Oswin Pond

Except objectivity doesn't apply to art, and if it did the prequels would be objectively good. They're masterpieces.
 
It's all a matter of opinions in the end. But I find it funny that so many people are hell bent in taking down those movies and Lucas to the point it became an obsession but the dude is just an independent artist making movies he enjoys. I feel like even if people despise the art, they should encourage those types of projects instead of big corpos movies.
 
Yet some people swallow Disney's products (not just Star Wars), a company that treats its people like objects and is doing harm to the industry and the world. 

It's the other way around; Daemon in the most recent episode is fairly close to Matt Smith's real life age; it's the early episodes in which they didn't do any young makeup or digital de-aging. 
 
Viserys, Daemon, and Rhaenys were all in their 20s in that opening Great Council prologue scene of episode 1!
 
Viserys didn't die of old age, his disease ravaged him. 

He made the time jumps in the TARDIS

...is it just me or is the "Main theme" of Rogue One not the main theme at all?

No you are correct. They took the track called "Rogue One" instead. Given the name they must have thought it was the main theme, but it isn't.
 
Seems like a weird mistake to make, don't they study the scores they're adapting?

No you are correct. They took the track called "Rogue One" instead. Given the name they must have thought it was the main theme, but it isn't.
 
Seems like a weird mistake to make, don't they study the scores they're adapting?

No you are correct. They took the track called "Rogue One" instead. Given the name they must have thought it was the main theme, but it isn't.
 
Seems like a weird mistake to make, don't they study the scores they're adapting?

So Disney is paying you, you admit it!

I feel like this and Mandolorian are good examples of when to deviate from the established sound.  The problem is, all the other D+ shows are doing it too.
 
Had they gone the full traditional route for Obi Wan (in a perfect world where it wasn't a low budget sci fi channel original) I don't think anyone would have cared that Andor doesn't sound like SW.  
As is, it's just another step into the generic modernizing of SW music

I can agree with that (and I say this as someone who used to enjoy the MCU)

I don’t like any of those three movies, but that’s some horseshit!  There is zero objectivity when it comes to the quality of art, and I know plenty of people for whom those movies are very meaningful.  They’re certainly not tricked!

Or you know, everyone has different opinions and some people genuinely love them ? I was raised with the original trilogy but I knew after watching Sith that it was the best Star Wars movie. And it still is!

I've been wanting to write more regularly and more seriously about music, films and series for a while now outside of posting in the threads. I've done this particular review/breakdown around march and thought about posting it finally. I've written the same sort of piece for seasons 2, 3 & 4 and want to finish the other seasons before started other stuff. I wrote about the music of Game Of Thrones because I wanted to start with something I knew really well.
Mind you, I don't have a degree in music or know a lot about orchestration. I know every instruments in a symphony orchestra and most of the time can pick out which one is playing. I can read notes and play a little piano myself. Other than that not musically literate. So some things might not be completely accurate in their discriptions. I'm still learning and would like some feedback about my writing.
Enjoy and season 2 will probably be posted somewhere at the end of the week or next week.
 
 
 
Throughout it’s 8 season run, Game Of Thrones has a lot of praise. Especially towards the writing, directing, movie level production and acting.
For me personally, a big part of why this show is so good has to do with it’s music, composed by German-Iranian composer Ramin Djawadi.
From the first episode to the last, Djawadi has used a specific sound that is immediately recognizable as part of Game Of Thrones. Djawadi chose to focuse on using strings (mostly cello), brass, drums, choir and distinctive solo instruments. Almost of of the music was recorded in Prague and performed by The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and choir.
 
Over the course of 8 seasons Djawadi has composed over 40 themes and motifs. Each theme represents\ing a character, a house, a group or a location. There are a few characters who get their own theme later in the series, next to being accompanied by the theme for their house. For example, characters like Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister.
 
The most famous and publicly recognizable theme from Game Of Thrones is it’s “Main Title”. The main title is used in every episode over the title sequence which shows the map of Westeros. The theme starts with drums and strings playing the underlying rhythm that continues throughout the entire track. The actual melody starts at 0:09 on cello and consists of 9 notes that are repeated multiple times. At  the 1-minute mark a new section is introduced which brings a sense of adventure. Throughout the track the string section grows bigger and bigger until a choir joins and the track finishes softly on dulcimer and kantale.
The melody and underlying rhythm are used multiple times thoughout the season. “Game Of Thrones” is a reprise of the theme used over the end credits in multiple episodes. ‘The Kingsroad’, “Jon’s Honor” and “Finale” use the rhythm to let the audience know that all of these different characters excist in the same world.
I feel Djawadi has created one of the best TV Main Titles. Almost everyone will recognize the theme, even if they haven't watchdc the series. It's incredible.
 
There are 8 other themes introduced in the first season. Starting with the theme for House Stark in “Goodbye Brother”. The melody is performed by a solo cello, which then is joined by the string section. The melody speaks to the love this family has but also to the heartbreak and sorrow it endures during the course of the series. The most heartbreaking performance of the theme comes in “Kill Them All” where Robb & Catelyn mourn Ned’s death.
Other statements of the theme come in a more dark/twisted way in “Winter Is Coming” and in “King In The North”, where it is more heroic.
 
The theme for House Baratheon is first heard in “The King’s Arrival”. It begins again on cello in a sort of dance like rhythm, which at 1:00 changes in a fanfare for drums, strings and horns. This is the only time until the first episode of Season 8 that this version of the theme is heard again.
After this the theme is heard much more downstated and is used more as a theme for The King/Queen and The Iron Throne in the series.
In “You’ll Be Queen One Day” it acts as a sort of love theme for Joffrey & Sansa. While in both “Black Of Hair” and “You Win Or You Die” there are small hints to the theme, playing second fiddle to the theme for Joffrey Baratheon. A set of dark bass notes repeated a couple of times.
 
The music focusing on Jon Snow’s storyline at The Wall contains a theme for The Night’s Watch. It is heard in full in “The Wall”. A dark and brooding theme, there aren't any big melodies, it’s more texture based. Therefor it’s not very pleasant to listen to, but it does fit well with the location.
It features prominently in “Nort Of The Wall”, the first scene of the series. In it’s second half the cue transitions is some quite abstract thriller/action music.
Further statements of the theme appear in “Jon’s Honor” and “The Night’s Watch”, where in both cues it is combined with the main theme.
 
Then there is the music focusing on Daenerys Targaryen, her brother Viserys and the Dothraki in the east. This music has it’s roots a bit more in world music. There is less orchesta and more specialty solo instruments like Taiko drums, the Duduk and choir.
 
“Love Is In The Eyes” presents the theme for Daenerys herself. In this cue it is still quite small and doesn’t have much power. When later in the season and the series she becomes more powerful her theme gets bigger. It is than mostly used together with the theme for the Dragons, which appears for the first time in “Finale”. This underscores the moment Daenerys rises out of the ashes of a fire with three newborn dragons beside her. The Dragons theme is anchored by a choir, grand, majestic and powerful.
Viserys gets his own theme in “A Golden Crown”. It’s a sort of snake like theme played on harp and string, which fits the character well.
The Dothraki music is more tribal. In “To Vaes Dothrak” their theme is heard on the Armenian Duduk. Although it’s heard multiple times in the season, it only appears once on the album. This theme also doesn’t appear again until the end of season 5 and on the album of season 7.
 
Lastly, there a few other tracks worth mentioning. “A Raven From Kingslanding”, “A Bird Without Feathers” and “Await The King’s Justice” have hints of a theme which will reveal itself fully in Season 3.
“The Pointy End” underscores the scene where Arya first learns swordfighting and which will expand in a theme for her in later seasons.
“Small Pack Of Wolves” is the only other action cue on the album. It’s full of aggresive drums and cello for the street fight between Ned & Jaime. Action music in not really where the first season is about. This is something that will change exponentially in the coming seasons. Especially season 6, 7 & 8 have a lot of action music.
 
 
This first season album showcases the thought Djawadi has put into creating the music for Game Of Thrones. There are 9 themes introduced in this first season, some of which will return quite a lot in the seasons to come, while others we won’t ever hear again. The whole score is quite downstated and light on action, which might throw some people off. I for one think it’s a wonderful start to a score that will grow, both in themes and in scope, in the coming seasons.

Or you know, everyone has different opinions and some people genuinely love them ? I was raised with the original trilogy but I knew after watching Sith that it was the best Star Wars movie. And it still is!

The beginning of the movie is kind of fun yeah (although miles from anything in 1 4 and 6) but then it gets so serious and that's the best part. 
 
I find 3 to be the best Star Wars, and yet it's really not fun, more tragic. The point is that some Star Wars movies are less fun than others, some games too. KOTOR is very very serious yet it's vastly regarded as the best Star Wars game. That's okay to have a balance instead of everything being the same.

Significantly so. It's pretty much the exact opposite of the way everything was approached in that show

That latest episode of Andor was absolutely incredible, between House of The Dragon and this, blockbuster television is soaring right now (we don't talk about Rings of Power)

Just...wow. The detail in everything again, the character conflicts, the tension, the visuals, the pay-offs. Episode 6 really feels like it has elevated the show as a whole and I love that we immediately feel the effects of the Rebel attack because it would be that significant, even down to the layperson noticing it on the news. I loved it.

Well, that's curious. Because you very confidently said that the EU was no different yet you seem to not have actually had much experience with it or what it is that people appreciate about it. The examples I brought up (and these are probably the most popular EU works next to the Thrawn Trilogy) do what Andor does, take a much more realistic look at the universe and explore areas that were barely even grazed in the movies with great detail and a 'no holds barred' approach. You could argue they're more science fiction than science fantasy, especially KOTOR 2. KOTOR 2 being particularly notable because it actively tries to deconstruct Lucas' Star Wars much like TLJ tried and failed at

However, they fit quite seamlessly in the universe because of the attention to the world they exist in, they augment rather than replace and tell self-contained stories whilst also giving some context to the stories we're familiar with, overall enriching the universe

How do you explain KOTOR 2, The Bane Trilogy, and Plagueis then?

You're absolutely right. And I think Gold agrees with you since he has kept using this theme for other Doctors. You hear it several times associated with 12 and also with John Hurt, although in the case of John Hurt it's just a re-used music, unlike 12 that has 3 new variations of Mad Man.

I'm a bit late to the party, but I finally managed to watch episode 6, just in time for the premiere of episode 7. I'm not entirely sold on the new cast just yet, mainly because I enjoyed their performances so much, but the older cast has already managed to impress me, especially Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy. The episode was a bit more laid back, being more of a transitional episode, allowing us to now the whereabout of all the main characters, before we can start dwelling into the more important stuff in upcoming episodes.
 
Djawadi's music is mostly subdued, but he is allowed to shine in a couple of moments, with the development of a couple of themes associated with Rhaenyra, new variations on Daemon's theme, and an emotional piece for Laena's death, plus some unnerving ideas for Larys Strong's twisted plans
 
I have done a more in-depth analysis of the soundtrack for the episode in my blog, so definitely feel free to check it out and share your thoughts on it. I hope you enjoy it!
 
Analysis of the House of the Dragon Soundtrack - 1x06

I always got the impression that both were fairly hands off with the musical direction and allowed Gold autonomy, aside from Moffat's frequent meddling through endless tracking of Eleven's "I Am the Doctor" theme. The change in direction for Twelve feels like a musician's move rather than something directed by an exec; Gold really read the room in terms of the film scoring landscape in the mid 2010's (as well as Who's musical legacy) and made a big swing back to classic synthesiser sounds to tremendous effect. I read that Moffat had to be convinced by Gold to let him use a new theme for Twelve because he was so obsessed with Eleven's; I'm glad it happened because while you can hear the DNA of Eleven in "A Good Man" it feels much more in line with Capaldi's gruff portrayal. The whimsy of Smith doesn't really translate to early Capaldi.
 
I do wonder if Gold was explicitly told to make Series 5 lean heavily into the fairytale aesthetic or if he was just responding to the storytelling. Either way for me that season just edges out Series 4 as his best work. The action music is absolutely rollicking ("The Vampires of Venice" and "Battle in the Sky" are great fun), and the music for the two-part finale is nothing short of breathtaking. On top of all that it introduced the greatest theme Gold ever wrote for Who: "The Mad Man With a Box". It's a theme that could accompany any and every single incarnation of the Doctor, much like the Doctor's theme introduced in Series 1. But instead of the alien and mysterious aspects of that theme it suggests the kindness and wisdom of the Doctor, simultaneously whimsical and mournful. "Big and little at the same time, brand new and ancient, and the bluest blue ever."

And it has whiskey!

The second Smith > Capaldi control room is a thing a beauty.