Smaug The Iron

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-ix-cast-announced
 
"Composer John Williams, who has scored every chapter in the Star Wars saga since 1977’s A New Hope, will return to a galaxy far, far away with Episode IX."
 
The Maestro is officially confirmed for the final chapter in the Star Wars Saga.
 
There was no doubt, of course. Also, I believe that the Maestro himself confirmed it months ago. It is still cool for it to be mentioned in the official press release.

When the sheet music for Azkaban leaked, we were surprised to learn the film / album version of the end credits (Mischief Managed) is not what Williams intended.  Basically, he wrote the original finale cue ("A New Broomstick") and the first ~3 1/2 minutes of the end credits ("End Credits", which encompasses the original Double Trouble and Past Theme material - the latter of which was also duplicated on the album in the track "A Window To The Past"), which was written to segue to bars 130-end of the "Hedwig's Theme" concert arrangement (the sheet music leak includes both the sheets for just the original end credits with a handwritten note indicating such, AND a version with those bars photocopied in from the Signature Edition of the Hedwig's Theme arrangement, with the bars renumbered to match their new placement).
 
Someone clearly decided they didn't want to use Hedwig's Theme for the end credits again (we don't even know if they recorded it or not), and instead constructed a new end credits medley consisted of bits tracked in from a bunch of cues.  For the album, they followed suite and re-created almost the same medley as the film (two pieces are swapped in order compared to the film version, and Hedwig's Theme appears at the end instead of Pettigrew's Theme).
 
On top of all that, he also rewrote "A New Broomstick"; Originally it was Hedwig's Theme -> Original fanfare -> Hedwig's Theme, but the revised version added in Nimbus 2000 instead of the original music, making it only the second theme from his original score to return in the third score.  Also, he wrote a new Insert to open the end credits in a more exciting way (this is the really cool Double Trouble variation you can only hear in the film and not on the CD).
 
 
So, TL;DR, we've got 4 "versions" of finale & end credits possibiliies
 
As originally written: 
7M11 A New Broomstick -> 7M12 End Credits -> Hedwig's Theme (HP1 concert arrangement, bars 130-end) As later rewritten:
7M11 A New Broomstick (Revised Version) -> new End Credits intro -> 7M12 End Credits -> Hedwig's Theme (HP1 concert arrangement, bars 130-end) The final film ultimately did: 
7M11 A New Broomstick (Revised Version) -> new End Credits intro -> 7M12 End Credits -> tracked section of Buckbeak’s Flight -> tracked section of ”The Snowball Fight” -> tracked section of "The Knight Bus" -> tracked section of “Double Trouble” -> tracked section of "Aunt Marge's Waltz" -> Peter Pettigrew harpsichord motif (probably tracked from "Reading The Map") The OST album does: 
7M11 A New Broomstick (Revised Version) [with the opening Hedwig's Theme part chopped off] -> 7M12 End Credits -> tracked section of Buckbeak’s Flight -> tracked section of ”The Snowball Fight” -> tracked section of “Double Trouble” -> tracked section of "The Knight Bus" -> tracked section of "Aunt Marge's Waltz" -> celeste rendition of "Hedwig's Theme" (probably tracked in from somewhere) -> A final celeste note of unknown origin (sounds completely different than the rest of the Hedwig's Theme rendition)

Now available digitally!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers-the-complete-recordings/1386667298
 
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Howard_Shore_The_Lord_Of_The_Rings_The_Two_Towers?id=Bpdtabjzyy5o75cl6fa7fb6ndhq
 
 

On the latest episode of UnderScore, we sat down with Alan Snelling, assistant engineer to Eric Tomlinson on Star Wars (as well as Raiders, Superman and the rest of the original trilogy), who shared some wonderful recollections of the historic first recording of the Main Title. The remainder of the episode is a near hour-long musical exploration into the composition, orchestration and storytelling power of that infamous minute and a half of music. Enjoy! [This is the second episode in a six-part series on the score]
 

For those interested, the next episode in the series:

Thank you! So pleased you're enjoying the show :)
 
We posted the next episode in our STAR WARS arc just this morning. It's what we call Spotting Session, where we explore each and every cue in context (today's episode is part 1 of 2). This may be where we test the limits of a more in-depth musical analysis. 🙃Enjoy!
 

Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! The difference is very much intentional - we're experimenting with ways of distinguishing the spotting session episodes from the commentary, etc so are trying more of an editorial approach with these and then embracing more informal conversation for the other episodes. I hope it'll feel like a sort of balanced meal once the whole series is finished, but we definitely want to get feedback on how it's coming across. Thanks so much!
 
This week's episode is a brief little intermission between our 2 part cue-by-cue analysis:
 

Our latest episode is now online:

Have you heard the Symphonic suite Williams crafted from Hook themes?  High class stuff, all the way.
 
 

Fresh from SDCC - The Clone Wars is coming back, exclusively on disney’s forthcoming streaming service.  They showed a trailer, and I’m assuming it’ll be released online soon.
 
Edited:  and here it is!
https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1020034533129764869
 

A 20-hour Shore's Middle-Earth concert!

Rose's Theme, Luke/Island Theme, Holdo's Desperation Theme...  

Bilbo is such a terrible character.  Tolkien was so misguided not giving him a romantic relationship.  The Hobbit,  SJW trash!

So I got to see this live a few weeks ago, and it is hands-down, one of the finest moments of Williams career:
 

I hadn't been aware of the online harassment and abuse the actor who plays Rose had come in for. Absolutely pathetic. It makes me despair for the male sex sometimes. 

Its ridiculous the treatment Lucas, Kennedy, Johnson, Best and others have gotten from Star Wars fans makes me ashamed to be a Star Wars fans. The letter squabbling and bullshit that goes on is just toxic. 
 
Go see Star Wars if that’s your thing. If you don’t like one of the movies get over it. Lucasfilm doesn’t owe you anything. 

You have admit though in terms of sheer drama there is almost nothing worse than SW fandom. There has been months of discussion about SW around the internet and almost nothing of substance comes out of it. I'm not talking about this place. People throwing personal insults at Rian Johnson on Twitter... You don't like the film, fine, but this is embarrassing.
 
Karol

Karol

Yeah, this Hitler guy was not so bad. Have you even seen actual footage of him personally killing people? Of course not, then that is what automatically makes him redeemable. There's hope yet for the poor underappreciated painter.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-lan!!!!!

But you're an emotionless computer who is incapable of grasping the concept of nostalgia, so your opinion on the matter is suspect at best.

Started to read The Hobbit again (my fist time reading any Tolkien in English apart form small quotes and such!) and I have to say Unexpected Journey, or at least the first half (no Prologue) is an astoishingly good adaptation. The looks, the characters, the dialogue all stay very close to the spirit of the book, but changing important little things when needing to be more cinematic. Like Thorin not falling on his belly with Bombur on top of him the first time we see him, but actually being respectable and respected. Or Bilbo deciding for himself that he's going on this adventure instead of being completely passive while Gandalf literally kicks him out of the door. They work great in the kids' book, but changed like that they become great cinematic beats. Freeman is a perfect Bilbo and nowhere does he show that off better than serving up and trying to tolerate while being polite around 13 Dwarves. Shame they had to make Sir Ian break down for that useless 3D gimmick, though. At least put people in there in green gimpsuits for actual eyes and eyelines!

One thing I really like about this one is the use of the choir. In the first one it appeared, but more disperse, playing with great effect in the final moments of the movie, but here you can hear it almost from the beginning as an individual force that helps the score to sound much more intense and emotional. Especially with the Fallen Kingdom theme.

Here's what I got for a theme list
 
 
Returning from John Williams' Jurassic Park
 
Main Theme
02 The Theropod Preservation Society 1:58-2:18 (Intro only)
05 Nostalgia-Saurus 0:44-end (B Section)
12 Volcano to Death 0:22-0:58 (Incomplete) / 1:20-1:30 (Incomplete)
24 To Free or Not to Free 1:34-1:55 (Intro only)
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite 1:53-2:04 (3 notes only)
 
Adventure Theme
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite 0:00-1:02
 

Returning from the first Jurassic World score
 
Main Theme
02 The Theropod Preservation Society 1:11-1:45 (Intro only)
04 March of the Wheatley Cavalcade 1:18-end
09 Go With the Pyroclastic Flow 2:47-2:59
24 To Free or Not to Free 2:38-end
25 The Neo-Jurassic Age 0:30-1:12
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite 1:12-1:53
 
Indominous Rex A
01 This Title Makes Me Jurassic 2:00-2:08
23 Declaration of Indo-Pendence 1:00-1:07
 
Owen's Raptor Squad
19 You Can Be So Hard-Headed 0:31-0:36
20 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Free 0:00-0:05 / 2:35-2:49
23 Declaration of Indo-Pendence 0:39-0:58 / 3:35-end
 
 
New Themes
 
Fallen Kingdom Theme
01 This Title Makes Me Jurassic 2:27-end
05 Nostalgia-Saurus 0:12-0:44
16 Wilting Iris 0:15-0:51
18 Thus Begins the Indo-Rapture 0:52-1:44
19 You Can Be So Hard-Headed 1:53-1:56 (First 4 notes only)
20 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Free 0:38-0:54 (Warped) / 1:09-1:26 (Partial)
22 World's Worst Bedtime Storyteller 0:22-0:54 / 0:54-1:15 (B Section) / 1:47-1:57
23 Declaration of Indo-Pendence 2:58-3:11
25 The Neo-Jurassic Age 1:25-1:51 / 1:51-2:10 (B Section) / 2:10-2:37 / 2:37-2:55 (B Section) / 2:55-end 
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite 2:04-3:20 / 3:20-3:40 (B Section) / 3:40-4:11 / 4:11-4:31 (B Section) / 4:31-5:18 / 8:08-8:28 (B Section) / 8:28-9:00 / 9:00-9:20 (B Section) / 9:20-9:57 / 10:35-end
 
Quiet Theme
02 The Theropod Preservation Society 0:36-1:07
12 Volcano to Death 0:15-1:00
13 Operation Blue Blood 0:46-end
24 To Free or Not to Free 1:55-2:30
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite 5:18-6:40
 
March Theme
04 March of the Wheatley Cavalcade 0:15-0:35 
11 Raiders of the Lost Isla Nublar 0:00-0:38
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite 6:40-7:45
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Track-by-track
 
01 This Title Makes Me Jurassic (2:54)
2:00-2:08 Indominous Rex A
2:27-end Fallen Kingdom Theme
 
02 The Theropod Preservation Society (3:47)
0:36-1:07 Quiet Theme
1:11-1:45 Jurassic World Main Theme (Intro only)
1:58-2:18 Jurassic Park Main Theme (Intro only)
 
03 Maisie and the Island (2:07)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
04 March of the Wheatley Cavalcade (2:14)
0:15-0:35 March Theme
1:18-end Jurassic World Main Theme 
 
05 Nostalgia-Saurus (1:05)
0:12-0:44 Fallen Kingdom Theme
0:44-end Jurassic Park Main Theme (B Section)
 
06 Double Cross to Bear (2:32)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
07 Lava Land (3:17)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
08 Keep Calm and Baryonyx (2:46)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
09 Go With the Pyroclastic Flow (3:43)
2:47-2:59 Jurassic World Main Theme
 
10 Gyro Can You Go? (2:17)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
11 Raiders of the Lost Isla Nublar (3:20)
0:00-0:38 March Theme
 
12 Volcano to Death (1:38)
0:15-1:00 Quiet Theme
0:22-0:58 Jurassic Park Main Theme (Incomplete)
1:20-1:30 Jurassic Park Main Theme (Incomplete)
 
13 Operation Blue Blood (3:43)
0:46-end Quiet Theme
 
14 Jurassic Pillow Talk (2:47)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
15 How to Pick a Lockwood (3:10)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
16 Wilting Iris (1:11)
0:15-0:51 Fallen Kingdom Theme (Altered)
 
17 Shock and Auction (2:28)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
18 Thus Begins the Indo-Rapture (3:41)
0:52-1:44 Fallen Kingdom Theme
 
19 You Can Be So Hard-Headed (2:28)
0:31-0:36 Owen's Raptor Squad
1:53-1:56 Fallen Kingdom Theme (First 4 notes only)
 
20 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Free (3:29)
0:00-0:05 Owen's Raptor Squad
0:38-0:54 Fallen Kingdom Theme (Warped version)
1:09-1:26 Fallen Kingdom Theme (Partial)
2:35-2:49 Owen's Raptor Squad
 
21 There's Something About Maisie (1:20)
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
22 World's Worst Bedtime Storyteller (2:27)
0:22-0:54 Fallen Kingdom Theme
0:54-1:15 Fallen Kingdom Theme B Section
1:47-1:57 Fallen Kingdom Theme
 
23 Declaration of Indo-Pendence (4:02)
0:39-0:58 Owen's Raptor Squad
1:00-1:07 Indominous Rex A
2:58-3:11 Fallen Kingdom Theme
3:35-end Owen's Raptor Squad
 
24 To Free or Not to Free (3:00)
1:34-1:55 Jurassic Park Main Theme (Intro only)
1:55-2:30 Quiet Theme  
2:38-end Jurassic World Main Theme
 
25 The Neo-Jurassic Age (3:33)
0:25-1:12 Jurassic World Main Theme
1:25-1:51 Fallen Kingdom Theme
1:51-2:10 Fallen Kingdom Them B Section
2:10-2:37 Fallen Kingdom Theme
2:37-2:55 Fallen Kingdom Them B Section
2:55-end Fallen Kingdom Theme
 
26 At Jurassic World's End Credits \ Suite (10:55)
0:00-1:02 Adventure Theme
1:12-1:53 Jurassic World Main Theme
1:53-2:04 Jurassic Park Main theme (3 notes only)
2:04-3:20 Fallen Kingdom Theme
3:20-3:40 Fallen Kingdom Theme B Section
3:40-4:11 Fallen Kingdom Theme
4:11-4:31 Fallen Kingdom Theme B Section
4:31-5:18 Fallen Kingdom Theme
5:18-6:40 Quiet Theme
6:40-7:45 March Theme
7:45-8:08 non-thematic bridging material that was re-used in "Go With the Pyroclastic Flow" [0:00-0:14]
8:08-8:28 Fallen Kingdom Theme B Section
8:28-9:00 Fallen Kingdom Theme
9:00-9:20 Fallen Kingdom Theme B Section
9:20-9:57 Fallen Kingdom Theme
10:08-10:35 non-thematic bridging material that was re-used in "This Title Makes Me Jurassic" [0:00-0:38]
10:35-end Fallen Kingdom Theme
 
I welcome all corrections and omission!