Popular Post Falstaft 2,132 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 Hi everyone. In the same spirit as the "A New Home" from TROS appreciation thread, I thought I'd kick off discussion of another stand-out cue from The Rise of Skywalker. I'm tempted to call "Falcon Flight" the best action cue from Episode 9, though far too many of its attractions are obscured in the film mix to notice. It seems to me to be as good a synthesis as we could ask for of the thematic richness of the OT action-style with the PT and ST's emphasis on quick changing gestures and repetitive ostinati. Over its brief duration, we get series-standout renditions of: 0:12 - Emperor's Theme. I simply love this arrangement, especially the atypical tritonal bass motion for the F#m - Am/C progression. 0:30, 0:45, 1:30 - March of the Resistance, really being used in an exciting and integral way 0:57, 2:05 - Rebel Fanfare, giving more proof that JW now treats it as much as an all-purpose hero theme (or Millennium Falcon theme) than something specifically for the Rebellion. 1:14 - New Heroics Motif, which seems to sprout from Poe's Theme and the Main Theme so seamlessly. And what trumpet writing! It's not just themes: I think channeling of the OT's harmonic language is nowhere more exact, down to the pitch-perfect Db(#4)/G => C cadence at the end, bringing us right back the ANH's sound-world (and, by extension, Holst's Mars). The new "one-cue-wonder" material is great too. I love how each of the three lightspeed jump destinations garners its own distinct musical material. And underneath much of it, a vigorous string ostinato that nods back, intentionally or not (I think intentionally -- it's too on-point!) to Hyperspace from ESB. And note how the string figure, while consistent as a texture, is actually never repeated for more than a measure or two without some substantial musical alteration. (cf. "The Master Switch" from Rogue One to see the difference between a master and an imitator..) What do you all think? The Illustrious Jerry, Holko, Will and 14 others 15 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,491 Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 14 minutes ago, Falstaft said: And underneath much of it, a vigorous string ostinato that nods back, intentionally or not (I think intentionally -- it's too on-point!) to Hyperspace from ESB. Nice catch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Alex 2,833 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 Well I think it was a crime that it wasn’t included on the OST. I don’t think I’ve heard anything like 1.54-2.02 from JW before. 0.45-0.48 and 1.40-1.48 sound very Silvestri-esque. Tydirium, crumbs and Falstaft 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jay 37,249 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 It's one of my favorite and most-played cues from the score. I love it! Front to back, top to bottom, and excellent set piece action cue, as good as anything from the OT or PT Falstaft, Will, Cerebral Cortex and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fabulin 3,506 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 Tracks like this show well how varied skills has Williams amassed over the years. The longer hiatus one takes from Williams to take a dive into the music of composers from a more distant past, the more this becomes obvious. He can shift gears like nobody's business. Tydirium, crlbrg, Falstaft and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bellosh 3,368 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 It has my favorite statement of the Emperor's Theme. Smaug The Iron, crumbs, Cerebral Cortex and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BrotherSound 2,241 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Falstaft said: Hi everyone. In the same spirit as the "A New Home" from TROS appreciation thread, I thought I'd kick off discussion of another stand-out cue from The Rise of Skywalker. Terrific @Falstaft, keep ’em coming! I’d love to hear your thoughts on Farewell or Parents sometime soon, to my ears the emotional heart of the score. 1 hour ago, Falstaft said: And underneath much of it, a vigorous string ostinato that nods back, intentionally or not (I think intentionally -- it's too on-point!) to Hyperspace from ESB. Sounds to me like more than just the ostinato nods to Hyperspace: there’s some brass writing here that’s very similar to bits like this, with the same rhythms: Tydirium, crlbrg, Will and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Falstaft 2,132 Posted April 30, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 27 minutes ago, BrotherSound said: Sounds to me like more than just the ostinato nods to Hyperspace: there’s some brass writing here that’s very similar to bits like this, with the same rhythms: By George, you're right! (This must be the moment you're talking about, right, at 1:44?) [Off to update my catalogue...] Tydirium, Cerebral Cortex, crlbrg and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nick Parker 3,040 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 The Hyperspace nods, both strings and brass, definitely stood out to me when I first listened to the track. An awesome callback without going full nostalgia repeat! As has been remarked before, Williams' Benjamin Button has been remarkable to hear over the course of this trilogy, each score's action music getting increasingly more vibrant and badass. The moment that always catches me is the breakdown at 1:40...not only does it bring to mind past moments from cues such as On the Conveyor Belt, Parade of the Slave Children, etc., but it also brings to mind something Williams has talked about again and again in his career: (4:18-4:38) You can talk about Williams' orchestrations, themes, all the other stuff, but one of his greatest strengths truly is rhythm--it's his first consideration when spotting a film, and it shows. Even with the mix being almost inaudible at many points, the moment that 1:40 of Falcon Flight played in the scene during theaters, I immediately tensed up and leaned forward in my seat. It was during this that I caught myself and realized that Williams was right: as moviegoers, we have been robbed of something so many times. Frankly, I don't give a damn about all the arguments out there about orchestra vs. electronics or bold melodies vs. nonthematic, or whatever else out there...it's all vibrations to me. But that push and pull that Williams is able to create so powerfully, that rhythmic momentum that he can manipulate what seems so effortlessly, the fluidity, all of it...that for me is the mark of a true composer, and something that I feel has been sorely missing from many film scores of recent times. I feel so fortunate that we were blessed with a master's contributions to a modern blockbuster series, regardless of their quality, as a beacon and reminder of what powerful film music can do to enhance a film. And I forgot to mention, I had a big grin on my face the whole time, too. crumbs, ZenLogic101, Falstaft and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Henry Sítrónu 494 Posted April 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 30, 2020 I really, really love this piece and while I'm usually very bad at promoting myself I'd like to introduce this little experiment to everyone who hasn't seen it. Falstaft, Fabulin, Pando and 3 others 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post karelm 2,901 Posted May 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2020 I never realized the March of the Resistance at 0:49 is so much based on the force theme. Our Johnny is such a genius he still gives us treats to discover that only reveal themselves on repeated listening. Compare 0:49 to 0:53 to 0:58 to 1:01 Tydirium, crumbs, TheAvengerButton and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAvengerButton 175 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 ^I'm glad you said that because when I listen to that track I always expect it to go to a rendition of the Force theme, and yet it plays the Resistance March. Same thing happens in a moment in Battle of the Resistance later on. crumbs and Falstaft 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Alex 2,833 Posted May 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2020 4 hours ago, lemoncurd said: I really, really love this piece and while I'm usually very bad at promoting myself I'd like to introduce this little experiment to everyone who hasn't seen it. This actually fits incredibly well. The orchestral flourishes and “hits” often match what’s going on. Now put “To The Plaza, Presto” in Rise of Skywalker 😉 crumbs, Henry Sítrónu and Falstaft 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cerebral Cortex 3,357 Posted May 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2020 9 hours ago, Nick Parker said: As has been remarked before, Williams' Benjamin Button has been remarkable to hear over the course of this trilogy, each score's action music getting increasingly more vibrant and badass. Yes! Was coming here to say just this about this track. By the time you get to that part at 1:54 and Williams is going, if you'll pardon my crudeness, full "balls to the wall," you can't help but just sit back and wonder where all this manic energy is coming from when it was largely absent from the first two ST films. I'm largely of the mind that Williams saw some of Powell's sketches for Solo pre-recording and insisted Powell slip him some of whatever he was having before he started writing Episode IX. It's really the only thing that makes sense. Williams was 87. There is literally no reason he should be able to write this way. 5 hours ago, karelm said: I never realized the March of the Resistance at 0:49 is so much based on the force theme. Our Johnny is such a genius he still gives us treats to discover that only reveal themselves on repeated listening. That was something that I never really appreciated until listening through the full Last Jedi soundtrack and I got to the music that plays during Holdo's peptalk to the Resistance: Especially with just how much the Force theme was used in that score, I was conditioned to be expecting a slow Force theme statement starting at 0:35, but then at 0:40 to 0:47 it changes directions and then I start to think "Oh man, he's playing the tail end of Leia's theme! How cool is that! He's combining both the Force theme and Leia's theme to musically punctuate the Resistance carrying on this fight without Leia!" and then I felt like an idiot when I realized that the entire section I had heard had actually just been March of the Resistance slowed down. 12 hours ago, Falstaft said: 0:57, 2:05 - Rebel Fanfare, giving more proof that JW now treats it as much as an all-purpose hero theme (or Millennium Falcon theme) than something specifically for I quite enjoy the overall re-purposing of the Rebel Fanfare in the ST as a theme for the Millennium Falcon, and, as it's really the last ship from that old bygone Rebellion era we see flying around for most of those films, it makes sense to me. Falstaft, The Illustrious Jerry, Holko and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nick Parker 3,040 Posted May 1, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 1, 2020 7 minutes ago, Cerebral Cortex said: you'll pardon my crudeness, full "balls to the wall," The phrase actually refers to the throttle lever of a plane being pushed to its max, "the wall", so the only crudeness you have to worry about is the potential fuel used for the plane. 10 minutes ago, Cerebral Cortex said: Especially with just how much the Force theme was used in that score, I was conditioned to be expecting a slow Force theme statement starting at 0:35, Yep! Cerebral Cortex, The Illustrious Jerry, crumbs and 3 others 3 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,491 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 25 minutes ago, Cerebral Cortex said: Especially with just how much the Force theme was used in that score, I was conditioned to be expecting a slow Force theme statement starting at 0:35, Yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 13 hours ago, Jay said: It's one of my favorite and most-played cues from the score. I love it! Front to back, top to bottom, and excellent set piece action cue, as good as anything from the OT or PT. Yes! That raises the question why it is not in the OST. Falstaft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominicCobb 194 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 A great cue (so good they used it throughout the movie), but I can't help imagine how it could have been even better if the sequence had more time to breathe. Falstaft and Fabulin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,287 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 2 hours ago, Brundlefly said: Yes! That raises the question why it is not in the OST. I think this cue was recorded very late in the sessions (November at least) so maybe JW had already solidified his plans for the OST (other than the climactic cues in the film, which were also recorded late). Falstaft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,249 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 I've been a fan of Williams music for almost 30 years and I've basically given up trying to figure out what goes through his mind as he decides what is OST worthy and what is not. It almost never lines up with my own preferences either. crumbs and mrbellamy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig 1,120 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 On 4/30/2020 at 1:56 PM, Falstaft said: It's not just themes: I think channeling of the OT's harmonic language is nowhere more exact, down to the pitch-perfect Db(#4)/G => C cadence at the end, bringing us right back the ANH's soundworld (and, by extension, Holst's Mars). Yes, and it's interesting that Williams combines the two uses of this general sound from ANH: the chord you refer to is the one from Rebel Blockade Runner, while the rhythm with the triplet and cadence to C (with a very similar Holstian chord) mirrors the use in The Battle of Yavin. What I find cool about this reference in Falcon Flight is that it recalls the material without quoting one particular spot, so we feel more of a general nostalgic buzz rather than (at least for us JW fans) a direct rehash. BrotherSound and Falstaft 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joni Wiljami 1,206 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Keep'em coming!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Boelen 740 Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 On 5/1/2020 at 7:47 AM, Cerebral Cortex said: Williams was 87. There is literally no reason he should be able to write this way. How does age have anything to do with the excitement in the compositions? I've seen that sentiment expressed many many different times. By many different people. And it doesn't make a shred of sense to me. I understand age might have something to do with the conducting. And performing for someone playing an instrument. Those require some form of physical stamina. But writing doesn't. That's all on the head. (And the heart.) On 5/1/2020 at 7:57 AM, Nick Parker said: The phrase actually refers to the throttle lever of a plane being pushed to its max, "the wall", so the only crudeness you have to worry about is the potential fuel used for the plane. Flying a plane on crude oil? That'd be quite the party trick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joni Wiljami 1,206 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 On 5/2/2020 at 1:15 PM, Pieter Boelen said: How does age have anything to do with the excitement in the compositions? Yes, that whole post was just ridiculous!! BS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAvengerButton 175 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 So, the moment in the film where the heroic fanfare rears its head again during the Speeder Chase...that's not just taken from this wholesale, right? I've seen a few posts on here imply it was a simply copy/paste job but there is something about the instrumentation in the Speeder Chase excerpt that makes me think it's unique. Am I wrong on this or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,287 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, TheAvengerButton said: So, the moment in the film where the heroic fanfare rears its head again during the Speeder Chase...that's not just taken from this wholesale, right? I've seen a few posts on here imply it was a simply copy/paste job but there is something about the instrumentation in the Speeder Chase excerpt that makes me think it's unique. Am I wrong on this or not? Nope, it's literally the same recording but pitch shifted. Further fragments were tracked into the film's climax, again speed/pitch altered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAvengerButton 175 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 I figured there might be some pitch shifting going on, but the overall energy of the orchestra felt...bigger in the Speeder Chase clip if that makes sense. More bombastic. I guess just pitch shifting brought out a little more for me in my ear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,249 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 No I think @TheAvengerButton is correct, @crumbs, and it was an EARLIER version of the Falcon Flight music that was tracked into those scenes, not the film/FYC version. The Nov 11 doc shows that "1M26 Lightspeed Skipping" was tracked into the space battle, but the final revised version of that cue is "1M14 Falcon's Last Flight", which is on the FYC as Falcon Flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,287 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Ah you might be right, I was thinking of the section that follows: 0:00 - 0:10 (potentially an excerpt of 1M26 Lightspeed Skipping) 0:10 - 0:32 (excerpts from 1M14 Falcon's Last Flight) 0:32 - 0:57 (excerpts from 1M4 Through the Jungle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,249 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Sounds right to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,287 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 10 minutes ago, Jay said: Sounds right to me! For curiosity's sake, I made a quick test to see if Falcon Flight could replicate the film section using speed and pitch adjustments. You be the judge Cerebral Cortex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nick Parker 3,040 Posted May 14, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 14, 2020 It's not tracking if it's pitch shifted! John Williams was my hero since childhood; he's a genius and I want to pay him my greatest respect! The singular highlight of my professional life! Cerebral Cortex, Holko and crumbs 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerebral Cortex 3,357 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 On 5/2/2020 at 5:15 AM, Pieter Boelen said: How does age have anything to do with the excitement in the compositions? I've seen that sentiment expressed many many different times. By many different people. And it doesn't make a shred of sense to me. I understand age might have something to do with the conducting. And performing for someone playing an instrument. Those require some form of physical stamina. But writing doesn't. That's all on the head. (And the heart.) Perhaps the energy of the piece isn't the right word in which to describe it. Density, orchestral complexity, etc. When I commented on how stunned I was that an 87-year-old gentleman could write a piece with such energy, it was a commentary not on his physical stamina but on his mental prowess. We have all surely encountered many individuals in their late-80s who have succumbed to a state of severe mental decline that is only natural and to be expected when living to such advanced years. They struggle to string sentences together, have difficulty recalling thoughts, aren't always the best with coming up with new ideas, etc. To write a sprightly piece with this kind of energy and clarity does not, as you say, take immense physical stamina (though I can imagine writing all those notes by hand would be quite taxing). However, it does take a mind capable of deftly formulating and creating new (musical) ideas, while also recalling old ones, and then stringing them together in a way that is logical and coherent. And that is not a mind I normally associate with someone of Williams's age having. Of course, exercising the mind is the best way to prevent one from ever suffering from mental decline in the first place. Once someone retires, you will sometimes begin to observe pretty drastic mental decline in them almost immediately just because of a lack of brain usage. One could argue that Williams with his particular line of work and with him never really ever having been retired puts him in a position atypical to most individuals his age, blah, blah, blah. That he has always continued to use his brain so how could he suffer mental decline, blah, blah, blah. That still makes the achievement of a piece like this no less impressive and it is to the credit of Williams that he has chosen to continue to exercise his brain in challenging new ways such that he is still able to deliver stellar works like this one. And, I mean, have you heard the guy talk? He's 88 and has the mind of a man a third his age. He's truly inspirational in that regard. So, when I marvel that someone of Williams's age is able to provide a piece of this energy, that's more of less my train of thought. Sorry for the poor word choice. 6 hours ago, moi said: Yes, that whole post was just ridiculous!! BS I aim to please. Pieter Boelen and Holko 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,506 Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 Falcon's Flight has already entered the Williams hall of catchy tracks for me. My head plays it sometimes when I am in a hurry. Falstaft and Will 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,249 Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 It's one of my favorite Williams action cues of all time Falstaft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karelm 2,901 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 The fast strings in Falcon Flight here: reminds me of the fast strings in ESB here: What say you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,249 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 On 4/30/2020 at 1:56 PM, Falstaft said: And underneath much of it, a vigorous string ostinato that nods back, intentionally or not (I think intentionally -- it's too on-point!) to Hyperspace from ESB. On 4/30/2020 at 2:11 PM, Holko said: Nice catch! On 4/30/2020 at 3:58 PM, BrotherSound said: Sounds to me like more than just the ostinato nods to Hyperspace: there’s some brass writing here that’s very similar to bits like this, with the same rhythms: On 4/30/2020 at 4:24 PM, Falstaft said: By George, you're right! (This must be the moment you're talking about, right, at 1:44?) karelm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now