Jump to content

THE LAST JEDI - OST Album MUSIC Discussion (No Movie Spoilers)


Jay

Recommended Posts

29 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

 

Not every gesture in a Williams score (or a Wagner one, for that matter) is supposed to hold some meaning, and if it doesn't hold meaning, its not a leitmotif. A prime example from this score is the woodwind line following the opening crawl. Its recurring from the original Star Wars. But does it really mean anything to the story? well, not really, no. Therefore, its not a leitmotif.

 

The "map motif" you refer to is another example, where the recurring gesture is not a narrative device but a stylistic device applied by Williams to denote mystery: here, the mystery of Luke's whereabouts. Again, not a leitmotif.

 

Within those perhaps more "academic" criteria, I don't think there are more than a handful of new leitmotives to this work, but there's got to be more than just the two themes from "The Rebellion is Reborn", I'm sure.

 

I thought the "map motif" was a bit more than that. It's use in Finn and Poe, United makes it seem more like a motif for the map mission, rather than just a general mystery accent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its the same "Mystery Chords" that Adams described in the original Star Wars' score. Its also applied to the Ark in Raiders and to the Crystal Skull in, well, that movie.

 

9 minutes ago, ocelot said:

Didn't Williams write things before seeing the film? I remember seeing somewhere that Rian wanted to edit the film TO the music.

 

That was debunked by Johnson himself. Generally, out of consideration of Williams, the recording process of both this and The Force Awakens started earlier than usual for Williams and continued intermittently across a long period of time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/16/2017 at 2:43 PM, saulocf said:

I am the only one that hear a very strong similarity of Rose's theme with Giacchino's Yorktown theme from Star Trek: Beyond? 

I get the theme in my head then end up humming The Songless Nightingale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unlike last time where we had big coverage of the scoring sessions with Williams; I havent seen any Williams coverage on the making of the film as of now or Williams talking about it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, azahid said:

Unlike last time where we had big coverage of the scoring sessions with Williams; I havent seen any Williams coverage on the making of the film as of now or Williams talking about it. 

Maybe he's not very happy with it and doesn't want to do a lot of publicity for it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Steve H said:

I do like the cue ' A New Alliance'. It's a more familiar William's  setpiece and features a nice throwback to 'Saving Willie' from Temple of Doom. Though I fear it's been cut short?

 

The Fathers actually reminds me of Temple of Doom a good bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Stefancos said:

The brass in this score is absolutely fantastic. 

Yes. Night & day from TFA.

 

The pitch & blend are better, the bravura parts don't sound as pushed. Generally it sounds like they boosted forces and/or got (gasp) different players.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Compare the brassy fanfare at the end of March of the Resistance and the brassy climax at the end of Rebellion Is Reborn. To my ears, one is noise, the other has a sublime balance of orchestratral textures where you can hear Williams' astute ear for balance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Xinau said:

Yes. Night & day from TFA.

 

The pitch & blend are better, the bravura parts don't sound as pushed. Generally it sounds like they boosted forces and/or got (gasp) different players.

 

Well, Malcolm McNab played 1st trumpet on TFA (as he has on just about every studio orchestra film score for the last 30 years or so), but the liner notes list Jon Lewis as 1st on this one. If the top chair trumpet has changed, others probably have as well. The studio recording orchestras aren't a set crew of musicians like professional symphony orchestras are. The studios put out a call for players and people book the gigs as they're available to do so. Some folks may be on vacation or working another gig or whatever, and they can't do a particular set of sessions, the makeup of the orchestra will change as other players take their place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TFA's mix has polarised JWFan since release, that's hardly revisionist history. Nobody's denying that TFA has a sharp, detailed and crisp recording. What people have debated is the artistic merit of mixing choices which, some feel, created balance issues. The focus on brass completely overwhelms the rest of the orchestra.

 

That became apparent once JW started performing March of the Resistance and suddenly we could hear woodwinds. Then it became really clear when the live-to-picture performances started.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Chen G. said:

It is a concert arrangement

 

After a few more listens I'm inclined to agree. It will be interesting to see if the printed score published by Hal Leonard will be identical.

 

Btw, were Battle of the Heroes as published by Hal Leonard identical to the OST track?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

After a few more listens I'm inclined to agree. It will be interesting to see if the printed score published by Hal Leonard will be identical.

 

Btw, were Battle of the Heroes as published by Hal Leonard identical to the OST track?

 

Not quite I believe. The OST versions are always recorded with the usual 6.4.4.1 brass instead of the reduced 4.3.3.1 section in the Hal Leonard scores, for instance. Also, as a little side note, I think JW shouldn't have included the marimba part in the Hal Leonard version (or, at least, marking it as p)- it tends to be far too apparent in live performances (lending the piece an almost childish character), while it just adds a little bit of extra color and pulse in Shawn Murphy's recording. It's these little things that classical music afficionados/elitists look down on JW for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Jilal said:

 

Not quite I believe. The OST versions are always recorded with the usual 6.4.4.1 brass instead of the reduced 4.3.3.1 section in the Hal Leonard scores, for instance. Also, as a little side note, I think JW shouldn't have included the marimba part in the Hal Leonard version (or, at least, marking it as p)- it tends to be far too apparent in live performances (lending the piece an almost childish character), while it just adds a little bit of extra color and pulse in Shawn Murphy's recording. It's these little things that classical music afficionados/elitists look down on JW for.

 

Then the structure of the composition is identical, I presume.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jilal said:

The OST versions are always recorded with the usual 6.4.4.1 brass instead of the reduced 4.3.3.1 section in the Hal Leonard scores, for instance

 

That's the brass lineup for the sequel trilogy. Star Wars almost always used a 8.4.4.2 setup - minus the occasional tuba or trombone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/13/2017 at 10:56 AM, Jay said:

09 Canto Bight (2:38)

 

So this is a 40 second score cue (Some nice "landing on a planet" music from Williams), which has a source cue mixed over the ending beginning at 0:35 that runs from then till the end of the track.  Features steel drums and other instrumentation that's just like Cantina Band, something that sounds like a kazoo, some other alien sounding synths, the whole thing has a jazzy feel like Cantina Band.  Also features a non-Williams theme briefly that's been used in cartoons and stuff (apologies for not knowing the name of it).

 

@Jay, are you referring to Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse"?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Taikomochi said:

He was referring to “Aquarela do Brasil”

 

I think he's referring to that piece in the sentence prior to the one that I bolded above.  I'm guessing that the bold text refers to the portion of the cue from 1:22 to 1:28.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course I was referring to "Aquarela do Brasil", since that's the actual melody used in the track.  Powerhouse is not used in the score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Jay said:

Of course I was referring to "Aquarela do Brasil", since that's the actual melody used in the track.  Powerhouse is not used in the score.

 

My bad!  I was thrown by the "cartoons" reference.  Not familiar with any cartoons featuring "Aquarela do Brasil".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rhythm and melody is actually quite familiar to me, but I have no idea where I know it from. Lot's of places I think. As "generic samba music" in loads of TV shows.

The Cuba music from Die another Day is actually similar to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Chen G. said:

 

That's the brass lineup for the sequel trilogy. Star Wars almost always used a 8.4.4.2 setup - minus the occasional tuba or trombone.

 

Nope. 

 

TPM: mostly 8.4.4.1, 6.4.4.1

AOTC: 6.4.4.1

ROTS: 8.4.4.2 at most

SW: 6.4.3.2

ESB: 6.4.4.2

ROTJ: 6.4.4.2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

31 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

The rhythm and melody is actually quite familiar to me, but I have no idea where I know it from. Lot's of places I think. As "generic samba music" in loads of TV shows.

The Cuba music from Die another Day is actually similar to it.

 

I'm surprised you're not familiar with Michael Kamen's "Brazil", one of the best scores ever written.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, crumbs said:

TFA's mix has polarised JWFan since release, that's hardly revisionist history. Nobody's denying that TFA has a sharp, detailed and crisp recording. What people have debated is the artistic merit of mixing choices which, some feel, created balance issues. The focus on brass completely overwhelms the rest of the orchestra.

 

That became apparent once JW started performing March of the Resistance and suddenly we could hear woodwinds. Then it became really clear when the live-to-picture performances started.

 

This.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How could you not like a new Star Wars score? I thought you were out of your mind!

 

The Rebellion Is Reborn is this films Rey's Theme, several brilliant melodies and rhythms playing against each other. It's quite a beautiful piece actually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yes.

 

As much as I have issues with the album as a whole, that theme (Rose's) I like a lot.

 

3 hours ago, Jilal said:

SW: 6.4.3.2

ESB: 6.4.4.2

ROTJ: 6.4.4.2

 

As far as I know, the first three scores also used eight horns:

 

Quote

symphony orchestra comprising: 26 violins; 10 violas; 10 cellos; 6 basses; 11 woodwinds; 8 horns; 4 trumpets; 3 trombones; 2 tubas; 2 harps; 3 percussion; timpani; piano; and celeste.

- Chris Malone, Recording the Star Wars Saga, p. 7

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/14/2017 at 7:33 AM, Taikomochi said:

I fucking love the motif in “Main Title and Escape” that appears a few times and climaxes at 4:03. So badass.

Me too. When I first listened to this track, that moment quite literally made me smile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Chen G. said:

 

As far as I know, the first three scores also used eight horns:

 

 

 

No, Jilal is right. I also know that ANH, ESB and ROTJ use "only" 6 horns. Maybe the orchestra included 8 horn players (I don't know), but only 6 are used at the same time, at most.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, BTR1701 said:

 

Well, Malcolm McNab played 1st trumpet on TFA (as he has on just about every studio orchestra film score for the last 30 years or so), but the liner notes list Jon Lewis as 1st on this one. If the top chair trumpet has changed, others probably have as well. The studio recording orchestras aren't a set crew of musicians like professional symphony orchestras are. The studios put out a call for players and people book the gigs as they're available to do so. Some folks may be on vacation or working another gig or whatever, and they can't do a particular set of sessions, the makeup of the orchestra will change as other players take their place.

 

I don't think that's correct -- AFAIK Malcolm did not play on the TFA soundtrack.

 

Lewis played principal on TFA, too. Didn't know he was on this one as well; haven't read the liner notes. For whatever reason, the section sounds much better (dare I say, "more LSO-like"). It might be due to the orchestration, or maybe they used B-flats this time, or maybe they're just boosted in the mix. Haven't really dug in to do the serious listening to figure it out. All I know is that I like the result. So, Jon (and your section-mates), if you're reading this, cheers. 

 

Edit: removed something that's essentially rumor and shouldn't really be on an Internet message board. Apologies to all concerned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're all just guessing what themes represent when it comes to this score, as Williams has done no interviews or anything to talk about it.  One interpretation is as valid as any other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Jay said:

We're all just guessing what themes represent when it comes to this score, as Williams has done no interviews or anything to talk about it.  One interpretation is as valid as any other.

 

Of course, but if only one of it's uses has anything to do with Holdo, wouldn't it make sense to guess it might be something else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.