Popular Post TownerFan 4,983 Posted January 31, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 31, 2020 Tonight at 9pm PST on Classical KUSC Radio, John Williams will be guest on the program KUSC at the Movies and will speak with host Jim Svejda about his Academy Award-nominated score for The Rise of Skywalker. The interview will be available online streaming afterwards. Here you can find the interviews with this year's other nominees: https://www.kusc.org/radio/programs/evening-program-movies-week-interviews-on-demand/ FYI, the interview was recorded a few days ago. KUSC's Brian Lauritzen posted a pic of JW with him and Jim Svejda on Twitter: Chewy, JWMike, MikeH and 9 others 10 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeH 768 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 I think I just heard JW say that not only will this put the bow on 9 scores for him, but he would like it if Star Wars as a whole is put to rest instead of going in new directions or spinoffs. 226 minutes of music recorded for Rise of Skywalker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fabulin 3,505 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 I think I just heard JW say they recorded 226 minutes of music for TROS! And btw. there is something oddly satisfying about hearing TROS aired on the radio, with the words "Now playing: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, music by John Williams". I never made the connection between Herrmann's tenure at the CBS and Williams' father working there. Nice to know A.D. 2020 that "old Williams" played under young Herrmann in the 1930s. Sheds a new light on how JW must have looked at his later friend and mentor with respect, having gotten to observe him first as a child. I had no idea their connection went that far into the past! Whenever Williams talks about Herrmann, I note these things down, because they are not to be found even in the latter's biography. Once, crumbs, Tydirium and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tydirium 1,166 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 Ugh, forgot about this. Hope it's up for streaming soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MikeH 768 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 He said he absolutely loved Vienna, that it was a beautiful city and very picturesque with the snow. The whole experience was thrilling for him and he mentioned (twice) that he’d love to go back! Amer, Will, Once and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fabulin 3,505 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 . MikeH, Biodome, Falstaft and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MikeH 768 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 My love for music has never been greater. I’ve never been more excited about writing and conducting and doing all the things I can do with what time I have to do it, how precious it all is. I’m a grateful man. What a great quote! Damien F, Matthias, crumbs and 14 others 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Story 57 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 3 minutes ago, First TROS March Accolyte said: J.J. robbed us of a new theme for Kylo Ren! Oh, the villain! It's cool to transform a theme, and that really saved the Ren music for me. I remember JW saying that all the themes were recapped in TROS. Does anyone have a tally of how many are in the released score? (OST and FYC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fabulin 3,505 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 . Falstaft, Amer, Matthias and 3 others 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaft 2,097 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 9 minutes ago, David Story said: It's cool to transform a theme, and that really saved the Ren music for me. I remember JW saying that all the themes were recapped in TROS. Does anyone have a tally of how many are in the released score? (OST and FYC) Yes, it was very gratifying to hear JW asked and respond so thoughtfully about that musical detail! Wish he were asked those sorts of questions more often! Tallying the themes that are recapped in TROS depends a bit on what you define as a theme and what you count as a recurrence. But by my count, there's around ~17-18 previously established true themes brought back (noticeably lacking anything from the prequels or TLJ), plus the 5-6 new themes for TROS. David Story and Will 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Story 57 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 7 minutes ago, Falstaft (hiatus til TROS) said: Yes, it was very gratifying to hear JW asked and respond so thoughtfully about that musical detail! Wish he were asked those sorts of questions more often! Tallying the themes that are recapped in TROS depends a bit on what you define as a theme and what you count as a recurrence. But by my count, there's around ~17-18 previously established true themes brought back (noticeably lacking anything from the prequels or TLJ), plus the 5-6 new themes for TROS. Yes! It's nice to hear him speak about his love of modal transposition and reharmonization, now I hear his voice when I see the variations in the catalog With another 100+(!) minutes of score confirmed recorded we may find something from the prequels or TLJ. I'd love to hear his thoughts on Duel of the Fates, Battle of the Heroes or Anakin. Molly Weasley 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post crumbs 14,275 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 Interview now available on demand: https://media.kusc.org/audio/2020/01/20200131-Williams-Star-Wars.mp3?_=4 Sadly is just the interview and no music... I'm guessing the original broadcast featured excerpts from TROS? Incanus, Holko, Amer and 8 others 6 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,385 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 6 hours ago, crumbs said: Interview now available on demand: https://media.kusc.org/audio/2020/01/20200131-Williams-Star-Wars.mp3?_=4 Sadly is just the interview and no music... I'm guessing the original broadcast featured excerpts from TROS? Thanks. The Svejda interviews are always OK, but my heart aches knowing that nobody ever probes Williams' mind further, beyond the obvious stuff. He has this whole warehouse of information and stories (like the one from RAIDERS), but most interviewers are content staying in the small 'reception room' outside the warehouse over and over again. Also, the whole 'endless compliments' culture of the US entertainment industry makes me very uncomfortable. Fabulin and apples 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Falstaft 2,097 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 9 hours ago, Thor said: Thanks. The Svejda interviews are always OK, but my heart aches knowing that nobody ever probes Williams' mind further, beyond the obvious stuff. He has this whole warehouse of information and stories (like the one from RAIDERS), but most interviewers are content staying in the small 'reception room' outside the warehouse over and over again. Really? I thought for an interview of its kind, this was unusually revealing, like with JW's discussion of the amount of redone music and him getting into the details of thematic transformation w/ Kylo Ren's motif. Particularly with the former, though JW says he loved it and was happy to create all these alternate cues, you can tell from the way he brings it up that it's not his preferred way of doing things. Here's a transcription of the discussion of Kylo Ren's transformed theme: _deleted_, Cerebral Cortex, Tydirium and 13 others 13 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MikeH 768 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 J.J. is a man who...makes a lot of changes *chuckle* Tydirium, gkgyver, Will and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JohnnyD 1,220 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 Wonderful interview! Love it. 226 minutes of music composed and conducted by the Maestro for the finale of the Star Wars Saga! That is amazing and a new record! Three hours and 46 minutes of music!!! I am praying that the Maestro and Mike Mattesino, who as we know is his personal music archivist, will work with Lucasfilm and release all nine scores expanded and remastered in the definitive treatment that Maestro John Williams' work deserves. Jeez, that would comprise three or four discs worth for Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker alone! Phenomenal. crumbs, Cerebral Cortex, Will and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 2,833 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 My highlights from the interview: “...he said I know, but they’re all dead.” “Did you hear what that hack did with my speeder chase music? Jesus Christ.” I also didn’t expect him to admit to wanting to stab JJ repeatedly after having to record a fifth alternate to “Journey to Exegol”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Marian Schedenig 8,085 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 Wonderful interview. I can't wait for him to come back. Matthias, Once, Miguel Andrade and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerebral Cortex 3,357 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 16 hours ago, Falstaft (hiatus til TROS) said: Yes, it was very gratifying to hear JW asked and respond so thoughtfully about that musical detail! Wish he were asked those sorts of questions more often! Tallying the themes that are recapped in TROS depends a bit on what you define as a theme and what you count as a recurrence. But by my count, there's around ~17-18 previously established true themes brought back (noticeably lacking anything from the prequels or TLJ), plus the 5-6 new themes for TROS. And that's of the themes we hear in the film. It's quite possible we got a few more in some of the unreleased material. Falstaft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinland 355 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 45 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said: Wonderful interview. I can't wait for him to come back. Yes! ...and... Yes! Biodome and Matthias 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post lairdo 725 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 I enjoyed the interview (the full one with the music). Am I right, did they basically play the entire TROS album? Seems like it. Many insightful comments from the Maestro. I enjoyed his speaking a bit about Don "Donald" Williams, his brother which led into the Herrmann story (that I too did not know). At the beginning of the interview, he seemed confused between years and oscar noms, but I have guess as to why. At first I thought, oh no, he sounds forgetful! But he was really on top of his game in the interview, so I thought about it again. He may have been thinking that Jim was talking about 42 years of Star Wars movies, and the amazing achievement of working on a series spanning that. So, 52 being heard as 42. But then I pondered this: JW's 52 Oscar nominations are for the past 52 years. He was first nominated in 1968, 52 years ago, for the 1967 adaptation of Valley of the Dolls. So, he may have been thinking about that time period. Just let that sink in - John Williams has averaged 1 Oscar nomination a year for over half-a-century! Overall, he seemed genuine in his views on music, the JJ changes (which he keeps bringing up, so I think he *IS* in some ways is annoyed about them) and of course on Vienna. I was not aware that he had never even conducted on the continent before, though it makes sense were I to think it through. I do agree with Jim Svejda that JW should be asked to do the New Years Day concert (which is always aired on TV and released on CD!). Here's my John Williams conducting gig requests for Europe: 1. Make up concert at Royal Albert Hall with the LSO 2. Vienna New Years Day 3. Waldbühne summer concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. (The Hollywood Bowl of the Berlin Phil) 4. Conducting at the The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam 5. Sharing a night with Andris Nelsons at the Leipzig orchestra Cerebral Cortex, Falstaft, apples and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jay 37,042 Posted February 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 1, 2020 That's so cool that he broke down what he did with Kylo's theme like that! It makes it all the more infuriating that he didn't put a single iteration of the Ben Solo the Hero theme on the OST album! We're so lucky he put it on two tracks of the FYC album! Molly Weasley, Yavar Moradi, Tydirium and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaft 2,097 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 2 hours ago, Cerebral Cortex said: And that's of the themes we hear in the film. It's quite possible we got a few more in some of the unreleased material. Hmm, that makes me wonder what the likeliest "phantom" themes would be. Here's some pure speculation... I'd be willing to bet good money that the original version of the Ahch-To scenes featured Jedi Steps at least in some way. The existing cue "Destiny of a Jedi" seems to want to refer to it on several occasions only to pull back. The theme also seems to hover suggestively over "A New Home." Perhaps Luke in Exile stuff too, though bringing that back strikes me as less likely, if only because it's rather less iconic. If there were any more extended but unused scenes featuring Rose, it's not unfeasible her theme was recalled. At the very least, I find it hard to believe Williams forgot he wrote the theme, seeing as how he's still programming and conducting it! We get a tantalizing hint of a Duel of the Fates-y choral chord at the end of "Approaching the Throne," maybe even in Sanskrit (?), though no other traces of the piece elsewhere in the score, as far as I can tell. I heard a rumor that DoTF was recorded anew during the TROS recording sessions, though given what we've seen of the cue list, my guess would be it might have been an additional possible entry into the End Credits suite if that were the case. Then again, who knows what could have gone over the beginning of the Death Star fight. Despite JW recently revisiting it in the Anne Sophie-Mutter arrangement, it doesn't seem like Across the Stars would have been called back. That said, there are two moments that are reminiscent of the theme, purely by accident I imagine. First, there's a snatch of the main motif in that spiky Approaching Exegol ostinato -- assuredly just a felicitous coincidence. Second, and maybe more significant, is the chromatic string figure early on in The Old Death Star, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the ostinato from the middle section of the ATS Concert Arrangement. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that that chromatic figure itself doesn't appear to my knowledge in AOTC, I'd consider adding it to my catalogue as an incidental motif. Leitmotifs that could have been justifiably recalled but, as far as anyone knows, weren't would be the original Death Star motif, the Lando/Cloud City motif, Throne Room, anything else from the Prequels, and (alas!) Parade of the Ewoks... Molly Weasley and Cerebral Cortex 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ludwig 1,120 Posted February 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 2, 2020 12 hours ago, Falstaft (hiatus til TROS) said: Here's a transcription of the discussion of Kylo Ren's transformed theme: Thanks for the transcript! I've wondered why (other than the one time we actually do get this in the film) Williams didn't just change Ren's theme into major rather than basically just straighten out the first two notes. Of course, he had no qualms about using Luke's theme in minor back in ESB, but that's a major-key theme being turned into minor. This is a (Hungarian) minor theme being turned into major, and for whatever reason, minor themes being turned into major just don't seem as common. And now, I'm wondering if he didn't do this for all of the Ben Solo statements because he may have felt that it transformed it beyond what people would notice. Interesting that he just wanted to write a new theme for him. I have to say I like the way he used JJ's suggestion. Falstaft, Fabulin, crumbs and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheUlyssesian 2,467 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Is this a new tidbit - that he wrote Leia's theme as a sort of love theme for Leia and Luke? I know them being siblings was a late decision but I never saw Leia's theme as a love theme, always as a character theme. Though its romantic sound means it could easily be a love theme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,505 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviazn 273 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 To be honest, I don't know how you can listen to the concert arrangement of Leia's theme and not think it's a love theme—or at least, a sex theme. Quote For the first film, George, I even wrote, you'll remember, a quite heated love theme—with a melody and a development section and a torrid climax—thinking that Luke and Leia were lovers… In a way, I think JW may have written Rey's theme with this in mind, wanting to make amends of sorts. I think he mentioned in that interview with Tavis Smiley that he specifically wrote it to not suggest a love theme in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Too late, it's got 'love theme' written all over it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,505 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Edmilson 7,265 Posted February 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 2, 2020 Tbh, the fact that Williams had to write 226 minutes of music for a movie that uses less than a half of it is a little sad. It shows that he and Abrams weren't exactly in the same page about the score, and Abrams made him record lots and lots of alternates and revisions, new versions, etc. - I mean, more than usual. Then, the score got moved around, tracked, parts were discarded, buried beneath sound effects... JJ was so lost with the movie and the score suffered for it. But hey, at least he gave Williams his first cameo, something neither Spielberg or Lucas did. aviazn, Cerebral Cortex, crumbs and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post eitam 362 Posted February 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 2, 2020 Finally got to listen to the interview. It was very nice to hear Williams talk about Vienna, about his brother, about Ben's Theme. I didn't expect to hear him adress the condescension (of lack thereof, in the case of the Vienna concerts) of the "serious" musical world toward "film" music. Mainly what I take away from the interview, is that he is not closing the door to future concerts in Europe, or to future oscar nominations! It gives me hope for more good things to come Matthias, aviazn, Tydirium and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,612 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 20 minutes ago, Edmilson said: Tbh, the fact that Williams had to write 226 minutes of music for a movie that uses less than a half of it is a little sad. It shows that he and Abrams weren't exactly in the same page about the score, and Abrams made him record lots and lots of alternates and revisions, new versions, etc. - I mean, more than usual. Then, the score got moved around, tracked, parts were discarded, buried beneath sound effects... JJ was so lost with the movie and the score suffered for it. But hey, at least he gave Williams his first cameo, something neither Spielberg or Lucas did. It is sad. I don't think it was so much different pages as Abrams kept handing Williams a different movie to score for months in a row. I like (but don't love) Abrams movies in general but it is very clear that he is not a man with substantive artistic visions. Tydirium 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviazn 273 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 3 hours ago, First TROS March Accolyte said: I think it entirely depends on one's personal perception of romance and eroticism in music. … But then I do not find Steiner's music romantic either, so I might be more picky about what "is" and what "is not" than usual. […] What flavour of love or romance does it represent to you, @aviazn, @Arpy ? I am curious of your perception. Hint: happy / unhappy / youthful / tragic / hopeful, fulfilled, longing, erotic, platonic,... etc. Entirely fair! I didn't mean to call into question anyone's personal readings of it. In fact, I hardly find it romantic at all. All I meant was, JW's stated intent that it's a literal representation of sex is quite clear to me—complete with the "torrid climax" and post-coital descending triplets. And to be honest, for that reason, it's never roused much emotion in me. I always thought of it as essentially a concert-piece-length dirty joke, completely at odds with Leia as a character—an anachronistic theme that defined her primarily as a sex object. No wonder he says he felt bad about it and was always apologizing to Carrie Fisher for it. Fabulin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TheUlyssesian 2,467 Posted February 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 2, 2020 In his own polite way, I definitely think JW expressed frustration with JJ here. He's unfailing nice, but the words convey the sentiment - enough with the fucking edits already douchebag. Lock you picture and then fucking call me to score it. I am not going to write the same scene 20 times because you are an indecisive little prick. Another reason why scores typically work better in Spielberg's films - he edits in camera. Meaning he's not looking to FIND THE FILM in the edit. He knows exactly what he wants and shoots only what's needed. So the film cuts together easily and there aren't that many edits, because he does not shoot that much extraneous stuff. So the cuts are in decent shape and when JW scores, not a lot of changes need to be made. PS: Another advantage of editing in camera - the suits can't change the picture unless they do re-shoots. If you don't give them extra footage, they can't make alternate cuts. Edmilson, crumbs, Tydirium and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlastoEls 554 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 22 hours ago, Martinland said: Yes! ...and... Yes! See you at Gmoakeller part 2! Martinland 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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