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Favorite short musical moments in Williams scores?


Balahkay

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41 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

The part in 'Han and Leia' when Finn and Poe reunite, especially the mini reprise at 2:10.

 

 

 

Totally, that bit has that lovely nostalgic tone that makes TFA's score so special to me. Gorgeous. 

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34 minutes ago, Will said:

 

Totally, that bit has that lovely nostalgic tone that makes TFA's score so special to me. Gorgeous. 

 

Yes it certainly does!  I have listened to that bit over and over so many times.  You are spot on with the nostalgic tone it has.  It's a remarkably warm bit.

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I always say 3:11 is Williams's best melody of the 21st century, but this particular moment I find catchiest because while dynamics and reverb are increased to epic-sounding proportions, what's comparatively striking is the playfulness of accentuated rhythm and bounciness in certain dynamics, sticking that bone right in at 3:16. BAAAAaa

 

 

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1:26-2:00

 

With the the whimsical Across the Stars passage coming in at 1:37 being the highlight.

 

0:09-0:40

 

Hot-damn, can that harp ever move! What a neat little nugget of a motif. Attack of the Clones is full to the brim of brief moments of absolute other worldliness. 

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On 4/26/2019 at 12:35 PM, Borodin said:

The piano embellishments at 1:00 and 1:06

 

 

Must quote again! Double goodies detected. The melody starting at 0:15 (and 1:00) with bass drop and split root in soprano! just as wonderful as the main part.

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On 9/5/2019 at 5:34 PM, BrotherSound said:

I really love this whole cue, but I wanted to highlight the echoing trumpet fanfares doubled by two glockenspiels panned left and right, such an unusual and brilliant orchestrational touch!

 

 

 

Aaahhh don't we all just love echoing trumpet fanfares doubled by two glockenspiels.

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  • 2 weeks later...

That is oddly the same key and almost exact orchestration used in the intersection scene, if not blatantly the same thing. Never heard williams borrow something of his own so closely before. May be an intended reference?

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

3:30 to 3:55 in this video

 

This being the scene in the control room where Lex and Tim are trying to restore computer control to the island, the mood is all about ratcheting tension. And JW brings it, with the main theme trying repeatedly to resolve triumphantly. Eventually it does, and my God, how beautifully so — at 3:43 you hear percussion and cymbals clear out the soundscape for celesta? glockenspiel? to play the first four notes of the main theme, then again the the first two, finally followed by orchestra for the full theme statement with two triumphant brassy swells that release the tension (which I’m pretty sure syncs with the moment when Lex gets the door locks back online). 
 

To think how that scene would be scored today by the likes of Giacchino, Zimmer, Balfe, or junkie... >shudder<. I don’t know if even Powell would know how to hit those marks like JW did. 

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This whole cue is FUCKING EPIC, but I adore the part from 2:10 to 2:43. Williams is a master on conjuring the feeling of anxiety, of "running for your life" through his rhythmic string motifs, and when combined with the adventure theme from the first score, the effect is... mesmerizing.

 

 

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Always loved this cue:

 

 

Williams suspense/conspiratorial scoring was simply amazing circa 2002: the Kamino music, Presenting the Pre Cogs, The Arrival at Tatooeine (specifically when the Lars family tells Anakin what happened to his mother), the wonderful Anakin Changes, The Writing on the Wall... But Petrified Justin is by far my favorite. The low key performances of Philosopher's Stone 1M1 Prologue, the Spiders theme and the Chamber theme create a creepy, unsettling atmosphere. 

 

Then, starting on 1:36, we hear dramatic, sad strings and harp as Harry says to McGonagall he is innocent, but she says only Dumbledore can help him now (or something like that). The combination of Williams' music with Maggie Smith's performance really sells the idea of the horrible gravity of the situation, all culminating in a great fanfare for Dumbledore's office.

 

It's very easy to fright moviegoers with jump scares and dissonant violins. But much less common is to create an atmosphere of danger and menace, specially on a kids movie - in other words, when not even the head of your house compreehends entirely what is happening and how to stop the attacks, well, you're fucked.

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