Star Wars Prequel Music Resource (part 2)

[Jilal 569]

I think this means complete scores ARE being released next month.

[Faleel 5,355]

Lets not say things like that or we are going to be dissapointed...

[Giftheck 916]

Considering that no official announcement has been made, I'll remain sceptical of rumours.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Lets not say things like that or we are going to be dissapointed...

+1

PD: i would like to eat those words raw, i tell you...

[Jilal 569]

Here's an interesting article. I don't know anymore which website i took it from:

(...) Having said this, Burtt does note that much of the Zam speeders, in the reel 1 chase in nighttime Coruscant, were made from musical instruments, including electric guitars, cellos and violas. The infamous electric razor was also brought into play to vibrate viola, harp and bass strings. "I was thinking that it was traveling magnetically, it was being pulled along the streets with changing magnetic fields rather than by self-propulsion."

Because Burtt was in the "danger zone" of making tonal sound effects for the speeders, he had to be careful of the interplay with John Williams’ music. "I originally did a temp version of that mix, using nothing but musical sounds for the speeders. My thought was that the music score would be percussion-based, along with tones for the ships. I temped it that way, but John Williams didn’t quite do that, and his heavy orchestral piece necessitated rethinking the tonal aspects of the vehicles. In some cases, the musical tones that I made conflicted with the orchestra. Which was a disappointment for me, because I wasn’t able to push it into a new area. My reasoning was that we’ve done an awful lot of high-energy chase scenes, and I wanted this to be offbeat and strange. But it didn’t really happen."

The final mix of Episode II started on March 4, at which point Rydstrom and Semanick were joined at the Neve DFC by veteran L.A.-based re-recording mixer Rick Kline, who would be handling the music. This schedule was in contrast to so many movies these days, where final mixing and premixing overlap, and multiple stages are working simultaneously at the last minute. "They schedule enough time so we don’t have to do that," says Semanick. "George locked the picture early enough so that we’re not beating our heads against the wall trying to finish it up at the last second, which I think is pretty smart if you can plan it."

(...)

Lucas would then have Kline solo the music and would pick through it, commenting on transitions and places to drop or change cues. Effects did not, as a rule, undergo this "solo microscope," presumably because Lucas had heard effects throughout the picture editorial and temp dub process.

Excepting one playback of the first four reels, the first screening that Lucas and the crew had of the whole movie was only days before the end of the final mix on Saturday, April 13. This and another screening that week for friends produced 12 pages of notes from Lucas that were addressed over the last days of the mix.

Many of these notes revolved around dialog intelligibility issues. Lucas had asked those attending the second screening to let him know if any dialog wasn’t clear. Semanick, being the dialog mixer, remembers with glee Lucas’ mantra during the final mix: "Everything is subservient to dialog."

Music was recorded by Shawn Murphy at Abbey Road Studio One in London, the site of the Episode I recordings three years earlier. With 14 sessions from January 18-26, Murphy recorded to two 2-inch Dolby SR-encoded 24-tracks. The mix was done simultaneously to Pro Tools via a 2-inch 16-track, including a 5.1 main orchestra and 3-track (LCR) groups of synth, percussion and choir. Kline says that the music was "wall-to-wall-to-wall," absent for only a few minutes and playing "full tilt" for most of the time.

As to the challenge of weaving all of this music around dialog and effects for 142 minutes, Kline says that his work was made easy not only because of the composing of John Williams, the masterful editing of his longtime associate Ken Wannberg, and the excellent recording by Shawn Murphy, but also because of Rydstrom’s deft handling of sound effects. "Gary is such an incredible mixer. He has a real sense of the music and is very tuned-in. He’s forever creating space to allow textures of the music to come through. It was such a treat to work with his and Michael’s talents. I think it came out to be a very good blend [of dialog, music and sound effects]."

Williams had composed the film to the edit as of last December, and as a result extensive editing was required to conform the tracks for the final mix. The smallest number of fade files in Wannberg’s Pro Tools sessions for a reel was 7,000; most reels had from 12,000 to 14,000. Kline remembers assistant music editor Steve Galloway asking him for some heads-up to reel changes, since sessions sometimes took 20 minutes to open!

Rydstrom says that Episode II was organized so well in post-production that, by the time they got into final mixing in March, most reels were "almost 100 percent complete and never changed." The one exception was reel 6, which was 1,812 feet and 6 frames full of some of the most intense and busy action sequences ever put on the screen. Reel 6 is traditionally the big action reel in the Star Wars series, but Rydstrom says that this one was so big "it was as if you had taken the previous four Star Wars movies and projected them on top of each other. I would be crawling through the film frame-by-frame and asking, ‘Which laser did you mean this one for, Terry, the 15th on the left of this frame?’"

Todd Busch remembers that reel 6 didn’t exist in anything resembling its current form before last July. "The original script was vague about what occurs outside the arena. In May and June [2001], George put the art department to work, and in July the Clone War got fleshed out with animatics."

Although the monster fight in the arena was originally scored, music was dropped at the final, which meant Burtt had to rethink a three-minute sequence because they had premixed it "in context," against the music. "Music had been end-to-end in the reel, but we thought that it wore the audience out too quickly," says Burtt. "So we dropped a couple of cues, which in the end was better dramatically, although I had to come up with a whole different approach to the cutting. Rather than a supporting role, it was the only thing happening. It was quite satisfying because it was a fun challenge to see how quickly I could come up with a couple of new concepts.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

I hate burrt, with a passion.

They guy is so SELFCENTERED.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He's rather brilliant though.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Also is Williams, but he does not talk like that.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Someone's modesty is not proportional to his brilliance.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I'd like to hear Burtt's original concept for the Coruscant chase someday.

It always sounded to me like Burtt and Williams should have been put in a room together and talk that sequence through. Or at the very least Lucas should have been clearer in the direction they were going in there, soundwise. This just comes off as two guys working seperately on the same thing, only to find out in the end their individual results don't go together.

[Jilal 569]

They should have included the 5.1 mix as a download.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

I'd like to hear Burtt's original concept for the Coruscant chase someday.

You know the sound zam's speeder does?

Just think the whole sequence where every whoosh and car engine sounds like a derivation from it (due to the usage of a different intrument).

I rather have my orchestraly heavy williams cue.

And if they dialed out the electric guitars... i'm not sure lucas would have liked burrts ideo too much.

In fact he didnt.

Williams (the supperior intellect and craftmanship - and in general better persona) WON!

[Incanus 5,715]

A regular Battle of the Heroes.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,715]

I would guess that if Burtt hasn't replaced it with the sound of electric razor scraping the bottom of a stainless steel bowl, then yes there is a choir. And hence the word regular.

[Delorean90 42]

I am intrigued by that original idea for the Coruscant chase, but all that talk about the Arena music "wearing out the audience too soon" and that the removal of the music being better dramatically is just bull. The sequence is actually almost boring without the music.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I think the better dramatics refers to the rest of the reel. I can imagine being worn out by the time they're chasing Dooku. Still, I've always felt the Arena sequence lacks a certain oomph, one that is quickly restored when watching the scene with the original score put back in. Perhaps it would have been better to remove some music somewhere else during the film's climax.

Oh well.

[Jilal 569]

Let's see...I think there's material that's completely unavailable in:

* Get 'Em, R2!

* The Elevator Scene

* Grievous Travels to Palpatine

* Goodbye, Old Friend

* Good Guys Arrive

* I Am the Senate

* Palpatine Instructs Anakin

* the entire original version of "Yoda to Exile", though that was ostensibly never recorded

* Revenge of the Sith (DVD Version) - the intro was originally different, but that might not have been recorded, either

Some of these are just so-called microedits, though.

EDIT: Hey, here's some evidence for the untitled cues being tracked. 3M9 lists "JN" as the orchestrator, and the only Williams orchestrator with those initials that I can think of is John Neufeld, who ostensibly did not work on AOTC. But he definitely worked on TPM...

Still no idea who HH is, though.

"Grevious Travels to Palpatine" that's just a pitch shifted excerpt from "The Elevator Scene".

[Jay 37,369]

I'd like to hear Burtt's original concept for the Coruscant chase someday.

It always sounded to me like Burtt and Williams should have been put in a room together and talk that sequence through. Or at the very least Lucas should have been clearer in the direction they were going in there, soundwise. This just comes off as two guys working seperately on the same thing, only to find out in the end their individual results don't go together.

Well said!

[Datameister 2,044]

"Grevious Travels to Palpatine" that's just a pitch shifted excerpt from "The Elevator Scene".

The material heard in the film is, yes, but I was referring to a short passage that was actually written for the cue. It was microedited out of the OST, and I don't think it's heard in the film, either. It's right around that same moment...it's more quiet stuff with the harp and strings. Nothing really new. In fact, it can be quite convincingly reconstructed from the material heard on the OST, which is what I did for my edit. It adds just a few seconds of length to the passage.

[Giftheck 916]

It is in the film, if what you're referring to comes somewhere during the low strings and harp that the album has: I'm sure the film has it in the track as well (as the Grievous Theme instead cuts down the orchestral/choral bit) and I recall it being tracked in to the bit that replaces the Love Theme portion of I Am the Senate, alongside the Sidious Theme from Palpatine's Seduction. It can be heard in TFU1, but they've tacked sounds all over it so it's unusable.

Unless I'm thinking of the wrong bit.

[Datameister 2,044]

Huh, I guess I'd have to relisten to the DVD rip sometime. I'd probably still use my reconstructed version, though...it honestly sounds totally real, and it's clean.

[Giftheck 916]

That is, if you're referring to the bit that's omitted from the album at about the 1:00.5 mark.

[Datameister 2,044]

Yeah, that's the bit. Huh, I wonder why I didn't catch it in the film. Oh well.

[Trent B 337]

It is in the film, if what you're referring to comes somewhere during the low strings and harp that the album has: I'm sure the film has it in the track as well (as the Grievous Theme instead cuts down the orchestral/choral bit) and I recall it being tracked in to the bit that replaces the Love Theme portion of I Am the Senate, alongside the Sidious Theme from Palpatine's Seduction. It can be heard in TFU1, but they've tacked sounds all over it so it's unusable.

Unless I'm thinking of the wrong bit.

Which file for TFU 1 are you talking about?

[Giftheck 916]

PC_mxRX1_mgOverlay07_nl. It has a percussive noise over it as well as a fading string chord.

[Trent B 337]

Ah okay that file. Ya I hate it when they overlap useless material or other cues into material we need.

BTW I think that synth material that appears in track 14 of the OST before "Darth Sidious" does actually belong there. In the Galactic Battlegrounds CD audio track it's replicated there again as well. However what's heard in the Galactic Battlegrounds audio track is the first take, same thing that's heard in the Phantom Menace computer game.

[Giftheck 916]

I think it may be a rejected insert that was supposed to replace the first part of High Council Meeting. It certainly matches the way the material there descends. As well as this, I don't think there would be enough time for that to go there straight after Gone Fishin', and then straight into Darth Sidious and then into Tentacles (which plays starting from the end chord of Darth Sidious, I think)

[Jay 37,369]

Man I wish the sheet music for TPM would leak!

[Trent B 337]

I think it may be a rejected insert that was supposed to replace the first part of High Council Meeting. It certainly matches the way the material there descends. As well as this, I don't think there would be enough time for that to go there straight after Gone Fishin', and then straight into Darth Sidious and then into Tentacles (which plays starting from the end chord of Darth Sidious, I think)

Actually I think there would have been. Remember the cue "Gone Fishin" was looped in the film as it is on the U.E. If it played out unlooped it's possible the material could have gone directly after that and before "Darth Sidious". I did a test of it once but it who knows perhaps you maybe right that it maybe a rejected piece for the first part of "High Council Meeting". I've thought of that myself a while back.

[Giftheck 916]

Yeah, but it wasn't just looped, there were segments removed from it, and it kicks in much earlier in the film than it should do. The last chord of Gone Fishin' also matches the first of Darth Sidious.

[Trent B 337]

Yeah, but it wasn't just looped, there were segments removed from it, and it kicks in much earlier in the film than it should do. The last chord of Gone Fishin' also matches the first of Darth Sidious.

Good point to that. I do agree with Jason though I wish the sheet music would leak all ready. I sent Jesse Harlin another message on Facebook last night asking him about that cue plus the "Tremolo Swell" to figure out where they would have gone in the film. So far no reply has been made but going to wait and see what happens.

[Giftheck 916]

I have two theories about Tremolo Swell: It goes after Running Out of Time (the partial cue list has an unnamed cue between Running Out of Time and Talk of Podracing), or it's an insert, possibly for Sith Spacecraft.

[Trent B 337]

It sounds more like an insert for the "Sith Spacecraft" as the instrumentation is the same to what's heard at the end of that particular cue.

BTW I just now noticed that "Tentacles" is shortened at the very end of the cue in the film like on the U.E. So I think if the end of that cue had fully played out in the film it would have ran into "Theed Palace Arrival".

[Datameister 2,044]

Still not even bothering to think about TPM until the sheet music makes itself available.

[Giftheck 916]

The only TPM cue that is still a must-have for me is the rest of the instrumental for Duel of the Fates

[Jay 37,369]

There could be more incredible stuff that was recorded that we haven't even heard a note of, who knows

[Giftheck 916]

It is possible, of course. I have no idea what would be missing though.

[Trent B 337]

It is possible, of course. I have no idea what would be missing though.

Indeed. I think we do have everything for the Phantom Menace. Those two cues I mentioned are the only things we haven't figured out yet and need help on. I'm glad Jesse Harlin was able to help out with sqgripping1 from the Phantom Menace game. At least we finally put that cue to rest as to where those piccolos went to.

[Sido-Dyas 0]

One thing we don't have is the concert version of Queen Amidala's theme. There used to be two consecutive entries in the BMI repertoire called "The Queen's Theme" and "Young Anakin's Theme". IIRC, they were both composed by Williams and published by Bantha Music. Because of this, I am pretty sure a concert arrangement was written. It looks like it is listed in the database on the Warner-Chappell website, but I have not registered an account to see all of the details.

We know it's been said that the music for Queen Amidala was originally much more developed. However, Lucas did not want it so developed. I seem to recall it had something to do with the direction he planned to take Padme in the next films.

My guess is that the theme was rehearsed but not recorded except for possible documentary footage of the rehearsal. I suppose another possibility is that it was recorded at least once but they decided to scrap it so it was not mixed (not even for Lucasarts). It would have just ended up like many of the alternate takes of cues that are completely unreleased.

[crumbs 14,317]

Padme had a theme?

[Jilal 569]

Strange. Probably Williams wrote it, but didn't record it. Indeed, maybe he just rehearsed it, but Lucas was there that day, and he didn't like it.

It is possible, of course. I have no idea what would be missing though.

Indeed. I think we do have everything for the Phantom Menace. Those two cues I mentioned are the only things we haven't figured out yet and need help on. I'm glad Jesse Harlin was able to help out with sqgripping1 from the Phantom Menace game. At least we finally put that cue to rest as to where those piccolos went to.

I always had a feeling the piccolos were supposed to be there.

Still not even bothering to think about TPM until the sheet music makes itself available.

Yeah, but it wasn't just looped, there were segments removed from it, and it kicks in much earlier in the film than it should do. The last chord of Gone Fishin' also matches the first of Darth Sidious.

Good point to that. I do agree with Jason though I wish the sheet music would leak all ready. I sent Jesse Harlin another message on Facebook last night asking him about that cue plus the "Tremolo Swell" to figure out where they would have gone in the film. So far no reply has been made but going to wait and see what happens.

I don't think he'll respond.

What i can tell is that he HAS the AOTC recording sessions. But then why does he use the film versions?

[Trent B 337]

He has the sessions for all three Prequel scores as he's one of the top music editor for the games for LucasArts. He told me himself a few years back.

He also has that rumored Ultimate Edition style for AOTC. What I mean by rumored is back in early 2002 someone reported that Sony had the U.E. for AOTC ready to go but Lucasfilm pulled the plug at the last minute. Probably because of the rightfully angered responses about the Phantom Menace U.E. Grant some cues have clean endings but I'm inclined to believe that those came from the sessions. The others are exact duplicate film version edits. There are even some cues that had clean openings and unused music. IE: the beginning of "Dooku Vs. Obi-Wan".

Either way I'm not entirely sure why he's using the film version mixes. Perhaps he was instructed to use them or it was just a personal thing, who knows.

[Giftheck 916]

The guy who leaked the HPSS sessions on FFShrine has told me there are other people with the sessions but they don't want to share them at all, ever.

If I'm honest, I wouldn't be too fussed myself if for TPM they did something similar to the IJ Concord set, but there's way too much missing from AOTC and ROTS to say the same for me.

[Jilal 569]

What is 0:14,80 - end of "mus_rodian_quest_accept"?

[Giftheck 916]

A later part in the same cue (Padme's Visit)

[King Mark 3,631]

There could be more incredible stuff that was recorded that we haven't even heard a note of, who knows

for TPM that's what I think

[Trent B 337]

Okay gents it's taken me 8 days to complete but I finally completed an editing guide for The Phantom Menace. I am not sure if I am going to do one for AOTC and ROTS. I mean I guess I could do one for ROTS since we've got a good portion of that music. For AOTC though as we know not much is surfaced from the games but it's spread out for quite a few of the games.

Anyways here is the link for the Phantom Menace editing guide, it's open to all.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0ArU-TvzloXDxdHBuUkJEczZEM0ZxUnN1WUsyaGtOWGc&single=true&gid=0&output=html

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jilal 569]

Okay gents it's taken me 8 days to complete but I finally completed an editing guide for The Phantom Menace. I am not sure if I am going to do one for AOTC and ROTS. I mean I guess I could do one for ROTS since we've got a good portion of that music. For AOTC though as we know not much is surfaced from the games but it's spread out for quite a few of the games.

Anyways here is the link for the Phantom Menace editing guide, it's open to all.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0ArU-TvzloXDxdHBuUkJEczZEM0ZxUnN1WUsyaGtOWGc&single=true&gid=0&output=html

Thanks Trent!

Lyrics of the ROTS edit of Duel of the Fates (official):

Kor-ah----------Ra-ta-ma----------Yund-hah----------Kor-ah----------

Kor-ah----------Syad-ho----------Rah-ta-ma----------Daan-yah----------

Kor-ah----------Ki-la----------Daan-yah----------

Nyo-ha, Ki-la, Kor-ah, Ra-ta-ma, Syad-ho, Ki-la, Kor-ah, Ra-ta-ma

Kor-ah----------Daan-yah----------Kor-rah----------Ra-ta-ma----------

Kor-ah----------Ma-tah----------Kor-ah----------Ra-ta-ma