I hope that by now many of you have seen the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens. I've gone to see it twice (seriously, if you haven't seen it yet–go.), and I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the score. Having grown up with Star Wars, I will fully admit that the first time I saw the new movie I wasn't paying attention to anything beyond continuing to breathe. However, by the second viewing, some of the details do start to sink in. The score for these movies has long been one of the highlights of these movies for me ("Duel of the Fates" is probably the only redeeming moment in all of The Phantom Menace). John Williams wrote most of the music for all six Star Wars movies up until now, and episode seven does not disappoint. From the moment the iconic main title opens (subtly changed but still very much Star Wars) to the end credits, the music keeps you on the edge of your seat. Williams has carefully recycled some of the old themes at key moments throughout the film (which I won't share–spoilers!), but has also written a good amount of new music. The new characters that we are introduced to get their own themes, which are as refreshing as the characters themselves (the main character is a woman! we have people of color! yay!).
Not too shabby for a guy who is celebrating his 84th birthday in February, eh? Of course, it's worth noting Williams had some help. Lin Manuel Miranda, the man behind the music of Hamilton contributed the new "cantina" music, which is predictably wonderful.
An incomplete version of the score can be found for free on YouTube as well as several music streaming services, but for the full effect, you really need to see the movie.
And, for those of you who aren't up-to-date on your Star Wars, here's a quick way to catch up AND make your eyes bleed (fun for the whole family): https://youtu.be/oBQVvEMc-VQ
Did you know that Steven Spielberg introduced George Lucas to John Williams? Williams and Spielberg have worked together for 40 years. Their work includes Lincoln, the Indiana Jones series, Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List and many more. Williams has had a pretty amazing career. He has several Oscars and has been nominated for BAFTAs (British Oscars), Grammy’s and Golden Globe Awards, too. Best of all, he is still composing!
ReplyDeleteA few years a go I did a research project and a blog post about how John Williams incorporated folk songs from the Civil War era into the score for the movie Lincoln, which Spielberg directed. If you want a sample of the Chicago Symphony Chorus singing The Battle Cry of Freedom from the soundtrack, it is posted at:
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/chicago-symphony-chorus