--- product_id: 24027793 title: "War Horse" brand: "john williams" price: "€ 96.02" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.be/products/24027793-war-horse store_origin: BE region: Belgium --- # War Horse **Brand:** john williams **Price:** € 96.02 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** War Horse by john williams - **How much does it cost?** € 96.02 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.be](https://www.desertcart.be/products/24027793-war-horse) ## Best For - john williams enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted john williams brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The dramatic countryside of Dartmoor has inspired John Williams to compose a score of such beauty and quiet majesty that one might think the earth was speaking through him, much as the heavens have done for nearly five decades. When I first heard John s sketches of the four central themes for War Horse, I didn t need my memories of the film to underscore the feelings I was having. The music was a stand-alone experience and it affected me deeply, as have so many of John s scores during our nearly 40-year collaboration. I feel that John has made a special gift to me of this music, which was inspired not only by my film but also by many of the picturesque settings of the poet William Wordsworth, whose vivid descriptions of the British landscape inspired much of what you are going to hear. ## Images ![War Horse - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81A71i9xs2L.jpg) ![War Horse - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81KxB7r2ESL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of Williams' most beautiful and listenable scores. *by J***F on Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2016* War Horse has one of the most beautiful and listenable scores John Williams has ever written, and of course, that's saying something. Williams is without doubt our Film Composer Emeritus, and though an excellent score can always be expected from him, this score is one of his most inspired. It's listenability is enhanced by the fact that most of the tracks are three minutes or longer, something soundtrack fans will find helpful compared to soundtracks that often have tracks of a little more or less than a minute. Because of the setup of the film, the score also falls naturally into three long sections, almost like the movements of a symphony. The first twenty-five minutes is English pastoral music evoking the Dartmoor countryside. This is followed by the central Great War section which gets increasingly dark and dominated by deep brass and tympani, ominous and clashing, peaking with No Man's Land. The final sixteen minutes or so returns to the pastoral mood.The music is full of emotion from sweet to frightening and is thematically varied. Many film scores are variations on a theme or two, but here there are four major themes and many minor ones, appearing and reappearing when necessary, but never so much as to wear out their welcome. John Williams is an admitted admirer of English classical music and wisely and consciously chose to write in the general style of the English Pastoral School of composers who were becoming ascendant at the time of The Great War when the picture is set. Their ai was the aim of most European classical composers since the turn of the century, which was to break away from the predominating Germanic School of the Nineteenth Century and create music that could express itself in smaller forms, be more fluid and frequently to incorporate folk music to express the national identities that were arising at the time. In England this kind of music was being created by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and also Gustav Holst, George Butterworth and others.Williams has not copied their style to make a pastiche soundtrack but instead has been informed by their style to create totally new music that stands on its own, combining elements old and new to capture the spirit of the English countryside. The central section is mostly in the current style of orchestral scores and is unrelated to the English Pastoralists. I've been a fan of John Williams since his wonderfully evocative Americana score for Steve McQueen's The Reivers in 1969, and this score will always rank as one of my favorites. He's written over two dozen scores for Spielberg alone yet none quite sounding like this. The closest would be Far and Away, which incorporated Celtic sounding folk tunes; the folk tunes here (original, of course), sound a bit more Celtic than English, but are effective in suggesting Devonshire. Any Williams fan should have this soundtrack.EXTRA NOTE. I'm a big fan of the English Pastoral School and if you like this music and would like to hear music of a similar inspiration, I would recommend these works. Vaughan Williams, short works: Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, English Folksong Suite, A Lark ascending, In the Fen Country, Norfolk rhapsody No.1. longer Works: Symphonies 2, 3 & 5. Holst: Somerset Rhapsody, St. Paul's Suite. Butterworth: Two English Idylls, The Banks of Green Willow. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ John Williams Returns with "War Horse" *by G***S on Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2012* Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" reaches a gorgeous, nearly overwhelming, climax that film critic Roger Ebert insists is an homage to the great John Ford, and this is almost certainly true. Strangely, however, Ford would have had qualms about one of the fundamental aspects of this film and all of the collaborations of Spielberg and John Williams. Save for a song or two, Ford was not a fan of music, especially orchestral scores, for films, though most of his great efforts were well served by them. The collaborations of Spielberg and Williams have almost always produced scores that have proved special, and some that were truly great. Williams' music for "War Horse" fits in the latter category. Opening with pastoral themes that echo the work of Ralph Vaughn Williams, this score travels the full spectrum of emotions from peace-time to war, and then to fulfilling reunion and redemption. This is an amazing film, and William's score is a vital part of it, as is usually the case with this collaboration, which works on the screen and the soundtrack album. Getting on in age, Williams' scores have become rare these days, but with Williams/Spielberg collaboration, "The Adventures of Tin Tin" (a good deal of fun), the wait has been worthwhile. Expertly produced and nicely packaged by Sony (in both cases). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ pastorale *by C***R on Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2011* Williams has written a pastoral concerto of sorts. Spielberg gets it right in the liner notes when he summons the name of Wordsworth to express the film's scoring intent. Some will charge Williams with failing to capture the deeper strains of emotional intensity, as he did so remarkably well with the climax of "Close Encounters" and the "ensemble bicycle escape" toward the finale of "ET." That kind of emotive cascade is not to be found in "War Horse"--but that is not a weakness. Rather, it is a commitment to the pastorale idea of calm and serenity. Despite the film's frequent rush to episodic, emotional peaks (there are many of them and then a grand one at the film's closing), Williams allows the scenes to speak for themselves, wrapping each in music which is more about setting than emotional lift ( his battle music deserts the pastorale for a sustained assertiveness one would expect in such moments). I like the restraint. Listening to this score will not "lift" you into the skies ("Close Encounters" and "ET"), but it will allow you, in tone poem fashion, to experience the historical time and place. If you cannot enjoy that kind of work, you will, at least, admire it. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.be/products/24027793-war-horse](https://www.desertcart.be/products/24027793-war-horse) --- *Product available on Desertcart Belgium* *Store origin: BE* *Last updated: 2026-04-28*