The Force Awakens 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' SCORE speculation

[Jay 39,592]

I see Ricard has replaced the embedded trailer in the main post with the official upload on the Star Wars youtube channel.

Do you guys that were hearing distortion in the fan-uploaded version still hear it in this version?

It's really a pity that Anakin's theme was pretty much left at the wayside after TPM. It could have been the connecting tissue these scores needed.

Fully agreed.

Similar circumstance in the Hobbit scores with Bilbo's theme being basically dropped after the first.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,424]

I dont get any distortion when I watch the trailer on Apple TV via their Trailer App. I'm guessing it's simply a matter of having decent speakers

[Incanus 5,816]

It's really a pity that Anakin's theme was pretty much left at the wayside after TPM. It could have been the connecting tissue these scores needed.

Yeah I think Williams could have darkened it for AOTC and then morphed it finally into Imperial March in RotS. He, who better, knows how to manipulate thematic elements like that.

[filmmusic 2,225]

I see Ricard has replaced the embedded trailer in the main post with the official upload on the Star Wars youtube channel.

Do you guys that were hearing distortion in the fan-uploaded version still hear it in this version?

It's a bit better but still I can hear it.

If I lower my bass volume at 50% i don't hear any distortion.

But I normally have it at 80% and I don't hear any distortion at all in any Bluray.

[Balahkay 629]

I absolutely love TPM score. "Blowing up from the inside" and "Anakin is Free" are Williams gold and some of my all-time favorite cues. Unfortunately, I don't find the accompanying scenes all that great. I really liked Anakin's theme and wish Williams developed that more for an adult Anakin in the following films. Another disappointing aspect for me of the music as heard in the films was all the obvious edits and tracking, especially in AOTC. I've come to really appreciate AOTC and ROTS more after hearing an excellent edit from one of our members.

Did anyone see the teaser at the theater?

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

I think I actually might actually prefer the prequel scores to the originals.

In fact, my most listened to Star Wars score is AOTC and ESB is one of my least listened to JW CDs

*hides under table*

[BloodBoal 7,541]

[Doo_liss 6,506]

I love Arrival at Utupau, that string variation of the Force theme.

[Incanus 5,816]

I love Arrival at Utupau, that string variation of the Force theme.

The Force theme variations are one of the highlight of the RotS score. JW really gives it some interesting new spins throughout.

[Doo_liss 6,506]

That clarinet version in Scenes and Dreams...

[Incanus 5,816]

And the mean low horn version in Riding the Lizard (aka the opening of General Grievous on the OST).

[Doo_liss 6,506]

And I Am The Senate!

[Incanus 5,816]

And I Am The Senate!

Yes! Although I wish JW had focused more on the themes in the battle itself rather than do what he has done a lot of late, mimicking what the sound effects and visuals are doing with his music as he does in the unused high pitched and pained material which seems to catch every flick of lightning in the scene instead of honing in on the dramatic content.

[John Dutton 7,425]

I'll listen to the prequels tomorrow and let you guys know what I think. What I can tell you right now is that The Phantom Menace is a good score, Clones is underrated and Sith is entertaining, but a huge disappointment.

[Muad'Dib 1,871]

Listen to the expanded versions, man! The actual score releases don't them justice, particularly ROTS.

[Doo_liss 6,506]

Listen to the expanded versions, man! The actual score releases don't them justice, particularly ROTS.

I am sure he has, and still doesn't like them, youtube exists you know

[Muad'Dib 1,871]

Well, excuse me Mr. Fancy Pants!

[Cerebral Cortex 3,358]

Listen to the expanded versions, man! The actual score releases don't them justice, particularly ROTS.

Exactly. I can't see how anyone listening to the full version of the ROTS soundtrack can come close to labeling it a "huge disappointment".

[The Train Station 8,766]

It's not a huge disappointment. But it is annoying when passages from previous scores aren't just quoted, they're almost directly lifted. And some unused bits from AOTC are thrown in.

[Doo_liss 6,506]

From what I know, thats mostly just tracked music, not actually part of the score as written/recorded.

[The Train Station 8,766]

Were those parts initially left blank and they just decided later what to slot in? Or did it replace new music that Williams wrote for those scenes?

[Doo_liss 6,506]

Were those parts initially left blank and they just decided later what to slot in?

They preplanned what to track in (sadly) with Williams.

[The Train Station 8,766]

"Hey Johnny, don't bother writing anything for this bit. We'll slot in some existing music."

[Doo_liss 6,506]

"Okay! BTW you should use this music from TPM"

[The Train Station 8,766]

That's why this score is a patchwork of really good stuff (which is mostly on the album anyway) and sheer inexcusable laziness.

[Muad'Dib 1,871]

As far as I know, Williams wanted to write new music instead in place of the tracked passages, but Lucas insisted in wanting to use that previous music. One example that I'm 100% sure about it is Padme's Funeral Music. For that spot Williams specifically wanted to write something else, something new, but good ol' Georgie insisted.

[Doo_liss 6,506]

As far as I know, Williams wanted to write new music instead in place of the tracked passages, but Lucas insisted in wanting to use that previous music. One example that I'm 100% sure about it is Padme's Funeral Music. For that spot Williams specifically wanted to write something else, something new, but good ol' Georgie insisted.

Yeah, it would have been nice if he wrote something different, instead writing that (though I like it)

[The Train Station 8,766]

As far as I know, Williams wanted to write new music instead in place of the tracked passages, but Lucas insisted in wanting to use that previous music. One example that I'm 100% sure about it is Padme's Funeral Music. For that spot Williams specifically wanted to write something else, something new, but good ol' Georgie insisted.

Shows how much Lucas really cared.

[John Dutton 7,425]

Oh, I have the most expanded non-rear channel rip versions of the Prequels there are. Trust me, I know the scores very well

Revenge of the Sith has the same problems Attack of the Clones has. Thematically, it's a mess. It just doesn't feel complete. A bunch of what is there is pretty good. I've always criticized the lack of a theme for Anakin, who's supposed to be the main character. Luke had a theme. Prequel/modern Williams apologists will try to tell you that Anakin's Theme from TPM was his boyhood theme and wasn't appropriate for the later films. They'll tell you that the Ben Kenobi/Jedi theme AKA "The Force Theme" was his theme, as was The Imperial March where applicable. They'll say the character existed in a grey zone between the light side and the dark side, so a lack of theme was acceptable, I say, "eh, whatever. He's the main ******* character. Where's the theme? Why are these scores a lot of uninteresting underscore connected by nice moments?"

[Jay 39,592]

I've decided I really like the music for the new bad guy stepping into the woods and lighting up his saber.

I'd love to have the November 15 trailer recordings clean!

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

I've decided I really like the music for the new bad guy stepping into the woods and lighting up his saber.

I'd love to have the November 15 trailer recordings clean!

I like that part too. It reminds me of the non-thematic suspense material representing the Dementors in The Prisoners of Azkaban. Perhaps he'll go a similar route for TFA?

On an unrelated note, I have a feeling that this will be the most sparsely scored of the 7 Star Wars films.

[RedBard 71]

I've decided I really like the music for the new bad guy stepping into the woods and lighting up his saber.

I'd love to have the November 15 trailer recordings clean!

I like that part too. It reminds me of the non-thematic suspense material representing the Dementors in The Prisoners of Azkaban. Perhaps he'll go a similar route for TFA?

On an unrelated note, I have a feeling that this will be the most sparsely scored of the 7 Star Wars films.

[Sharkissimo 1,974]

Why are these scores a lot of uninteresting underscore connected by nice moments?"

One man's uninteresting underscore is another man's holy grail.

[RedBard 71]

Why are these scores a lot of uninteresting underscore connected by nice moments?"

One man's uninteresting underscore is another man's holy grail.

And just like the holy grail, such people are next to impossible to find.

[Sharkissimo 1,974]

Why are these scores a lot of uninteresting underscore connected by nice moments?"

One man's uninteresting underscore is another man's holy grail.

And just like the holy grail, such people are next to impossible to find.

Well there's me!

[RedBard 71]

Why are these scores a lot of uninteresting underscore connected by nice moments?"

One man's uninteresting underscore is another man's holy grail.

And just like the holy grail, such people are next to impossible to find.

Well there's me!

You made yourself known. That doesn't count.

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,260]

And my axe.

I've decided I really like the music for the new bad guy stepping into the woods and lighting up his saber.

I'd love to have the November 15 trailer recordings clean!

I like that part too. It reminds me of the non-thematic suspense material representing the Dementors in The Prisoners of Azkaban. Perhaps he'll go a similar route for TFA?

On an unrelated note, I have a feeling that this will be the most sparsely scored of the 7 Star Wars films.

Yeah, dem sforzando-piano tubas... classic POA.

And if this is sparsely scored, modern JW, well, I'll just be in heaven won't I?

[Mr_K 6]

The trailer music hearkens back to the track used in the original teaser for Star Wars in 1977, I wonder if that's deliberate.

The most moving music in the prequels was that short bit where Yoda lifted off in the escape pod to escape the Wookiee planet. JW hadn't hit strides like that since E.T.

Mr. K

[Doo_liss 6,506]

The most moving music in the prequels was that short bit where Yoda lifted off in the escape pod to escape the Wookiee planet. JW hadn't hit strides like that since E.T.

Moving is not exactly the word I would choose.

[RedBard 71]

The most moving music in the prequels was that short bit where Yoda lifted off in the escape pod to escape the Wookiee planet. JW hadn't hit strides like that since E.T.

Moving is not exactly the word I would choose.

Take one thesaurus, open up, peruse, extract one word, insert as replacement for "moving".

[Sharkissimo 1,974]

The most moving music in the prequels was that short bit where Yoda lifted off in the escape pod to escape the Wookiee planet.

For me, it's either the elegy for when Obi Wan reveals the truth about Anakin to Padme, the quotation of the 'lament' for the "you're going down a path I cannot follow" scene, and this brief musical moment (2:55-3:04) (I know it's from Qui-Gon's Funeral, but still) - something about dat #4th appoggiatura and its dramaturgical link to both the lament from Order 66 sequence and Battle of the Heroes really tugs at the heart strings.

[Doo_liss 6,506]

this brief musical moment (2:55-4:04) (I know it's from Qui-Gon's Funeral, but still) - something about dat #4th appoggiatura and its dramaturgical link to both the lament from Order 66 sequence and Battle of the Heroes really tugs at the heart strings.

YES!!! :thumbup:

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

Is anybody else hoping that we get a slightly different take on the Main Title music?

[Jay 39,592]

Keep dreaming. No chance of that happening

EDIT: Oh, you said slightly. Well sure, I mean all 4 existing recordings are different from each other, and so is the one in the new teaser, so why not?

[Cerebral Cortex 3,358]

I think we might get a slight change but nothing too extreme. I'm hoping for some variation, for sure.

[KK 3,308]

The most moving music in the prequels was that short bit where Yoda lifted off in the escape pod to escape the Wookiee planet.

For me, it's either the elegy for when Obi Wan reveals the truth about Anakin to Padme, the quotation of the 'lament' for the "you're going down a path I cannot follow" scene, and this brief musical moment (2:55-3:04) (I know it's from Qui-Gon's Funeral, but still) - something about dat #4th appoggiatura and its dramaturgical link to both the lament from Order 66 sequence and Battle of the Heroes really tugs at the heart strings.

Wow, I don't remember the Qui Gon material being used so often. As someone who is not as familiar with the prequel scores and films, did Williams just reappropriate the thematic role of the Qui Gon material, or is there some actual motive behind its prevalent use in the third act of this film.

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

I hope they go for a rougher, more brass heavy rendition of the main theme in the vein of the OT. The version used in the prequels was great but it feels a little too "polished".

And I hope the LSO returns. I don't want another woefully underpowered performance of a classic John Williams theme (Indy 4, JP3)

[Doo_liss 6,506]

I hope they go for a rougher, more brass heavy rendition of the main theme in the vein of the OT. The version used in the prequels was great but it feels a little too "polished".

And I hope the LSO returns. I don't want another woefully underpowered performance of a classic John Williams theme (Indy 4, JP3)

You do know that only Superman, the SW OT and PT and Raiders were by the LSO right?

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

Yes and the majority of the Hollywood Orchestras performances of JW scores were great but the performance of the orchestra in Indy 4 sounded really unimpressive, particularly in the trumpet section. Though that could be more due to other factors.

[Sharkissimo 1,974]

The most moving music in the prequels was that short bit where Yoda lifted off in the escape pod to escape the Wookiee planet.

For me, it's either the elegy for when Obi Wan reveals the truth about Anakin to Padme, the quotation of the 'lament' for the "you're going down a path I cannot follow" scene, and this brief musical moment (2:55-3:04) (I know it's from Qui-Gon's Funeral, but still) - something about dat #4th appoggiatura and its dramaturgical link to both the lament from Order 66 sequence and Battle of the Heroes really tugs at the heart strings.

Wow, I don't remember the Qui Gon material being used so often. As someone who is not as familiar with the prequel scores and films, did Williams just reappropriate the thematic role of the Qui Gon material, or is there some actual motive behind its prevalent use in the third act of this film.

I'm not referring to set-piece itself of course, but the falling Lydian appoggiatura idea heard here.

And again at 1:14, 2:57, 3:01, 3:12, 3:34 etc.