Is John Williams up to the task?

I like all 6 Star Wars movies.
And in my opinion some of the best SW scores are in PT.

My favorites are:

1. Duel of the fates ( in my opinion the best SW score in all 6 movies )

2. Across the stars

3. Separatist Droid Invasion March

4. Funeral theme

5. Grievous Theme

I really like all of them. John Williams is genius. Star wars without his music is not Star wars.

I also find this constant PT bashing by some people boring.

 

I would not call myself a music critic; I like what I like and I hate what I hate. That said, of the various 'weaknesses' of the Prequels that I personally agree with, John's Williams music score is not on that list. Nowhere near it; in fact I would say that John's score picked up and carried the Prequels at numerous points when the acting and plot bombed out.

I think John is more than up to the task of scoring TFA and the whole ST, should he survive to do so.

 

As long as JW can score to final edits I think it will be great. He likes to watch the film rather than read scripts for inspiration. He has a traditional way of working and I think JJ and team are respecting what that involves.

 

What about the PT soundtracks? They were good in my opinion, by the way I own them and I'am not a PT fan.

I think John Williams is beyond any doubt, I understand that you are worried about his age but I bet 100$ that he will pull off a masterpiece before he retires, maybe he succeeds with the Ep.VII soundtrack already. (try to stay optimistic)

I have to agree that John Williams helped to save the PT movies from a downfall and pulled them with his work above mediocrity to decent ones with flaws.

Star Wars without John Williams will never be the same, Spielberg/Lucas did a lucky find with him.
This was the sound that George Lucas had in mind during the production of Star Wars in 1976/77 and he told John Williams about it.
A great idea and decision:

A question: Does somebody know if Ben Burtt is working on TFA?

Edit: I did a search, yes he is working on TFA great news.
As director you can't get wrong with Williams and Burtt.

 

Funny. I always thought Williams score was the sole positive many people saw (heard) in the PT.

 

i nearly forgot about this .. absolutely stunning!
Fond memories of the planet Lok on Star Wars Galaxies too

 

i agree with you, Duel of the fates is possibly the best part of the PT.

Its not like he will be starting from scratch either. The classic themes will be part of the film to make it more familiar. John Williams designs music to the directors request, and hes dam good at it too. he has so much experience in his years working with music that he shows no sighns of slowing down. you say that his best work is behind him, but did you see his arrangement of the national anthem? he made it his! original yet familiar.

 

John Williams is the most prolific composer for orchestra in all of music. I took a Music in Film class in college, and it was interesting to learn about the composer. He managed to create a new sound while maintaining ties to the OT for the prequel trilogy scores. I love the chorale voices in the Phantom Menace duel.
Let's be real: he's going to knock it out of the park with these new films.
I heard somewhere he was also going to get help creating the new scores, I don't remember where I heard that from though.

 

Is John Williams up to the task?

The answer is simple.

Hell Yeah

 

Honestly, I see John Williams as one of those composers who gets better with age. With each new film score, he learns more and more, evolving and refining his technique.


If one thing is going to be a constant with these new films, it's that Mr. Williams' score will be as beautiful as ever.

 

I'm hoping JJ lets Williams do some out of the box work on ambient parts of the film, like the Mos Eisley Cantina theme.

It was score but it was music within the film.

 

War Horse had a solid score, John is still on the ball. Hopefully we get some memorable and unique sections, and not 2 hours of horn instruments in our faces.. I hope we get more drum and woodwind stuff.

 

If he can perform like that in war horse the TFA should not be any different.

 

Getting back to the original post, I feel as if I'm a little lost at what we want the topic of discussion to be. The thread title asks if he is up to the task: Obviously. He's doing it. But the original argument is based upon his other scores for movies and the idea that they might not be his best work. (And that's totally fine! Nobody is required to like his more recent work.) But I feel like this is comparing apples and oranges. Whether or not his scores before/after Star Wars are his best work, the point at hand is: 1. is he the best option, and 2. can he create a score for the new movie that lives up to the expectations and high acclaim we have come to associate with the franchise?

My biggest issue is: a movie score (especially for a franchise) requires continuity throughout. Yes, it's a new and different movie, but in order for it to feel like a Star Wars movie, you need to expand upon or alter current themes, motifs, melodies, so that they sound new, but are still grounded in the original roots. IF they had chosen a different composer to come in and do the score, that person isn't going to trash the original score and start from scratch. It'd be absurd. Let's be honest, it would cause an outrage. So why bother messing with a good thing?

If most all of us can agree that the scores for Star Wars are overall a herd of beautiful unicorns running through a field of sunflowers, then we can probably expect more or less the same thing for the upcoming film. Composers have music rattling around in their brains like fifteen handfuls of loose change. (I speak from experience, though it's not my forte. Pun intended.) Composing is like wine - it gets better with age - and unlike playing rugby when you're seventy-twelve and have had a hip replacement. ...Three times. You don't get too old for it, or too physically exhausted. Whether or not all your marbles are there, that's another story. But i think Williams is ok in that respect.

To my fellow musicians/music lovers, feel free to agree or disagree with my thoughts and tell me what you think. Just felt like adding the thoughts of a music teacher.

Unrelated: since I'm most unfortunately not in the LSO, who's down for grabbing that new score and jamming? I've got viola covered.

 

It's funny you should mention the possibility of Williams using a guitar in a Star Wars score, because he actually already used an electric guitar in the score for Attack of the Clones, and it sounds awesome!

 

His PT scores were magnificent, to me. I think he's primed to knock it outta the park

 

I honestly believe he will surpass expectations with the score, he put a lot of effort into making The Phantom Menace soundtrack sound like it was an earlier time, before experimenting in places for II and going full out dramatic for III. I'm pretty sure he's had a bunch of ideas bouncing around in the case of them making a third trilogy. It will be really interesting to see how he makes this Star Wars feel futuristic compared to the original trilogy.

Also: the soundtrack for teaser is AMAZING! I get goosebumps every time I hear the score for the lightsaber shot. Not only is the cinematography looking more visceral but the music feels just as raw

 

I have to say that I can't ever recall anyone EVER saying that.

Not only were the scores as awesome as EVER I would argue that they were better than ever. I can just go over cue after cue that is awesome from the PT.

The scores were great and the films were great.

To me not only is ROTS by far the best of the movies but the score is easily the best of the entire saga.