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L.A. Master Chorale returns for Rise of Skywalker?


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27 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Somebody gave a surprisingly detailed/thorough answer about this on Stack Exchange:

 

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/116483/which-songs-on-the-star-wars-soundtracks-have-vocals

 

 

Interesting, but these include only the officially released music through the OSTs, 2004 Sony albums and 2000 Ultimate Edition of TPM? So, maybe there's more on the unreleased music (specially on ROTS) that's not included there?

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7 hours ago, crumbs said:

The arrival at Cloud City but I think it's synth. 

 

There’s both female voices and an ARP synthesizer in that spot, but the voices are real.

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10 minutes ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

I don't even believe choral sounding synth like that even existed until the mid 90's.


I don’t believe Williams has ever written for one, but the Mellotron was introduced in 1963 and can do choral sounds:

 

 

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3 hours ago, stravinsky said:

I sang Tenor in the sessions for the Prequel scores with London Voices when I worked doing extra chorus at Covent Garden under the then chorus master Terry Edwards. I think we were paid around £225 for a 3 hour session. So quite lucrative. Strangely the sessions for Attack of the Clones were recorded on a Sunday. The movies were appaling and the scores (esp for EpisodeS II & III) were sub par in my estimation compared to Williams return to form with the sequel scores. But what an opportunity. I'll never forget it. 

 

Cool that you worked on the scores and everything, but you're WAY off in your estimations here. The prequel scores are miles and miles better than the sequel scores. They're not even close.

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I've heard of people not liking the Attack of the Clones score before, but I think this if the first time I've heard someone say Revenge of the Sith was subpar. 

 

I still think the second half of that film's score was Williams hitting some next level writing I've never heard from him before.

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3 hours ago, stravinsky said:

I sang Tenor in the sessions for the Prequel scores with London Voices when I worked doing extra chorus at Covent Garden under the then chorus master Terry Edwards. I think we were paid around £225 for a 3 hour session. So quite lucrative. Strangely the sessions for Attack of the Clones were recorded on a Sunday. The movies were appaling and the scores (esp for EpisodeS II & III) were sub par in my estimation compared to Williams return to form with the sequel scores. But what an opportunity. I'll never forget it. 

 

You can say what you want about the prequel films (I personally like them), but the scores are nothing less than spectacular. Apart from Shore's LOTR, I don't think there is a score from the 21st century that can compete with them.

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3 hours ago, stravinsky said:

I sang Tenor in the sessions for the Prequel scores with London Voices when I worked doing extra chorus at Covent Garden under the then chorus master Terry Edwards. I think we were paid around £225 for a 3 hour session. So quite lucrative. Strangely the sessions for Attack of the Clones were recorded on a Sunday. The movies were appaling and the scores (esp for EpisodeS II & III) were sub par in my estimation compared to Williams return to form with the sequel scores. But what an opportunity. I'll never forget it. 

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2 hours ago, BrotherSound said:


I don’t believe Williams has ever written for one, but the Mellotron was introduced in 1963 and can do choral sounds:

 

 

 

That's actually pretty fascinating.

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1 hour ago, Thor said:

 

Cool that you worked on the scores and everything, but you're WAY off in your estimations here. The prequel scores are miles and miles better than the sequel scores. They're not even close.

 

Don’t state that as a fact, even though his opinion is an unpopular one.

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I can hear what I can hear that's all. I don't like the major themes Williams wrote for these movies because I think he was uninspired by the orgy of CGI. Phantom Menace is about the best of the three. But its all a matter of taste I suppose. Don't fall out with me! 

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1 hour ago, Thor said:

 

Cool that you worked on the scores and everything, but you're WAY off in your estimations here. The prequel scores are miles and miles better than the sequel scores. They're not even close.

 

You mean the OSTs, obviously :)

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1 hour ago, stravinsky said:

I can hear what I can hear that's all. I don't like the major themes Williams wrote for these movies because I think he was uninspired by the orgy of CGI. Phantom Menace is about the best of the three. But its all a matter of taste I suppose. Don't fall out with me! 

 

You don't have to justify your opinion, don't worry about the posts questioning you. Personally I think the sequel scores are stylistically closer to the OT than the prequel scores were, but I enjoy them all to varying degrees (depending on my mood).

 

It's very cool to hear some insight from an actual performer on the prequel scores! Did Williams talk to the chorus directly? Any particular instructions that stuck in your mind? I always enjoyed this video from the TPM sessions of JW working with the choir:

 

Perhaps one of the reasons for recording an AOTC session on a Sunday was Williams' rush to finish the score due to the 3 other projects he had on his plate that year.

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27 minutes ago, stravinsky said:

I wasn't aware that Williams wrote four scores that in one year. Surely his most prolific year by far? 

 

Incredibly he did it both years you performed for him. After finishing Episode 2 he went on to score Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can and Harry Potter 2. After finishing Episode 3, he scored War of the Worlds, Memoirs of a Geisha and Munich.

 

Never again did he score more than 2 films in one year, so it must have been exhausting for him. I can't remember if he ever scored more than 4 films in one year, unless it was very early in his career when the films he was scoring required far less music than the likes of Star Wars or Harry Potter demand.

 

And what a brilliant photo. Every poster here would kill to have a photo with the Maestro so cherish it! :)

 

32 minutes ago, stravinsky said:

I then stayed that his music would last for centuries. He replied "Ah but will we?"

 

What a fantastic quote! Not surprised that one stuck in your memory. What was he like to work under as a conductor, generally speaking? We rarely get to see Williams' persona on the scoring stage but occasionally we'll get a glimpse into a very different side to the softly-spoken persona we see in interviews.

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1 hour ago, stravinsky said:

The thing about film music gigs in general is that they are a gift for choral singers because (apart from the Sanskrit material) it's all mostly just "oohs and aahs" and generally harmony is firmly tonal. Compare this with works that I've been part of like Poulenc's A Capella Cantata "Figure Humaine", Reich's "Desert Music" or something like the Ligeti Requiem which are impossibly difficult.

Don’t you dare leave this forum now, @stravinsky, not after all this wonderful insight you’ve shared with us so far. Tell us everything you know—-about working with JW or other conductors or other composers’ music!

 

For instance, I chuckled when reading your opinion about John Eliot Gardiner, whose albums never did much for me (despite everyone falling over themselves to praise his historically informed performance style). Is it that he’s a poor director of music ensembles or just that he’s a jerk? (Feel free to be discreet if you want; the guy’s still alive, I’m guessing). 
 

Otherwise, it’s a real pleasure to learn more about the life of a choral singer. Never being part of the music industry, but in love with good music, these anecdotes are just a great deal of fun to read.

 

And, yes, you’re right about your level of pride in that photo. I’d give my right arm for one like it.

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1 hour ago, stravinsky said:

Williams was very easy to work with because there was absolutely no ego. The important thing is he is a composer/conductor as well as an instrumentalist so he's a polyglot. He UNDERSTANDS the musician and all of the demands required of him or her. 

       Celebrity Conductors like JEG are megalomaniacs and they hide their insecuruty with unpleasantness and POWER. Have a look on YouTube of a rehearsal with Celibidache rehearsing  Bruckner with a top German Orchestra. He is so patronising and they fuckin hate him. 

         Williams doesn't need to bully anyone. That behaviour is beneath him. After all he is a composer not only of film scores but also concert music and an example of how HUMAN he is is that he has concentrated almost exclusively on the Concerto as a format? Why? I guess because he loves people and gifts not only the orchestra but also the Soloist with his gentleness and wisdom.

         I remember in Salzburg once I sat in on a rehearsal of Katia and Marielle Labeque playing through the Double Concerto of Francis Poulenc with the Vienna Phil and I thought to myself "Christ how lucky am I to get paid for this?" I think we were singing Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex or something. This is like 20 odd years ago so I can't remember cos I've done a fair bit.

So many fascinating nuggets in there.. thank you! What great insight into JW as a humanist. (btw, I also would feel incredibly privileged to hear Poulenc played by the Weiner Phil and a couple of star soloists!)

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9 hours ago, Remco said:

 

Don’t state that as a fact, even though his opinion is an unpopular one.

 

It should go without saying it's an opinion. I'm opposed to always putting 'IMO's in there; it's' a tautology.

 

But as much as I disagree with you on the evaluation of the prequel vs. sequel scores, I love those insights about the choral sessions and various conductors, stravinsky. Thanks for sharing.

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34 minutes ago, Thor said:

It should go without saying it's an opinion. I'm opposed to always putting 'IMO's in there; it's' a tautology.

 

But your comment wasn't about presenting your own opinion; it came across as a condescending 'correction' of Stravinsky's opinion just because it differed from your own.

 

Just because you proclaim the prequel scores are "miles and miles better" than the sequel scores does not make it fact. Stylistically the two trilogies have very different musical approaches, despite belonging to the same series of films.

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15 minutes ago, crumbs said:

 

But your comment wasn't about presenting your own opinion; it came across as a condescending 'correction' of Stravinsky's opinion just because it differed from your own.

 

No, it's the same way I would have said it if we were discussing it in a pub, in real life. It's natural to say 'X is better', and everyone understands it's your opinion, not a fact. No need to preface or end your statement with 'in my oh-so-humble opinion' or whatever. I find that very irritating to both read and use, since it's all subjective evaluation.

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15 hours ago, stravinsky said:

I sang Tenor in the sessions for the Prequel scores with London Voices when I worked doing extra chorus at Covent Garden under the then chorus master Terry Edwards. I think we were paid around £225 for a 3 hour session. So quite lucrative. Strangely the sessions for Attack of the Clones were recorded on a Sunday. The movies were appaling and the scores (esp for EpisodeS II & III) were sub par in my estimation compared to Williams return to form with the sequel scores. But what an opportunity. I'll never forget it. 

 

Per person? Not bad.

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46 minutes ago, Thor said:

No, it's the same way I would have said it if we were discussing it in a pub, in real life. It's natural to say 'X is better', and everyone understands it's your opinion, not a fact. No need to preface or end your statement with 'in my oh-so-humble opinion' or whatever. I find that very irritating to both read and use, since it's all subjective evaluation.

 

Eh, tone and expression go a long way irl. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt online, some folks who like to express themselves bluntly wouldn’t seem like they’re being all that harsh in person. There could also be subtle differences between native and non-native English speakers. A little ;) here and there never hurts (in my humble opinion!) 

 

I do know one guy in real life who genuinely has no problem going “That movie is TRASH bro” and he’s nice enough but also kind of a dickhead LOL.

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Yeah, when I discuss movies with my fellow film critic colleagues, for example, we don't go "oh, dear kindly sir, if I may interject with a slight opinion of mine that may depart somewhat from yours....". We go more like "HA! You're WAY off! X is sooo much better than Y", and then -- hopefully -- proceed to give our reasons. It's all in good humour, and nobody ever assumes anyone is sending off their arguments as facts. That's just ludicrous.

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We live in hope, Stravinsky! If we're lucky, they're just waiting until the 9th score is released so they can unveil expanded versions of all 9 scores. We have no inside information here though (well maybe a few do, but I sure don't). 

 

Your description of the deleted AOTC finale is drool-worthy. Sadly all we have is a fragment from the music video and some synth mocks based on the sheet music.

 

I take it you performed in the final cue doing the vocals of the Emperor's Theme as Count Dooku meets with Palpatine (a great rendition of the theme which was sadly cut from the soundtrack)? 

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The original ending of Attack of the Clones score, which was partially replaced by the Imperial March insert, can be heard here, in mockup form

 


There was no choral component of the replaced material

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12 hours ago, Drew said:

Can you tell us about some of unused choral music in Episode II, like the finale part that was replaced with the Imperial March?

 

The choral part you're thinking about was recorded for the Emperor's theme as Dooku is flying through Coruscant. There was no choir written or recorded for the unused section.

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