Marcus

Sure, but I find the idea of commercially releasing what are essentially sampled mock-ups less than wholesome.

OK, this begs for some clarification, and I hope I'll be able to provide some measure of it:
The LSO is one of the world's great orchestras, and certainly one of the most versatile.
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is an industry orchestra, and a rather different type of beast. It isn't primarily a concertizing orchestra, but a recording orchestra.
To compare the two in terms of versatility is challenging, simply because they serve largely different purposes.
Still, if you're looking for chops, sight-reading abilities and a sense of stylistic variety, the Hollywood Studio Symphony specializes in exactly that, and offers an unparalleled expertise.
On a player-by-player basis, you're discussing some of the best performers in the world either way.
Both orchestras have a sense of identity, btw, and, as has been pointed out, the HSS is no mere pick-up orchestra, but consists of players who know each other, and are used to working as a team.
The main artistic difference might be more a question of each orchestra's "goal". The HSS doesn't have an artistic director, no chief conductor working ambitiously over time. Rather, they are perhaps the most technically proficient, stylistically fluent orchestra in the world.
It is important to remember that orchestral "identity" can change; members are replaced, artistic directors/chief conductors come and go. Some orchestras (Vienna and Berlin spring to mind) will have a certain sound, and might strive to cultivate and protect such a sound spanning several generations of members.
But in general, an orchestra is not a static entity, like, say, a rock group.
Finally, let me offer this:
Were I to record an album of my music,and had maybe 4 days in which to do it, and all of it would have to be rehearsed (sight-read), then recorded, I would go with the HSS.
If I, on the other hand, would be given the privilege of putting on a concert of my works with either one of them, I'd probably opt for the LSO.

OK, this begs for some clarification, and I hope I'll be able to provide some measure of it:
The LSO is one of the world's great orchestras, and certainly one of the most versatile.
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is an industry orchestra, and a rather different type of beast. It isn't primarily a concertizing orchestra, but a recording orchestra.
To compare the two in terms of versatility is challenging, simply because they serve largely different purposes.
Still, if you're looking for chops, sight-reading abilities and a sense of stylistic variety, the Hollywood Studio Symphony specializes in exactly that, and offers an unparalleled expertise.
On a player-by-player basis, you're discussing some of the best performers in the world either way.
Both orchestras have a sense of identity, btw, and, as has been pointed out, the HSS is no mere pick-up orchestra, but consists of players who know each other, and are used to working as a team.
The main artistic difference might be more a question of each orchestra's "goal". The HSS doesn't have an artistic director, no chief conductor working ambitiously over time. Rather, they are perhaps the most technically proficient, stylistically fluent orchestra in the world.
It is important to remember that orchestral "identity" can change; members are replaced, artistic directors/chief conductors come and go. Some orchestras (Vienna and Berlin spring to mind) will have a certain sound, and might strive to cultivate and protect such a sound spanning several generations of members.
But in general, an orchestra is not a static entity, like, say, a rock group.
Finally, let me offer this:
Were I to record an album of my music,and had maybe 4 days in which to do it, and all of it would have to be rehearsed (sight-read), then recorded, I would go with the HSS.
If I, on the other hand, would be given the privilege of putting on a concert of my works with either one of them, I'd probably opt for the LSO.

OK, this begs for some clarification, and I hope I'll be able to provide some measure of it:
The LSO is one of the world's great orchestras, and certainly one of the most versatile.
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is an industry orchestra, and a rather different type of beast. It isn't primarily a concertizing orchestra, but a recording orchestra.
To compare the two in terms of versatility is challenging, simply because they serve largely different purposes.
Still, if you're looking for chops, sight-reading abilities and a sense of stylistic variety, the Hollywood Studio Symphony specializes in exactly that, and offers an unparalleled expertise.
On a player-by-player basis, you're discussing some of the best performers in the world either way.
Both orchestras have a sense of identity, btw, and, as has been pointed out, the HSS is no mere pick-up orchestra, but consists of players who know each other, and are used to working as a team.
The main artistic difference might be more a question of each orchestra's "goal". The HSS doesn't have an artistic director, no chief conductor working ambitiously over time. Rather, they are perhaps the most technically proficient, stylistically fluent orchestra in the world.
It is important to remember that orchestral "identity" can change; members are replaced, artistic directors/chief conductors come and go. Some orchestras (Vienna and Berlin spring to mind) will have a certain sound, and might strive to cultivate and protect such a sound spanning several generations of members.
But in general, an orchestra is not a static entity, like, say, a rock group.
Finally, let me offer this:
Were I to record an album of my music,and had maybe 4 days in which to do it, and all of it would have to be rehearsed (sight-read), then recorded, I would go with the HSS.
If I, on the other hand, would be given the privilege of putting on a concert of my works with either one of them, I'd probably opt for the LSO.

Well, I have to confess that my own reaction to the themes given would be so contrary as to seem completely inverse: The two finest themes are the ones listed as inferior, and subsequently, I call a gigantic BOGUS on this supposed theory of "flow":
A melody's natural flow and memorability is simply not determined by the number of different scale degrees per downbeat!
In other words, this ends up merely a matter of individual taste.
The best evidence I could give to counter the theory, is that the two "inferior" -supposedly less flowing,less catchy- themes (Star Wars & Superman) happen to be two of the most immediately recognizable themes in our musical culture (that doesn't mean you have to like them, but it reduces the theory to a personal preference).

I had no idea I'd actually posted in this thread, but I'll chalk it up to ghostly activity on behalf of my (still somewhat intimidating) new smart phone...
Anyway; looking at the quoted information, I'll rush to add that for a very short while, again courtesy of my far too sophisticated
phone but its startlingly less than stellar speakers, I kept interpreting the opening cluster as E5-F5-Ab5-B5 (vn2 div á 4) and C6-E6-F6-G6 (vn1 div á 4), at least for a couple of listens...
Now, what's absolutely brilliant,is the music that follows!
As has already been pointed out, it's a very clever transformation of the opening accents of "Sail Barge Assault", but extending the tension for another few measures, as well as building an entirely new, albeit star wars-ian shadowy scherzo, the harmonic gist of which would be: D (with boiling D-C#-Eb cluster), C# (frenetic activity centered around D and E), C (vs.Eb minor, as well as melodic activity on G, C#, D# and E), Bb (w/E minor, as well as continued melodic activity on G, C#, D# and E), and Fmin/A, before settling on a unison F# (and subsequently launching the ominous low E in horns (?)).
At any rate, I'm thrilled Williams invested the time and energy to revisit as well as revitalize this old cue, and I find his fertile re-imagining inspiring!
Yes!

Loving the music, and liking the "lived in" feel of what design we're allowed to glimpse.

Hey,a few funny JW references.
"Crap,we gotta do this thing with Danny Elfman"

Loving the music, and liking the "lived in" feel of what design we're allowed to glimpse.

Loving the music, and liking the "lived in" feel of what design we're allowed to glimpse.

Well, that was terrifying!
I detest the tone of those posts, but for what it's worth, I suspect they weren't intended to sound quite as harsh as they now seem to me.
Confrontation with younger incarnations of one's self can be a very sobering experience... But at least it serves to remind one of the virtue of humility.
Apologies, apologies...

Well, that was terrifying!
I detest the tone of those posts, but for what it's worth, I suspect they weren't intended to sound quite as harsh as they now seem to me.
Confrontation with younger incarnations of one's self can be a very sobering experience... But at least it serves to remind one of the virtue of humility.
Apologies, apologies...

Greetings, everyone!
I'm pleased to report that a recording of "Hate Songs", my symphonic cabarét on poems of Dorothy Parker, is now featured on my website, in a stunning performance by mezzo Tora Augestad and the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste:
http://www.marcuspaus.com/audio/category/Works+with+Soloist
Another addition to the audio section, is a short solo violin piece, "Vita", written less than two weeks ago, and already beautifully recorded by Norwegian violinist Bjarne Magnus Jensen:
http://www.marcuspaus.com/audio/category/Solo
Hope you'll enjoy!

Greetings, everyone!
I'm pleased to report that a recording of "Hate Songs", my symphonic cabarét on poems of Dorothy Parker, is now featured on my website, in a stunning performance by mezzo Tora Augestad and the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste:
http://www.marcuspaus.com/audio/category/Works+with+Soloist
Another addition to the audio section, is a short solo violin piece, "Vita", written less than two weeks ago, and already beautifully recorded by Norwegian violinist Bjarne Magnus Jensen:
http://www.marcuspaus.com/audio/category/Solo
Hope you'll enjoy!

Same mistake: Instead of going down to the lower fifth (the whole "gravitas" of the theme) before the triplet, he annoyingly reiterates the tonic. It sounds amateurish.

And it didn't sound any better then! It sounds misremembered, as if going "by ear" and not getting it quite right (and I very much suspect that's the case in both these instances, and it's even more glaring in the radio play example).

The last note before the triplet figure: Instead of the lower 5th (Sol), we get the tonic (Do). Sounds awful.

Williams has used it in many different ways through the years, adding all sorts of rhythmic and harmonic twists, keeping it fresh, while always retaining the elegance and nobility of the theme itself. Kevin Kiner (and whoever was responsible for the musical adaptation for the radio drama) simply doesn't "get" the theme, and ends up vulgarizing it. It has to do with melodic flow and balance, and with musical eloquence.
(...Oh and by the way, he still mis-quotes the theme in the "Buzz Droids" cue you mentioned)

Wonderful piece! Interestingly shaped, and an impressive motivic work-out! Loving it!
Somewhat surprisingly, I don't think the performance is all that great. Frankly, it seems very under-rehearsed, and some of the tempi seem slower than intended. Would love to hear a better performance of it...

Film composers -and other hard working artisans in general- have my sympathy.
I don't really harbor hate, but I've sometimes been saddened by the ineptitude, ignorance and distrust I've witnessed from various kinds of "cultural beurocrats" (producers from all walks, financers etc.).
Having to deal with people whose aim is only to streamline a product -to make it less dissimilar to whatever they believe to be the pre-existing expectation-, can be a very taxing and disheartening experience.
And that's unfortunately something you're likely to run into as a film composer. I've seen talented colleagues make careers out of writing "down", and it's never a pretty sight. It's bad for your soul.

Film composers -and other hard working artisans in general- have my sympathy.
I don't really harbor hate, but I've sometimes been saddened by the ineptitude, ignorance and distrust I've witnessed from various kinds of "cultural beurocrats" (producers from all walks, financers etc.).
Having to deal with people whose aim is only to streamline a product -to make it less dissimilar to whatever they believe to be the pre-existing expectation-, can be a very taxing and disheartening experience.
And that's unfortunately something you're likely to run into as a film composer. I've seen talented colleagues make careers out of writing "down", and it's never a pretty sight. It's bad for your soul.

God, I hope this isn't true, and I can't for the life if me think of a good reason why it would be, except if there's already a scheduling conflict, and Williams is only to offer themes and some set-pieces, and Giacchino is set to adapt. Williams seems very invested in this project, so I would be suprised. Unless it's a Spielberg-project...
Unfortunately, I have yet to be impressed by Giacchino, and I remain less than convinced about his level of craftsmanship. He would need to hire a really good orchestrator/composer's assistant to help "bridge the gap"...
But it could be that Williams has already decided to retire from the Star Wars saga, with Episode VII sort of leaving the gate open for the next composer. And given that Giacchino is Abrams' "go to" guy, it could make some sense, I suppose.
Williams doesn't strike me as the kind of composer whose method would really be conducive to "joint ventures", and I would be surprised if he'd be comfortable writing alongside somebody else.

Greetings, all of you!
Encouraged by comments made in another thread, I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you all to visit my freshly launched website, www.marcuspaus.com!
It features a lot of audio selections (including selections from a couple of my film scores), an extensive (albeit still incomplete) worklist, as well as news, various links etc.
Hope you'll enjoy!
Cheers,
Marcus

I just watched the interview with Kiner, and know nothing about the series, the scores or their composer. But I absolutely detest that he mis-quotes something as iconic as the Force Theme!

Greetings, all of you!
Encouraged by comments made in another thread, I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you all to visit my freshly launched website, www.marcuspaus.com!
It features a lot of audio selections (including selections from a couple of my film scores), an extensive (albeit still incomplete) worklist, as well as news, various links etc.
Hope you'll enjoy!
Cheers,
Marcus