Discussion Music in Future Films

I've been wondering about this for a while now, so I thought I'd make a thread.

If the mods or staff feel that this shouldn't be here, please move it to an appropriate spot or close it.

Anyway, my question is: what should the music in subsequent films be like? Should it stick to the style of music of the OT, which was more like John Williams' classic style or should it stick to the "Greek opera" aspect of the PT, which in my opinion, had some of the best music in the entire series of Star Wars films? Or perhaps it should be more like The Mandalorian, which was experimental but also catchy? Maybe bring back the musical composer of Rogue One?

Let's discuss all this and more!

As for me, I hope they take a page out of classical music and how it's performed. Of course, this is a pipe dream of mine, but I hope that they either make it operatic with lots of vocals (PT) or something akin to modern classical, such as this track right here:



^ I feel that this style of music could work well for the more "Western" or "lonely" or "weird" or even "horror" aspects of Star Wars, if they ever decide to go those routes in any capacity.

 

Motley Crue with kazoos.

 

They should do it Fucik style. That would be a great Intro for an opening crawl

 

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that GL planned on scoring SW with classical music themes, but he changed his mind after meeting John Williams. I've often wondered which pieces GL would have chosen. Holst's Mars could work for Vader/The Empire. The throne room medal ceremony might use the last movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony.

 

Ah, you a fellow classical music connoisseur?

 

Yeah, I discovered classical music in the early 80's and have been listening ever since.

 

You had a lucky upbringing, I think.

Anyway, I hope that we do have more piano music in Star Wars, or at least, piano motifs, with sounds that echo this...



(On another note, RIP Reinbert de Leeuw)

Basically, none of the music has to entirely consist of piano music, just motifs here and there.

 

@Bor Mullet God, I hope they one day include music like this in a Star Wars movie or television show or video game. Imagine learning about the mysteries of the Force or perhaps even the Whills. Imagine if Mortis returned and this were the music playing. I could see some people complain that it's not Star Warsy enough, but I don't mind some experimentation in the music for the sake of pushing the series forward. Really, I'm quite liberal-minded when it comes to Star Wars. And this could easily deal with the metaphysics of Star Wars, I feel.

Edit: Sorry to the staff for the double-post...

 

Ehh, really digging that actual trailer, but the music's straight-up lazy 2000s/2010's Zimmer/Remote Control Productions acolyte "wraor wraooowwwrrrr" electro bull****. No thanks.

"Heartbeat simulation via synth and cruddy drumbeat any 12 year old can play" is some low, low bar. Also low.

 

I agree. The Mando proved fans dead wrong about the danger of straying from the Williams-imitation formula, and I hope that lesson is applied to other TV shows and film. Use the kind of music that suits the tone of the story best. Doesn’t all have to be operatic blockbuster, especially as that kind of score has gotten very stale over the past four decades.

 

Psh, the Mando soundtrack's nothin' like Zimmer-crony whop-whoppity-wrawor-wraor. Goransson's way overrated, but at least he's apeing actually talented peeps like Morricone with his Mando stuff.

 

On another note (see what I did there?), I hope that we get more choral music in Star Wars from time to time, such as what you heard in the prequel trilogy as it neared the end, adding on to the Greek tragedy aspect of the PT. And while the PT had its problems, I feel that John Williams using choral music, such as for the Duel of Fates and the birth of Darth Vader, was an inspired choice.



And speaking of choral music, Gustav Holst was an inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien, partly with his own choral music, correct me if I'm wrong:



It would be nice if composers looked to him for inspiration for the up-and-coming Star Wars live-action content, such as this piece right here. Hell, he already inspired John Williams with his The Planets symphonies, so in a way, this would almost be "going back to basics" without necessarily "forcing" the basics at the expense of anything new to the Star Wars musical performances.

 

I'm actually impressed at how modern Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F major sounds. And one can dream that it would be studied in future Star Wars works, besides the obvious Gustav Holst pieces like The Planets suite, which I think lends itself well to fiction, but I think that Ravel's piece here hints at a lot of potential for string instruments used in Star Wars. I always felt that string instrumentation in Star Wars was always underrated whenever it was used as opposed to the more bombastic French horns and woodwind instruments of the original score for the OT.

BTW, would anyone like more operatic music in Star Wars going forward, like the PT?

 

The approach for Star Wars music in the future should be simple: Use music that best fits the story (and be almost completely free in that regard), and don't lean on the Williams-imitation crutch.

 

I would extend that to not using the OT as a crutch as well. It's fine to pay homage to it from time to time and keep some of its elements but this is what arguably held the ST back from its full potential. And I prefer that there be a high level of creative freedom when it comes to doing what one needs to do in order to tell a good story.

Anyway, back to music...

Has anyone listened to this? I suggest that you should. It's only about 9 minutes long.



It could easily be used for a destruction scene or some sort of scene of horror in Star Wars.

@Sarge This is for you as well.

 

I think one-off films can definitely experiment with different kinds of music but I think any new sagas should feature classical scores. As for specific themes, I would keep the Force theme and the Sith theme (for movies that feature Sith like a KOTOR-style saga) but honestly, I'd retire the everything else, including the Main Title theme.

While I do think new episodic sagas should have opening crawls, I think the main Star Wars theme, which was also Luke's theme, should be the theme of the Skywalker Saga and each new saga should have its own main theme.

 

I think Bryan Tyler might be a good choice.

 

I have listened thru all 8 of the Mandalorian Chapter soundtracks several times now. They fill an afternoon of boring work.

Definitely the SW soundtrack I've listened to more than anything else. That awoo awoo gets in my head...

So, yeah, whatever works.
Doesn't have to be Major Key Orchestral.

 

Personally I'd be ok with whatever composer. But I'd prefer to stick with orchestral score. I'd like to keep the Johnny Cash and linkin Park songs out of the film. I'd be okay if they did some theme song by a famous artist that fits the mood, like they did with the LOTR and Hobbit movies. I enjoyed that. But that's it.

I know it sounds cliché, but I really enjoy Michael Giacchino's scores. IMO his work on Rogue One was one of my favorite SW scores!

 

I think I've heard those big drums in every trailer for the past ten years or more. Please stop. Do something else please. I'm not good on classical music but I like Ravel. Much of his work really screams space opera. Fantastical, mysterious, curious, tender and warm.

 

I mostly agree with you to a point, but I did like the creepy background noise to it.

Also, love me some Middle-Eastern music. I feel like they could use these sounds. Maybe give this a listen for 10 minutes or so.

 

Kiner’s scores in the last two episodes of The Clone Wars also demonstrated the creative strength of unshackling Star Wars from the same old orchestral sound. Yes, it was closer to Blade Runner than the scores we’re used to. But it worked. Amazingly well. So much so that the occasional returns back to orchestral felt like drops in quality. Between the SoM music and the Mandalorian soundtrack, the creative dead end of Williams-imitation scores is finally over.

 

One day they might have another crack at doing a love story in space for Star Wars 'done correctly' and do something that's akin to Across the Stars which is one of my favourite scores. Bad dialogue doesn't at all mean the score is bad, very far from it!

 

I was thinking more along the lines of the Picaninny Jug Band.