Obi-Wan Theme released as a single!

[Jay 37,290]

2 minutes ago, Chewy said:

So this track is just called "Obi" on Qobuz  

 

 

 

Aha, so that's why I couldn't find it!  I kept typing "John Williams Obi-Wan" into the search.  Here it is!
 

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/obi-john-williams/perxq7jduorta

[Brónach 1,301]

1 hour ago, Sergeant said:

 

It is the JWfan.com way, according to some crappy phone recording or midi mock up, these themes are dissed. I hate this forum. Wonderful music.

 

the first time people heard a bit of The Jedi Steps in a tv spot i thought at least the melody was genuine and people called it crappy trailer music

[mrbellamy 6,272]

To be fair they did mess with the arrangement

 

I didn't think it was from the score when I first heard it because it sounded so lousy but my biggest skepticism was people saying it had to be Rey's Theme. I didn't think it had the right feel for a big character theme. 

[Brónach 1,301]

oh yeah i remember at least someone said if was a bad rey's theme

[crocodile 7,984]

Do I love this theme? Not quite sure. I definitely like it more than that theme park thing from a couple of years ago. What I will definitely say is that it perfectly encapsulates the concept behind the show. You get instantly what it evokes and the other themes it echoes. You just get it. And the composition itself is really nice too.

 

Karol

[Faleel 5,340]

46 minutes ago, Brónach said:

 

the first time people heard a bit of The Jedi Steps in a tv spot i thought at least the melody was genuine and people called it crappy trailer music

I knew immediately, because it sounded like Ben Gardner's Boat.

[lairdo 726]

I love it. 

 

That being said, for a classic original trilogy character, the suite feels more akin to the recent sequel suites (not surprising given the time of writing). Yet it does seem to really fit the mood of Obi-Wan at this stage. It's not Old Ben's theme or young Obi-Wan's theme. It's in-between as merited by the time period of the show.

 

And as a standalone and just as music, it just works.

 

I hope to hear this in the concert circuit, perhaps as soon as the June ones in DC and maybe at Tanglewood in August. I am positive it will show up at the Hollywood Bowl in early September. Maybe even La Scala in December.

 

Very glad they officially released it today, and I expect it to also be on the Obi-Wan full soundtrack that will likely drop around the time of the 6th episode on June 23 or 24.

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 hours ago, Tydirium said:

Is nobody going to mention the obvious fact that the ending of this is completely different from the ending of the live performance yesterday? I'm a bit let-down; imo, the live version's ending is better, with the recap of the ostinato figure from the middle...

 

I really miss the piano part from the live version  

[Antonb 118]

can you get this in the uk

[Tom 4,639]

24 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

I really miss the piano part from the live version  

I was wondering about that.  Is the piano in the recorded version, but not nearly as audible, or is it altogher absent?  In any event, if Williams conducts it in concert and/or releases a signature suite, it will likely be the exact version we heard yesterday.  

[Demondm810 399]

THERES THE REAL DEAL 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[Damien F 1,742]

JW writing new Star Wars music 45 years after the original movie is like if John Barry wrote music for Daniel Craig's Bond. As JW fans, we are very lucky!

[Chen G. 3,944]

1 minute ago, Damien F said:

is like if John Barry wrote music for Daniel Craig's Bond.

 

I actually think its much more meaningful because there's some kind of uniting thread to the storytelling and, therefore, to the musical storytelling, which was not the case in the Barry scores.

 

I said it before, stuff like this and Galaxy's Edge is Williams' Siegfried Idyll.

[Damien F 1,742]

1 minute ago, Chen G. said:

 

I actually think its much more meaningful because there's some kind of uniting thread to the storytelling and, therefore, to the musical storytelling, which was not the case in the Barry scores.

 

I said it before, stuff like this and Galaxy's Edge is Williams' Siegfried Idyll.

Yeah, totally, but I was just thinking of the composers' longevity with the franchises after the initial film.

[karelm 2,903]

Did you guys catch that the ostinato at 1:44 is a variation of Battle of the Heroes?  This musical tip of the hat is one of the reasons I adore Johnny so much.  He cares about the narrative and story, he isn't just phoning anything in.  

[Tom 4,639]

I did not catch that, but I think you are spot on.  Beautiful work here by Williams.  

[sulky 6]

It's up now on 7digital Canada too.

 

https://ca.7digital.com/artist/john-williams/release/obi-wan-from-obi-wan-kenobi-21807886

[Nemesis 244]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

 

I really miss the piano part from the live version  

The piano is there but almost inaudible.

[DarthDementous 1,059]

Wait was this done by the LA Orchestra? This sounds quite different to the recordings for the Sequel Trilogy and more in line with how the Prequels sounded

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

16 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

The piano is there but almost inaudible.

 

Yes exactly. Piano is notoriously tricky to mix live, but in a recording it's much easier to get the blend that Williams intended. It's doubling the harp in a subtle arpeggiated figure (and as I said in the other thread, most likely the clarinets as well).

[Falstaft 2,132]

Some more transcribing done -- now in you all convinced me is the proper compound (12/8) meter. Here's roughly the first third of the piece:

 

 

[EDIT: Fixed the first ostinato in light of @Docteur Qui and @Michael G.'s corrections.

 

Not catching a *direct* Battle of the Heroes reference, @karelm, but the main tune itself has more in common with that theme than I realized at first.

 

[Faleel 5,340]

33 minutes ago, DarthDementous said:

Wait was this done by the LA Orchestra? This sounds quite different to the recordings for the Sequel Trilogy and more in line with how the Prequels sounded

I mean, room and mic balance changes the sonics more than the orchestra itself (which is still a factor)

[DarthDementous 1,059]

5 minutes ago, Counterparts said:

I mean, room and mic balance changes the sonics more than the orchestra itself (which is still a factor)

If this is the LA Orchestra then this is definitely testament to that. Either way I really like how the mix sounds and wish all the Sequel films sounded like this, although I suppose this is probably closest to TROS in mixing

[BrotherSound 2,242]

5 hours ago, Tydirium said:

Is nobody going to mention the obvious fact that the ending of this is completely different from the ending of the live performance yesterday? I'm a bit let-down; imo, the live version's ending is better, with the recap of the ostinato figure from the middle...

Good catch! I’d completely missed that change to the ending. So, there’s three distinct versions of this theme’s arrangement: the end credits, the single, and one performed live.

[karelm 2,903]

47 minutes ago, Falstaft said:

Some more transcribing done -- now in you all convinced me is the proper compound (12/8) meter. Here's roughly the first third of the piece:

 

 

Not catching a *direct* Battle of the Heroes reference, @karelm, but the main tune itself has more in common with that theme than I realized at first.

 

It's definitely not direct.  More like how Aniken's theme reference's Imperial March.  There is no doubt there is a connection but it's not a direct quote.  It's a variation.  A nod...a tip of the hat.  I just worked on a suite of themes and had it in my head and heard it, then thought...hey wait...I know that and crossed checked it and confirmed it.

[JohnnyD 1,220]

Thus far, this has been a phenomenal year for the Maestro. I love this.

7 hours ago, May the Force be with You said:

One word: brillant!

John Williams really proved that he's the master

He never needed to prove it. He has always been the master.

 

 

[MikeH 768]

@Falstaft, granted I’m at dinner with friends and a little buzzed, but I’d notate the second note in the ostinato starting at m. 18 as a dotted eighth instead of an eighth + sixteenth rest. Purely from a musician/composer standpoint, it makes the phrase more visually friendly. I’d be inclined to use articulations to denote a shorter duration if that note requires a lighter touch. Someone tell me if I’m wrong. 
 

I listened to a bunch of prequel music before listening to this and I got a lot of Anakin’s Theme vibes in the harmony. Apart from a few sections that sound more like the sequel trilogy, I felt more TPM influences interestingly enough. 

[JohnnyD 1,220]

7 hours ago, BrotherSound said:

So, there’s now John Williams Star Wars music from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s: six different decades!

 

7 hours ago, Jay said:

 

Amazing, innit?

 

This means John Williams gave us new Star Wars music in his 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s!

 

 

The man is 90 years old, and Star Wars was released 45 years ago earlier this week, so he's now life longer since Star Wars was released than he did before it

 

7 hours ago, Jay said:

 

Don't forget Adagio and the ASM versions of Across The Stars and Han Solo and the Princess too (and the 2018 version of Han Solo and the Princess)

 

 

Depending on your point of view, we already got new JW SW music in the 2020s via the new ASM version of Han Solo and the Princess

It is truly special and phenomenal. The entire saga NEEDS remastered and expanded releases.

[Jay 37,290]

It's funny that as time goes on, those original Star Wars scores become a smaller and smaller piece of the whole saga, as he keeps writing more and more for it!

 

He's now contributed music to 6 Disney Star Wars projects

1. Episode 7
2. Solo
3. Episode 8
4. Galaxy's Edge
5. Episode 9
6. Obi-Wan

And skipped on 6 of them

1. Rogue One
2. The Mandalorian
3. The Bad Batch
4. Visions
5. The Book of Boba Fett
6. Andor

There are 6 more coming soon, will he write for any of these?

1. Ashoka
2. The Acolyte
3. Lando
4. Skelton Crew
5. Taika Waititi's film
6. Rogue Squadron / Patty Jenkins film

[MikeH 768]

I think JW feels (rightfully so) protective over characters like Han and Obi which pushes him to be more involved in those projects. Although I don’t want to put my tin-foil hat on… depending on how things went down behind the scenes with Rogue One, I’m sure that also had something to do with JW being more directly involved in these spin-offs.  It seems like his contribution to Obi-Wan was a rather late addition but I’m sure if he’d been involved since the beginning he’d have written a more substantial piece like he did for SOLO. 

[Jay 37,290]

How is his Obi-wan theme less "substantial" than "Adventures of Han"?

[pete 905]

Yeah, the best chances of getting even more Star Wars music is the Lando project since Lando was in the main movies, granted, a minor role compared to Han and Kenobi. But I think they'll let Williams do whatever he wants to given time and energy. "Hey Kathleen, If you want, I could..."  "Yes Yes!"

[MikeH 768]

@Jay Just my opinion, Adventures of Han feels like a fuller musical expression with the contrasting “adventure” A section and the “searching” B section, whereas Obi-Wan seems to occupy just one emotional space. I still love it, though, especially the ostinato which makes the piece for me. 

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I suspect that may also be a result of the timing of both projects; I'm under the impression JW was on board with Solo from the get-go (or at least very early on), compared to Obi-Wan which seemed very last-minute. It's fun to speculate if he'd have written more music for Obi if he was involved from the start.

 

Either way, I'm so happy we get to hear new JW music for this show. It feels a bit like getting Jerry Goldsmith to write the Voyager theme. I'd be very happy if they keep asking him to churn these themes out and he does them, though as others have noted it's unlikely given that the reason he said yes to this and Solo is his affinity for the legacy characters. Holding out hope for Lando though! And who knows, he could be pushing 100 when Daisy relents and says yes to a limited series with Rey post-Rise, lol.

[Jay 37,290]

I actually wonder if JW even watched any footage from the Obi-Wan show, or if he was just told about the places they were taking the character he had already scored and went with that

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I suspect they may have showed him the pilot, or at least scenes, given the theme's prominence almost verbatim in that episode. The real question is if Holt's music was already there or if they'd tracked music in.

[MikeH 768]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

I actually wonder if JW even watched any footage from the Obi-Wan show, or if he was just told about the places they were taking the character he had already scored and went with that

Similarly, I wonder if all of this was a result of JW coming in at the last minute saying, “I want to write a Kenobi theme” vs Lucasfilm coming to him saying, “Can you write us a Kenobi theme?”  
 

And not to open a can of worms, but re: Holt’s interview where she said the director pushed her to go more modern and away from being “old-fashioned”, this “old-fashioned” piece by JW is obviously now the showpiece for the entire show. If you’re making a show that sits squarely between Episode III and Episode IV, why significantly change the musical direction? If you’re keeping continuity visually and storytelling-wise, why not keep the music in the same language?

[MikeH 768]

4 hours ago, Damien F said:

JW writing new Star Wars music 45 years after the original movie is like if John Barry wrote music for Daniel Craig's Bond. As JW fans, we are very lucky!

For me, every score JW has written since WAR HORSE has been a victory lap. We lost Goldsmith at 75, Barry at 77, Horner at 61, it’s been a blessing that JW has been able to continue as long as he has. 

[JohnTheBaptist 57]

Wasn't there just an article saying he composed an entire suite? Where's the rest of it?

[Dr. Know 326]

By “suite” I assume they just mean the 4 minute concert piece.  The Galaxy’s Edge piece was also called a “symphonic suite” even though it was short.

[JohnTheBaptist 57]

I don't really get why they drew a distinction between suite and theme then. The single is labeled as a theme.

[artguy360 1,843]

I don't think the word suite was used in any official way. I believe Holt said suite when she referred to what JW recorded. I assume she was referring to the theme and a series of variations he composed. I think JW did something similar for Solo. He wrote a theme and several cues to show how the theme could be used in the film.

[Fabulin 3,510]

5 hours ago, MikeH said:

@Falstaft, granted I’m at dinner with friends and a little buzzed, but I’d notate the second note in the ostinato starting at m. 18 as a dotted eighth instead of an eighth + sixteenth rest. Purely from a musician/composer standpoint, it makes the phrase more visually friendly. I’d be inclined to use articulations to denote a shorter duration if that note requires a lighter touch. Someone tell me if I’m wrong. 

I think they are equivalent, but I am not sure about making a note longer (dotted) only to add an articulation that makes it shorter again. It might depend on what a particular musician is used to reading. I've seen many scores with such pauses within rhythmic groups, but of course incidence per se has no bearing on whether this is the optimal way to notate. Anyway, at least I am GLAD they are not dotted notes within triplets 

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

3 hours ago, JohnTheBaptist said:

I don't really get why they drew a distinction between suite and theme then. The single is labeled as a theme.

A theme is a single melodic idea. Most arrangements of Williams “themes” are suites, featuring multiple renditions and variations on that theme.

[michael_grig 464]

8 hours ago, Falstaft said:

@Falstaft, I would notate the ostianote from bar 18 more like this, just from hearing it. How do the others here hear it?

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I definitely hear it as @Falstaft has transcribed; the half step in the pickup to the next beat is clearly audible.

 

EDIT: My mistake! Both @Falstaft and @Michael G. transcription’s are slightly off. The notes in the ostinato are as follows: C Ab G Eb C G (arpeggiated continuously down).

[michael_grig 464]

Huh! I have also speculated about whether an Eb is in it! In the meantime, I have heard it so often that I can no longer classify it clearly.

 

I think your version @Docteur Qui is correct.

 

3 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

C Ab G Eb C G

 

Like this?

 

 

 

Other topic: Changes between original version and Star Wars Celebration Version

 

I: In the newer version, there is a pitched percussion instrument (vibraphone??) that plays a C at the beginning.

 

II: JW changed the final chord before the C major ending from Ab major to C minor to make it more dramatic (he also changed the rhythm of the brass there from a variation (?) of the first ostianto to the second Ostinato (see @Falstaft's transcription)

 (3:50)

 changed to

(6:45)

[Falstaft 2,132]

3 hours ago, Docteur Qui said:

EDIT: My mistake! Both @Falstaft and @Michael G. transcription’s are slightly off. The notes in the ostinato are as follows: C Ab G Eb C G (arpeggiated continuously down).

 

Right you are! Sloppy of me!

[BB-8 3,461]

Amazing he didn't leak in Vienna and told us about starting work on Indy 5 instead.

[BrotherSound 2,242]

2 hours ago, Michael G. said:

I: In the newer version, there is a pitched percussion instrument (vibraphone??) that plays a C at the beginning.

Yep, that’s definitely vibraphone.