Arpy

TFA all the way! I hate to be the contrarian here, but it's also probably the most cohesive, developed and concise film in the Sequel Trilogy, and the music was fresh and the return of Williams' to the series since 2005!
 
 

TFA all the way! I hate to be the contrarian here, but it's also probably the most cohesive, developed and concise film in the Sequel Trilogy, and the music was fresh and the return of Williams' to the series since 2005!
 
 

TFA all the way! I hate to be the contrarian here, but it's also probably the most cohesive, developed and concise film in the Sequel Trilogy, and the music was fresh and the return of Williams' to the series since 2005!
 
 

This show really was a slow starter, but now it's truly great. Love every second of it. I love the sense of fear and uneasiness of the prison subplot and all the individual parts of the Rebellion slowly coming together. It's about time the Empire was given some really toothy substance other than just being generic bad guys.
 
The one aspect of this show that betrays it's Star Wars roots is the music which still remains anonymous. It certainly sets a mood, but it's incongruous with the sound of the rest of the universe and lacks any sort of thematic sensibility. 
 
This series is shaping up to be better than Mandalorian (for me).

For me, it is mostly a non-issue. Yeah, from the perspective of traditional film music fan this sort of article might seem upsetting. But rest assured Williams' legacy is safe and secure and his theme will be always associated with the character in one way or another. There are many films and series that don't use it and it's all good. I am more than happy for filmmakers and composers to find new ways to portray these characters. That is the fun of art. I find Zimmer's take really interesting actually because it evokes the characters through the two paternal figures - there's the New Age Krypton material that morphs into this nostalgic Midwest type of a small town Americana. It is not the marching band type this time, more of a simple peaceful life thing. Say what you want about the composition, but this approach is as valid as any. It doesn't negate Williams' take, just looks at the character from an entirely different angle. That's fine by me.
 
Karol
 
 

Divert your attention to this truly terrifying piece, so foul it must've come from no place other than the depths of the lowest circle of hell.
 
https://www.cbr.com/dcu-move-away-john-williams-superman-theme/
 
In all honesty, I don't find the idea detestable, because Superman as a character has changed and so much so in the Man of Steel that to attach Williams' theme betrays the character and the composition.

It is in my opinion, the best thing Star Wars that's ever been made after the original trilogy.
It's not saying this show is amazing but it is a good show. And yes, finally the empire is getting some flesh and brain.
I'm so enjoying the slow burn approach!

I agree with you @Arpy about the music being pretty anonymous. But it's perfectly doing its job in the show. And the lack of epic and romantic themes doesn't really bother me. Maybe because Disney succeeded so well in destroying the franchise that, apart for the classic trilogy and the prelogy scores (the only good thing in that second cycle IMO), I don't really enjoy Sir Williams and the other composers' works for what followed.

This show really was a slow starter, but now it's truly great. Love every second of it. I love the sense of fear and uneasiness of the prison subplot and all the individual parts of the Rebellion slowly coming together. It's about time the Empire was given some really toothy substance other than just being generic bad guys.
 
The one aspect of this show that betrays it's Star Wars roots is the music which still remains anonymous. It certainly sets a mood, but it's incongruous with the sound of the rest of the universe and lacks any sort of thematic sensibility. 
 
This series is shaping up to be better than Mandalorian (for me).

I really don't see how that's a middle finger to Star Wars?

I love it, Samuel comes over here and explains his work and the very next post to follow is Ulyssesian utterly shitting over it. C'mon man, have some decency.
 
I don't like this trailerized music, but I can recognize and appreciate that at least there was some thought behind it. In effect, it's harmless, it isn't ruining any legacy, nor is it insulting to Williams (who had to endure the disco versions of the day). This is just how composers/arrangers like Samuel are paying homage, experimenting etc. 

In one way, yes, and when it defined what a particular group of people sounded like, or becoming intrinsically linked to a place or a person or an idea and the iconic imagery of Star Wars - to then cut it out and replace that familiar sound with something alien is just jarring and unnatural. This isn't to say we have to reference old themes, it's to say that the way that music was presented is what's important and why Rogue One and Solo work well to keep that homogeneous sound. 
 
Then you have Obi-Wan, which is what happens when you take two different approaches and try and mash them together with mixed results...
 
 

I really love aspects of this show, but after 45 minutes each week, it feels like nothing happened in an entire episode!
 
The music is inoffensive - a word I hate - but best describes how it functions and to be honest, it's difficult to feel like Star Wars without the template Williams set. It's too modern, too minimalistic and afraid to have any identity. 

1. A Marvel Special Presentation (0:12)
2. Mane Title (3:02)
3. Hall of Shame (1:00)
4. Ulysses’s Rant (3:24)
5. There Is No Peace Without Tuba (4:17)
6. Scot Free (0:47)
7. A Farewell to Arm (3:27)
8. Cryptic Messages (0:59)
9. Tales from the Crypt (2:29)
10. Elsa’s Ted Talk (3:17)
11. Beach Blanket Betrayal (3:23)
12. Where’s Wolf (4:01)
13. I Don’t Know Jack (3:12)
14. Mane on Ends (1:58)
15. End Shredits (4:21)
16. Mane Theme – Piano Arrangement (1:35)
 
https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/marvel-studios-werewolf-by-night-michael-giacchino/wls710c8kzyoa
 
https://tidal.com/browse/album/252025968
 
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BH77MHP2
 
https://music.apple.com/us/album/marvel-studios-werewolf-by-night-original-soundtrack/1648163952
 
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mJGFVNJIqhqhkouJg1JeoGrxOhZWEmKNM
 
https://open.spotify.com/album/4g03IkKXYEjG1vei9WB2Hx?si=UBzI1dAxS4q8ta_SH66Z4w
 
https://soundcloud.com/michael-giacchino/sets/marvel-studios-werewolf-by

OK, I'm shallow. But I LOVED how they filmed the TIE fighters and Imperial shuttle like they were real aircraft at real aircraft scales and speed.

I really love aspects of this show, but after 45 minutes each week, it feels like nothing happened in an entire episode!
 
The music is inoffensive - a word I hate - but best describes how it functions and to be honest, it's difficult to feel like Star Wars without the template Williams set. It's too modern, too minimalistic and afraid to have any identity. 

I really love aspects of this show, but after 45 minutes each week, it feels like nothing happened in an entire episode!
 
The music is inoffensive - a word I hate - but best describes how it functions and to be honest, it's difficult to feel like Star Wars without the template Williams set. It's too modern, too minimalistic and afraid to have any identity. 

I really love aspects of this show, but after 45 minutes each week, it feels like nothing happened in an entire episode!
 
The music is inoffensive - a word I hate - but best describes how it functions and to be honest, it's difficult to feel like Star Wars without the template Williams set. It's too modern, too minimalistic and afraid to have any identity. 

I really love aspects of this show, but after 45 minutes each week, it feels like nothing happened in an entire episode!
 
The music is inoffensive - a word I hate - but best describes how it functions and to be honest, it's difficult to feel like Star Wars without the template Williams set. It's too modern, too minimalistic and afraid to have any identity. 

Interview with Giacchino: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/werewolf-by-night-director-thought-rated-tv-ma-1235227567/

This reaction on this forum is very typical; some have set up the idea of the score in their minds before going into which will undoubtedly affect how they receive it once it's out.

Surprised by the angst over a score nobody's heard, based entirely off brief descriptions from a few critics (most of whom are praising the score as his best work in years!)
 
I bet if you asked most critics to describe A.I. after seeing the film, most would call it "emotional, restrained and piano-heavy" too... and that score is a goddamn masterpiece.
 
And let's not forget Williams generally records music exclusive for his albums, unintended for the film. Always had barely 45 minutes of music in the film yet, as the expansion revealed, had twice as much recorded. Lincoln too, with an expansive score recorded but used only sparingly in the film.
 
It couldn't have worked out better that Williams' two final scores would be at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. Potentially his most intimate and personal collaboration with Spielberg, paired with a rousing crowd-pleaser that brings his most popular legacy theme full circle. And for all we know it was Spielberg himself who talked Williams into sticking around for Indy 5, after departing the project.
 
Everyone wins here! I can't understand the disappointment, especially when the former is receiving near-universal praise from audiences, and the latter has spoken for itself in the glorious concert suite we heard last week.

Mangold speaks! 
 
 

Everytime Hollywood makes a big deal over diversity it sours the well-intended gesture of including diverse characters and in trying to avoid having token ethnicities like in the past, it ends up looking exactly like it.  
 
Diverse cast members is the least of my worries when it comes to this show right now, because race and ethnicity won't mean a thing if the writing is shit.

Howard Shore's theme has very much a TV series main title theme, meaning that it appears as a curtain opener and not in the underscore. It is such a brief tantalizing snippet with little time to develop but really makes me wish that he had actually scored the entire series. Hearing sort of proto-versions and explorations of many of his themes would have been fantastic.
 
Shore's theme really feels like a small snippet that doesn't have much time to breathe or develop. Sadly.
 
On the other hand I found McCreary's Galadriel theme cloying and try-hard from the first listen unfortunately. Not his finest tune by any means.
 
But I leave you to discuss this music in peace. I have nothing especially glowing to say about it so I stop now.

"Music in Star Wars is just absolutely essentially identified with John Williams -- I mean, bow down-but we're going in a whole other direction "
 
What I just don't understand is how they can say that JW defined Star Wars with his music, and then say that they won't do it that way when scoring a Star Wars series.