Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Not only could Rogue One be my favourite Star Wars film at the moment (I declared it the best film of all time when I first saw the clip of the super laser being lowered in to the Death Star) but the score, taking in to account all that has come before it and all the comes after it in the saga. This soundtrack offers you glimpses of all 7 films of the saga. Remember, this is a stand alone film but of course very much tied in to what is going on in the saga. So the fact it is not a John Williams score. Michael Giacchino use John's elements to great effect and with affection for the original music surrounding Rogue One. Full marks for a perfect Score for a perfect Star Wars film.

I was greatly impressed by "Rogue One", for providing a story that had very well drawn characters plus plenty of excitement and suspense (the latter notwithstanding that we know in advance the Rebels are going to get the plans). Most of all, the film felt to like true Star Wars to me - in my view, definitely the best since "Return of the Jedi", and maybe since "The Empire Strikes Back". So what of the music? Michael Giacchino had a very tough job in following John Williams, providing an authentic-sounding Star Wars soundtrack while avoiding a mere pastiche of his great predecssor's style. I have had mixed views of Mr Giacchino's previous works, although I liked his "Star Trek" scores a lot. Happily, he really delivers for "Rogue One". The music definitely says "Star Wars" while simultaneously sounding distinct from the style of John Williams (of course, I exclude the intentional quotes here). That is really quite a feat. So this soundtrack is definitely a worthy part of the film.

Fantastic soundtrack that perfectly captures the tone and mood of the film. Rogue One is a standalone movie from the Skywalker saga, a war movie in effect, that happens to be set in the Star Wars universe, a kind of Dirty Dozen meets Empire Strikes Back, and I for one am glad to leave behind the force, lightsabers, the Skywalkers, and John Williams. Yes, the music of John Williams has defined the story thus far, but the whole point with Rogue One is to expand the universe, so why not with the music too? The standout soundtrack with the previous films was Empire Strikes Back, but much of the others are quite forgettable. The Rogue One soundtrack has plenty of subtle nods to John Williams work, but forges it's own soundscape, from the exhilaration of 'Confrontation on Eadu' to the thoughtfulness of 'Jyn Erso and Hope Suite'. For me, the standout track is 'The Imperial Suite' which is also heard in 'He's here for us', the theme for the Empire, and on a par with John Williams 'Imperial March'. The score ends with the sweeping 'Guardians of the Whills ' suite. Yes, a couple of tracks are filler, as tense scenes are echoed in the music, others perfectly mirror events such as 'Cargo Shuttle SW-0608', which another reviewer compared to 'Shuttle Tydirium approaches Endor' from ROTJ. Very happy. I love nostalgia as much as the next person, and will happily watch the original trilogy and listen to the soundtracks, but also want new experiences in that vast galaxy far,far away, with new interpretations in both celluloid and soundtrack. The Star Wars universe needed expanding, and for both film and soundtrack this is a welcome new journey. John Williams and the Skywalker saga will be back next year...for now enjoy the universe through a darker and grittier prism.

How does one judge Michael Giacchino when he is trying to fill the expectations of SW fans and shoes of one of the masters of film music? Firstly the negatives: This CD does not contain the credit titles you hear at the end of the film. Composition wise, the score is filled with cut and paste music from John Williams. "Confrontation on Eadu" is a good example. On this one track, you can hear traces lifted straight off Jurassic Park (Incident at Isla Nublar), Hoth Battle music from ESB and Adventures on Earth from ET. "Hope" also has passages off A.I. (Abandoned in the Woods) and so on. ESB Imperial March is used (maybe MG should not have done this in view of JW not fully evolving into it musically until Episode V) but no acknowledgment of using JW's music in the CD credits (maybe then it will be too obvious how much JW is in the mix). Saying all that MG does produce a satisfying CD considering the onus of responsibility and trying his best not to disappoint SW fans, and overall the CD is an enjoyable listen. Like emulating the Barry-Bond sound in another previous score with his co-arranger music collaborators, MG does well to emulate the Williams- Star Wars sound here. Like the film that dovetails so well with Episode IV, listen through "Hope" and the original background SW theme in exact arrangement is quietly lurking in there just like near the opening of the original film. Perhaps the success of the score lies in its understatement, possibly due to respect for JW. e.g "Guardians of the Whills " starts with two notes which could well have evolved into "Across the Stars" and the Rogue One theme could evolve into the SW Main Theme. Nevertheless MG does have his own voice too, for example his Imperial Suite is a good attempt at giving us familiarity on established grounds, but still offering something new (although likely developed from March of the Resistance from VII). Stand out themes are "Guardians of the Whills" (listen to JW's Force theme in the undercurrents), Jyn Erso's theme and the Imperial Suite. After all, it is good to see MG keeping alive the craft of traditional orchestral scoring and quality orchestrations.

Michael Giacchino was born to write a Star Wars soundtrack, being exactly the right impressionable age (10) when the original film hit cinemas in 1977. His early career saw him play around with John Williams Jurassic Park themes in late nineties video games, and his dramatic work on the later Medal of Honour games instantly recaptured the propelling power and excitement of Williams work on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, and placed him firmly in fans minds should the opportunity to compose a Star Wars film ever arise. He's composed memorable work on films and TV from the last decade ('Inside Out', 'Lost', 'Up', 'The Incredibles', 'Star Trek') and finally, with only a month to compose the whole soundtrack after Alexandre Desplat dropped out, Michael Giacchino finally got to fulfil a childhood dream. Giacchino certainly honours the Williams legacy during 70 minutes of music, with Jyn Erso's theme bearing a resemblance to the tragedy of 'Schindler's List', and the 'Hope' theme definitely swelling and exploding into a complimentary piece to the classic 'Force' theme from the original movies. 'Scrambling the Rebel Fleet' and 'AT-ACT Assault' borrow snippets of Williams 'Return of the Jedi' space battle accompaniments, and refashion them into new pulsating pieces for this 2016 movie. And again, 'Cargo Shuttle SW-0608' bears a comforting yet modern similarity to the tense moments of Williams' 'Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor' from 'Return of the Jedi'. The classic 'Imperial March' does pop up briefly, but it's surprising not to hear it more and I have a suspicion it might be used in the film once or twice more, seeing as Vader plays a significant role. 'Star-Dust' highlights Giacchino's superlative use of heart-tugging notes and chords, best utilised in his 'Lost' TV work, and 'Confrontation on Eadu' is an 8.06 minute long action piece that echoes moments of Williams 'The Battle of Yavin' finale from 1977. 'Jedha Arrival' even features a eerily similar throwback to Han and Leia's love theme from 'The Empire Strikes Back's closing moments. More Williams echoes are to be found throughout the rest of the soundtrack, and perhaps that's the greatest compliment I can give to 'Rogue One' - if I didn't know who had composed this soundtrack and I had to guess, I would definitely say John Williams. I'm sure Michael Giacchino would be very happy with that recognition. It's certainly a tribute to Giacchino's skills, and you can often hear his own musical personality breaking through, but I'm sure his primary goal, after seven previous films scored by the master, was to make sure it all sounded like a Star Wars soundtrack! He's achieved that superbly, and I do think there are plenty of tracks on this album that are better than Williams 'Force Awakens' work, and I really hope Giacchino gets to score another Star Wars movie very soon, and can contribute more of his own themes to this majestic film series.

Great soundtrack and great artist

top cd top seller*****

Arrived one day ahead of schedule which was great. Loved the soundtrack at the movies. This cd is a must for fans, collectors and music lovers alike. The first movie not part of the saga and not scored by John Williams in the Star Wars franchise. Wonderful music giving it that Star Wars feel but sufficiently different that it helps the film stand alone as a story, a prelude to "a new hope". If the high standards set here continue the sequel trilogy and anthology films will continue to be successful. Buy it now!

A fitting original soundtrack to arguably the best Star Wars movie in the franchise. The tracks as they progress remind me of the moments in the movie which make it my favourite to watch over and over again. A few relaxing scores and in the car hard to hear but in the home on the surround sound system it comes to life. Great score.

El soundtrack de esta pelicula es buenisimo y muy barato, muchos prefieren tenerl la musica en mp3 pero yo prefiero tener este disco fisicamente como coleccion

Der Score zu Episode 3,99 ist ..... ...gelungen!! Sogar John Williams wurde exakt vor einem Jahr von einigen sogenannten Star Wars Fans für Episode VII kritisiert, Schlagworte: klingt zu wenig nach Star Wars, so gut wie keine neuen Themen, lieber ein anderer Komponist, usw. Denjenigen wird sich aber das Genie dieses Ausnahmekomponisten niemals erschließen, sei es drum. Williams Arbeit zu Episode VII ist und bleibt genial. Die nicht chronologische Verfilmung der Star Wars Filme (IV, V, VI, I, II, III, VII und schließlich sozusagen Episode 3,99) machte es selbst für John Williams nicht einfach mit Episode I-III den Geschmack aller Fans zu treffen, da zu diesem Zeitpunkt des Handlungsstranges die Themen von New Hope oder Empire logischerweise „noch nicht“ verfügbar waren, neue Themen mussten her und Williams lieferte viel Neues auf hohem Niveau (Duel Of The Fates, Across The Stars). Für Episode VII verwendete er die OT Themen ebenfalls nur ansatzweise und wie ein Echo aus besseren Zeiten (z.B. Han und Leia, Imperial March) um wiederum in erster Linie Neuem Platz zu machen, z.B. Reys Theme, March Of The Resistance und für mich das Highlight The Jedi Steps. Williams kopiert sich also wenn überhaupt nur wo es nötig ist, und dann auch nur sehr zurückhaltend, er ist und bleibt unantastbar der Meister seines Faches. Wann geht das endlich in die Köpfe jener die Williams Arbeit an Star Wars kritisieren und vielleicht lieber die Arbeit irgendwelcher „Klon“komponisten hören möchten, die sich ja wiederum auch nur an Williams Themen vergreifen müßten, um auch nur irgendwie aufzufallen? Warum Episode 3,99... Zeitlich liegt Rouge One also direkt vor Episode IV, und das gilt natürlich nicht nur für den Handlungsstrang sondern auch für den Score, den Michael Giacchino komponiert hat, zweifellos einer der wenigen Hollywood Komponisten der neuen Riege die das technische Rüstzeug haben sowohl klassisch und modern aber auch mit einem eigenen Stil zu komponieren. Michael Giacchino hat wirklich beeindruckende Arbeit mit Rogue One abgeliefert, verwendet er die iconischen Williams Themen nur im Ansatz und zurückhaltend, wie eben auch schon Williams in Episode I-III dies tat, da sie in der zeitlichen Chronologie logischerweise einfach noch nicht in vollem Umfang verwendet werden können. All die großartige Musik zu New Hope (laut AFI der wichtigste Score der letzten 100 Jahre Filmmusik!) bleibt somit ausschließlich dieser einen Episode IV vorbehalten und das ist auch richtig so, wird die Leistung John Williams auf diese Weise sogar untermauert und entsprechend gewürdigt. Michael Giacchino hat mit Rogue One bewiesen, daß er ein absolut würdiger Star Wars Komponist ist!

La colonna sonora realizzata da Michael Giacchino per il film "Rogue One - A Star Wars Story" accompagna egregiamente, con toni epici e drammatici, lo svolgimento dell’azione. I temi sviluppati da Giacchino per questo nuovo capitolo della storia della Galassia ben si armonizzano con motivi noti, mutuati dalla celeberrima colonna sonora di John Williams per accompagnare i momenti in cui appaiono personaggi della trilogia storica, come Darth Vader, e rafforzare la continuità tra questo spin-off e i film precedenti. A mio avviso, tra i momenti più alti di una partitura veramente riuscita e coinvolgente ci sono gli incalzanti “Jedha City Ambush” e “The Monster Switch”, l’epica “Rogue One” caratterizzata da un leitmotiv di violini in crescendo, “Krennic’s Aspirations” in cui il nuovo tema si fonde perfettamente con la storica “Imperial March” (il tema-simbolo di Darth Vader) e “Hope”, brano drammatico e intenso arricchito da parti corali. Il cd è corredato da un booklet con le foto dei momenti salienti del film e una nota esplicativa del compositore. In definitiva, un cd godibilissimo che farà felice chi ha amato lo splendido “Rogue One”. Un must have per i fans della saga.

Banda Sonora impecable y que te hace recordar con una sonrisa lo mejor de la película. Aunque no haya sido compuesta por J. Williams, se nota de sobra el respeto que han tenido sobre su trabajo utilizándolo de base para las nuevas composiciones. La caja y presentación son simples, y no incluye ningún "extra" destacable, pero al menos, no es un estuche de cartón que siempre se deteriora antes que uno de plástico, como es el caso.