John Williams says he's never really liked soundtracks.

BarcelonaJohn Williams (New York, 1932) is one of the most important film composers in history. He is the author of, among others, the soundtracks for films such as Shark (1975), Jurassic Park (1993) and Star Wars (1977). But despite having won five Oscars and having created well-known and popular music, the artist considers this art form to be minor compared to other historical works. "I've never really liked film music. Soundtracks, no matter how good they may be—and they usually aren't, beyond an eight-minute stretch here or there—aren't music. What we consider a beautiful film theme actually belongs to the way we remember it, nostalgically," says the composer. The Guardian.

"It's a misconception to think of soundtracks as occupying the same space in a concert hall as the best music in the canon," says Williams, adding that "many soundtracks are ephemeral and fragmentary, and until someone reconstructs them, they can't be considered concert pieces." The composer has created scores for over 100 films, including the Indiana Jones saga, ET (1982) and the first three films of Harry PotterIn fact, Williams is the living person with the most Oscar nominations—he has received 54 throughout his career.

These statements came during conversations with journalist Tim Greiving, who is preparing a biography of the composer. "His comments are shocking, but they're not false modesty. He genuinely means it," says Greiving. Williams understood creating soundtracks "as a job," and took it "as seriously as anyone else has throughout history." The composer is precisely very critical of his creations. "If I had to do it again now, I would work to make more polished, more unified music," says the artist.

In the book, he also explains how, early in his career, he was very frustrated because directors didn't understand music. Williams talks about his relationship with Steven Spielberg, with whom he established "a special collaboration," especially because the filmmaker received musical training. "He has much more musical training than most of the conductors I've worked with. He grew up with his mother, who played Clementi, Bach, and Chopin, and took him to concerts. He learned to play the clarinet," says the musician. Beyond film scores, Williams has composed dozens of concertos and other pieces. For over a decade, he was the conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.