The Legacy of John Williams

The Eiger Sanction

Table Of Contents

Film Details

Year: 1975
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Robert Daley
Executive Producers: Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown
Writer: Hal Dresner, Warren B. Murphy, Rod Whitaker, based upon the novel by Trevanian
Main Cast: Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee, Jack Cassidy, Heidi Bruhl, Thayer David, Brenda Venus, Gregory Walcott
Genre: Action – Crime – Thriller

For synopsis and full cast and crew credits, visit the IMDb page

Music Credits

Music Composed and Conducted by John Williams

Orchestra Contractor: Sandy DeCrescent
Concertmaster: Erno Neufeld
Orchestrators: Herbert W. Spencer, Al Woodbury
Recorded at Universal Studios Stage 10, Universal City, California
Recording Dates: January 29, 30, 31 and February 3, 1975

Original Soundtrack Album Credits

Recording Engineer: John Neal
Concertmaster: Israel Baker
Recorded at The Burbank Studios (Warner Scoring), Burbank, California
Recording Dates: May 12 and 13, 1975

Essential Discography

Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – LP (1975)
MCA Records – MCA-2088
Album Produced by John Williams
Re-recorded selections from the original score, arranged and expanded by the composer for album presentation.

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – CD reissue (1991)
Varèse Sarabande – VSD-5277
Executive Producer: Robert Townson
Digital Transfer: Tom Null
Liner Notes: Kevin Mulhall
Compact Disc reissue of the original 1975 soundtrack album

Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – 2-CD set (2021)
Intrada Special Collection Vol. ISC465
Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Mike Matessino
Executive Producer: Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson
Liner Notes: Jon Burlingame
Premiere release of the original film recording on Disc 1; remastered reissue of the 1975 OST album + alternates and source cues on Disc 2.

Selected Re-recordings

Kyle Eastwood – Cinematic (2019)
Jazz Village – DISCO19CD01
Contains “Theme from The Eiger Sanction” (arranged by Andrew McCormack for jazz quintet)

In Williams’ Words

“I had intense conversations about jazz with Clint Eastwood on The Eiger Sanction, feverishly citing our favorite musicians, albums and trends from swing to post-bop. In fact, The Eiger Sanction is one of the scores in which, encouraged by Clint, I applied this fusion of languages, combining jazz and baroque with sharply dissonant writing for the tense sequences in the high mountains.”1

Quotes and Commentary

In blending pop, jazz, and symphonic expression, John Williams has created an arresting musical texture that enlarges the dramatic scope of the film. The jazz-flavored “Theme From Eiger Sanction” is used to establish a sense of spirit and adventure; in a more delicate arrangement, the theme underscores the romance between “Hemlock and Gemima.” When Hemlock begins “Training With George.” Williams’ music assumes a classical shape that continues as “George Sets The Pace.” For “The Icy Ascent.” the composer offers a haunting adagio for strings. Tension is manifested through chilling orchestration in “Microfilm Killing” and “Up The Drainpipe.” Finally, “Top Of The World” and “The Eiger” impart an epic sense of drama, wonder and accomplishment. All in all, Williams’ score effectively contributes an extra dimension to the film.2
– Kevin Mulhall

“I always loved the album. It’s one of my favorite unsung John Williams scores. It has a really nice jazz spirit and then it has the classical-music thing. It’s a nice blend of the two, and a fun one to play.” 3
– Kyle Eastwood

“It’s a great combination of jazz and symphonic orchestral language. During the suspense sequences, I was really taken with how edgy and forward thinking his contemporary classical language got. Also, I was really grateful to have an expressive jazzy piano solo moment during the theme. And one of the most magical contributions during the jazz moments in the score was Chuck Domanico’s electric bass playing… just unbelievably creative and ear-catching at all times.”4
– Mike Lang, pianist

Videos

Original Film Trailer (featuring John Williams’ original music)

Brett Mitchell performs his original solo piano arrangement of “Love Scene” from The Eiger Sanction

Kyle Eastwood Quintet performs “Theme from The Eiger Sanction” at RTL Live (2020)

Bibliography and References

. “Williams To Score The Eiger Sanction,” Variety, January 30, 1975
. Burlingame, Jon – Liner notes for The Eiger Sanction – Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Intrada Records, 2021
. Higham, Charles – “You May Not Leave the Movie House Singing Their Songs, but…” The New York Times, May 25, 1975

Legacy of John Williams Additional Reference

. Podcast – Soundtrack Spotlight: The Eiger Sanction

Footnotes

  1. “Interview with John Williams” by Stephane Lerouge, The Legend of John Williams boxset, Universal Music France/Ecoutez le cinema, 2024 ↩︎
  2. Mulhall, liner notes for The Eiger Sanction – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD reissue, 1991 ↩︎
  3. Quoted in Burlingame, liner notes for The Eiger Sanction – Expanded Original Soundtrack, 2021 ↩︎
  4. id. ↩︎

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