Scoring A Myth: Superman's Sonic History

Although John Williams wrote his Superman: The Movie score forty years after the creation of Superman in 1938, his iconic music has become inextricably linked to the entire Superman myth.

"You could apply that theme to any of the things that had come before or even since," says Michael Matessino, who co-produced a CD box set called Superman: The Music [1978-1988]. "Any time you see anything with that character you think of John Williams' theme."

Matessino's set pulls from the early sounds of Superman that preceded Williams' score -- from the music that accompanied the animated shorts and radio programs of the 1940s and '50s to the music written for the Broadway show It's A Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!

Then, he talks about composer Hans Zimmer's completely revamped score for the new Man of Steel Superman film -- the first completely original score for a Superman film in 35 years. (Hear our interview with Hans Zimmer about his score here.) 

On why John Williams wasn't the first choice to score Superman: The Movie: 

Richard Donner, the director, had just done The Omen. The score for that was composed by the great Jerry Goldsmith. The Omen was his one Oscar win... and that was really who Donner was trying to get. But Superman was so long in its pre-production period that availability changed. Finally, the production schedule lined up in such a way that John Williams became available and he signed for it.

On John Williams' iconic score for the 1978 film Superman: The Movie: 

It almost feels like he didn't just score the movie that Richard Donner made, but he actually scored the entire mythology to such a degree that you could apply that theme to any of the things that had come before or even since. Any time you see anything with that character you think of John Williams' theme. 

On how the music of Superman shifted modes from major to minor back to major throughout the 20th century: 

There's been a Superman for every decade and every generation. When the movie was made in the late '70s, the mood of the country and of the world was in one particular place, and it would not have necessarily been the same as where we were in the late '40s, where I think people were more open to something a little bit darker and moodier. Whereas in the late '70s, we were coming out of a very low era, and we were ready for some escapism and some optimism. 

On what he thinks Superman fans will think of the new Hans Zimmer score for Man Of Steel:

I think it's going to work wonderfully in the film, but it's a very very different approach. I think that the modus operandi of this film is to present Superman for new generation as a character without the crutch of anything that had come before it. So to sabotage that with any association musically with what had come before would not work. So I think it's a very wise choice to do it.