DominicCobb

I agree: melodically, it feels more like an outgrowth of "Searching," and in "The Adventures of Han," it initially sounds like a contrasting middle section for that theme (though retrospectively, it's perhaps more of a free episode, as it does not return IIRC). Interestingly, Powell treats it as a thematic continuation (or contrasting B section) of the main "Heroic" leitmotif -- not "Searching"-- on at least one occasion, near the start of "Corellia Chase."
 
Notice how it occupies the same tonality at the start (I/F => V/Bb), and its mere proximity to the "Heroic" leitmotif brings out some of its structural affinities with that theme. I don't know the score well enough yet to say if he highlights its connections with "Searching," but I wouldn't be surprised if that happens too. 
 
It's details like this that are making me appreciate Powell's score even more; his manipulations of Williams's material are (with a perhaps a few exceptions) remarkably compelling and compositionally assured.
 
 
  

It sounds like an outgrowth of the B with its acciaccatura-like melodic detail and falling interval (that doesn't resolve at the bottom like the A), but it could also be shown to derive from the A. It indirectly demonstrates how closely A (Lehman's "Heroic") and B ("Searching") are related in design. It also has the rising fourth pickup like Luke A / The Force, and falls back to its initial note like the Force, a sort of "do or do not" bit.

That third section sounds like the second theme, but modulated with the first to act as a kind of bridge to return to the 'A' theme or I don't know.

Here’s a question, it’s seems like people feel like the two main sections of Han’s theme are melodically different enough to be separate ideas, but what about the third section? To my untrained ears, it sound like a halfway point between the two - like it could be a B section to either theme.
 
So what’s the analysis of the third section from people who understand music composition?

Here’s a question, it’s seems like people feel like the two main sections of Han’s theme are melodically different enough to be separate ideas, but what about the third section? To my untrained ears, it sound like a halfway point between the two - like it could be a B section to either theme.
 
So what’s the analysis of the third section from people who understand music composition?

So where do we end up on the "is it two themes or two parts of one theme" debate now that we've all heard it?
 
I'm no expert, but from what I hear there is a first distinct melody (the "heroic" one), then another (the "searching"), then finally a third (which is more clearly a counter melody to the "searching"). The fact that the searching theme seems to have it's own B section makes me think that it's two themes, but then again the searching theme itself feels like a B section to the heroic theme. I don't know, I really don't know much about this stuff. All I know is that Rey's theme has like 5 different sections, so I'm inclined to say they're all just parts of one theme.

And yet another quick quote from Powell (from FSM interview):
 
 
 
He also says they didn't really follow the temp as it didn't seem right. The Reminiscence Therapy is Powell's idea.
 
Karol

The main title is definitely not two themes, the B section is a clear answer to the first, in the same key. Same with Indy, even though that happened after the fact and even though Indy's B appears alone in places. In context, it sounds subordinate to the A. It's a question of grammar, logic. Han's A and B are related but independent. SW Main Title and Indy have a harmonic grammar as well, Kylo and Han don't have a harmonic progression per se supporting the melody.
 
Same with Superman, the B supports the A (although it has a musical alter ego in Clark's theme - wonderfully recursive structure to all the themes in that score).

This all makes sense to me, though I'm not sure why the B-section of the main title qualifies and Rey's doesn't.

Williams longer-lined themes are always tricky to analyse from a leitmotif standpoint. But they're not all made equal: Han's "theme" may be comprised of two separate leitmotives whereas I would say something like Rey's theme (or other things like the Ewok material, Duel of the Fates, etc...) doesn't.
 
In my eyes, for a long tune to be split into two leimotives, they each need to:
Be substantive: not just a random couple of notes out of the unabridged theme but a defined, substantial and distinct section of it. Be separate: each of the two motifs needs to appear completely by itself at least two times in the score itself, and clearly not as a result of tracking or lifting of material. Be thematic: each of the two motifs needs to have a clear and separate dramatic function, both as a piece of music and as a piece of score. Be intentional, preferably explicitly so, on the part of the composer.  
Having heard John Powell talk about it, I will say that the two parts of the suite can be considered two separate leitmotives: Powell makes it sound kind of like the situation Williams had with the Raiders March where he wrote one theme, and later came up with another possible theme, and just ended up using both. It would seem, according to Powell, that Williams went so far as to spot the film for places to use each motif, as well.
 
So in this particular instance (and a few others like Kylo's secondary theme, the B-section of the main title, the Brother and Sister motif and maybe the B-section of Across the Stars) I would say it counts as two.

It is the finest SW score of 2018 and also the best one since The Last Jedi. I also rank it among my top 10 feature SW scores of all time.
 
Karol

I'd definitely like to see another composer take the next non-Williams SW film, though if they do a sequel to Solo I really want Powell back. I'd rather SW not fall into the Marvel trap of "new composer, new themes for all the characters!"

One of my favorite little cameos is the Rebel fanfare here:
 
 
from 1:49-2:11

Okay, so anyone who's listened to the soundtrack will know I'm talking about "Reminiscence Therapy."
 
Starts with a Death Star motif, goes into a bit from "Imperial Cruiser Pursuit," then "Attacking a Star Destroyer," then later has "Tie Fighter Attack (Here They Come)," various bits of "The Asteroid Field," some of which he does some cool variations on, and that stuff that sounds like "The Battle of Crait," which admittedly is also in the title suite Williams composed.
 
I will say, on first impression of the soundtrack, Powell's best use of an existing theme is the main title when Solo sees the Falcon for the first time ("L3 & Millennium Falcon"), and in general I appreciate his use and interpretations of that theme and the Rebel fanfare, which is what I was hoping for from him in that regard (and little or no Force theme).
 
I really like Han's theme, and am still trying to get into the other stuff, but I like it too, and melodically find it fits very well into the existing Star Wars soundscape. 

Nope! Just wasted 2+ hours of my day looking. The worst part was I went to stores where it *said* it was in stock but there weren’t any there.

Try Barnes & Noble? I just ordered an in-store pick-up at a local one. Should (fingers crossed) get a text in an hour or few saying it's ready for me.

The obvious Asteroid Field melody is used briefly during, yes, a bit with asteroids, but other parts of the cue are used too (as well as maybe “Attacking a Star Destroyer” if I remember correctly?). It’s all during one big action set piece sequence which make me think there was some temp music editing involved.
 
Interested what other people heard and if this stuff is on the OST.

So there's a "Han" theme, a "Chewbacca" theme, and a "Han and Chewbacca" theme?

John Williams not only composed the new Han theme, but wrote a whole concert arrangement of it titled "The Adventures of Han" THAT HE CONDUCTED!  It is track#1 of the OST album
 
 
He will likely conduct this in concerts, then.

If one wants to still think of it personally as Luke's theme, cool. But it hasn't been that way in the movies for quite a while now and never will be ever again. So probably better to understand and accept that when listening to new stuff.

The theme is just very light. Especially when it comes to TLJ, which is mostly a fairly heavy and dramatic film, the more epic Force theme is simply a bit more fitting most of the time. When it comes to the light, breezy, fun moments, the Rebel fanfare just seems to be the more versatile or easier to quote option in the middle of the action. Otherwise Luke's theme and the Rebel fanfare are essentially interchangeable at this point.
 
 
 
I'd argue that its association with Luke more explains its frequency in the OT, rather than its infrequency elsewhere. A lot of its usage in the OT was just mundane things like Luke walking around and stuff. You're not going to quote Luke's theme (even if it is a generic heroes theme) when Rey is just standing around, you're going to quote Rey's theme.

If one wants to still think of it personally as Luke's theme, cool. But it hasn't been that way in the movies for quite a while now and never will be ever again. So probably better to understand and accept that when listening to new stuff.

If I had to score both a Spielberg film and a superhero movie within the same time span, I'd probably care quite a bit more about the Spielberg project.

Reminds me a lot of this piece from ROTS:
 
 

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