Music at the Movies

2. Lesson 1: Schindler’s List

With your modern history studies starting with World War II, it is ideal to commence with the music from Schindler’s List. Released in 1993, many have acclaimed this to be the best Holocaust film ever produced. Based on a true story, it features Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, who saved more than 1,200 Jews from being murdered at Auschwitz. Schindler turns his factory into a refuge for those trying to flee the persecution from the Nazis.

Steven Spielberg directed the film which was adapted from the book Schindler’s Ark, written by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. Steven Spielberg is known for his collaborations with composer John Williams, with the two working on more than twenty films together, including Star Wars, Indian Jones, and the Jurassic Park series being some of these. In this film, which is about the harsh reality of Jewish persecution, death and murder, World War II and the quest of one man to save many, Williams’ film score features a lot of violin pieces. Williams’ music helps audiences to watch the horrors of history playing out in front of them in the black and white film.

Here you can hear the main theme, played by Itzhak Perlman (violin soloist) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. This was performed in 2014 as a part of a concert celebrating John Williams' compositions (3:30 mins):

Watch it here being played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House, here performed on two cellos, to hear the difference in the two performances (4:30 mins):

You can learn more about the true story behind the movie and from this article from Time magazine which examines Oskar Schindler, the people he helped and saved, and also the impact of the movie on release.