St. Lou, MO A Galaxy of Music-The Star Wars Soundtracks

For me, the highlight of the Star Wars movies, besides the actual pictures themselves, is the score. From the booming main title, to the haunting final strands of "Imperial March" in ROTJ when Anakin dies, the music has always set the mood of Star Wars extremely well. Also, in the last few days, details about the ROTS soundtrack have been coming out as well. So here's our own little music room, to discuss the music from a Galaxy Far Far Away that can transport us there in one strand of music. Bear in mind, ROTS soundtrack material can be discussed, but black it out if it is at all spoiler material. And have fun.

First topic: Favorite prequel song? Mine would have to be "Duel of the Fates." Just have an epic quality to it that is awesome.

 

"Duel of the Fates" is really good, but my favorite parts of the PT music is when you hear little themes from the OT. The Imperial March with Anakin, stuff like that. I don't know that there is one piece that I like more than the others though.

Music has made the movies. With out it the whole epic feel would be far less.

 

...but my favorite parts of the PT music is when you hear little themes from the OT.

That's the leitmotif that he uses so much in these movies. It makes all the music "fit together" and associates certain pieces (or sections of pieces) with certain characters. I love John Williams!!!!

I don't have AotC, but I have to agree that Duel of the Fates is the best off TPM.

 

If you listen on the AOTC soundtrack to "Confrontation w/ Dooku and Love Theme," once you get to the 10:15 mark, you can hear "Across the Stars" blend into the "Imperial March." I hear that that particular moment will be brought into play in ROTS.

 

Ever notice the track Augie's Great Municipal Band is the Emperor's theme, but in a happier pitch?

My favorite track ever next to the Imperial March and Main Theme is Duel of the Fates.

There's a really cool track out there on the net that blends the Imperial March and Duel of the Fates into one song. Very awesome.

The SW soundtracks are my favorite thing to listen to. It's sad that ROTS will be the last SW soundtrack done by John Williams, I'll miss his music.

I think the ROTS soundtrack will be great. Dark music, more to put in my future swordfighting mix CDs. What I really want though is when Darth Vader rises up from the table, I want a HEAVY-DUTY, stronger than ever, Imperial March track.

I can't wait for this. I haven't anticipated a CD like this ever.

 

Taken from the TFN main page...

Composer John Williams has written over 40 distinct cues for the Episode III score, to be performed over the next few days by the London Symphony Orchestra. The recording order is delineated on an oversized printout, marking the title of the cue and the reel where it resides. These titles are more for internal use -- they rarely ever make it to the liner notes of soundtrack albums since these cues are often combined and edited to make playable tracks. My guess is that cues like "Boys Into Battle" and "Palpatine's TV Set" will likely get renamed before readied for public consumption ...

Today starts with "Padmé's Visit," the music that accompanies a tense and dramatic encounter between Anakin and Padmé. The young lovers have shed the starry-eyed innocence of Episode II, worn down by witnessing years of warfare and deception

The next cue jumps to the early moments of film, to the first lightsaber duel in a movie packed with many. It's the three-way rematch that sees Anakin and Obi-Wan once again square off against Count Dooku. The frenetic on-screen action is accompanied by aggressive combat music devoid of any familiar character-based themes ...

The next selection for the day is "Palpatine's Seduction." Even in the heavily soundproofed confines of the control room, I can still feel the low vibrations. The music covers a conversation between Anakin and Palpatine within the Chancellor's office. We in the control room hear none of the dialogue ...

Next up is "Heroes Collide," the much anticipated start to the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin. A new theme, carried mostly by the brass section, follows the two Jedi as their duel takes them from an outside landing platform to the inside of an industrial facility ...

Some of the other titles listed are:

- Fighting with Grievous
- Plans for the Twins
- Good Guys Arrive
- Moving Things Along
- Palpatines Big Pitch
- Scenes and Dreams
- Riding The Lizard
- A Moody Trip
- Yoda's To Exile

With each Star Wars film, composer John Williams has selected a particular composition to stand apart. It's removed from the context of the film, and generally has its start or end reworked so that it becomes a standalone musical piece. In the past, these have become singles on the soundtrack, concert suites or music videos. Examples include "Main Title," "Darth Vader's Theme (Imperial March)," "The Forest Battle," "Duel of the Fates," and "Across the Stars."

For Episode III, a dramatic cue from the sixth reel gets that treatment. Called "Revenge of the Sith" -- or less colorfully, 6M9 -- it appears in the film during the thick of the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker. The first half of the second day of scoring sessions consists of capturing this piece for both inclusion in the film, and as a modified version for the soundtrack release.

In the end, it will include moments of heavy percussion, as well as the emotional sweep provided by a choir. These elements will be layered in later -- today, it's the orchestral foundation that's recorded. The music carries a nine-note sentence that is a new theme that carries throughout the duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan, memorable enough that I find myself whistling it later in the day.

AAAAAAHHH!!! I can't wait!!

 

Ever notice the track Augie's Great Municipal Band is the Emperor's theme, but in a happier pitch?

Which track are you calling "the Emperor's Theme"? I wanted to compare the two, but I'm not finding an Emperor's Theme.....

 

That is the RotJ low pitch male vocal theme, the one that sounds like a dirge. It's way cool how they connected the two songs; too bad more people will never know that.
I'm a DOTF girl, but I never heard the lost tracks from AOTC.

 

The thing about AOTC is that Ben Burtt drowned out much of the soundtrack in the film with sound effects. It was sad to hear the excellent track covered up.

 

I really, really, really would like to find that music in ROTJ when Luke and Vader duel their final round....that choir in the background is amazing.

 

My favorite music in all of Star Wars is definitely the underlying theme that plays during Shmi's "funeral." Two notes in that piece haunted me for months, but I couldn't find where they came from. Finally watching AotC and seeing it made me happier than I've been in a long time.

P.S.: Good observation on that "Emperor's theme, Augie's etc etc." I love hearing stuff like that. Like, when the Naboo Starfighters attack the Droid Control Ship in tPM, you hear a really fast trumpet sorta dealie. It's the Imperial March sped up soopa-fly.

 

My favorite music in all of Star Wars is definitely the underlying theme that plays during Shmi's "funeral."

Shame that never made it to the AOTC soundtrack CD...

Like, when the Naboo Starfighters attack the Droid Control Ship in tPM, you hear a really fast trumpet sorta dealie. It's the Imperial March sped up soopa-fly.

Yep. You have to keep a good ear out for stuff like that. Like in Anakin's Theme in the TPM soundtrack, towards the very end of the song you hear very softly the Imperial March. Very cool.

 

Leitmotif rocks!

 

Um... What's Leitmotif?

 

PAT: I really, really, really would like to find that music in ROTJ when Luke and Vader duel their final round....that choir in the background is amazing.

Is that added to the DVD? I don't seem to remember it in the original.

P.S.:
LEITMOTIF:
A melodic passage or phrase, especially in Wagnerian opera, associated with a specific character, situation, or element.

 

Ah, ok.

I have the track that has the Final Duel between Vader and Skywalker, I got it with my boxed-set of SW soundtracks. 4 CDs... Don't think they sell it anymore.

 

I was just watching RotJ today and was too lazy to turn it off during the credits, so I disovered that that music sounds good. Ewok theme rocks. There's something about the credit music in RotJ. I liken it to the end of "Into the West". When you hear it, you know that it's over, that something's ended, but you know it will never really end. When the notes pick up, you know that the story must go on, but you don't know or care how or why.

Wow. Music does that to me.

I just hope the RotS soundtrack does that.

 

The music from the new trailer is spot on, to make it seem even more dramatic and epic. I love how they used the Emperor's death scene music when Palpatine calls out the Jedi.

 

Can't wait to see that trailer. Sounds WAY too good.

 

Do ya think there will be another piece of music that the play the h*ll out of this time, like that "On the Conveyor belt" piece that they played in every tv spot?

 

What do you mean? I don't remember a piece like that? I couold have missed it for E2 though, I left the country right after it came out.

 

Do you mean in ads and such?

Doubt it, they will just probably play what they have now in the two trailers, or the Imperial March.

 

Dajuan, watch the character campaign TV spots on the AotC DVD and you'll notice the same music in each one. "On the Conveyor Belt" was the track that music is contained in, but it's a bonus track only on Wal-Mart bought Soundtracks.

 

Actually you could only buy the CD with that track at Target, but who really cares, right?

 

Now let's not argue...

Just kidding. But really, don't argue.