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

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

So is the trailer music by John Williams?

Is that a serious question?

Yeah. It was mostly old material.

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,261]

So is the trailer music by John Williams?

William Ross, arranged by Conrad Pope.

[Ricard 2,380]

Let's use this thread to discuss the music in the new teaser:

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,261]

Fine.

The music in the new trailer was excellent.

[Incanus 5,858]

Well yes it was. Rather.

[Jay 42,877]

So is the trailer music by John Williams?

Is that a serious question?

Yeah. It was mostly old material.

John Williams scored both trailers and is scoring the new film.

The trailers use 100% new recordings, NOT the original recordings from the 70s and 80s.

[Balahkay 629]

I love the reference to the OT material... Yoda and the Force for example.

[King Mark 3,837]

it's a new variation of the force theme and a pretty darn good one

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[King Mark 3,837]

sounded awesome

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[crocodile 9,227]

I just hope the film itself will allow for such grand musical gestures.

Karol

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,261]

Hmm. I wonder if the trailer cue will feature a prominent piano part...

At 32 seconds in, there's your prominent piano part.

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

Hmm. I wonder if the trailer cue will feature a prominent piano part...

At 32 seconds in, there's your prominent piano part.

Beautiful.

[Romão 2,432]

I loved the music when Vader's helmet is shown

And you can actually hear the piano in this

[Marcus 395]

As with the first teaser, I just love how Williams completely re-contextualizes these snippets of earlier music. Very elegantly done!

[Jay 42,877]

As with the first teaser, I just love how Williams completely re-contextualizes these snippets of earlier music. Very elegantly done!

Well put!

[Little Ghost 7,936]

I think everything up to 1:20 sounds definitely new, everything on sounds a little bit like manipulated ESB stuff to me.

Of course if Jay has been told it's all new, then it is all new.

[King Mark 3,837]

it sounds all new to me

[Little Ghost 7,936]

It just sounds stretched to me.

[crocodile 9,227]

I love how this fanfare from TESB is integrated into this.

Karol

[Little Ghost 7,936]

Also 0:37 to 0:52 reminds me of the choral chords (?) for Gandalf expelling Saruman in TTT.

[Balahkay 629]

I hope these cues end up on the soundtrack release, but somehow I doubt it.

[King Mark 3,837]

hahaha

[Jilal 628]

Also 0:37 to 0:52 reminds me of the choral chords (?) for Gandalf expelling Saruman in TTT.

Reminds me more of PADME'S FUNERAL.

If anything, I think it's written in the same tonality.

[Jay 42,877]

Disney should sell these trailer cues on iTunes for $1.29 each. But they are not smart enough to ever do that.

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

The mix sounds good too. It doesn't sound nearly as thin as KOTCS.

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,261]

But those awful LA musicians... what an un-versatile sound.

[Jilal 628]

Ugh!

[Little Ghost 7,936]

Also 0:37 to 0:52 reminds me of the choral chords (?) for Gandalf expelling Saruman in TTT.

Reminds me more of PADME'S FUNERAL.

If anything, I think it's written in the same tonality.

2:36 on.

Sorry KM.

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

But those awful LA musicians... what an un-versatile sound.

True. Now that I think about it, it does sound pretty bad...

Where's the LSO when you need them?!

[gkgyver 1,647]

Takes me back to the days when film trailers were good

Don't insult the Hanz!

But those awful LA musicians... what an un-versatile sound.

True. Now that I think about it, it does sound pretty bad...

Where's the LSO when you need them?!

London Orchestras are lamenting over the loss of both Hobbit and Star Wars.

[BloodBoal 7,544]

[Simon R. 10]

Amazing. I am getting more and more excited about this score. I don't really care much about the movie, but if it turns out good, it's a plus

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

Hmm. I wonder if the choir was real or synthetic...

[Jacck 23]

Gimmicky and shit.

A montage of patronisingly curated edits of desperate, ambition-less pastiche.

Holding truly to the requirements of the modern, greedy machine that is Hollywood. *tuts*

[karelm 3,212]

Wow, looks and sounds fantastic! Loved it and the score is nice and retro.

[Little Ghost 7,936]

Here is the new teaser with the vocals removed:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxQSwI5aPja9UEQ4Z1BxUHkxdHc/view?usp=sharing

[Jilal 628]

If anything sets the overall tone in this trailer, it's the music.

Some thoughts:

0:06 - Interesting EMPIRE STRIKES BACK-like "gloomy" celesta figure.

0:16 - Very A NEW HOPE-like, nostalgic incarnation of the Force theme.

0:23 - The double basses seem to add depth and a little weight to the music - perhaps to accentuate the appearance of the gigantic Star Destroyer?
0:32 - Tender F# on the piano. Gloria Cheng got her part to play!
0:36 - Beautiful funereal chords orchestrated for low brass, quite perfectly fitting the dramatic imagery and lighting. The major chord at 0:48 comes quite unexpected and creates a sense of hope.

0:52 - The return to minor mode, however, resumes the dramatic, funereal mood.

1:01 - The Force theme is continued, again creating a sense of hope and nostalgia.

1:05 - A series of highly dramatic trumpet chords, accentuated by low brass, timpani and percussion and accompanied by high sustained strings and ad lib. harp glissandi set a tense, tragic atmosphere against the battle imagery.

1:18 - Finally releasing all previously built tension, the YODA AND THE FORCE fanfare majestically concludes the trailer cue, highlighting the nostalgia implied in Ford's line, pausing before it and reaching its climax afterwards to emphasize it so as to increase its dramatic impact.

It's the alternation between the hopeful and the dramatic that makes Williams's trailer cue so incredibly moving.

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

The percussion starting at 1:13 doesn't sound very John Williamsy.

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,261]

The percussion starting at 1:13 doesn't sound very John Williamsy.

Boy, the music for this has turned you into quite the conspiracy theorist.

[Jilal 628]

The percussion starting at 1:13 doesn't sound very John Williamsy.

I agree - one of the first things I thought whilst hearing the trailer cue. I can't really imagine Williams writing that.

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

The percussion starting at 1:13 doesn't sound very John Williamsy.

Boy, the music for this has turned you into quite the conspiracy theorist.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2696027/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr393

Felix Erskine: credited for "additional composer: teaser trailer"

[karelm 3,212]

I believe this is mixing some of the LSO OST (but pitch shifted). There is clearly new material but some of the original is there too. Still loving it and salivating for more!

[Jilal 628]

In all honesty, the percussion sounds like one of those big boom synth patches most percussion libraries have, whether Williams wrote it or not.

[Jay 42,877]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2696027/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr393

Felix Erskine: credited for "additional composer: teaser trailer"

Woah.

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,261]

The percussion starting at 1:13 doesn't sound very John Williamsy.

Boy, the music for this has turned you into quite the conspiracy theorist.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2696027/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr393

Felix Erskine: credited for "additional composer: teaser trailer"

It's the end of the end!

[Balahkay 629]

If anything sets the overall tone in this trailer, it's the music.

Some thoughts:

0:06 - Interesting EMPIRE STRIKES BACK-like "gloomy" celesta figure.

0:16 - Very A NEW HOPE-like, nostalgic incarnation of the Force theme.

0:23 - The double basses seem to add depth and a little weight to the music - perhaps to accentuate the appearance of the gigantic Star Destroyer?

0:32 - Tender F# on the piano. Gloria Cheng got her part to play!

0:36 - Beautiful funereal chords orchestrated for low brass, quite perfectly fitting the dramatic imagery and lighting. The major chord at 0:48 came quite unexpected and creates a sense of hope.

0:52 - The return to minor mode, however, resumes the dramatic, funereal mood.

1:01 - The Force theme is continued, again creating a sense of hope and nostalgia.

1:05 - A series of highly dramatic trumpet chords, accentuated by low brass, timpani and percussion and accompanied by high sustained strings and ad lib. harp glissandi set a tense, tragic atmosphere against the battle imagery.

1:18 - Finally releasing all previously built tension, the YODA AND THE FORCE fanfare majestically concludes the trailer cue, highlighting the nostalgia implied in Ford's line, pausing before it and reaching its climax afterwards to emphasize it so as to increase its dramatic impact.

It's the alternation between the hopeful and the dramatic that makes Williams's trailer cue so incredibly moving.

Thanks for the rundown! :16 is very reminiscent of "Tales of a Jedi Knight." I think something like that could have worked well for the new Lucasfilm opening.

The ESB ending used in the teasers and trailers have become a tradition, it seems.

[Not Mr. Big 4,831]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2696027/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr393

Felix Erskine: credited for "additional composer: teaser trailer"

Woah.

To be fair, it's been there for many months now.

[karelm 3,212]

I'm digging the little hottie in the movie too.