams.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been 50 years now. Maybe weB次元官网网址檙e starting on the next 50,B次元官网网址� says Williams with a laugh.

In SpielbergB次元官网网址檚 films and others, Williams has carved out enough perfectly condensed melodies to rival the Beatles. Spielberg once described his five-note B次元官网网址淐ommunication MotifB次元官网网址� from B次元官网网址淐lose EncountersB次元官网网址� as B次元官网网址渁 doorbell.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淪imple little themes that speak clearly and without obfuscation are very hard to find and very hard to do,B次元官网网址� says Williams. B次元官网网址淭hey really are the result of a lot of work. ItB次元官网网址檚 almost like chiseling. Move one note, change a rhythmic emphasis or the direction of an interval and so on. A simple tune can be done in dozens of ways. If you find one that, it seems like you discovered something that wanted to be uncovered.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press