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The Mandalorian The Music of The Mandalorian

Discussion in 'Star Wars TV- Current and Future Shows' started by Darth_Accipiter, Nov 12, 2019.

  1. Darkslayer

    Darkslayer #1 Sabine Wren Fan star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2013
    A) How is the main story of Star Wars "baggage" in any way?
    B) The JW themes have used outside of the saga before - see Rogue One and Solo.
     
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  2. TCF-1138

    TCF-1138 Anthology/Fan Films/NSA Mod & Ewok Enthusiast star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 2002
    The melody at the end (around 04:45) is similar to the main theme from The Battle for Endor. Around 10 seconds in:


    EDIT: That's actually the Caravan of Courage main theme now that I think of it, it was just reused in TBFE.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2019
  3. TheCloneWarsForever

    TheCloneWarsForever Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2018
    The story of TPM->ROTJ isn't this series' story. That's all. I don't remember Rogue One's soundtrack at all and I can't speak as to Solo's use of JW themes but the general use of JW's themes outside the numbered episodes has been a mixed bag. Sometimes it's been done tastefully and appropriately - more times, it's been outright lazy (and some of those lazy instances even extend to reuse of older JW themes in the numbered episodes... the final film version of the ROTJ sailbarge fight being a particularly grating example.)

    I'm pretty agnostic on whether the Force theme would have worked in "The Child." It wouldn't have been inappropriate, and it's not as this show doesn't throw in a lot of legacy iconography and sound already. But as I've said in other posts, the general history of music in Star Wars makes me biased in favor of expanding the soundscape, not retreating to the familiar.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2019
  4. Bor Mullet

    Bor Mullet Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2018
    Because in that scene, we shouldn’t be thinking of the Jedi force users (and the inspiring hopeful force theme) we all know from the saga. We should be thinking about the characters in the scene and what they’re experiencing. And that strange, unfamiliar music we hear during the Yodaling’s force moment perfectly reflected the Mando’s awe and confusion. The hopeful force theme from the saga wouldn’t have fit the scene, as the Mando doesn’t feel hopeful here. He’s simply in awe. That’s what I mean by not introducing baggage from other films. You run the risk of not effectively communicating what this scene is meant to communicate: awe and strangeness, not hope.
     
  5. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 6, 2001
    I never felt the Force theme was hopeful. Think of how it was used in ANH, during the Tales of a Jedi Knight cue. That's not hope, it's mystery. The force theme does not HAVE to be the whole hopeful arrangement used like at the end of ROTS.
     
  6. Bor Mullet

    Bor Mullet Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2018
    It sounded hopeful to me the very first time it was used, though I certainly hear “mystery” in the Tales of a Jedi Knight cue as well. So I hear you there. However, in my view, it’s not mysterious to most viewers anymore. And so I don’t think it would have communicated strangeness in the context of the Yodaling/ mudhorn scene. I certainly wouldn’t have objected to its use in this scene. But I’m glad they didn’t. It also prevents the scene from feeling derivative. It’s its own, strange depiction of the force being used, outside any kind of epic galactic context. It’s just a young child helping a man, with that man being left confounded. That calls for a very different musical cue, IMO.
     
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  7. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 6, 2001
    Personally, I think a truly talented great composer could have done both, used the Force theme and made it mysterious, awesome and strange.
     
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  8. TheCloneWarsForever

    TheCloneWarsForever Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2018
    And yet, the very first Force feat ever seen on screen (Kenobi's talk-your-way-out-of-a-ticket trick) was not heralded by that theme. JW scored it with a weird undertone that mirrored Luke's "Wut?" response. Just saying...
     
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  9. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 6, 2001
    Sure, not every single moment needs to be underscored by a motif or theme. But I strongly feel this one could have been/should have been.
     
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  10. Bor Mullet

    Bor Mullet Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2018
    I don’t think his choice had to do with talent, or a lack thereof. I simply think a decision was made that the show will have its own distinct musical landscape that would be highly-tailored to the events of the episode, as Favreau has confirmed. And in this context, they didn’t see a dramatic rationale for invoking the force theme as deployed in the saga. I like that choice a lot, but understand why others would pine for the force theme. It’s one of the best motifs in film score history.
     
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  11. Darkslayer

    Darkslayer #1 Sabine Wren Fan star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2013
    It's a shared universe, so yes, we absolutely should be thinking about other parts of it. The directors knew we'd be thinking about it too, they never intended this show to be viewed in a vacuum, otherwise why even have baby Yoda in the first place?
     
  12. Bor Mullet

    Bor Mullet Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2018
    I’m all for a shared universe. But we’re talking about music that exists out-of-universe, not in-universe, and whose purpose it is to communicate about a scene to an audience. And in the context of this scene, I consider it far more effective to use the motif Göransson used, than to use the traditional force theme, as it essentially allows us to experience force usage for the first time again. By going with a strange, unfamiliar theme, the Yodaling’s use of the force comes across as new and surprising to the audience, as it does to the Mando. It’s like Tolkien and CS Lewis said about “lifting the veil of the familiar” by dipping familiar elements in new paint. If you are presented with a familiar landscape, but with a green sun above, you are forced to look on that familiar landscape anew. Same here. We are presented with force usage, which is familiar, but it’s dipped in the unfamiliar - a strange new musical cue AND a baby using the force. That fresh depiction of the force being used adds to the scene’s resonance. Which is another reason, among many, for why I consider “The Child” to some of the best Star Wars art out there.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2019
  13. Darth_Accipiter

    Darth_Accipiter Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2015
    "And then Mando... I mean Manco!" (27:08) :D A fun breakdown of one of the irrefutable musical influences for the Mandalorian, The Dollars Trilogy:

    https://www.soundtrackpodcast.com/p...westerns-and-the-man-with-no-name-part-ii.htm

    David W. Collins is a name you should know as a Star Wars enthusiast. If you don't, you don't know what you're missing. Hint: he hosts the stage a lot at Celebration. Yes, that Celebration.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2019
  14. Vorax

    Vorax Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2014
    Only Ennio Morricone can do Ennio Morricone.
     
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  15. Darth Smurf

    Darth Smurf Small, but Lethal star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 22, 2015
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2019
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  16. Bor Mullet

    Bor Mullet Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2018
    True. Which is why Göransson is doing Göransson, and not Morricone.

    Though as with every musician in the history of music, they draw on past influences. Even the very first musician in human history was likely inspired by the bird, the wind, water or human voices. And it’s weird to dismiss someone for drawing inspiration from a master like Morricone. Why not? Especially if you’re doing a straight Star Wars western.
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2019
  17. Aximili86

    Aximili86 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2018
    Inspiration is a good thing. But yeah, Goransson is but a worm beneath Ennio's shoe in the grand cosmic scheme of things.

    That main theme/motif for this is super rad though.
     
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  18. Darkslayer

    Darkslayer #1 Sabine Wren Fan star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2013
    We have seen babies using the Force before:

    [​IMG]

    And in my view, it doesn't resonate at all musically since that moment excised a theme that should have been there for seemingly no reason. I love the show, but the music has been the only glaring weakness so far. It's so disconnected - no one liked it when Marvel didn't tie its themes together (which it started doing recently), so why should this be any different?
     
  19. Bor Mullet

    Bor Mullet Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2018
    We have seen a baby use the force before (well, very few people in the world who have seen or remember that episode of TCW), but it seems the Mando hasn’t. The point is that the force usage should come across as unfamiliar and awe-inspiring in that scene. So going with a different musical cue than the traditional force theme makes a lot of sense. Not sure why I bother going into detail on these issues, though, if you refuse to even engage any of the rationales for different music. And if you’re implying that “nobody” is liking Görannsson’s music, you’re way off base. It’s clearly a massive hit with fans and critics alike. One of the best things about this show.
     
  20. Master Jedi Fixxxer

    Master Jedi Fixxxer Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 20, 2018
    Spirit Of The Woods from Chapter 4 is one of my favorite pieces in the entire show so far, 5 episodes in.

    Btw, I LOVE how after every episode, there is a YouTube playlist with the entire score for each episode. I listen to all of these scores as background when I do work on my computer. Here, I will post the first 5 for easy access, within a spoiler tag so that it's not convoluted:












    I think that my favorites are the ones from Chapters 2 and 4 so far. I love the serenity of Chapter 4 and I love the intensity of Chapter 2.

    Am I the only one who whistles the main theme all the time while on my commute? The melody comes to mind every day. Needless to say that I love the music so far in every single second of the show, and I think it fits perfectly. I don't want the Mandalorian to feel like IV or III or IX. I want it to feel like The Mandalorian.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2019
  21. darkspine10

    darkspine10 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2014
    Question: Is this the first time in Star Wars we've ever got 'full' soundtrack releases for any content? Particularly so soon as well. Like, with TCW or Rebels we never got this kind of comprehensive release. Hell, with all the films bar the OT we never got this comprehensive a release! :p

    I must say it's refreshing to have such a swift distribution for the music, I've never encountered a show that's done this before.
     
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  22. Master Jedi Fixxxer

    Master Jedi Fixxxer Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 20, 2018
    What do you mean? All the films have had releases of Deluxe 2-disc editions of their soundracks.
    Or do you mean free to stream specifically?
    And yes, the way this music is being released on YouTube is amazing, I love it.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2019
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  23. darkspine10

    darkspine10 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2014
    The OT (and TPM I guess) are the only films that actually released all their music (also TLJ since there's the music-only option on the Bluray).

    AOTC, ROTS, TFA, Rogue One, and Solo all have single disc releases only, leaving off a lot of music (TFA and Rogue One had some additional 'For Your Consideration' tracks posted online as well).

    The 2-disc TPM 'Ultimate Edition' is actually a film edit of the score, which is heavily cut up and missing lots of material Williams composed. That's partly why we never got an AOTC or ROTS UE, cause Williams hated the presentation (Compare to the OT or the recent Harry Potter release, which covered all the music Williams wrote for those films, without editing them weirdly).
     
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  24. Master Jedi Fixxxer

    Master Jedi Fixxxer Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 20, 2018
    Look at that, you learn something every day.

    You know you're getting old when you thought you had 2-disc Special Editions of all 3 prequel movies 10 years ago when we still listened to CDs, and they tell you these have never even existed.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2019
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  25. darkspine10

    darkspine10 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2014
    They did release 'remastered' versions of the 6 saga scores recently, but those ended up just being the same single disc releases each film had before (rendering the OT sets delightfully pointless since they already had full 2-disc scores :p).
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2019