Underrated Music in TPM?

It seems a lot of people put down William's score (even in this forum) and say it wasn't up to the usual Star Wars standard. Personally, I rate the scores the same way I rate the films. While TPM wasn't quite as good as ANH or ESB, I thought it was an improvement on ROTJ. I don't understand why TPM's score wasn't nominated for an Oscar. I can't think of five other film scores I even remember from 1999, let alone ones that were better than TPM. Sleepy Hollow was the only other music that sticks in my mind.

Anyway, pretty much everyone loves Duel of the Fates, but here are my favourite overlooked themes in TPM:
The Trade Federation March - not as impressive as the Imp March (what music is?) but I think it gave a good feel of the menace of the TF army (even though the Battle Droids turned out to be a bit crap
Escaping the Naboo Bloackade (sorry, I don't know the real names) - this is a really exciting piece of music, IMO, and was equally effective when it was reused during the end of the podrace.
Anakin's Theme - the only music in TPM that reminded me of one of my fave tracks in the OT, Princess Leia's Theme. I loved the tragic quality to it, and the hints of the Imperial March at the end.
Auggie's Great Municipal Band - I've heard some people say this music was out of place, and didn't seque into the end credits well. I just loved the upbeat tempo of it, and the fact that it had traces of the Emperor's Theme only made it cooler.

TPM was a very good, if not great, score. That's my opinion, but I'm sticking to it.

 

Qui-Gon's theme: ooohh aaahh cellos

 

I think that people have unfairly bashed the TPM score as well as the movie itself.

Both the score and the movie WILL come to gain MUCH more respect once the other two movies are out. Heck, even once Episode II comes out in a year, TPM and its score will go up in many people's eyes.

 

Undoubtedly. I like the music in the bigger fish scene as well. Through the Planet Core.

 

I thought TPM had a really good score. It's just a little different than what we had heard in the OT, mainly because there were a lot of new characters and it was a different time period. That's probably why a lot of people didn't like it as much as the scores for the OT.

 

The more I listen to it, the better it gets.

Right now I like the beginning with Obi / Qui and the Force Theme - and the Droids being lowered to the planet. Cool.

 

mmm, I not so keen on the TPM score but I did like Padme's/Bodyguards theme.

I thought it was interesting that Anakin theme's was more sweeping and 'romantic' like his daughter's theme, whereas Padme's was more heroic like her son's.

Well, I thought it was interesting anyway...

 

I loved the Droids march-truly cool piece of music; even intimidating.

Woohoo-somebody else who likes Passage Through The Planet Core-that is one of the greatest pieces of music from the entire saga I've ever heard.

 

Hmm, i think the style of the Music in Episode I is about the same as the style of the OT music. All the ups and downs in "duell of the fates" remember me to the "Imperial March".

 

I never once thought his TPM music was any less impressive than the OT movies. I guess some people are just impossible to please.

 

I absolutely love TPM's soundtrack; all the pieces everyone has mentioned. I believe it was just as rich and masterful as the OT's soundtracks, and I look forward to seeing how he develops these new themes in Episodes II and III.

 

I honestly think that there was so much more music in TPM than the other films because Williams was shouldering a lot more of the storytelling responsibility. A lot of the forshadowing of the next two episodes comes from the score. The little Imperial March quote when Yoda's talking to Obi-Wan wouldn't mean anything to someone who has never seen the OT, but I have a feeling Williams is going to develop a lot of his cues from the OT throughout the rest of the PT. He really deserves a lot more credit than he's gotten for TPM.

 

I think the reason that some bash the music in TPM is the same reason they bash the fim itself; it is new and different. JW uses a different style in TPM than he did in the OT and I guess that just doesn't suit some people....



Mace Windy,
windier than the windiest wind!

 

I tend to like "cues" more than the actual entire tracks on most of the soundtracks. Three of my favorites are: From ESB, when Luke is dangling from the weather vane and succeeds in contacting Leia using the Force. That variation of the Force theme sends chills up my spine, even after 21 years. From ROTJ, when Vader taunts Luke with the idea of turning Leia to the Dark Side and Luke briefly embraces the Dark Side is also bone chilling. From TPM, when Anakin first ignites the pod racer engines, that cue is filled with so much emotion, that you can almost see his future opening up and taking a different direction.

As for favorite "suites/tracks", Duel of the Fates is superb, as is The Imperial March.

This may actually belong in another topic discussion, but does anyone else think that Anakin's theme from TPM will be made into the love them for Anakin and Padme in Episodes II & III? It is very romantic in tone and would tie the films together nicely.