bored

Wow, thanks everyone!  Obviously, the most important question to address is how I got those italics. Simple! https://lingojam.com/FacebookFonts 

As for the timeframe: I have over a year to hand in the finished manuscript, but my goal is to have it completed well before that. It's a big book, and publishing is a very slow process. But everything so far is proceeding as I have forseen...
 
It's not a guide to the scores really, but something more holistic, with each chapter looking at cues from all three trilogies from some angle: musical referentiality, thematic transformation, concert arrangements, and so on. There will be a ton of music examples (all my own annotated transcriptions as usu.), hopefully presented in an accessible way that draws in people who can't read sheet music. I know notation and music-theory jargon can be intimidating, and I'm hyper-aware of the potential gatekeeping effect it could on an already niche readership. But at the same time, I think we can all agree this music warrants deep and serious analysis! It's a balancing act for sure... 
 
Alas, I don't have special access to recordings, and can't speak to official expanded album releases, as amazing as they would be! 
 
Incidentally: I don't see it trumpeted nearly enough on these boards but Chloé Huvet came out with a book on SW music (mainly the OT and PT) a couple years ago that is absolutely brilliant and similarly synthetic in approach. The book is in French, which limits the audience, but it's worth getting your hands on if only for the fantastic music examples and charts.  The amount of insight in her prose is incredible too, and it's been a major source of inspriation to me. 

Had to chip in. Might be too late, but I really want to support this. Hopefully it gets more eyes on it soon, because this is truly amazing work. Young deserves to be known as one of the greats.

Had to chip in. Might be too late, but I really want to support this. Hopefully it gets more eyes on it soon, because this is truly amazing work. Young deserves to be known as one of the greats.

@bored Wow! So happy you went and made this alternate version of my alternate version, haha. Never did I think people would take this project and run with it. I’m glad we’ve both got our interpretations out there! I like the way you handled the transitions in this one. 

I want it to go to some third-tier RCP composer and their own bench of additionals so I have zero reason to think or care about Jurassic Park 7.

Yeah! Since it has your themes contained in them, I was just going to post them here since I don't want people on YouTube to think I made them myself.

It just makes me appreciate how beautiful the film is shot with the contrast of the glow of the elves, the greys of the dwarves, and the darkness of the men, eventually leading to the orange fires of Mount Doom. Whereas that intro is very repetitive visually. 

Your impressions were WRAWNG!!
 

 
Too much reverb and bass drone undertones to be carefree

Y'all trippin.
A melancholic pall is cast on practically the entire score right from Legend Has It.....

The second movie had the same problem for me. I couldn't hear a damn bit of the score in the movie itself at least half the time. The third one at least has a few more moments where there's not too much going on sound-wise so the music can shine more. 
 
 
Definitely, but there's plenty of gems in the first one as well! Absolutely a lot of hectic, bombastic/relentless action, but plenty of lovely quieter moments as well, such as "Romantic Flight", "Forbidden Friendship", "This is Berk's" intro, "Where's Hiccup?", "Coming Back Around", and "The Vikings Have Their Tea". Not to mention the sheer thematic depth even in the first film. 

Fantastic stuff... ROTS is definitely my most-wanted prequel expansion. It deserves the Matessino treatment!
 
That alternate Battle of the Heroes opening being recorded was a great discovery last year. Who knows what else was recorded we don't know about!

I definitely hold Williams’ scores in higher regard, but I also play individual cues from HTTYD more often than anything from Star Wars.

One of the main reasons why I love John Powell’s work is because his music has the same raw energy that the music of Williams and Goldsmith has. His melodies are great, but the sheer force he utilizes the orchestra with, that blows the world’s head off, is what truly captivates me. It’s this kind of music that makes me fall in love with film music and symphonic music in general over and over again.

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

The part across all 3 scores that always made me anticipate greatness is the openings, and This Is Berk set the standard, but I love how all 3 movies start slightly differently, with #2 starting more dramatic, leading into a reminder suite that is Dragon Racing. Then Busy Berk is one of my favourite openings ever with that build-up at 4:03 going into the full orchestral Berk theme in a 'one last time' sort of way - the detail in the brass and woodwinds as the Berk theme starts - that's a composer having fun.
 
#2 takes an honourable second place due to the extensive Alpha and Valka theme usage, but the mature sound of #3, and the fact that he's using all his themes together - with the long-lined and choral statements of the new themes. That and The Hidden World is so unusual that it caused someone who isn't into soundtracks to comment that it was a beautiful piece in the car just after it came out.
 
My main issue is I have to be careful not to overlisten. I got a bit saturated with Romance In The Clouds on the OST (even had the main buildup as my ringtone for a bit) so I still have to step back a bit sometimes and pay more attention to some of the less prominent tracks now and again.

HTTYD 3 is mine. The choral writing, and overall more symphonic style really makes it feel like a fully matured series through the score alone. 

You can really hear his technique in action in his music of layering 4 piano tracks that act as the different parts of the orchestra. The scores are just so layered and have incredible attention to detail.

I'd say each score has their "hits".
 
1.
This Is Berk
Forbidden Friendship
See You Tomorrow
Test Drive
Romantic Flight
Where's Hiccup
Coming Back Around
 
2.
Dragon Racing
Flying With Mother
Battle Of The Bewliderbeasts
Hiccup Confronts Drago
Stoick's Ship
Toothless Found
Two New Alphas
 
3.
Legend Has It
Exodus!
Third Date
Furies In Love
The Hidden World
Armada Battle
Once There Were Dragons
 
But honestly. What I feel is so cool and strong about these score is that Powell makes sure that something interesting is happening all the time.
Be it big brass statements, sweeping strings, dancing woodwinds, percussion going nuts, choir singing for if their lives depended on it or even the quieter pizzicato or percussion or the solo harp or pianos.
 
I could listen to all 3 scores in a row (OST or deluxe) and not be distracted by anything else. Powell grabs your fullest attention and doesn't let you go until he means to.

I'd give the DE of the second a go before firming your opinion. They may just not be your thing, but the first score is the least refined and balanced of the three, with a lot of action/chaos music. #2 has a lot more variety in its sound.
 
Although I'm on your side with how bombastic his music can be. I struggle to listen to Solo in large quantities - great score but very loud and busy.
 
But to your first point, I echo the 'yes'. Most live action films would dream of scores of this quality and thematic depth - they completely outgrow a kids' animation series. And I've stated before but in my personal view, Powell has a talent with underscore types of cues where they are never boring or static even for dull dialogue scenes; something I think he does better sometimes even than (angry villagers incoming) Williams.

The second movie had the same problem for me. I couldn't hear a damn bit of the score in the movie itself at least half the time. The third one at least has a few more moments where there's not too much going on sound-wise so the music can shine more. 
 
 
Definitely, but there's plenty of gems in the first one as well! Absolutely a lot of hectic, bombastic/relentless action, but plenty of lovely quieter moments as well, such as "Romantic Flight", "Forbidden Friendship", "This is Berk's" intro, "Where's Hiccup?", "Coming Back Around", and "The Vikings Have Their Tea". Not to mention the sheer thematic depth even in the first film.