TheUlyssesian

I have a question. Does Finn really have a theme? 5:06 to 6:05 in OST Track 23 is the Action motif (with a short statement of Poe's theme in the middle) but is not really Finn's theme right. It's more of a general action motif. It's not really a theme even, it's an action figure around which Williams builds a lot of orchestral activity.

This new theme is turning out to be my favorite Williams theme. What a killer theme. Sheer guts in music form. Crazy good!

Yes they were. The thing was Williams had drama scores in each of the years and the Academy obviously prefers to nominated serious Oscar movies in every category. He got nominated all those 3 years (twice in 2005 infact) but for different serious drama scores for prestige pictures with oscar pedigree.

That statement is one of the most balls out badass things Williams has written. You wouldn't call his music badass typically, it is too refined for that, but in this case it truly is badass. And that's why Williams decided to leave it out of the OST! I thought that portion was tracked from the concert suite?

That statement is one of the most balls out badass things Williams has written. You wouldn't call his music badass typically, it is too refined for that, but in this case it truly is badass. This is what I wrote about the theme in another thread.

Is this even a question? It was going to be the best score of 2015 as soon as Williams was announced as composer.

In the film proper, the two themes that pop the most are Rey and March Of The Resistance. The latter is absolutely badass, like sick badass. Its one of the most masculine and military themes written by Williams. When the X wings come from the resistance and the theme plays, I was like... wow look the swagger of the music for the heroes. Its superb. And Rey's theme of course popped as the primary identity of the score. The theme is memorable for sure. Right from its first appearance with Rey, it was always played whenever she did something heroic or just appeared. One instance which stood out when Finn is desperate and wants to save her after Ren has captured Rey, he runs towards them and the theme played. In that moment I thought that Rey's Theme could double as a love theme for Rey and Finn too IF they have a romance which seems likely. But yeah these 2 were the stars of the show. Kylo Ren's and Poe's and Finn's theme kinda slipped off the screen in the film itself. Doesn't really pop. Even Snoke's theme the way it was mixed sounded like source music with people sitting in the background and wailing. So really looking forward to more Rey and Resistance - both magnificent ideas.

I am shocked. Is this a first? I mean seriously how on earth will soundtracks in future sell? Is this an unprecedented step?

That's exactly what I think it is. It's a truly gorgeous melody, and orchestration of said melody, I love it. Is the one which we previously thought was Rey's Theme?

Just finished my first listen now. Was extremely busy the last few days had no time at all. My general impression is that it is slightly disappointing. I don't know what I was expecting, but after four consecutive punches of War Horse, Tintin, Lincoln and Book Thief, this is the first franchise score he has written, so it of course all felt familiar. None of the new themes immediately grabbed me. Rey's Theme misled us all. I was already so attached to the idea of the TV spot snippet being Rey's Theme that it took me a couple of listens of the track just to get over that. It is a decent theme but strangely sounds like a Marvel theme and somewhat like Menken's prologue theme from Beauty And The Beast of all things! The Resistance theme as someone stated here came off as a villainous theme to me. Its good but I don't know. Needs way more listens and the context of the film to fully grasp.

It wouldn't if the new work is not "diluted by the old themes". He was nominated for sequels before... namely Harry Potter 3, Indy 2 and 3, Star Wars 5 and 6, all of which re-state themes from the first score. Shore won for LOTR 3 which stated themes from the previous 3 films. Nino Rota won for Godfather 2 which stated themes from the previous score.

When I suggested that the music is not very audible in the released clip, I was told to get my ears checked! But I knew this was going to happen. Modern movies simply don't support this kind of scores anymore. That's why I loved War Horse, where there were a lot of scenes where the score played without sound effects. Or the scores by Giachhino win awards, because very little if any sound effects obscure the music and the emotion flows through.

Shore knew for sure he was doing the sequels too. Williams doesn't. So he isn't going to hold back.

If the Rebel Rhythm never occurs away from the Rebel Fanfare, isn't it part of it then?

It's a masterpiece. One of my favorite Williams effort. It's a major work with highlights galore.

Kristopher Tapley ‏@kristapley 42m42 minutes ago Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects and maybe Production Design. That's the Oscar ceiling on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Will Mavity ‏@mavericksmovies 36m36 minutes ago @kristapley you think Williams is contention to win this year or it still Burwell/Morricone's year? Kristopher Tapley @kristapley @mavericksmovies I kinda think Morricone is going to win but I don't know. This guy thinks Williams will get a nomination but Morricone will win.

I mean a wondrous dazzling new theme of immense scope and spectacular instrumentation that stands out as the most glorious highlight of a fantastic new Williams score.

This is Rey's theme right. It will probably the most major new theme seeing as it is the only one getting an individual concert suite track. This might be the Across The Stars of TFA.

So I don't know which of the prior themes will make an appearance. But just wanted to ask, is the below resource a comprehensive rundown of all the themes and motifs? Any major ones missing? http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Musical_score

Its decent. Nothing spectacular.

I love this moment from E.T. when we realize E.T. is alive. Just after the moment Spielberg shows the flower as fully alive again and Williams raises the emotion and excitement to such a degree that in childhood I would scream with happiness on seeing the plant and much of it was due to how the music leads me on. And it is just 10 seconds! 2:49-2:59

I think we all can agree that it is atleast a proper theme, developed throughout the 2 minute piece with multiple statements of the main phrases. Whoever's theme it is, its a good theme.

Re Pemberton, don't know about Steve Jobs but his score for Man From UNCLE is pretty effing good.

Thieving Magpie most certainly inspired Aunt Marge's Waltz. Though its not a complete lift Williams weaves his own new theme into. But even after inspiration, Marge is an absolutely virtuoso piece. I'd wager nobody today in cinema composing could write its equal whether lifted or not. But here's the bigger concern - the piece is so dense, so viruoso, such a tour de force of orchestral writing and playing and tempo... that ... is absolutely unfit for a narrative film and is far more suited to the concert hall. The piece is absolutely and utterly inappropriate for the scene it is scoring, and frankly the density and construction of the music cannot even be appreciated in the cinema. This was just Williams showing off. He wrote a piece like this because he could, not because the scene needed it. And no director was going to turn down having THIS piece in the score, so they tacked it onto the scene but it does not really fit. But it remains a dazzling piece of music.

Toldja. My reasoning was that they have only ever used franchise music in the TV spots and trailers for Ep VII. They weren't randomly gonna use some trailer music. So it was Williams all along. Let me again express my admiration for the piece. Even though the theme itself sounds simple during the flute solo, the horn solo is accompanied by some tumultuous tempestuous underscore that will give it huge epic scope and density. Not quite like the Harry Potter theme but in a way the idea is similar, the HP theme itself was pretty simple but was made by the overwrought orchestra underneath which was exploding in all kinds of macabre activity. Only this time the effect won't be macabre but emotional and conflicted (to maybe represent the character and her discovery).