Revenge Of The Sith Score Discussion **Official Thread**

I think John Williams did an incredible job, as usual. I was very pleased to here many motifs from prior movies, and even more excited to have some of the original themes brought back (Luke and Leia babies). As a musician I've always believed that there wasn't one good movie that didn't have a soundtrack to match, and I think everyone would agree that John Williams plays a critical role in the success of all the star wars films. His music is genious and unfaltured, and I was happy to hear this in the final installment, ROTS.

 

What part do you like, "Anakin's Betrayal," or the tracked music?

All of it, to tell you the truth. I think unlike in AOTC, the tracked music here actually sounded good. I just really can't see the Imperial March playing during this sequence for some reason.

 

FYI, there's a great article in the New York Times today about John Williams' score--they say that he's being taken for granted, and that it's his music that carries the whole thing.

 

While I wouldn't say that the score "carries the whole thing", I agree that the general public underestimates the power and impact of Williams' score.

 

Williams best score of the prequels. Maybe one of the best of the saga.

Battle of the Heroes, Padme's Ruminations, and Palpatine's teachings...all well done.

Top notch score.

 

I think unlike in AOTC, the tracked music here actually sounded good. I just really can't see the Imperial March playing during this sequence for some reason.

I agree that some of the tracked music did some good, like the DOTF. BUT as for the Temple sequence as being such an important part in the movie, shouldn't they use something else? I mean seriously The Arena piece that was used was written for the actual battle in the Arena, not for the slaughtering in the temple. And I personally think it doesn't fit. Anything new would have been much better.

 

FYI, there's a great article in the New York Times today about John Williams' score--they say that he's being taken for granted, and that it's his music that carries the whole thing.


I think that John Williams was one of the biggest, if not THE reason Star Wars has become the phenomenon it has.

 

But since The Arena was barely used in AotC, at least it's not reused. I think it worked very well, because I really love how those scenes turned out. Also, they're marching and Arena has a marching quality to it.

 

Does anyone have a link where I could hear the soundtrack?

 

Did anyone notice that track 1 does not match the movie? The way it has the faster-than-usual transition from the text crawl to the opening scene is not in the movie. I was a little surprised the soundtrack did not match the movie completely.

 

The ROTS cues as recorded:

1M1 - Fox Fanfare (ESB recording?)
1M2 - Star Wars Main Title (TPM recording)
1M3 - Boys Into Battle
1M4 - They're Coming Around
1M4a- Get 'Em, R2
1M5 - The Elevator Scene
1M6 - Count Dooku's Entrance
1M7 - The Death of Dooku
1M8 - Escape From Naboo (tracked from TPM)
2M1 - no title (Grievous & The Droids?)
2M2 - Battleship Destroyed (tracked from TPM)
2M3 - Another Happy Landing
2M4 - Revisiting Padme
2M5 - Grievous Travels To Palpatine
2M6 - Scenes And Dreams
2M7 - Be Careful Of Your Friend
3M1 - Council Meeting
3M2 - Hold Me
3M2a- Palpatine's TV Set
3M3 - Palpatine's Big Pitch
3M4 - The Arena (tracked from AOTC)
The Senate (tracked from TPM)
The Big Army/The Armies Face Off/Laser Fight March (tracked from TPM)
3M5 - Good-Bye, Old Friend
3M6 - Going To Utapau
3M7 - Riding The Lizard
3M8 - Obi-Wan Fights Droids
4M1x- Drawing Swords
4M1a- Good Guys Arrive
4M2 - Ambush On Coruscant (tracked from AOTC)
The Senate (tracked from TPM)
4M3 - Palpatine's Seduction
4M4 - Rolling With Grievous
4M4a- Fighting With Grievous
4M5 - Dialogue With Mace
4M5a- Padme's Ruminations
4M6 - I Am The Senate
5M1 - Palpatine Instructs Anakin
5M2 - The Arena (tracked from AOTC)
5M3 - Lament
5M3a- Bail's Escape
5M4 - Swimming, Droids, and Yoda Farewell
5M5 - News Of The Attack
5M6 - Moving Things Along
5M7 - Anakin's Dark Deeds
6M1 - It Can't Be
6M2 - A Moody Trip
6M3 - Padme's Visit
6M4 - Heroes Collide
6M5 - Duel Of The Fates (new choir, TPM OS orchestra track)
6M6 - Yoda Falls
6M7 - The Boys Continue
6M8 - Yoda To Exile
6M9 - Revenge Of The Sith
7M1 - The Immolation Scene
7M2 - Anakin Crawling
7M3 - The Birth Of The Twins
7M4 - The Death Of Padme
7M5 - Plans For The Twins
7M6 - Padme's Funeral
7M7 - A Home For The Twins
7M8 - End Credits
0M0 - Revenge Of The Sith ("Battle Of The Heroes" DVD version)

 

Did anyone notice that track 1 does not match the movie? The way it has the faster-than-usual transition from the text crawl to the opening scene is not in the movie. I was a little surprised the soundtrack did not match the movie completely.

Track 1 on the TPM and AOTC OST CDs did not match the movies either. We've never gotten the actual film opening music on any of the PT OST CDs. Why would ROTS be any different?

 

Although at least th emusic was from the same part of the movie this time. I don't understand why they wouldn't just give us the movie version. I'm tired of jumping through their hoops and waiting for UEs that will never come.

 

Everbody was so worried about the "Riding the Lizard" track....it turned out to be great, lol.

 

Why isn't the "Anakin Crawling" one on soundtrack?
It's the most emotional moment ever !
I want to listen to it!
:S

 

Just from the soundtrack...

Battle of the Heros is one that really works best after you've seen Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting The Duel. I liked it beforehand, but it really gains a lot of power when you can see them whirling away in your mind's eye.

Anakin's Betrayal is awesome stuff, so sad and a large part of the success of the Order 66 sequence. Great build on that one. I always hear this when I think of the death of the Jedi, particularly Ki-Adi on that bridge on Mygeeto.

Padme's Ruminations, well, I was stunned hearing it on my first viewing of the film as it was. I couldn't wait to hear it again, and I love it. Very non-SW kind of music, but hugely powerful and eerie.

Anakin vs Obi-Wan is good for the actual Battle of the Heroes lead-in when they start fighting. A nice frantic version of it, interrupted by the heavy version of the Imperial Theme for Yoda and Sidious (no DOTF on it though, shame).

I'll be honest, I find it tough to listen to The Immolation Scene sometimes...it's a great piece of music, but at a moment of huge emotion and tragedy. I can see Obi-Wan staring at this screaming limbless thing that used to be his Padawan on the banks of Mustafar and wondering where he went wrong. The little musical stingers in the piece as Anakin burns really send chills down my back.

The Birth of the Twins/Padme's destiny uses Qui-Gon's death music, which is fine with me because I liked it there. Now, it'll be linked to Padme and Anakin as well.

A New Hope/End Credits have that classic rendition of the Force theme, beautiful and stirring. Great way to finish.

 

Although at least th emusic was from the same part of the movie this time. I don't understand why they wouldn't just give us the movie version.

Because the movie version was "composed" by a sound engineer?

 

Where in the film was "The Immolation Scene" used? I missed it.

 

It was used after The Duel, while Anakin was burning etc.


ttbk

 

OK, thanks. I had thought it was used during Order 66, but that was Anakin's Betrayal.

 

This might have been mentioned already, but I thought the latter half of "Anakin's Dark Deeds" brought so much emotion to Obi-Wan and Padme's meeting before the trip to Mustafar. What a powerful scene and this piece only made it better. It really builds up right when Obi-Wan says, "Anakin's the father isn't he?... I'm so sorry."

 

Because the movie version was "composed" by a sound engineer?

So you actually prefer the soundtrack version instead of the cool war drums transition in the film?

 

So we know for sure DOTF was using a new choir? Thanks for the info.

That reminds me, which cues unreleased do you guys want the most? I thought about posting this in the complete score discussion thread, but most spend time discussing the merits of TPM: UE in there.

One is the extra florish towards the end of Anakin's Dark Deeds. I'm not sure why the OST didn't have it, since it's just a few more seconds on the same cue. My other choice is also an extension of an existing cue on the CD. Towards the end of constructing helmet Vader, Williams has the Qui Gon Funeral material merging with a few notes of the Imperial March, and it's just a wonderful moment.

 

I really want the instrumental version of Qui-Gon's funeral that is merged with the Imperial march at the end of the film. Great, intelligent scoring. Possibly the best thought out cue in the film.

I also noticed Anakin's theme just after the first dream with some dissonant chords behind it. The melody is unchanged, but the chords are warped.

Does anyone else think that Anakin's turn would have been so much more powerful with a score in the background? When he is standing with Mace and Palps there is no score which left me feeling underwhelmed by this scene. I believe music kicks in when he attacks mace but i feel it would have been much better had we had a real epic cue in the background, ala the intense choir when palps is frying luke in ROTJ.

 

Sort of like in ROTJ, where the music swells as he decides to turn on the Emperor to save Luke? I can agree with that.