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At the very start here: Thoughts? This recording doesn't sound like any of the previous scores and I doubt a morning talk show would just use some random concert performance of Main Title, considering Disney are their parent company (and they got the exclusive first clip from the film). It also sounds different to the version of Main Title they were using for interviews on TLJ (which sounded more like the TFA recording to my ears).

Post any you find here! This includes tweets from people who went to the premiere last night, etc.

So if my calculations are correct and the TROS OST drops on the NZ Apple Music store at 10pm AEST, that leaves us less than a hour to poll the room on the final ever questions for a brand new John Williams Star Wars score. So here goes! Quick and easy, no spoilers, just OST-related questions because (miraculously) we're still none the wiser on the contents of the OST. I've avoided questions relating to track titles because I believe these have leaked (but the chronology is unknown). Please DO NOT POST TRACK TITLES in this thread. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER SOUNDTRACKCountdown

That's about 6 hours, 20 minutes from now. If I'm not around when the stream starts, someone reply with the link/embed and report on what music you hear!

The FYC album in the form of publically available MP3 files has been discovered less than an hour ago by our board, so at the time of me wrapping a write-up on this, this might well be the first dedicated review published on the subject matter. Since this is only a limited presentation - about a third or maybe even quarter of the entire score, it is hard to judge the score in it's entirety. I will be keeping to the album itself for the most part, and not speculating about music outside of it. My experience was influenced by a deep knowledge of the film's leaked plot, so I knew what a large part of the music, especially earlier on, was about. I won't be spoiling ANYTHING in this review, however, since I am not going to say a word about the film or story---only about music. So, let's get to it! The tracks are short like in a videogame score, which hurts the listening coherence a bit, but I bet that it's only a first listen impression. The palette is serious and mature, synretic to all previous Star Wars scores. In the overall colour palette: 1. it oftentimes sounds like the film music of William Walton, Ralph Vaughan Williams and other primarily classical composers, whenever they were asked to write for cinema. And also Richard Strauss, the way Williams referenced him back in The Empire Strikes Back. There is a requiemish, pastoral vibe to it at times. 2. It also sounds a bit like Michael Giacchino's Medal of Honor war game scores, which were of course influenced both by the aforementioned film scores, and by Williams [for example Black Sunday]. From the rhytms and tension writing to tiny choral moments... It does make me wonder about the thought processes and discussions of Williams and J.J. Abrams. 3. Return to Stravinsky [Track 16] and other general musical call-backs to the first, 1977 score were also an interesting choice. 4. There are also some clear Herrmannesque moments [Track 20] There are plenty of unique, new, immediately likeable "Star Wars Score" moments. Some aleatoric moments, for example in [Track 17] are bound to feed the interest of those interested in the technical side of music. The melodic nature is clearly an effort on Williams' part. I have to admit that my joining of the serious music fandom relatively late makes me unable to compare it to first listens of other scores, but it resembles the overall catchiness of the underscore of The Phantom Menace, for example. The themes are used in new ways, very well and emotionally, and there doesn't seem to be any overwhelming or overuse. It's an impeccable use of themes, in fact---although I do suspect that the FYC serves to underline the new material, and try not to disqualify it on the basis of relying too much on music from the previous films, so my assessment needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Many times the themes are used in quite a confident, slower, relaxed way---which is quite refreshing. Curiously, there is a noticeable lot of good use of the harp. Partly possibly because it has been mixed in quite loud, but the variety of (especially loud) techniques makes it clear that it was a definite choice on Williams' part. There is a lot of focus on the strings in the score, which---as far as Star Wars is concerned, has long been my dream, which I must have expressed in every possible way over the years. The choral elements in the later part of the score are beautiful. The ending of the album is a bit more quiet and emotional, and much more varied than the giant boom fest of telling themes I expected it to be. Since the leaks did not cover this part, and I've only seen a "the cast retells with emotions their reactions to the ending" I am very intrigued as to what it all is about. The ending is so beautiful and apotheosis-like, that I nearly shed a tear on the first listen. I am very pleased that my predictions of Williams taking the assignment with a personal, invested approach, although it is much different and way beyond what I expected, were proven correct. The score surprised me in many ways. I love what we have gotten, and can't wait until we get even more. Time will tell more about this score, but my gut feeling is that we have a classic here. A very classical classic, in fact. P.S. TROS march from the Anthony Daniel videos, as far as I can tell, is not there, which makes my user name very ironic. Oh, well! It's been fun to speculate anyway. I will be updating this review after consecutive listens. Originally posted: 10.12.2019, 22:40 of central European time

Extended ending:

I most enjoy what JW did to The Emperor's Theme and The Imperial March on the TROS FYC. I am hopefully he found a spot to put in a reference to Duel of the Fates somewhere, but I'm less hopeful now than I was before the FYC for some reason. I think it's pretty likely he'll bring back Rose's Theme for some scene with her, but I'm not entirely sure about that either. If he hadn't turned it into half a concert arrangement, I'd think it's less likely. I have no idea if he'll use Cloud City stuff for Lando or not.

If The Complete Star Wars Prequels Boxset (done by MM, of course) was released at the end of this year, and you're allowed to get either this or the OST album of The Rise of Skywalker, which would you get? Over seven hours of well-known music in pristine condition on official releases, or just slightly over 70 minutes of brand-new, never-before-heard music. Easy enough question. But dear God, I couldn't decide for the life of me. 😂

So I just stumbled upon this, which appears to be the first musician involved in the TROS score to add the film to their credits: https://lamasterchorale.org/singers-jim-raycroft As you may know, the LA Master Chorale provided the vocals for The Last Jedi. Jim is a 35 year member of that chorus. Not direct confirmation of this group's involvement in the score but it does confirm the presence of choir. So there!

https://youtu.be/9E4yxmserwg This feels totally different to the stock before, sounds like we have a look at an action cue? Could be wrong!

With less than 40 days until the unveiling of John's final ever Star Wars score, and with all trailers for the film now released, this is now our final chance to predict the contents of a brand new John Williams Star Wars score, period. I'll avoid questions already discussed in previous polls and instead focus on some oddly specific topics based on the footage released, Don Williams' interview, and anything else we officially know about the plot (so no references to leaked spoilers because I have avoided them; please be mindful of not posting spoilers if you have read them).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAaRwkNgk8 I literally just woke up, so if this is from one of the other films, blame my tiredness for not recognizing it. That said - thoughts?

Saw this posted on the Jedi Council Boards https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/times2/john-williams-the-best-film-composer-in-the-galaxy-l7jx0f8gq (the article is behind a paywall apparently)

Well it sounded like all trailer company work to me, pretty bad

Anyone want to weigh in on this "leak" from the ST to Rise of Skywalker? I can't hear the Rey theme as claimed, but kinda hear Kylo's theme (sorta)... and it does sound like it is about to go into the force theme at the abrupt ending.... https://www.reddit.com/user/some_famous_director/comments/czm4m0/tros_the_prodigal_son/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app More opinions on the validity here... https://www.reddit.com/r/starwarsspeculation/comments/czm5um/the_rise_of_skywalker_the_prodigal_son_way_better/

Discuss the MUSIC ONLY here in this thread; Discuss the trailer itself over here please!

Did Williams write the music for this Funko pops commercial? https://v.redd.it/4p54lvg1ubp31

I think we can now safely assume that the TROS recording sessions have started - because that is very clearly the March of the Resistance theme! 😁 I’m so happy that this is really happening, 9 John Williams Star Wars scores.

Another update, not sure on the source...

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sandy-decrescents-impact-motion-pictures-industry-paksy-plackis-cheng

This interview with TROS' editor probably explains how Williams was able to start writing so soon after production ended, in contrast with the post-production timeline for TFA. https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1136655/Star-Wars-9-Rise-of-Skywalker-editing-post-production-editor-filming-on-set-tight-schedule She goes on to discuss the benefits of this approach, including getting pickup shots and inserts while the main production was still underway (this was done much later in post-production for TFA with reshoots -- a contributing factor to Williams constantly rewriting TFA as the edit kept changing).

There's a picture of Williams recording in the new Vanity Fair cover story on The Rise of Skywalker. I just want to confirm, is this from Force Awakens???? It can't be new, right? The caption under the picture just says: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/05/star-wars-cover-story