Although Corigliano is disappointed by the turn of events, it's far from the Machiavellian situation it's been made out to be. Unsurprisingly, the composer has handled the situation with characteristic grace and aplomb, and doesn't seem at all soured on the film world: "[Warner Brothers] had a very different idea of what the film should be. With Mel Gibson starring, they wanted it to be more of an action film. So they filmed more violent scenes, and wanted a score to match the macho image they wanted to create for their star. If I had been asked to score a Mel Gibson action film, I would have refused it -- not because it isn’t a perfectly valid idea, but because it is wrong for me. On the other hand, this happens all the time. Howard Shore -- whose music replaced mine -- had exactly the same thing happen to his score for King Kong, which he’d composed, recorded, and had replaced by James Newton Howard’s music. It just hadn’t happened to me before.”

Howard Shore, I know, is a huge fan of Corigliano -- Ghosts of Versailles in particular. I'm certain that he, like the rest of us, feels great sympathy for John -- empathy even -- but is excited for this new opportunity.