The Force Awakens The Force Awakens - Complete Score Breakdown & Chronological Order (Film Spoilers Allowed)

[Meredith McKay 7,508]

We can hear part of the original version in the John Williams documentary on Youtube, it uses the Falcon Fanfare

 

0:25

 

 

[BrotherSound 2,485]

3 hours ago, Will said:

Woah, does that mean the beautiful opening to "Farewell and the Trip" was not originally in the film

Well, yes…and no: the music for that moment in the film and on the album is from 7M68A Light in the Snow and Flying Home, but it’s effectively a revision of similar music first written for the end of 7M67. The key difference is that after winding up to the beautiful statement of Rey’s theme, the 7M67 version winds back down again to ends quietly, where the revised version continues to soar with Poe’s theme, followed by the Force theme.

 

So, the edit must have been very different at this point, because clearly the music wasn’t going to fade to a quiet ending just as the base blows up.

[Will 2,291]

5 hours ago, BrotherSound said:

Well, yes…and no: the music for that moment in the film and on the album is from 7M68A Light in the Snow and Flying Home, but it’s effectively a revision of similar music first written for the end of 7M67. The key difference is that after winding up to the beautiful statement of Rey’s theme, the 7M67 version winds back down again to ends quietly, where the revised version continues to soar with Poe’s theme, followed by the Force theme.

 

So, the edit must have been very different at this point, because clearly the music wasn’t going to fade to a quiet ending just as the base blows up.

 

Wow! Fascinating! 

 

6 hours ago, Falco said:

We can hear part of the original version in the John Williams documentary on Youtube, it uses the Falcon Fanfare

 

Ah yes, thank you, I remember that moment but I had never really understood where it was supposed to be used. 

[BrotherSound 2,485]

17 hours ago, Will said:

Ah yes, thank you, I remember that moment but I had never really understood where it was supposed to be used. 

 

That's part of the original 7M68 Flying Home, but that section was replaced by an insert, 7M68A Light In The Snow And Flying Home.

 

One of the TFA docs also tracks that same fanfare into the middle of 6M56D Ice Landing. It's shown up on unofficial releases as 'Landing At Lightspeed (Alternate)'. I can't imagine they'd do that just for the doc, so it was probably considered for the film at some point. Update: not from a TFA doc, but @Falco

[Meredith McKay 7,508]

4 hours ago, BrotherSound said:

 

 

One of the TFA docs also tracks that same fanfare into the middle of 6M56D Ice Landing. It's shown up on unofficial releases as 'Landing At Lightspeed (Alternate)'. I can't imagine they'd do that just for the doc, so it was probably considered for the film at some point.

Thats from my edit, I don't think any of the docs has it like that, I was just guessing.

[BrotherSound 2,485]

19 minutes ago, Falco said:

Thats from my edit, I don't think any of the docs has it like that, I was just guessing.

 

Oh, impressive! Seems like a good guess: it happens to slot there perfectly, with the right tempo and key, so I was convinced it must have been edited that way in one of the docs.

[martybmusic 54]

On 6/26/2020 at 2:32 AM, BrotherSound said:

This early version of 1M5 The Scavenger is one of the very first things written for the film and dates from early December 2014, but it doesn’t appear the Rey’s Theme we all know appeared until late January 2015. This same theme also shows up briefly in 1M6 Seeing A Mother and Getting Rations, which also predates Rey’s Theme, so it seems it was considered as a theme for the character for at least a month or so.

 

Along the same lines, the Kylo theme didn’t appear until mid-February 2015, a couple months after the First Order theme (first used December 2014), so I wonder if that could explain why it’s so seldom used: perhaps it was going to be the baddie theme for film until he thought of the Kylo motif, and he decided he just liked it better, mostly dropping the earlier theme from then on?

Getting caught up with this fascinating discussion (as well as Pando's gorgeous early 1M5 mockup). Have been working through an analysis of the motives/development/aesthetic of TFA and the timeline of Williams' writing is fascinating. 

 

Is this information mostly derived from sheet music or are there other sources to the sequence of events here? Just excited to learn from whatever's available.

 

There's something about the scant fragments and unrepeated motives throughout the score that I actually really love (that hurried string motif in 'That Girl With The Staff'; the evocative woodwind theme leading up to Maz's castle; the few remnants we're left with of the First Order Theme, etc).

While seemingly not part of the design, the finished product evokes that 'lived in' Star Wars aesthetic for me -- like how it felt to first see the odds & ends in the Jawa sandcrawler -- fragments here and there that speak to a larger world we won't actually fully explore .

 

At any rate, the orchestra may not always sound the most bombastic of the sequels and the editing/structure may frustrate some, but I have such a soft spot for the score - just can't stop going back to it.  

[BrotherSound 2,485]

23 hours ago, martybmusic said:

Is this information mostly derived from sheet music or are there other sources to the sequence of events here? Just excited to learn from whatever's available.

All from the sheet music, but fortunately the typeset full scores done by JKMS have a bit more info than most of the handwritten full scores did. They’ve all got dates, which provides a lot of valuable information about the order cues were written (and sometimes revised) in. They also include Williams’ notes about onscreen action from his sketches.

 

In this particular case, JW actually wrote “Theme” above the first appearance of what seems to me to be an alternate Rey’s theme. And that same theme turned up again in a subsequent cue written shortly after (1M6 Seeing A Mother And Getting Rations), also used for an appearance of Rey.

[artguy360 1,993]

Sorry if I missed it, but do we have samples or mock-ups of what this version 1 of Rey's Theme sounds like?

[Falstaft 2,205]

11 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

Sorry if I missed it, but do we have samples or mock-ups of what this version 1 of Rey's Theme sounds like?

 

Check out the thread here

 

 

[artguy360 1,993]

10 minutes ago, Falstaft said:

 

Check out the thread here

 

 

Wow! Thank you. Rey's Theme is completely different and focused so much more on a sense of mystery. I don't get the heroism or empathy that the final Rey's Theme evokes. So interesting to hear this.

[Pando 152]

It was interesting to create that mockup, since I had no recorded reference material to compare it against. What you hear is just my interpretation from the sheet music alone. I had to pretend to be a conductor while making it and discover the instrument balance that would make sense as laid down the tracks. But I could be completely off in some areas, so it would be really cool to find out if they actually recorded this and be able to hear it like the composer intended.

 

The recording is also a bit too quiet; I might go back and remaster it with proper volume. The 1M6 Seeing A Mother... sheet would also be great to hear in a mockup if it contains the same theme!

 

[WampaRat 1,578]

Had been a while since I listened to this one. And I’ve forgotten how completely perfect it is. It almost makes me cry. Truly a late era Williams masterpiece.

 

Sorry for the old thread bump.

(That is all)

[Jay 41,633]

Great score!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,552]

Rey's Theme is a top 5 favourite pieces of mine and the rest of the score my second favourite one so I only have one word for this score:

Perfection

[WampaRat 1,578]

Speaking of Rey’s theme. JUST listened to that alternate version mock-up.

Holy cow! What a fascinating treasure. 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,552]

Yeah I truly hope that one day we'll have more than just a great mockup...

[Taikomochi 1,319]

The Force Awakens has become my favorite Williams score since it’s release. I can’t think of any other score of his that is as passionate and thrilling throughout. Or as narratively satisfying, how Williams bookends the film with similar yet tonally different, full statements of Rey’s theme and makes his skilled development of the theme the backbone inbetween. Or how Williams adapts the rebel fanfare into a general motif for nostalgic excitement, then interweaves it with the force theme and Rey’s theme in the end credits. Or how the score balances classic Williams adventure with his late period affection for soft woodwind writing. Or that statement of Rey’s theme that opens the credits that chokes me up every time with its beauty. It’s almost impossible to believe a score with so much life and creativity was written by an octogenarian.

 

I might place scores like ET above TFA in their cumulative effect on the film (so much of TFA is barely audible…), but it’s nevertheless my favorite. 

[WampaRat 1,578]

I agree with all of this.

I remember there being some grumbling when it first came out that it sounded like “generic Williams”. And then people started to change their tune (probably the mix in film didnt  help) But then you take stock of the dozen or so new themes and motifs he’s written paired with the OT themes. All masterfully integrated into the scores architecture. It’s just breathtaking.

 

It was an unforgettable experience as a “fully grown” score aficionado where I got to hear brand NEW Williams Star Wars music and it immediately made me feel like I was a kid again:)

 

Fingers crossed Indy 5 will have the same result!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,552]

Fully agreed with what being said. I think the only score I place over TFA is ESB because of sound mixing and the fricking Imperial March (most memorable theme of history IMO)

[Datameister 2,386]

3 hours ago, May the Force be with You said:

Yeah I truly hope that one day we'll have more than just a great mockup...

 

I wouldn't hold your breath for the early version of her theme...it was probably never recorded.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,552]

Yeah probably and even though not sure Williams will be willing to release it anyway....

Future will tell us

[Trent B 340]

Hey for those who are really familiar with the score...for the isolated score "21- I've Found The Droid / Talking With Grandfather". The statement of Ren's theme at 17 seconds into the track what track was that taken from? I think I found it but it might have been pitched....I dunno if anyone can help me out that would be great.

[Jay 41,633]

That's from the end of Finn's Trek

[Trent B 340]

On 31/07/2023 at 6:28 PM, Jay said:

That's from the end of Finn's Trek

 

Right on thanks Jay.

 

 

Also does anyone know which tracks flow into each other?

[Trent B 340]

In case no one saw this...does anyone know which tracks run into each other like in the film? I know that there were changes made to the score during post production but I was just wondering if anyone knows. I could use the help.

[Marc 871]

Film version !

 

 

[Cameron007 77]

Has anyone done mockups of the alternates? I wonder how much interesting stuff might be in there.

[Jay 41,633]

42 minutes ago, Cameron007 said:

Has anyone done mockups of the alternates? I wonder how much interesting stuff might be in there.

 

Tons of TFA mockups by @ragoz350 available in this thread: click

[Davis 3,842]

It's been 8 years, but I still don't understand how the Force can awaken. 

[mrbellamy 7,154]

Forces awaken

Skywalkers rise

 

JJ must be an early bird 

[Pellaeon 596]

The Attack on the Jakku Village sounds a lot like Far From Home / E.T. Alone .

[Cameron007 77]

16 hours ago, Jay said:

 

Tons of TFA mockups by @ragoz350 available in this thread: click

 

Awesome, thank you much.

[Jay 41,633]

Any time