I just purchased it on iTunes.

 

I only listen to the Main Titles, the concert arrangements and the End Titles for new Star Wars films before I see them. My thoughts after a few listens of those 4 tracks:

1. Fanfare and Prologue - Stupid name, why can't we be consistent? To my ears, a very nice rendition of the main titles, followed by good, somewhat involved segue into the "prologue" section I guess. Also, love the use of

Spoiler

the Emperor's Theme

at the end.

2. The Rise of Skywalker - Nice new theme. Mellow. I think it will grow on me.

3. Anthem of Evil - Also a nice, sparse new theme. Darker, hints at evil for sure. I think it will also grow on me.

4. Finale - Absolutely the worst track of the four. There's no flow to the end titles! It's like they mashed together the themes without a nice transitional flow between them. The

Spoiler

Imperial March

seems totally spliced in. Then the last 4 minutes or so is just all rehash, and again something is just spliced in and feels like it doesn't flow. Very disappointed. Expected more from the very last Star Wars Saga end titles ever.

 

Also just noticed:

Spoiler

Palpatine's Seduction motif from ROTS

at 2:42 on the Fanfare and Prologue track.

 

They were never going to beat this:

 

Is that the full thing with all the tacked on themes? That's not the real end credits. And frankly, ROTS isn't even the best end credits of the PT, let alone the whole saga. That goes to TESB in my opinion.

 

Sure; no one expected those. But Duel of the Fates? Battle of the Heroes?

I mean, what is the point of even saying "the score will include every theme you've ever heard" if it's just those recurring themes that are totally expected, like Rey's, Binary Sunset, the Emperor's etc.?

They may as well have said "Ep IX will include AN EPIC LIGHTSABER DUEL WITH 100 JEDIS" and then it's just Rey vs Kylo. But it was an hyperbole, so it's okay.

 

I’m disappointed with this soundtrack. I thought we were promised duel of the fates and more. I hate it when trailers are misleading.

... and I haven’t heard a single memorable new track.

 

Listened to the soundtrack once all the way through. Enjoyed it, but want to give it several more listens before I say much more. There are some interesting things going on thematically though.

 

Agreed with those who dislike the end credits -- it's 99% music we've already heard, and not even arranged well. Sigh. I knew we'd end up with another binary sunset orchestration to end the saga.

 

I am almost okay with the Binary Sunset/Force Theme ending for this one... It just reinforces that we should not have had it for every other film too. TLJ and Rogue One especially should not have used it. And I would even be fine with TLJ using the Force theme cuz of the little kid using the Force, but do a different arrangement. Anything but the same solo french horn swelling to the full orchestra thing.

 

Yeah, but honestly, it's hard to imagine how the endings of TFA and TLJ could've been scored avoiding the Binary Sunset version of the Force theme....

There's a clear difference between the three similar endings of the ST (which lead to three similar versions of Binary Sunset), and way every film had a different kind of ending in both the OT and the PT.

 

I think it's quite easy to imagine a different version of the Force theme for the ending of TLJ. Something more innocent and child-like. Perhaps a solo recorder? A violin solo? An English horn? A solo piano? And then a different swell into the full orchestra to match the "outtro" of the End Titles? Think about the Force theme in TPM when Anakin is saying goodbye to Shmi and walks away as the Force theme swells. Totally different than Binary Sunset.

 

There was a lot more in the film than what was on the soundtrack. Definitely references and even quotes from each trilogy.

 

Does anyone know if the UK will get the digipak version of this on CD? I've got the first 2 like this and really want to complete the set but the only version my local HMV had in stock was the standard jewel case.

 

Damn it, I want complete scores officially released for everything since TPM!

 

I thought the score was great! A surprising amount of new material, especially after the disjointed and temp-track heavy TLJ (the director was solely to blame there). There are so many great one-off motifs.

The "friendship theme" heard in "The Rise of Skywalker" is a great addition to the Star Wars pantheon - a bittersweet goodbye to the franchise and a celebration of its core themes.

There are also some really fantastic renditions of the old themes, particularly Leia's theme and Star Wars.

The choral work is fantastic too. The choral element was hinted at in the last two scores and this is the payoff. Fantastic choral backing all throughout for the old and new themes.

I'd still say TFA is still the best ST score on the whole but TRoS has vibranter highlights and more in-film chills.

 

I was just about to ask the same thing. I was actually really disappointed this morning when a jewel case arrived. My last two were digi-pack and so much nicer.
I haven't heard it all the way through yet, but aside from the TROS track there's no new themes that jump out yet.

 

In all honesty, I was a bit disappointed with the score to TROS. Most of it was the standard satisfying John Williams fare: a lot of signposting, some interesting work done with the themes... but it lacked the emotional punch for me that the TLJ score had.
One of my absolute favourite parts of all the Star Wars scores is the accompaniment to Luke's return at the end of TLJ. The bittersweet Luke/Leia theme as he shows up in the control room on Crait, the march-like accompaniment as he walks out to meet Kylo and the glorious, broad strings and choir as it's revealed that he's nothing but a Force Projection and is still sitting on Ahch-To. It's terrifying and huge and beautiful and just an emotional gut-punch. I've not heard John Williams incorporate such weight non-thematic parts of his Star Wars scores before. It's an absolute masterpiece.

I was expecting something similar, or even grander at the end of TROS, and ultimately the score just fell flat for me. I'd go so far as to say that certain emotional parts of the film (Kylo's conversation with Han, Leia's death, the final confrontation with Palpatine, Ben's death) would have made me a lot more emotional had the score only been stronger.

But at the end of the day, we're tremendously lucky to have JW still around to score the end of the Skywalker saga. I'm so grateful. What a masterwork.

This film has also given me a few things to think about and a few things in the score to pick apart so yeah, not gonna grumble too much

 

My first time here, here is a challenge, I do this in the shower of all places, I hum the theme music from the OT, but... can anyone hum along with a main theme in RoS? or any of the "new music" from the movie? maybe, incorporating the old themes? I cannot go through any of the music from any of the Sequel movies. I find it choppy.

 

No doubt that TFA has the strongest score in terms of new themes in the ST; Rey's theme alone is a stone cold classic with the peak of Williams' SW work; but Kylo's motif, March of the Resistance, Poe's (sadly underused) theme.... lots of other great ones too. Many of which are developed and used in great new ways here of course; I particularly love the more melancholy Kylo motif and some epic versions of Rey's theme.

 

I can already hum the new evil theme. Was doing it yesterday whilst shopping.

 

Oh right, Poe had a theme... That wasn't in TLJ and TROS was it.

 

It is very briefly in TLJ at the very very start (and possibly in a more understated form at the very end IIRC?) but I don't think it's in TROS, no.

 

Yeah. That would be nice.