Interesting Score Prediction Poll from JWFan.com

Interesting.

Agree with most tbh except I don't think we're getting a Luke and Rey theme. Unless a mash up counts.

 

Unless the Luke and Rey theme is the Jedi Steps theme... "Come on, let's keep a little optimism!"

 

I found a lot of these responses quite surprising, actually.

1. Not sure about the signature new theme, considering how TFA, I would argue, was the strongest OST from Star Wars all around, and so it’s signature piece (Rey’s Theme, I guess?) wasn’t anything nearly as bombastic as signature pieces we had with the prequels.

Rey/Luke seems a fair shout, as does some reworked piece revolving around the Force theme and a First Order/Kylo or First Order/Snoke theme a la Imperial March.

2. I’m confident that all of these themes return to some extent, though I have my most doubts about Jedi Steps’ return (just given how it was seemingly designed specifically to close TFA, though I won’t be surprised if we hear some of it when we’re reintroduced to Rey and Luke on Ahch-To).

3. If Luke and Leia returns anywhere, I think that it’s an end credits send-off to Carrie Fisher. As much as I know John Williams has an affinity for the piece and even worked it into the finale of ROTJ, he’s already used it’s core elsewhere as the theme for Marion in Indiana Jones.

4. For sure there’ll be a choir, but to what extent, I’m not sure. A little more than TFA, a bit less than the prequels and a fair bit more than the originals seems a fair bet.

5. I think we have to hear some great, sweeping, all-encompassing suite with TLJ from Williams after he pulled it off so well with TFA, and did it excellently with ROTS too.

6. I’ve been saying for a while that I feel there would be some suite including Princess Leia’s Theme, Han Solo and The Princess and Luke and Leia, in that order, with Princess Leia’s Theme repeated once again at the end. This is by design: we first see Leia by herself, then she meets Luke, and then she meets Han, and the repetition would be to symbolise Carrie and Leia leaving us.

If we see something like this — I think Williams made a great case for it back at Celebration — I think that it would be exclusive to the film, with the TLJ suite included only on the soundtrack; alternatively, it could be exclusive to the theatrical version of the film, the TLJ suite is included in home release, and we get both on the OST.

7. IIRC, both TFA and ROTS closed out with the Force theme — which was required, really, given the circumstances that close those films — but every other film closed with something introduced in that film. Furthermore — again, IIRC — AOTC and TESB both closed with the love themes that they introduced, so that is a potential shoe-in for TLJ, if we are to get one.

8. Hard one. I think that we have somewhere between 120 and 135 minutes recorded, but of course, not all of that will make it to the OST.

9. Honestly...I’ll be surprised if it’s not in my top three. Taken as a whole, I think TFA and ROTS have the strongest OSTs by far, followed by the OT’s and then by the rest of the PT’s (I’d rank them in that order, actually). John brought a new depth along with him for TFA, so if TLJ’s OST is anything like that, but builds on it the way TESB built on ANH? Man...my ears are drooling, just thinking about hearing it!

 

I've seen a lot of people talk about how deep and cohesive the music in TFA is...Would you mind elaborating? I think it's a great score, and has some brilliant technicalities if you listen for them, but I wouldn't have thought to put it on any kind of pedestal compared to the other scores.

 

I suppose the best way to put it, in regards to cohesiveness, is that it was the most consistent in terms of quality when compared to other scores in the franchise.

In regards to depth, I think that the best way to put it is that many of the pieces have a lot of layers, and substantially more than perhaps any other score in the franchise, considering the musical nods that the pieces make to what’s come before whilst still progressing as their own individual pieces supporting an entire OST.

For instance, Rey’s Theme and one of Kylo’s themes draw from the Force theme, and the former even nods to Jawa Sandcrawler from ANH. These themes even reference each other, and there’s so much more to it.

Perhaps the depth comes as a result of the franchise existing for 40 years and being able to draw upon previous pieces as opposed to inspirations, but it means that it has the advantage over the other scores by having us already have an emotional attachment to those other, earlier pieces. I certainly think that the depth of the score is why so many came out of TFA perplexed by it: there’s just too much to take in visually the first time around, let alone musically, but it still plays on us psychologically, whether we know it or not.

I think that preferences in the music of Star Wars in particular come in a case-by-case basis, even more so than with the actual story content of the films: I must have listened to each OST outside of its inclusion in the movie a few hundred times by now, as opposed to some who may have only heard it the same number of times that they have seen the film.

 

Nice poll for music geeks!

I think the FO theme will be the biggest new theme (or kind of new if the one from TFA will be used - which I hope for). I really doubt there will be a Rey & Luke theme, because we already have plenty of ways they can be referred to in music: Jedi Steps, Rey's theme, the Force theme and even Luke's theme (main title) - I think they all may intertwine during Ahch-To scenes. There's a much bigger chance of a Finn & Rose theme IMO. Personally, I'd love to get an "old Luke" theme, but that's unlikely.

I think it's possible that Luke meeting Leia could be the last scene of the film and in that case there would have to be a big rendition of Luke & Leia theme going straight into the Finale (and at this point we will all cry like little babies ).

As for the choir - this is one of the things I'm curious about the most. TLJ will be very spiritual and epic, so I think it would fit. Fingers crossed.

I think Leia's theme as a tribute to Carrie during credits is a given. IIRC it's also JW's favourite SW theme (which is probably why it was included in the RotS Finale, back when that was supposed to be a goodbye to Star Wars).

Overall I hope it's going to be better than TFA, which I'd probably put in the lower tier of SW scores (RotS is hands down the best with PT music in general edging out OT for me). Now, don't get me wrong, it's still great, but it lacks... something. It sounds as if JW wasn't as into it as in the case of the prequels, where he was ON FIRE. Themes are there (Rey's theme is up there with the best from the whole Saga), but everything in between seems slightly uninspired. The way it was recorded didn't help - freelance LA orchestra is no LSO and the mix is quite weak IMO. I was literally shocked by how little impact the opening fanfare had when I saw TFA for the first time. It sounds soooooo weak... I'm glad that they re-recorded it for TLJ (confirmed by Rian) and I hope for a better result.

 

I'm sorry but i was not overly, bombasticly, impressed with the TFA OST. The last time i saw TFA i focused just on the score over the images.

Now there was a few stadouts like, Rey & Kylo Themes as well as Jedi Steps were good. However other tunes like Finn's Confession or On The Inside......mehhhh.

It's so hard putting what SW OST is the best. However i can easily put TFA at the bottom.

 

Isn't Williams using the same orchestra for TLJ that he used for TFA? I remember reading that he was.

 

The LA something Orchestra? Not as good as the LSO.