TROS 29: Rise of Skywalker Music and Sound Crew (Minutes 141-142)
We've reached the end of the The Rise of Skywalker (minutes 141-142)! In this season finale, Xanthe goes through the music and sound credits and explains how each role contributed to the production. We also compare the "transition to end credits" music across all 9 Skywalker Saga films and discuss how The Rise of Skywalker's version fits into a larger trend.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
1:20 - Question about season/film order
3:06 - Going through every music and sound credit
3:54 - Supervising Music Editor
6:50 - Supervising Sound Editors, Re-Recording Mixers
10:53 - ADR
13:20 - Production Sound Mixer, Sound Assistants
20:56 - Post Production Sound Services by Skywalker Sound
25:22 - Music Conductor, Music Preparation, Music Librarian
30:31 - Orchestrations
47:34 - Scoring Engineer
48:30 - Music Contractor
52:45 - Score Recorded at Streisand Scoring Stage
55:30 - Why aren't the individual musicians credited?
1:01:10 - Second Unit sound
1:03:05 - Source music credits
1:04:18 - Comparing "transition to End Credits" music across the Skywalker Saga films.
1:21:01 - Podcast intro/outro theme (Anthem of Evil cover)
1:27:26 - What does Star Wars sound like according to this season's guests?
1:33:47 - Tips for using the SWMM website
1:41:57 - Acknowledgements
Things to Check Out:
The Sound of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2020 Oscars® | Dolby Institute Podcast - https://youtu.be/_ENrGVzr0bs?si=bbKZCO6u6diK9hLQ
May the Fourth Spotlight on Joann Kane Music - https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/may-the-fourth-spotlight-on-joann-kane-music/
Sandy DeCrescent’s Impact on the Motion Pictures Industry - https://www.impactmania.com/im/sandy-decrescents-impact-on-the-motion-pictures-industry/
Legacy Conversations: Sandy DeCrescent - https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/12/17/sandy-decrescent-podcast/
‘The Rise of Skywalker’ Editor Maryann Brandon Talks Production Challenges, Carrie Fisher’s Death, and ‘The Last Jedi’ - https://www.awardsdaily.com/2019/12/13/maryann-brandon-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-editor-interview/
Sony Pictures Dedicates Music Building to John Williams on Historic Lot - https://variety.com/2024/artisans/news/john-williams-dedicated-music-building-sony-pictures-lot-1235877118/
Hollywood Exec Sounds the Alarm on State of Screen Music in L.A.: “I See the Infrastructure of the Recording Industry About to Fail” - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/save-screen-music-los-angeles-executive-call-to-action-1236112859/
Star Wars Live Table Reads: https://swliveread.com
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/
Musical Themes:
1b. Main Theme (B Section)
2. Rebel Fanfare
18) Descending Heroic Tetrachords
9. Throne Room
Where are we in the soundtrack?:
OST 19. "Finale"
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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
TROS answer: Genius and craftsmanship.
ESB answer: Filigree, fanfares, flow.
SOLO answer: Intricate orchestral storytelling.
ANH answer: The Cosmic Force.
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
TROS answer: I want to see (or hear) what John Williams's very first drafts and seeds of ideas sound like, and then I want to see how he refines the music until he's satisfied with it.
ESB answer: Is there an internal "sonic style guide" at Lucasfilm or Skywalker Sound that's specific to Star Wars? I mean even things like relative loudness of music and dialogue, a specific protocol for mic'ing or looping in aliens, etc. Especially curious if there's anything in the Star Wars style guide that goes against current industry norms.
SOLO answer: The working relationship between the composer and music editor.
ANH answer: I'm curious about how other people experience and engage with the music of Star Wars, on both a macro and micro level. I want to know how other people are making sense of it or analyzing it with frameworks different than mine. Basically, I'm interested in doing what this podcast already gives me the excuse to do -- talk to people about Star Wars music.
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
TROS answer: Babygirl (Cristobal Tapia De Veer)
ESB answer: E.T. (John Williams)
SOLO answer: Moonrise Kingdom
ANH answer: There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood)
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⭐️ Join the Discord server by becoming a patron at any level! https://patreon.com/chrysanthetan
Leave a voice message, and I might play it on the show... https://starwarsmusicminute.com/comlink
Where else to find SWMM:
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chrysanthetan.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/starwarsmusmin.bsky.social
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWarsMusMin
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YouTube: https://youtube.com/starwarsmusicminute
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starwarsmusicminute?
Instagram: https://instagram.com/starwarsmusicminute
Email: [email protected]
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin
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1:45:06
TROS 28: Harmonic Secret Sauce (Minutes 136-140 with Dennis Hamm)
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1:59:17
TROS 27: The Poetic Ending (Minutes 131-135 with Frank Lehman)
Music theorist and film musicologist Dr. Frank Lehman returns to the show to discuss the final scene of the film (minutes 131-135)--which includes his favorite cue from The Rise of Skywalker score! We cover a ton of ground in this episode--including the growing-up of Rey's theme, the final cue as a strategic open text, the encoding of Darth Vader's theme throughout the Skywalker saga, mythic unity, dark religious imagery, and the semantic vs. emotional meanings of leitmotifs. Frank also reads us an exclusive preview of his upcoming book, The Skywalker Symphonies: Musical Storytelling in Star Wars!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
1:48 - How Frank's opinion of the movie has evolved since 2019.
11:32 - This music sustains and rewards independent listening.
15:35 - Listening to "A New Home" (a remarkably austere little cue)
17:39 - Strategic open text, sparse but not devoid of motivic connections.
23:30 - A cynical read and a charitable read.
26:44 - Darth Vader's melodic contour encoded in the arpeggio.
29:16 - Mythic unity, wholeness, unendingness. Poetic ending vs. narrative ending.
37:41 - Rey's theme grown-up.
45:26 - Chills (frisson) moment.
56:53 - Motivic echoes with Shmi's Funeral.
1:13:45 - Disappointing reuse of the Force theme leading into the credits.
1:23:29 - Friendship theme as in the concert arrangement.
1:29:34 - Anthem of Evil: The A-theme is a "bargain-basement Imperial March," but the B-theme is a gothic, Dracula-esque banger that got cut from the film.
1:41:45 - Wishing for more overt dark religious imagery in the film.
1:50:57 - Why is the Imperial March here?
2:07:29 - What used to be called the "Rebel Fanfare" is now called the "Millennium Falcon" theme on the cue sheets.
1:59:41 - What does Frank think of the use of Luke & Leia + Yoda's themes during the Celebration scene? Exclusive preview from his upcoming "Skywalker Symphonies" book.
2:18:01 - In what way is the Skywalker Saga "symphonically-scored?"
2:31:04 - SWMM Questionnaire
Things to Check Out:
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Suite for Orchestra) - John Williams Signature Edition Orchestra Score - https://www.halleonard.com/product/4492547/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-suite-for-orchestra
"Rey's Theme" performed by Anne-Sophie Mutter - https://youtu.be/bmBE6_gCTww?si=Y1gcUtRyoSLb6SpU
Star Wars – The Rise of Skywalker - Piano Solo Songbook Softcover - https://www.halleonard.com/product/329240/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker
Ludlow's Demise (From "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" Soundtrack) - https://youtu.be/iYeEIWhI7SU?si=WOJ3bf-REtwFn1Ie
Anakin’s Theme and the Musical Aftermath of The Phantom Menace (article by Frank Lehman)- https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/30/anakins-theme-essay/
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/
Musical Themes:
45b. Rey A (Theme B-Phrase)
46a. Rey B (Chimes)
3. Force
1a. Main Theme (A Section)
2. Rebel Fanfare
18) Descending Heroic Tetrachords
17) Heroic Determination
57. Friendship
59a. Psalm of the Sith (A Section)
10a. Imperial March (Theme)
Where are we in the soundtrack?:
FYC 23. "A New Home"
OST 18. "A New Home"
OST 19. "Finale"
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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
TROS season: Never Ending Endings.
ESB season: My lifelong obsession.
Solo season: Vaguely remembered music.
ANH season: Dissonant pedal notes. Minor planing triads.
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
TROS season: The future of the mainline films.
ESB season: What was going on in the scoring of Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Solo season: Who will be main composer for the Kenobi series?
ANH season: What are we musically in store for as Star Wars moves onto the next chapters of its development? What was the actual score to Episode IX supposed to be (before changes)?
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
TROS season: The Rings of Power, Seasons 1 and 2 (composed by Bear McCreary)
ESB season: White Lotus (series) (composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer)
Solo season: Severance (series) (composed by Theodore Shapiro)
ANH season: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) (composed by Jerry Goldsmith)
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Guest: Frank Lehman
Website: https://franklehman.com/
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars: https://franklehman.com/starwars/
A Guide to the Musical Themes of Indiana Jones: https://franklehman.com/indiana-jones-themes/
Book: Hollywood Harmony: Musical Wonder and the Sound of Cinema - https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Harmony-Musical-Wonder-Cinema/dp/0190606401
Book: Music Analysis and Film: Studying the Score (edited by Frank Lehman) - https://www.amazon.com/Film-Music-Analysis-Studying-Routledge/dp/0367430762
Look out for his upcoming book The Skywalker Symphonies: Musical Storytelling in Star Wars
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/franklehman.bsky.social
------------------
⭐️ Join the Discord server by becoming a patron at any level! https://patreon.com/chrysanthetan
Leave a voice message, and I might play it on the show... https://starwarsmusicminute.com/comlink
Where else to find SWMM:
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chrysanthetan.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/starwarsmusmin.bsky.social
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWarsMusMin
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/652WVfMTLwJpVZ82i8uhFA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/star-wars-music-minute/id1552988763
YouTube: https://youtube.com/starwarsmusicminute
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starwarsmusicminute?
Instagram: https://instagram.com/starwarsmusicminute
Email: [email protected]
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin
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2:41:14
TROS 26: Nine-Part Symphony (Minutes 126-130 with Nathan Fontyn)
In minutes 126-130 of The Rise of Skywalker, Ben and Leia become one with the Force and beings across the galaxy celebrate their victory against the Sith Eternal. Joining me today is Nathan Fontyn (from the ["Music By John Williams"](https://x.com/JWilliams_Fan) Twitter). We discuss John Williams's sentimental themes, his use of choir, and the "greatest hits" of Star Wars themes present in the "Reunion" cue.
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1:36:28
TROS 25: Inverse Immolation Scene (Minutes 121-125 with Ender Smith)
The good guys win! Reylo kiss! Ben Solo dies! Minutes 121-125 of The Rise of Skywalker are packed with action, romance, and melty 'splody faces. Joining me today is Ender Smith (AKA AurekFonts), who talks with me about subjective sound design, chiastic structure, how character deaths are scored in Star Wars, and more!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hello there!
8:38 - "Avengers" moment slotted into the Force theme.
14:15 - Victory theme.
23:40 - Mallets as an orchestration tool.
27:30 - What even is the Rebel Fanfare anymore?
38:22 - Finn feeling the Force.
39:11 - Subjective sound design choices.
45:58 - Thud + timpani hit when Ben grabs the ledge. Ben's ascent.
50:44 - Kylo Ren "aggressive-lite" theme.
1:00:30 - "Inverse" Immolation Scene.
1:05:08 - Uber-romantic Rey's theme, tumbling down and climbing up.
1:12:27 - The music before Rey/Ben kiss is reused in an earlier part of the film.
1:22:53 - Ben Solo's Redemption (incidental motif) and brass chorales in Star Wars.
1:25:54 - The music accompanying various character deaths in Star Wars.
1:36:07 - Chiastic structure.
1:39:58 - Ben Solo vs. Anakin Skywalker.
1:45:44 - Thoughts about The Kiss and Ben Solo's death.
2:01:48 - Two-pronged approaches to victory in Star Wars (military strategy and Force strategy).
2:10:48 - Thoughts on the Citizen's Fleet showing up.
2:17:49 - SWMM Questionnaire.
Things to Check Out:
Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 - https://youtu.be/ajaMdRv0IK0?si=jBvX7-Q3-2coOfuR
Pavane for a Dead Princess (Maurice Ravel): https://youtu.be/GKkeDqJBlK8?si=HmHnJjzKyCF9T8C4
Qui-Gon Death Scene: https://youtu.be/3Yaug3Xh7oQ?t=155
Chiastic structure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiastic_structure
Tchaikovsky: 'Romeo and Juliet' Fantasy Overture https://youtu.be/f6qZUCi7ToQ?si=aRIdulRl6YVWgTbU
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/
Musical Themes:
3. Force
58. Victory
2. Rebel Fanfare
45a. Rey A (Theme A-Phrase)
45b. Rey A (Theme B-Phrase)
41a. Kylo Ren A (Aggressive)
116) Bittersweetness
113) Ben Solo's Redemption
Where are we in the soundtrack?:
OST 15. "The Force Is with You"
FYC 21. "Rescue"
FYC 22. "Farewell"
OST 16. "Farewell"
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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:
1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?
New answer: Mature score; improv.
ESB season: Colorful, rollercoaster, crosstalk.
Solo season: Actually close enough. (to John Williams)
ANH season: California radio voiceovers
2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?
New answer: How the scoring process was done for the sequel trilogy. John Williams reportedly wrote a lot more music for this film than was actually used. Why?
ESB season: The various vocal effects used for aliens and glissando lizards. He'd like to create a plug-in for a DAW.
Solo season: How musical notation works in Star Wars. What does Bith notation look like for the Cantina Band? How about Max Rebo's charts? Does he read sheet music or play by ear?
ANH season: The making of one musical cue from start to finish
3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?
New answer: Lord of the Rings (composed by Howard Shore), The Muppet Christmas Carol (composed by Miles Goodman with songs written by Paul Williams)
ESB season: Looper (composed by Nathan Johnson)
Solo season: The Village (composed by James Newton Howard)
ANH season: Knives Out (composed by Nathan Johnson)
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Guest: Ender Smith (AurekFonts)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AurekFonts
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/aurekfonts.bsky.social
Github: https://aurekfonts.github.io/
More fonts: https://crowntype.com/
Womprat (Star Wars font): https://womprat.xyz
------------------
⭐️ Join the Discord server by becoming a patron at any level! https://patreon.com/chrysanthetan
Leave a voice message, and I might play it on the show... https://starwarsmusicminute.com/comlink
Where else to find SWMM:
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chrysanthetan.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/starwarsmusmin.bsky.social
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWarsMusMin
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/652WVfMTLwJpVZ82i8uhFA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/star-wars-music-minute/id1552988763
YouTube: https://youtube.com/starwarsmusicminute
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starwarsmusicminute?
Instagram: https://instagram.com/starwarsmusicminute
Email: [email protected]
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin
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