This episode is a deep dive into the Dies Irae musical motif and its evolution through film music. Here to talk about it is Dies Irae guru Alex Ludwig, who has just written a book about it! Hearing Death at the Movies: Film Music and the Long History of the Dies Irae will be out on June 11th, 2025. Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 1:52 - The seeds of Alex's Dies Irae scholarship. 4:40 - Hector Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, transforming a sacred melody into a secular one. 12:09 - Wendy Carlos and The Shining. 29:05 - Silent films, Dimitri Tiomkin, vampire films. 30:31 - Metropolis. 34:59 - How was the music for silent films done? 39:55 - Dies Irae Typology and the "master list" 40:32 - Dies Irae Type 1: Prelude to Evil 43:55 - The Screaming Skull. 46:35 - Dies Irae Type 2: Ominous Echo 47:39 - "The Burning Homestead" from Star Wars: A New Hope. 51:58 - Jyn's theme (Rogue One) and subtypes. 1:00:12 - Columbia Pictures logo. 1:03:51 - Dies Irae Type 3: Tension Engine 1:04:54 - Mars Attacks (Type - "ostinato") 1:06:04 - Jurassic Park examples (Type 3 - "fortspinnung") 1:10:07 - Predator example. 1:13:01 - Morricone examples: Escalation, Fists in the Pocket, Le Trio infernal 1:22:10 - "The Master Switch" from Rogue One. 1:27:02 - Dies Irae as musical trope, meme. 1:34:48 - Are certain types of Dies Irae more prevalent in certain genres or eras? 1:41:00 - Vampire movies. 1:42:42 - If a composer uses Dies Irae accidentally, do you still count it? 1:44:52 - How to use this book. --------------- Alex Ludwig: Website: https://alex-ludwig.net BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/celexo.bsky.social Film Music Tropes (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@celexo22 Hearing Death at the Movies: Film Music and the Long History of the Dies Irae - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-78795-9 ------------------ ⭐️ 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/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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

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" --------------- 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

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!

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. 

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!

In minutes 116-120 of The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine unleashes Force lightning on the Resistance fleet, Rey gets a boost from the voices of Jedi past, Sidious declares that he is all the Sith, and Rey retorts that she is all the Jedi. Oh, and Palpatine has a really bad time as he disintegrates from his own Force lightning. 😬 Joining me today are Justin Scheid and James Waterman from The Band Batch! We discuss Palpatine's seismic energy bolt, blowing out speakers, how to make risers, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 8:31 - Really Bad Feeling/Final Countdown 18:34 - Palpatheme into Sith Whispers (Darth Maul throwback). 23:34 - Which Kylo Ren theme is this? 30:43 - Do film composers pre-write functional transitional music? 34:22 - Breaking down the elements that can contribute to a musical "riser." 43:54 - Analyzing Palpatine's big lightning bolt/seismic energy sound thingy 48:47 - Sonic visualizer demonstration, spectral frequency. 1:00:46 - J.J. Abrams, Dave Acord, and Matt Wood on the Force lightning sound. 1:02:43 - Soulja Boy, car bass, blowing out your speakers. 1:17:11 - Tragic, Star Wars-y, 4-3 suspensions. 1:21:31 - Inverted pedal point, Rey's Chimes theme, voices of the past Jedi. 1:35:13 - Hearing the lightsabers before we see them. Seamless orchestration/sound design. 1:40:56 - Chord goes sour. 1:47:13 - Palpatine's vocal fry. 1:56:42 - Demonstrating power through psychological warfare vs. brute force. 2:08:59 - They shot this Sith auditorium sequence at Bad Robot in LA. 2:19:47 - SWMM Questionnaire. 2:29:46 - Justin's top 3 droids. Things to Check Out: Sonic Visualiser (free app): https://www.sonicvisualiser.org/ Aphex Twin spectogram song: Spectrogram] Aphex Twin / ΔMi−1 = −∂Σn=1NDi[n][Σj∈C{i}Fji[n − 1] + Fexti[[n−1] - https://youtu.be/wSYAZnQmffg?si=T8RsEABxwFbSiZG_ Soulja Boy’s music is too loud - https://youtu.be/aAEAf60_iX8?si=wjdAj1pEGRSsoJ_c Sound clash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_clash Zaireeka (Flaming Lips album): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaireeka Return of the Jedi before Ben appears on Dagobah Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 - https://youtu.be/ajaMdRv0IK0?si=jBvX7-Q3-2coOfuR Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 110) Really Bad Feeling 1b. Main Theme (B Section) 1a. Main Theme (A Section) 17. Emperor 45) Sith Whispers 41a. Kylo Ren A (Aggressive) 41b. Kylo Ren 1.5 (Redeemed) 46a. Rey B (Chimes) 45a. Rey A (Theme A-Phrase) 3. Force Where are we in the soundtrack?: OST 15. "The Force Is with You" FYC 20. "Seeing Sights" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? Justin: New answer: Epic, sweeping, grandiose. ESB season: Nar. Ra. Tive. SOLO season: Grandiose, sweeping, futuristic. ANH season: Pew pew pew. James: New answer: Peace and promise. ESB season: Pew. Vrooppf. Rrrrrr. SOLO season: Bum bum bum. ANH season: The Band Batch. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? Justin: New answer: I'd love to see the sound library of Star Wars--every Star Wars-approved sound that the artists get to pick from, the tree of folders, etc. Also, how many sounds are created and not used? Also, what's the process of thinking about droid sounds? ESB season: Who makes the decision to replace dialogue? SOLO/ANH season: How is all the foley done? James: New answer: How does the timing at scoring sessions work out (especially knowing that John Williams didn't tend to use a click track)? ESB season: When original voice actors are replaced by new people, what are those industry conversations like? Is there something in the actors' contracts about the possibility of being replaced? What about SAG, legal specifics, etc? SOLO season: What is on-set sound like? ANH season: What is John Williams's writing process like? 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides an

In minutes 111-115 of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey Force-transfers her lightsaber to Ben, Palpatine sucks the life out of the Dyad, and Lando shows up with a massive Citizens’ Fleet ready to join the fight. Christina Ward (from The Band Batch) returns to the show to analyze Palpatine’s vocal delivery from an operatic speak-singing perspective. We also discuss Disney villains, Verdi’s Macbeth, purposely-ugly music, and more!

In minutes 106-110 of The Rise of Skywalker, Ben Solo arrives on the scene, bringing with him a new, redeemed musical theme! As J.J. Abrams puts it, we ”make the trip from Ren to Ben.” I’m pleased to be joined by Samantha Tripp for an in-depth discussion about this huge moment in the score.

In minutes 101-105 of The Rise of Skywalker, Finn has a Force feeling, Finn and Jannah ride obraks toward the Steadfast's navigation tower, and Rey approaches her grandfather on the Sith throne. John Hoey from The Resistance Broadcast returns to the show to discuss trumpet cascades, Sith geiger counters, Finn's Force sensitivity, Palpatine's home field advantage, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 4:55 - The sound in TROS "goes bigger." 12:37 - Approaching the Throne motif (thumping bass). 23:42 - Heavy metal riff, a la Metallica. 25:13 - "Trumpet Cascade" examples from TROS, ESB, and ROTJ. 30:40 - Thoughts on the Force theme for Finn's moment. 40:15 - Weird Force theme; versatility of the Force theme. 49:30 - Bass notes quicken as Rey gets closer to the throne. 52:29 - Glissando demonstration. 55:34 - Sith Whispers. 59:50 - Ominous Rey's theme. 1:06:41 - "Palpatine's Instructions" motif used here as Palpatine instructs Rey and in ROTS when Palpatine instructs Anakin. 1:09:51 - Monophonic line tries to ascend while collapsing in on itself. 1:16:55 - Matt Wood and Dave Acord on creating Exegol sound design, looping in Ian McDiarmid. 1:26:52 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: "Disposable Heroes" (Metallica): https://youtu.be/dzssbzIsmqU?si=0WE34kPiygxaXzUm Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 115) Approaching The Throne 17. Emperor 35) Trumpet Cascade 1a. Main Theme (A Section) 3. Force 61a. Knights of Ren (Fast Form) 45) Sith Whispers 59a. Psalm of the Sith (A Section) 45a. Rey A (Theme A-Phrase) 77) Palpatine's Instructions Where are we in the soundtrack?: FYC 16. "Battle of the Resistance" OST 13. "Battle of the Resistance" OST 14. "Approaching the Throne" FYC 17. "Approaching the Throne" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? New answer: One of one. Solo answer: Endlessly imaginative adventure. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? New answer: I'd love to understand how John Williams calls back to things. Does he have a bag of tricks to pull from? How does he come to those things? Solo answer: The future of Star Wars music. Will there be one main composer that takes over for John Williams, or will it continue being more of a per project thing like it is with Natalie Holt, Ludwig Göransson, etc? 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? New answer: Batman (1989) (composed by Danny Elfman) Solo answer: Catch Me If You Can (composed by John Williams), Psycho (composed by Bernard Herrmann), The Batman (composed by Michael Giacchino), Man of the Steel (composed by Hans Zimmer) --------------- Guest: John Hoey BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/johnnyhoey.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnnyHoey Resistance Broadcast: https://linktr.ee/trbpodcasts Nerdy and Nice (podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nerdy-nice-a-pop-culture-podcast/id1744938750 Just Like the Movies (podcast): https://anchor.fm/justlikethemovies ------------------ ⭐️ 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 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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

Xanthe, James, Christina, and Ender review Star Wars in Concert—which we attended at Walt Disney Concert Hall on November 21, 2024. Anthony Daniels hosted the evening, Sarah Hicks conducted The Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Robert Istad directed the CSUF University Singers.

In minutes 96-100 of The Rise of Skywalker, Artoo restores Threepio's memory, Finn and Poe give an inspiration speech to the Resistance fighters, and Rey lands on Exegol. My Aussie friend Catherine Kneen joins me to talk about one-line-at-a-time dialogue, chunky button pushes, the many components of March of the Resistance, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 4:17 - Emotional scene leading into Artoo chirping. 7:40 - Chunky button pushes. 15:31 - Why not Luke's theme with the mention of Luke? 20:31 - Minor chords traversing the circle of fifths. We also heard this back on Kef Bir when they were looking at the Death Star wreckage. 26:09 - What makes March of the Resistance sounds so part of the Star Wars language? 34:54 - Catherine's background with classical music. 42:49 - A very fantastical strategy meeting where no one talks over each other. 47:10 - Missed opportunities with Rose. 52:31 - Increasingly awkward "one-line-at-a-time" dialogue. 57:58 - Are there too many inspirational speeches in newer Star Wars? 1:01:55 - March of the Resistance A and B themes. 1:07:48 - March of the Resistance C theme. 1:12:13 - Interesting editing of this timeline (speech-montage-speech). 1:15:37 - Journey to Exegol motif. This part of the movie possibly tempted with ROTS. 1:18:55 - Rey's theme superimposed on top of Journey to Exegol motif. 1:22:52 - Unethical production methods of the Empire/First Order. 1:29:07 - Brief musical respite before the Emperor's theme comes in. 1:34:43 - Catherine's favorite Star Wars sounds. 1:41:54 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 57. Friendship 47a. March of the Resistance (A Section) 58. Victory 47b. March of the Resistance (B Section) 47c. March of the Resistance (Connective Motif) 106) Journey to Exegol 45a. Rey A (Theme A-Phrase) 17. Emperor Where are we in the soundtrack?: OST 11. "They Will Come" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? Emotions. Timeless. Magic. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? What did the orchestra who first recorded Star Wars think of the score? 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? The Commitments (soundtrack) --------------- Guest: Catherine Kneen That Geek Pod: https://thatgeekpod.podbean.com/ Catherine is also a frequent guest on Star Wars Spelt Out! https://starwarsspeltout.com Twitter: https://x.com/Catherine_Kneen ------------------ ⭐️ 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: 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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

In minutes 91-95 of The Rise of Skywalker, Luke stops Rey from throwing her lightsaber into the fire and raises his old X-wing from the water. Jeremy Sawruk returns to the show to discuss orchestration flavorings, the re-use of the iconic "Yoda and the Force" cue, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 3:09 - Poe's theme. 4:53 - March of the Resistance orchestration adding mystery. 8:54 - Intervals getting smaller (resignation) then bigger (energy). 13:41 - Luke catches the lightsaber and walks through fire. 19:01 - Classic mentor conversation. 23:52 - Lots of rubato. Force theme orchestrated in an atypical register. 24:52 - Jedi Steps Variant, lightsaber burrito. 28:30 - Harmonic resolution in Leia's theme. 33:29 - Troubled-sounding Main Theme. 39:04 - Rey, computer hacker. 41:48 - Same bit of score from "Yoda and the Force," but it's faster here than in ESB. 47:49 - Delightful, chromatically-dancing flutes. 51:04 - As a composer, what is in your personal toolbox of techniques/signature sounds? 53:22 - Orchestration is like cooking & seasoning. 57:42 - Analyzing the Friendship theme. Melody goes up while chord goes down. 1:04:55 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: The Flavor Bible (book): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4443485-the-flavor-bible ESB 15: Yoda and the Wolf (Minutes 71-75 with Fr. David and Trevor Mowry) - https://www.starwarsmusicminute.com/podcast/esb-15-yoda-and-the-wolf TROS 9: Symmetrical Design (Minutes 41-45 with Dominic Sewell) - https://www.starwarsmusicminute.com/podcast/tros-9-symmetrical-design Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 49. Poe 47a. March of the Resistance (A Section) 45a. Rey A (Theme A-Phrase) 3. Force 112) Jedi Steps (Variant) 4. Leia 114) Luke Trains Leia 1a. Main Theme (A Section) 57. Friendship 12a. Yoda (A Section) Where are we in the soundtrack?: OST 6. "Destiny of a Jedi" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? New answer: Brass. Adventure. Heroic. ESB answer: Space. Brass. Droids. Solo answer: Big octatonic brass ANH answer: Opera without words 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? New answer: Getting into the technical details/weeds about instrumental/orchestration decisions. ESB answer: The creation of the sound effects/sound design. Can I recreate some of these sounds on my ARP 2600? Solo answer: The score for Obi-Wan Kenobi. ANH answer: Musical / orchestrational “filler” and sound effects/foley. 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? New answer: Only Murders in the Building (series) by Siddhartha Khosla, Birdman composed by Antonio Sánchez ESB answer: The Matrix by Don Davis, Bob's Burgers (series) composed by Loren Bouchard Solo answer: Star Trek by Jerry Goldsmith, Wall-E by Thomas Newman ANH answer: North by Northwest by Bernard Herrmann, Loki by Natalie Holt, Catch Me If You Can by John Williams --------------- Guest: Jeremy Sawruk Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jsawruk Instagram: https://instagram.com/composer314 Substack: https://substack.com/@composer314 ------------------ ⭐️ 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: 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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

In minutes 86-90 of The Rise of Skywalker, Ben Solo speaks to his dad and throws his lightsaber into the sea. Pete and Alex from Star Wars Minute join me today to talk about 80s TV robots, high school coach pep talks, the "woob woob woob" sound, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 3:00 - Music that reminds Pete of David Lynch's DUNE. 4:55 - Harrison Ford's gruff mumbling in movies; Matt Wood's portable ADR studio. 10:21 - "Calm before the storm" strings; comparing this to the scene with Rey on Pasaana. 15:09 - Inadvertent "Ben Kenobi" theme (from the show)? "Untwisted" version of Anthem of Evil. 21:26 - Do you notice differences between John Williams's music for the Original Trilogy vs. Sequel Trilogy? 20:07 - Somber resignation theme. 31:32 - Anthem of Evil properly twisted again. 35:26 - "woob woob woob" telemetry ambience reminiscent of the Death Star and Aunt Beru's kitchen; Ben Burtt's short wave radio recordings. 45:11 - Unique blast sound from the planet-killing weapon; "tubularity." 56:51 - Why doesn't Beaumont Kin translate the Sith inscription on the dagger? 1:00:52 - Charlie on Lost. 1:04:45 - Xanthe's least favorite line of dialogue in TROS. 1:10:50 - Vague high school coach pep talks. 1:19:49 - D-O sounds like an 80s TV robot. 1:25:18 - General Pryde, Captain Phasma, and Richard E. Grant. 1:32:12 - Alex and Pete pitch their ideas for the next special edition ROTJ. 1:35:02 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: Mustafar Takes Los Angeles: https://mustafarla.com The Great Kamino Kaper: https://kaminokaper.com The Naboo Movie: https://naboomovie.com Getting Lost (documentary): https://gettinglostdoc.com Blast Points (podcast) Episode 414: Name That Star Wars Sound - https://blastpointspodcast.com/2024/08/27/episode-414-name-that-star-wars-sound/ Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 100) Resignation 59a. Psalm of the Sith (A Section) 17. Emperor 4. Leia 3. Force Where are we in the soundtrack?: FYC 15. "Advice" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? Pete: woob woob woob (Previously: Pneumatic machinery sounds. Short wave radio. Aunt Beru's kitchen.) Alex: Ben Burtt's closet. (Previously: Imperial walker clanking. Elephant on blacktop. Tchew tchew tchew. Majestic French horns.) 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? Pete: What percentage of each movie contains music? ESB answer: "What is That? (with Ben Burtt)" (a TV show proposal) SOLO answer: Pete wants to watch the movie with no added sound/music; ideally just what was captured on set. ANH answer: Pete wants to watch a sound design commentary from Ben Burtt or any sound department special. (Previously: "What Is That? with Ben Burtt (TV show proposal). Pete wants to watch sound design commentary from Ben Burtt or any sound department special. Pete wants to watch the movie with no added sound/music; ideally just what was captured on set) Alex: Does John Williams rewatch the old movies? ESB answer: Ugnaught noises. SOLO answer: Why don't the musicians get listed in the credits (sometimes)? ANH answer: Alex wants a documentary featurette explaining what the process of scoring a film is. 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? Pete: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983 TV series) and The Transformers (1984 TV series), both composed by Johnny Douglas and Robert J. Walsh. The Addams Family (1964 TV series) composed by Vic Mizzy. ESB answer: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan SOLO answer: Fight Club ANH answer: The Black Hole (composed by John Barry) Alex: Magnolia (soundtrack largely features Aimee Mann) ESB answer: The Royal Tenenbaums SOLO answer: Magnolia (soundtrack largely features Aimee Mann) ANH answer: Superman (composed by John Williams) --------------- Guests: Pete the Retailer and Alex Robinson (Star W

In minutes 81-85 of The Rise of Skywalker, we witness a major turning point in the narrative: Rey stabs Kylo, Leia dies, and Rey heals Kylo's wound. I'm happy to have Dan Golding back on the show to discuss bummer remixes, botched Force themes, John Williams's post-Jurassic Park action music, and more!  Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 5:44 - Where this movie is really successful. 11:26 - Dan is a Star Wars pragmatist. 14:51 - Adam Driver. 22:29 - John Williams's post-Jurassic Park action music. 31:04 - Fight choreography & perceiving the soundtrack as the battle itself. 39:15 - Is this an example of "meanwhile" music? 44:23 - Stylistic addition of the slow-mo in the sequels. 52:55 - The Bummer Remix. 1:04:42 - On supposedly new Force powers. 1:10:51 - Brief rant about the use of the Force theme in Rebels. 1:18:13 - The meter and tempo are so flexible that it sounds like John Williams extemporizing. 1:20:20 - If there's a spotting mistake in this sequence, it's this. 1:30:08 - Dan reflects on the unique time in the fandom during which he wrote his book (Star Wars After Lucas). 1:40:11 - Nostalgia works in a weird way when it comes to series and franchises. 1:50:29 - Spurts of dreamy plunks. 1:52:06 - When you heard "Hey kid" in the theater, who did you think it was? 1:55:25 - Han & Leia concert arrangement that sounds more resolved. 2:07:27 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: "The Forest Battle" by John Williams (from Return of the Jedi) - https://youtu.be/ebCnaPzteZM?si=Rd8wBUL7AoPOmXDQ "Adagietto" from Mahler's Symphony No. 5 - https://youtu.be/Les39aIKbzE?si=7RMeS8PuIGPwKzSD Barber's "Adagio for Strings" : https://youtube.com/watch?v=WAoLJ8GbA4Y Force theme as heard in Star Wars: Rebels - https://youtu.be/dYQZVR1f_Hg?si=WFRz--jLNluddyH3&t=95 Powers of Ten™ (1977) (Charles and Ray Eames) - https://youtu.be/0fKBhvDjuy0?si=Gqm9mFMGfXCvJM6h Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: Kylo Ren A (Aggressive) Force Leia Where are we in the soundtrack?: OST 12. "The Final Saber Duel" FYC 13. "Final Saber Duel" FYC 14. "Healing Wounds" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? New answer: Nostalgic orchestral vocabulary. Previous answers: Nimble orchestral nostalgia. Mythic orchestral memory. Elegant musical storytelling. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? New answer: What will it take for Disney to release (more) complete editions of the sequel trilogy soundtracks? Previous answers: What will Natalie Holt's soundtrack for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series sound like? Given all the new directions that various Star Wars scores have gone since John Williams was at the helm (ex. Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, etc), will we ever return to the original sort of orchestral sound? The unreleased music (and alternate cues, etc). 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? New answer: The Fabelmans (composed by John Williams) Previous answers: Watership Down (composed by Angela Morley) and Vertigo (composed by Bernard Herrmann). Fleishman Is in Trouble (composed by Caroline Shaw). --------------- Guest: Dan Golding Website: https://dangolding.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dangolding Art of the Score podcast: https://www.artofthescore.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DanGoldingVideoEssays Bandcamp: https://dangolding.bandcamp.com/ Mastadon: @dangolding@mastodon.social Book: Star Wars After Lucas by Dan Golding: https://dangolding.com/star-wars-after-lucas/ ------------------ ⭐️ 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: Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWarsMusMin Spotify: ht

In minutes 76-80 of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey meets Dark Rey and duels Kylo Ren on the Death Star wreckage. Composer and choral conductor Steve Danielson joins me today to talk about Williams-y action scoring, tritone stability, shame spirals, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 8:58 - Stress underscore. 11:49 - What is the movie trying to say with Dark Rey? 17:50 - The stability of tritones in harmony vs. melody. 21:04 - Kylo trying to drag Rey down into his shame spiral. 26:31 - Psalm of the Sith/Rey's theme fakeout. 28:37 - A very John Williams-y action moment. 31:07 - Downward minor brass arpeggio emphasizing 6th scale degree. 37:21 - Shift to mournful music and Leia's theme. 46:27 - Maz love. 50:50 - The absence of music. 52:11 - Rey acting on impulse vs. considering her actions. 1:06:32 - Final thoughts on these minutes and the movie. 1:12:05 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: The Great Kamino Kaper (AOTC live staged reading): https://kaminokaper.com Vocal Spectrum - Cruella De Vil - https://youtu.be/YU9rUXf11zQ?si=FPCVcC8GkfXmFXWv Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 10a. Imperial March (Theme) 59a. Psalm of the Sith (A Section) 100) Resignation (I think) 4. Leia Where are we in the soundtrack?: nowhere... --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? Epicness. Imagination. Thoroughness. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? I'd love to sit down with John Williams and talk about how he comes up with his themes. What sort of connections are you trying to make to previous themes? What characterization of this particular character are you looking to represent? 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? Cocktail (1988) soundtrack Amadeus (1984) soundtrack featuring an extensive selection of Mozart pieces --------------- Guest: Steve Danielson Moveable Do podcast - https://moveabledo.com Compositions: https://sdcompose.weebly.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@choirsteve Twitter/X: https://x.com/SDCompose Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choirsteve I Want to Know - from Rogue One: A Star Wars Musical - https://youtu.be/I5zvVd9lBwg?si=_hDq0PpOjmPYklok Save the Dream - from Rogue One: The Musical - https://youtu.be/5PAABa8xUUc?si=Q6qoCajCD8ihknUU Before Long (from Solo: A Star Wars Musical) - https://youtu.be/TRfG7zdxRg0?si=fe4Pn-YtxGfqHQiG ------------------ ⭐️ Join my 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: 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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

In minutes 71-75 of The Rise of Skywalker, Finn and Jannah connect about their stormtrooper pasts and Rey sets out for the Death Star wreckage by herself. Kris AKA StarWarsLawyer joins me for a discussion about stormtrooper Force sensitivity, the foreboding tendencies of "water adventure" music, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 4:29 - Stormtroopers and the Force. 10:39 - "Neutral Conversation Music." 14:18 - The "I have to tell you something" trope. 19:50 - Droids as sonic palate cleansers. 20:59 - Pirate-y, adventure-y music for Rey in the skimmer. 24:13 - "Water" music vs. "flying" music. 26:27 - Listener request for flying and/or water-related music. 29:25 - Kris's theory about Force empathy. 35:29 - Was J.J. Abrams planning a Finn backstory? 39:00 - Rey's unfamiliarity with greenery, rain, and the sea. 45:14 - Does this musical echo hint at Finn's Force sensitivity? 54:57 - Imperial March a la Return of the Jedi. 59:00 - Artificial harmonics explanation/demonstration. 1:08:37 - Other examples in Star Wars that use artificial harmonics (with or without the Imperial March) in a similar way. 1:16:15 - Thoughts on Rey Kenobi, Rey Nobody, Rey Skywalker, Rey Palpatine. 1:20:38 - Kris presents evidence to support Jannah's Force sensitivity. 1:25:38 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: Hans Zimmer - Flight (Man of Steel) - https://youtu.be/w4OdIOGBW2Q?si=stshxbTs0i5IfXw7 Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Musical Themes: 50) Neutral Conversation Music 3. Force 111) Across the Seas 10a. Imperial March (Theme) Where are we in the soundtrack?: OST 4. "The Old Death Star" FYC 12. "Off the Waterfront" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? New answer: Ethereal. Panoptic. Permeating. Previously: A galactic symphony 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? New answer: Kris would like to ask any of the Star Wars composers to walk him through their process of creating music, from the initial ideas to the finished and recorded product. Solo season answer: Deep dive into John Williams's mindset when he wrote his love themes: "Across the Stars," "Han Solo and the Princess," and "Princess Leia's Theme." ANH season answer: A deeper dive into the Star Wars themes (motifs, etc) 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? New answer: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (composed by Michael Giacchino), especially the track "World's Worst Bedtime Storyteller." Solo season answer: The Prince of Egypt score and soundtrack (by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz), How to Train Your Dragon (composed by John Powell) ANH season answer: Interstellar (composed by Hans Zimmer), Tron: Legacy (composed by Daft Punk), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (composed by Michael Giacchino) --------------- Guest: Kris (Star Wars Lawyer) Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWarsLawyer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starwarslawyer YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarWarsLawyer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starwarslawyer/ ------------------ ⭐️ 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: 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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

In minutes 66-70 of The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo asks Rey to join him, General Pryde shoots Hux, and we wind up on Kef Bir. Marianne joins me today to discuss thematic reappropriation, Poe vs. Heroics themes, a demure Palpatine moment, complicated nostalgia, and more! Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 5:37 - Psalm of the Sith, a misshapen clone of the Emperor's theme. 15:00 - Poe's theme vs. Heroics theme. 17:24 - Reappropriation of the Main Theme, morphing symbolism. 22:24 - Poe vs. Heroics (continued). 28:01 - Rey's theme with an octave leap. 35:42 - Demure Palpatine theme. 46:42 - Two independently snaking musical lines, chord progression moving through circle of fifths. 56:42 - Twisted Bass Line from Attack of the Clones. 1:03:39 - "Shing" of the blade kicking off the next bit of music. 1:04:14 - Palpatine's Scheming motif from Return of the Jedi. 1:09:02 - Drawing out the connection between the blade and the Death Star wreckage, climaxing with the Imperial March. 1:14:24 - Would it make more sense for this to be the Heroics theme rather than Poe's theme? 1:21:01 - Great viola texture. 1:26:38 - Sequels are heavy on original trilogy nostalgia. Complicated feelings. 1:33:00 - Appreciation for The Phantom Menace soundtrack. 1:38:16 - TROS is Marianne's favorite sequel trilogy soundtrack. 1:47:40 - SWMM Questionnaire Things to Check Out: Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/ Thematic Transformation and the Limits of Leitmotivic Analysis (Frank Lehman) - https://youtu.be/4ZBCNK0PYrk?si=Sjh80kM-i7EBx0ST Why the Music in The Rise of Skywalker Felt Misleading (Sideways) - https://youtu.be/L_8-dWSLDWI?si=qNUFXOc_izzZptlY The Chord That SAVED Star Wars (Charles Cornell) - https://youtu.be/X3fvljQYhGE?si=UkBCJnVWiGMxlVzF TROS 1: Intro to the Music of The Rise of Skywalker - https://youtu.be/otAOKW5zR70?si=ltgtAWcN73MDdDt6 TROS 3: Independent Jedi Study (with Riley Silverman) - https://youtu.be/IzD34Azbrfw?si=3aMNUkjN48zF72pG Musical Themes: 59a. Psalm of the Sith (A Section) 1a. Main Theme (A Section) 45a. Rey A (Theme A-Phrase) 17. Emperor 41a. Kylo Ren A (Aggressive) 65) Twisted Bass Line 36) Palpatine's Scheming 10a. Imperial March (Theme) 49. Poe 47a. March of the Resistance (A Section) Where are we in the soundtrack?: OST 10. "Join Me" FYC 10. "Join Me" OST 4. "The Old Death Star" FYC 11. "The Old Death Star" --------------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? Epic. Adventure. Emotion. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? The recording sessions sessions. How do the composers prepare to write? Who picks the orchestra? When do the musicians get the music? Etc. 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore), How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell), and anything by Hans Zimmer. --------------- Guest: Marianne TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mari_mawi ------------------ ⭐️ 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: 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: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin

Are all people on the Dark side repressed theater kids? What’s that weird ”wee!” sound during the Kylo/Rey duel? Do the strings represent Rey and brass represent Kylo in this scene? We discuss all of this and more in today’s episode about minutes 61-65 of The Rise of Skywalker, featuring Darth Choco and Element7!

In minutes 56-60 of The Rise of Skywalker, our heroes rescue Chewbacca and Rey wanders into Kylo’s creepily-sterile-looking private quarters. Tony Thaxton returns to the show to discuss ”noticing vs. not noticing,” deaths in Star Wars, the sound design of Kylo/Rey’s Force chats, and more!