Star Wars: The Last Jedi score

Need to listen to TLJ score. Any highlights so far?

 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiNVoBckLqLnf2kVzzlrozIKRqXcb6j3J

 

Spoiler

I really like that they reused TFA opening crawl music.. I dunno why.. But that's kinda cool!

 

Very good, as expected, but no BIG HIGHLIGHT for me. Maybe I need to listen more.

 

I have the same complaint, and to make matters worse, TLJ's segue from the Force theme into the end credits was the same exact orchestration as the one from ROTS except more jarring. Hopefully we get something different for IX.

 

The Snoke scene has some interesting work, but there's not much that jumps out like a Duel of Fates or an Imperial March. Lots of quoting going on, and lots of expert juxtaposing and interweaving of various themes, but overall quite a subdued offering from our John.

Also, I'm not sure if it's just the youtubified audio, or a distant recording, but the orchestra seems a bit subdued and unassertive at times. I don't want to rip on it at all, for the movie experience it was perfect, and John Williams on an off day is still John Williams.

 

The Spark is my favorite track.

 

I love The Spark too. Especially its utterly moving cello rendition of an OT theme we don't hear much of.

I wrote some longer thoughts about it on the TLJ spoiler forum:

Spoiler

 

Highlights for me -- The Supremacy, Canto Bight, the Battle of Crait, and The Spark.

Brilliant and I love them. I love the sense of urgency in the main title/escape, supremacy and battle of Crait. I especially love the pensive intro to The Supremacy as it captures Leia's reflection on the current state and losses of the resistance.

The Spark made me cry. For obvious reasons.

 

The Spark was the most memorable and emotion-stirring part of the soundtrack. Canto Bight also stood out, and it was fitting to the scene, a good mix of the cantina-music and a more 1920s prequelish feel. But overall I was pretty disappointed. Re-use of leitmotifs from OT worked really well, especially during Leia scenes, but this soundtrack didn't bring much novelty to the table. It's a far cry from John Williams' work in the previous trilogy, like Across the Stars of Battle of Heroes. Giacchino's Rogue One score had more creativity to it than TLJ. So here's to hoping that JW gifts us with one last big theme in Ep IX.

 

I disagree completely. There are some wonderful new themes, plus he really uses the new themes from TFA in great ways. They evolve, integrate better and weave through existing themes really well. Considering that this is the 8th film in the saga, and the second film in this trilogy, I don't see huge opportunities for new themes left and right. Much of the need for thematic material already has existing themes written for it, so he uses those. As he should. What other characters or situations do you feel need new themes?

 

There weren't a lot a theme-worthy new characters or relationships.

It's a wonderful score. I would say maybe a few Force Theme cues too many, in non-obvious moments.

 

I mean I really think the film needed to end with the Force theme. I just wish Williams had done a new arrangement for that moment, instead of basically Binary Sunset yet again. Make it more innocent and child-like to match the images.

 

Maybe piccolo? It was used again right after the main titles.

 

Recorder might have worked better.

 

I have listened to the soundtrack by itself, and I have seen the film twice.
To me, the standouts are
Fun with Finn and Rose
Canto Bight
I think Rose's theme is probably the best new motif brought into the saga. I don't like how the film ended on The Force Theme (I'm getting so sick of it), and most of the standout music moments were repeats of previous themes.

 

The Canto Bight piece stands out within this selection of tracks, but to me it seems little more than a phoned in variation of the cantina theme.

 

I just spot checked this myself and that's my first impression as well. Like I'm playing a Star Wars game that enters a cantina, but John Williams isn't composing this game's music, so they do what we got with the Canto Bight track.

Soundtracks have always been strange for me in that if they are done well, I almost don't even realize the effect they are having on me until I start humming parts in my head after a dozen or so movie screenings. The soundtrack without the visuals sometimes loses something when it is brand new to you.

 

Here's a bizarre one.

As pointed out on the just released Full of Sith music specials:

http://fullofsith.com/archives/2205

RJ did have a new recording of the Star Wars theme for TLJ that was "warmer" but for whatever reason they replaced it with the TFA one or made a recording so close that it doesn't matter if it's the same one or not.

 

I don't really have an issue with the TFA opening, so it doesn't bother me that it's used again on TLJ...

 

Overall, enjoyable. I was at the IMAX opening of the movie, and it had a little vignette with John Williams at the beginning, and he talked about referencing the original trilogy's leitmotifs, so I knew to keep an ear open. Most of them were very obvious, but a few were more quick and subtle.

Not for nothing, but the First Order theme is starting to grow on me.

 

First order theme?

 

I would guess they mean Kylo Ren's theme.

 

So is "The Spark" (when it climaxes) a bit of a remix of Darth Vader / Imperial march? Cuz it totally sounds like that too me.

 

Star Wars: Episode VIII - John Williams Has Done It Again