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The Rise of Skywalker OST Album Discussion


Jay

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/31/2019 at 1:40 AM, TheUlyssesian said:

If it fit they wouldn't have cut it out.

 

My guess - JW wrote a version of the speed chaser cue for an earlier version of the scene. 

 

JJ then tinkered with the scene and recut it. JW adapted to it.

 

JJ again recut it. JW is like fuck it - I am going to my original sketch and writing a concert arrangement for album. JJ baby you can use pieces from it or track music from other places as is your desire anyways.

 

Both agree. 

 

JW records his concert arrangement for album. JJ out of respect uses a tiny portion in the film.

 

All sides happy. JJ can fuck the hell off. And we can get a great new piece in the vein of asteroid field.

 

--

 

Also listen to the full statement at 46s

 

 

It is basically a full theme - not just an action figure. It has a full 4 phrases in this statement - that's almost too much for what is supposed to be an action figure to use in a chase scene. JW couldn't possibly hope to include such a broad statement in the scene specially when he is competing with loud FX. Methinks this might be an expansion of his original sketch - fleshed out for a concert setting.

 

There is another full statement of the theme at 1:43 - first 3 phrases are intact, 4 has evolved a little bit this time. 

 

Again at 2:32 there is a full statement of the theme - first 3 phrases are intact, 4th again has evolved. 

 

(And honestly the theme is good enough to be an actual character theme for some other composer. It is good and memorable enough to be the heroic identity of the action hero character in a swashbuckling film for example. It is so easily malleable that the possibilities are endless.)

 

So if you are to consider it a concert setting - this is how the theme is stated - 

 

A. Teasing the first 2 phrases

B. 1st full statement of theme

C. 2nd full statement of theme with some changes

D. 3rd full statement of theme with some changes

E. last 2 phrases taking a bow in a concert ending setting

 

The piece itself is also just begging to be performed in concerts. It would make an exciting, fast paced and entertaining and fun little performance piece.

 

On 12/31/2019 at 4:28 AM, Jurassic Shark said:

It's clearly a concert arrangement.

 

On 12/31/2019 at 9:26 AM, Jay said:

To me The Speeder Chase on the OST is clearly a film cue, with a special, album-only, concert-arrangement-style ending tacked onto the very end of it.

 

I am sure the scene itself was longer than it is in the final film when Williams wrote this cue, which is why the lengths are different.

 

Clemensen agrees with my theory. He classifies The Speeder Chase as a concert suite! 

 

https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/rise_skywalker.html

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5 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

Is this writer/editor's research and analysis on the score largely sourced from threads on JWFan, Frank Lehman and Mark Richards, etc. or coincidence and he's doing all this work in parallel himself? It's an interesting, very comprehensive review.

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 2 months later...

was the "first order motif" or whatever people called it used at all in rise of skywalker? in the description for the album written by Neil Yung he says "Balancing light and dark side themes, the appropriate fear and dread are amplified by the skillful usage of the Emperor's associated motifs, "The Imperial March," Kylo Ren's theme, and the ominous First Order theme ("Prologue," "Journey to Exegol," and "Join Me"). 

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  • 4 months later...

After many months (and tons of other music listened) I have FINALLY found where I heard that from: Home alone 'Somewhere in my memory'. Was on a Christmas album which is why I could not find it...but now I have been listening to Christmas music and BAM there it was. And it is a John Williams theme! Now I can finally put it to rest (and hope it stays there).

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On 7/13/2020 at 3:13 PM, JacksonElmore said:

was the "first order motif" or whatever people called it used at all in rise of skywalker? in the description for the album written by Neil Yung he says "Balancing light and dark side themes, the appropriate fear and dread are amplified by the skillful usage of the Emperor's associated motifs, "The Imperial March," Kylo Ren's theme, and the ominous First Order theme ("Prologue," "Journey to Exegol," and "Join Me"). 

 

They must be considering Kylo's "B" motif as a motif for the First Order. The First Order had their own motif that appears a few times in TFA, but wasn't used in the subsequent films at all.

 

I just realized right now that the first four notes in Kylo's "B" theme are identical to the First Order motif. So perhaps the "First Order motif" was just an early version of Kylo's "B" theme. Interesting...

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  • 2 weeks later...
3 hours ago, artguy360 said:

Re-listening to it lately, I am once again amazed by the Rise of Skywalker theme(s) and how JW once again wrote beautiful music that expresses the ideas the film itself tries but fails to do as was the case with the prequel films. The friendship theme is so sweet, sincere, and filled with longing in a way that is totally absent from the film itself and the victory theme is grand and triumphant in a way the visuals it accompanies are not. It's amazing and amusing that JW's final SW score once again speaks beyond the film and lifts the themes of the film up.

 

Well said. No surprise he delivered the strongest score of the sequel trilogy for the weakest film.

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I don't know if any of us can really know which of the 3 we like the most until we get to hear the entire score for each, or at least all the major thematic developments and set pieces from each

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5 hours ago, artguy360 said:

Re-listening to it lately, I am once again amazed by the Rise of Skywalker theme(s) and how JW once again wrote beautiful music that expresses the ideas the film itself tries but fails to do as was the case with the prequel films. The friendship theme is so sweet, sincere, and filled with longing in a way that is totally absent from the film itself and the victory theme is grand and triumphant in a way the visuals it accompanies are not. It's amazing and amusing that JW's final SW score once again speaks beyond the film and lifts the themes of the film up.

 

Well said! Still crossing my fingers we get a Hal Leonard Sig Edition of this magnificent piece!

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I still wish he made separate concert arrangements for the friendship theme and the victory theme, instead of combining them together.  The Rise of Skwalker concert arrangement we got did bring the Victory Theme into some new directions, but didn't do much to expand what can be done with the Friendship theme.

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I still don't know which one is the friendship theme and which one is the victory theme. I think they are both pretty subpar for Williams. 

 

With the other scores I can listen to them and instantly recognize the new material. With this one I find myself wondering "Is that a new theme?  If so which one is it?"

 

 

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1 hour ago, Demodex said:

I still don't know which one is the friendship theme and which one is the victory theme. I think they are both pretty subpar for Williams. 

 

For the Friendship Theme, listen to:

  • "We Go Together" 0:34-1:24 and 2:08-2:32
  • "Destiny of a Jedi" 3:59-4:17
  • "Reunion" 3:28-end
  • "Finale" 1:20-2:05

 

For the Victory Theme, listen to:

  • "They Will Come" 0:57-1:22
  • "The Force Is With You" 3:02-3:12
  • "Farewell" 4:19-end
  • "Finale" 6:09-7:32


The "Rise of Skywalker" concert arrangement track is the only time Williams uses the two themes together

  • 0:00-0:48 Victory Theme {based on Finale 6:09-6:52}
  • 0:48-0:53 a unique bridge
  • 0:53-1:43 Friendship Theme {based on Finale 1:20-2:05}
  • 1:43-2:25 a unique bridge combining the Friendship Theme and Victory Theme together
  • 2:25-3:32 Victory Theme {based on Farewell 3:56-4:57}
  • 3:32-end Victory Theme {unique arrangement}
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4 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Anyone else think that "Augie's Great Municipal Band" should've become Rey's new theme by the end of the movie?

Hard for me to say, as I can't really imagine that melody in any other context.

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On 12/29/2020 at 9:33 AM, Jay said:

I still wish he made separate concert arrangements for the friendship theme and the victory theme, instead of combining them together.

 

The themes fit together so well that it seems very natural to place them in the same suite, much like Hedwig's Theme with Nimbus 2000. The Rebellion is Reborn was a less natural fit, but as a result it's kind of cool to hear how he made two themes unexpectedly work together.

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I do agree that it works much better than The Rebellion is Reborn!

 

Plus in that case, you already hear them combined together in the end credits.  With TROS, he never uses them together anywhere in any actual film cues

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I love The Rebellion is Reborn and in that case both melodies are so slight, they couldn't support individual concert arrangements. Rose's Theme and Luke in Exile are so different, they make for a nice contrast when combined. 

 

I thought JW separated Rose's Theme and Luke in Exile in TLJ end credits? I think they do not intertwine on the end credits OST track like they do in the concert arrangement.

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Listening to it again, the all-too-brief piano rendition of Leia's Theme is so, so gorgeous. I wish JW would have played it longer but I guess his intent was only for it to accompany CF's name appearing in the credits and nothing more.

 

It's fairly rare to hear an undisguised piano playing anything other than percussion backing in a SW score. But JW did have fun with piano in ESB and, of course, Rey's Theme in the ST puts the piano/keyboard front and center on a number of occasions. I wonder, is the more prominent use of piano one of the major stylistic features of the ST scores?

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  • 6 months later...

Apparently this is available in Dolby Atmos now via Apple Music

 

https://music.apple.com/nl/album/star-wars-rise-skywalker-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1491567956

 

Anybody here have the equipment and disposable income to properly check it out?

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/8/2021 at 3:05 PM, Jay said:

Apparently this is available in Dolby Atmos now via Apple Music

 

https://music.apple.com/nl/album/star-wars-rise-skywalker-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1491567956

 

Anybody here have the equipment and disposable income to properly check it out?

 

I've been listening to it on my Atmos setup, such a fantastic score! Do you have any specific questions about the Spatial Audio version?

 

Might be handy to compile a list of all available Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos film scores. Currently I only know of 3:

 

Celebrating John Williams (Live At Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles 2019)

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/celebrating-john-williams-live-at-walt-disney-concert/1454543666

 

John Williams in Vienna

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/john-williams-in-vienna/1513406970

 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/star-wars-rise-skywalker-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1491567956

 

[updated]

 

Paul's Dream (Dune: Music from the Soundtrack)

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/pauls-dream-dune-music-from-the-soundtrack-single/1574745522

 

All John Williams! The first two were featured on the Spatial Audio Apple Music page, but I only found about Rise of Skywalker from your post here. I wish they had a list of every Spatial Audio track/album! There may be more scores in Atmos on Tidal too.

 

 

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