Either television and film composer John Williams or regular project partner, director Steven Spielberg has a special place in their heart for late nineteenth century classical composer Antonín Dvorák (1841 — 1904).
As I was laying down to go to sleep, I was listening to local NPR affiliate, WMFE 90.7 FM, noted for their concentration and dedication to not only classical, but also international, new age and other non-mainstream forms of music. The announcer stated they were going to play the rather famous "New World" symphonies by Dvorák and so it began with Symphony Number 7 in D minor, Op. 70. As it played on, I was stirred from my impending sleep by it sounding familiar to me. Not because I own copies of Dvorák's best known pieces, but because it sounded similar to something it should not have: a mainstream recording.
I picked it out immediately. The theme, rhythm and possibly even the notes themselves were remarkably similar to portions of the John Williams soundtrack to film Catch Me If You Can. A second portion of Symphony Number 7 (or perhaps 8, because I was not entirely sure where one stopped and the other began) sounded like one of the other themes in Catch Me If You Can.
I am not placing blame or making accusations as far as a lack of originality on behalf of Williams, but the similarity was enough to draw my attention to it whilst attempting to sleep. What really got me on this tangent was when during a movement of Symphony Number 9 I heard what could only be a precursor to the Jaws theme.
Of course, Williams scored the Jaws film soundtrack as well. And lest I forget the fact that Spielberg directed both films. If I am crazy and am simply drawing patterns where none intentionally exists, so be it; there are only so many notes, patterns and ways to perform music. But, if I am correct in my conclusion that there was some inspiration here, I cannot think of a classical composer I would rather see receive a modern-day nod.
Inspiration
by David July
Archived Article (2001–2014) 
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I've known Dvorak's music for a long time and quite like it. Although I haven't made the Williams/Spielberg comparison, it wouldn't surprise me one bit. But it could be a chicken-and-egg situation in a way because Dvorak used to draw from Slavic folk songs and melodies and, later, from American folk traditions. For instance, it's very likely you may have heard a lyrical version of the second movement of the New World Symphony as "Home Again." In that case, I don't know which came first. But my point is that if Williams draws inspiration from Dvorak, he is in fact bringing in musical "memories" that originated before Dvorak because of where the latter found much of his inspiration.
"The Slavic Dances" happens to be my favourite Dvorak composition. And yes, you are correct, it has been noted before how this sounds like that, but there is only one origination point for these things. Everyone has to get their inspiration from somewhere. And even then, I would imagine that if you locked a musical composer in a room at birth and made him or her compose music, some of it would be identical to pieces in the rest of the world.
The one thing that does bother me slightly is when a television or film composer borrows from themselves too often. Both James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith, composers who I enjoy, are hardly unoriginal by any stretch of the imagination and have written some of the finest compositions in television and film, in my opinion. However, they have been known to be guilty of a little copy and paste action, in the musical variety.
The two worst offenses:
1. James Horner's closing credit theme for 1998's Deep Impact is virtually identical to 1995's Apollo 13 closing credit sequence. I absolutely love the Apollo 13 soundtrack and would classify it as some of Horner's best work, but to have it just copied into another movie did not seem appropriate.
2. Jerry Goldsmith's main title score for the eighth film of the series, Star Trek: First Contact, makes more than a slight cameo performance in the title score for the next year's action hit Air Force One.
Then again, who should I be to complain after all their accomplishments? It is not like I could do any better.
Dave, you sell yourself short. I thoroughly enjoyed all of your movie soundtracks.
On a separate and tangental note, I remember Air Force One as the only R rated movie that I was carded for and barred from entering.
Heh heh, mine was Alien: Resurrection. It was released in the United States on 26 November 1997, just two months away from my 18th. I was pissed. My friends in attendance and I at the dreadful AMC Celebration 2 decided to purchase tickets for the only other show there, the awful Robin Williams/Disney G-rated children's comedy Flubber and then sneak in to Alien. Well, being such a small theatre, the manager caught on fairly quickly to our scheme and reminded us that our movie was starting. So, four 17 year olds went and paid to see Flubber. As one person wrote in their review of this movie on IMDb: "A pretty sorry looking picture..."
You had two months to go, I think that my birthday was within a week of the movie's relaese date.
You were better off with Flubber.
I never even bothered trying to sneak in before I turned 18. Hell, I'm 21 and still get fuckin carded.
I rather enjoyed Resurrection, thank you very much. :-) And would you believe it, but that was and is the only time I was ever carded at a movie. At least that I can remember.