Tydirium

Lol, it's funny how Disney & co. had no interest in George's ideas for the sequels, but now he gets cited (more like blamed) for stuff like this. Does anyone really believe that GL would have been against the Force theme being used for that big moment at the end of the second episode? Or against Leia's theme being used? I'd also love to hear her reason for not using the Imperial March or some other recognizable theme, to score the Vader reveal. Heck, even just reprising the last few bars of "Anakin's Dark Deeds" (the ostinato) would have been extremely effective... I haven't heard about any involvement from George Lucas on this particular show, until Holt's comment. And again, it's entirely possible that (1) she made it up, or (2) she's referencing some generic comment made by him in the past, to someone else/regarding a different show.

But if Holt didn't do it, you still wouldn't be getting nothing... You would potentially be getting someone better. I don't understand your point. The Kenobi show was still going to be made (and thus need a composer), regardless of whether or not it was Holt who scored it... There is no possible circumstance in which you would have gotten "nothing." Holt didn't even collaborate with John Williams, but we're supposed to believe she worked with George Lucas? How much you wanna bet she just saw/heard some old quote of George talking about the Force theme regarding a completely different project (if even that)?

Because Anakin is very different from Vader? To the point that in the OT, Obi-Wan even acts like they are two separate characters...

Why should she have a different theme as a kid...?

More like we're angered (not really surprised) that music not by John Williams is not as good as music by William Ross. We weren't looking for John Williams here, but there are other people out there who can do a much better job than what we're getting from Holt. Like William Ross, in this very show. Not sure what is so difficult to understand about that.

You do realize that the normies are always getting excited over hearing tunes like Duel of the Fates and Battle of the Heroes in the trailers, right?

There are 44 tracks in that soundtrack alone, not to mention Haab's other SW soundtracks; sorry, but I find it a bit hard to believe that @DarthDementous just happened to pick your single favorite one, out of all that he's written...

Not only that, but I just realized: this isn't just some random action scene. This is Order 66, a major event that we've already seen on-screen multiple times (ROTS, Fallen Order, The Clone Wars, Bad Batch), and it's worth noting that every previous depiction of it has been scored with JW's music/themes. And not only that, but every previous depiction has expressed the extreme importance and tragedy of what's happening: this is the fall of the Jedi Order that has been around for thousands of years! Yet Holt treats it as though it is just some random clone trooper attack! It's totally possible to convey a sense of urgency in music, while still expressing tragedy and loss at the same time, but that's not what we got. Compare this Order 66 scene to any of the others, and it almost seems like a joke. It comes across that Holt has no clue about the importance of the event she scored here. Not a good way to start the show...

2 episodes in a 6-episode show (and it's a limited series, meaning there are no more seasons planned) is a third of the show. I don't see why we shouldn't judge what we've heard, because even if there end up being some decent moments in the course of the next four episodes, that still doesn't excuse what we got in these first two: The show opens with a lengthy recap of the prequel films, and yet the music that accompanies those classic scenes sounds nothing like JW's Star Wars. Then (if I recall correctly), the very first actual scene of the show is an Order 66 action scene in the Jedi Temple (therefore, it is set during ROTS)... and yet the music sounds like typical modern action scoring, with cheesy rhythmic percussion and electronic elements—nothing like JW's Star Wars. There's really just no excuse for it. This isn't just some other show like Mando or Boba Fett; this is basically Episode 3.5. If any show should sound as close to the traditional JW sound as possible, it's this one. It's pretty depressing to think that Gordy Haab's upcoming Fallen Order 2 video game score is going to sound closer to John Williams' Star Wars (both in its composition, and the fact that it's with the London musicians just like the PT and OT), than the show that features the return of Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Smitts, etc.

This makes my blood boil. To be fair, Batu Sener and co. got to work with JW's Solo theme for that film. ...But the difference of course in that case was that Powell actually personally worked with Williams for that film; they met up to bounce ideas around and play their music for one another, I'm pretty sure they watched the movie together with Ron Howard, etc. In this case, we have a composer who JW never really even met until the premiere the other day, and by her own admission, they didn't actually collaborate together (though for a while, the media sure seemed to try and make it seem like this was just another Solo situation). If you think about it, the mere fact of William Ross' involvement could almost be seen as a sign that JW didn't entirely trust Holt alone to handle his new theme. I wonder how exactly Ross' hiring came about, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was part of the deal in order for Williams to agree to come back and write a new theme. If JW evidently wasn't even totally comfortable with his new theme being handled by the main credited composer for the score, then I think it's safe to say that he also wouldn't be comfortable with these other people.

Yep, and it's one of my favorite things ever. Didn't realize until just the other day that Qui-Gon's theme from TPM is another example of it: 5-1-3-2-5.

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much. I mean, the fact that she didn't even use Leia's theme once, the fact that she didn't use the Force theme at that big moment towards the end of the second episode... There were slam-dunk moments that could have been perfect. Keep in mind that this show is only 6 episodes; we're already a third of the way done with it.

It just sounds like typical modern action scoring... It could literally fit in just about any other modern show; nothing about it screams "Star Wars" to my ears. That opening recap of the prequels is one of the worst parts of the show thus far. At first, the fan in me was excited to see all those clips again, but the score completely ruined it. It felt wrong (and cringey) seeing all those scenes that were originally scored with JW's music, now scored with this dime-a-dozen modern sound. I can't help but wonder, why couldn't they have given that bit to William Ross? He could have easily come up with something much better, maybe even sensibly weaving in themes from the films.

Is nobody going to mention the obvious fact that the ending of this is completely different from the ending of the live performance yesterday? I'm a bit let-down; imo, the live version's ending is better, with the recap of the ostinato figure from the middle... Overall I love the theme, though. Yep, noticed that too.

Lol, you took the words right out of my mouth. That's exactly what's going on here, and I expected it, but not this soon. The Kenobi soundtrack better at least get released for purchase...

But I don't understand why this show in particular needs to have a different style. This isn't like the other shows they're pumping out; look at the massive number of returning cast members, the explicit use of Battle of the Heroes in the teaser, the importance of the story (Obi-Wan and Vader), its place in the timeline (set squarely between Episode III and Episode IV, with about 10 years on either side of it), and the fact that it was originally meant to be a film (and even now, it is still going to be a limited miniseries with no future seasons). This is basically the closest thing we're ever going to get to another mainline Star Wars saga film that is set within Episodes I-VI. This could end up being essential viewing, as far as chronological live-action goes. Thus, wouldn't it make the most sense to get a guy like William Ross or Gordy Haab in there for this particular show, to make sure the score sounds just like JW's style? Or heck, even some of the Japanese guys that scored Star Wars: Visions. Why are they instead going out on a limb with Holt? And also, why are they recording in LA? Gordy Haab just last month (I believe) completed recording Fallen Order 2 in London (which means it'll automatically sound more like the SW PT/OT than this will); assuming the game comes out later this year, won't it be kind of pathetic if the most "Star Wars-sounding" SW soundtrack we get this year is for a video game, and not for this massively important show with all these cast/characters from the movies that fans have been wanting to see again onscreen for years? I just don't get it. There are people out there who can make a decent-enough approximation of JW's Star Wars sound, to the point that your average viewer might even make it to the credits and be surprised to discover that Williams only did the main theme, and not the entire score. Even if it "works just fine" for that show, why should such an approach work fine for this one? This one was originally supposed to be a film, it's vitally important to the overall saga, it features multiple returning cast/characters that fans have been begging to see again, and it fits neatly between Episodes III and IV. Why shouldn't this one sound virtually indistinguishable from Williams' SW style? This show is Episode 3.5.

Man, the show looks great, but that Grand Inquisitor looks like garbage compared to his Rebels version and especially the Pau'ans in ROTS.

I hope you're right. Of course I would welcome any new JW recording; heck, even if he literally repeated the entire exact program from Berlin, with Vienna, I'd buy it. As it is, I'm curious to hear Vienna's take on pieces like Harry's Wondrous World.

Fair point.

Ugh... I wish this program had a bit more variety; I feel like the chances of a release by DG are less likely given the duplication of so much repertoire.

He looks great!

So did he misspell it in the score? Or is it possibly a different drum?

In some ways I don't understand that. Why wouldn't they? It's rumored to be the same suit as was used in Rogue One, and even if not, there's only so much variation you can get in a life-action Darth Vader suit. Remember, he was even shown in Rogue One promos, and that was his first live-action appearance in over a decade. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't show Hayden's face at all in promo material, but Vader? Idk. My dream scenario is a Clone Wars flashback with Hayden, Ewan, Temuera Morrison as Captain Rex/Commander Cody, and a de-aged Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka). Not sure how likely that is, but one can dream. I used to think that, but the line is actually "When I left you, I was but the learner." People (myself included) have apparently been misremembering that line for decades. The actual line doesn't necessarily imply that they never met again in the time since ROTS; "left" obviously refers to when he stopped being Obi-Wan's apprentice and joined the dark side. So the line is referring to the time during ROTS, and there's nothing that says they can't meet after.

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Just saw about this! Cool!