Missed opportunities in JW scores

[Muad'Dib 1,848]

I was re-listening to Raiders after a long time and I got to The Map Room Dawn part, and apart from being as powerful as ever, I kept humming -unintentionally- the Crystal Skull theme on top of the Ark theme and, at least to my ears, they seemed to match perfectly and would have been an awesome counterpoint moment to take advantage in KOTCS. But alas, it never came to be. 

 

Someone will probably say that KOTCS is a whole missed opportunity and it could be true, but it got me thinking into what JW could have done in certain scores that seemed like obvious choices but didn't end up in there for some reason. Like in TLW a percussion-only cue (both tuned and untuned) would have been absolutely amazing.

 

Probably a silly topic, but.... Any thoughts?

[John Dutton 7,207]

Tintin, which was autopilot Williams. There are moments of brilliance and then it just reverts to the same old shit we've heard countless times, only with less gusto.

[Cerebral Cortex 3,358]

I've seen this point made on here before, but not having even the slightest bit of Luke and Leia's theme in Revenge of the Sith to coincide with their birth seems like a bit of a missed opportunity to me. It's the first time we see them and brother and sister and won't be seen that way again (at least, not with respect to how they view each other within the films) until ROTJ. 

[Wojo 2,456]

Using duel music from Empire instead of the Final Duel music from ROTJ in ROTS is another missed opportunity. 

[King Mark 3,666]

The BFG main theme (Sophie's Theme) not having a kick ass rousing rendition

 

Tintin's Heroic Theme not having a concert version

 

Han Solo and the Princess theme in The Force Awakens.  I was expecting lovely new renditions instead we got some almost identical quotes from TESB

[John Dutton 7,207]

2 hours ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

I've seen this point made on here before, but not having even the slightest bit of Luke and Leia's theme in Revenge of the Sith to coincide with their birth seems like a bit of a missed opportunity to me. It's the first time we see them and brother and sister and won't be seen that way again (at least, not with respect to how they view each other within the films) until ROTJ. 

 

I never understood this and other complaints about Williams using previous themes (and apparently a one-off motif for a brief swordfight) in the prequels. The one that seemed to come up the most in discussions is the droid motif. It's only in Empire. Why would it be in the chronologically previous episodes? Williams likely didn't even remember it. While Williams did make some exceptions such as Vader's theme (it had to be done), overall I think he made the right choices in terms of linking the trilogies musically.

[artguy360 1,889]

13 minutes ago, king mark said:

The BFG main theme (Sophie's Theme) not having a kick ass rousing rendition

 

Tintin's Heroic Theme not having a concert version

 

Han Solo and the Princess Theme in The Force Awakens

This is one common criticism of TFA's score that I just don't understand. The theme has 1 or 2 lovely, soft renditions as underscore for the only scenes where it would be appropriate: when Han and Leia are together. I don't think the sweeping or attention grabbing renditions fans hoped for would have worked for the film.

[John Dutton 7,207]

I wasn't really looking forward to Han Solo and the Princess in TFA. It never sounded the same after Empire anyway.

[Demodex 558]

On 7/8/2017 at 8:55 PM, Cerebral Cortex said:

I've seen this point made on here before, but not having even the slightest bit of Luke and Leia's theme in Revenge of the Sith to coincide with their birth seems like a bit of a missed opportunity to me. It's the first time we see them and brother and sister and won't be seen that way again (at least, not with respect to how they view each other within the films) until ROTJ. 

 

This is what I was going to post. 

 

 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,362]

The carnivore motif should've been foreshadowed during the raptor hatching in the first Jurassic Park. 

[John Dutton 7,207]

Yes, an adorable celesta rendition.

[Jay 38,810]

18 hours ago, kaseykockroach said:

The carnivore motif should've been foreshadowed during the raptor hatching in the first Jurassic Park. 

 

But that's EXACTLY what he did in that track.

 

I found this brief conversation about it 

 

On 12/7/2016 at 10:52 PM, TheGreyPilgrim said:

Hatching Baby Raptor - still one of Williams' most sublime moments.

 

On 12/8/2016 at 0:26 AM, Incanus said:

Quite. Pure magic and all the more chilling as the Maestro brilliantly disguises the 4-note dinosaur/raptor motif into something so alluring, innocent and beautiful.

 

On 12/8/2016 at 2:20 AM, Fal said:

Oooooh the Raptor motif is th?ere in

 

[karelm 2,945]

On 7/8/2017 at 5:44 PM, Evil-Lyn said:

Tintin, which was autopilot Williams. There are moments of brilliance and then it just reverts to the same old shit we've heard countless times, only with less gusto.

 

This is autopilot Williams? 

 

 

[Darth Crossfader 571]

I really like the subtle musical reference to a visually similar moment in the Sir Francis and the Unicorn scene at 3:56. The trumpet echoes the horn motif in the former cue (here, it's even tracked in!).

[igger6 918]

I think the mournful counterpoint rendition of "Han Solo and the Princess" at 2:10 in "Torn Apart" counts as a lovely new rendition.  It's so easy to miss.  In any case, I think the fault there lies with the writers for fumbling Han and Leia's interactions.  Some of the clunkiest dialogue in that film is between them.  They sound like actors lamely impersonating ex-lovers rather than the real deal.

 

As for "Luke and Leia" in RotS, I completely agree.  Why have these relationship themes in a multi-part saga if not to bring them back when appropriate?

 

P.S. #TeamDroidMotif all the way! Giacchino should have played that instead of Luke's theme for their Rogue One cameo!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,362]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

 

But that's EXACTLY what he did in that track.

 

I found this brief conversation about it 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Dutton 7,207]

9 hours ago, karelm said:

 

This is autopilot Williams? 

 

 

 

I've always singled this out as a highlight. The bulk of this score, however, sounds like Williams imitating himself. Or worse, like someone invented some sort of Williams music generator app. It sounds like Williams, but something is...off. I guess weird CGI cartoons aren't his forte. Actually, the earlier versions many of us are familiar with are better than the revisions. They should have gotten Horner to do that score.

[Chewy 2,488]

11 hours ago, Evil-Lyn said:

 

I've always singled this out as a highlight. The bulk of this score, however, sounds like Williams imitating himself. Or worse, like someone invented some sort of Williams music generator app. It sounds like Williams, but something is...off. I guess weird CGI cartoons aren't his forte. Actually, the earlier versions many of us are familiar with are better than the revisions. They should have gotten Horner to do that score.

 

[publicist 4,647]

On 12.7.2017 at 3:39 AM, Evil-Lyn said:

Actually, the earlier versions many of us are familiar with are better than the revisions. 

 

What earlier versions? 

[Jay 38,810]

Mockups made from leaked sheet music