gsketchy03

[gsketchy03]

Hey I know this is way late, but I came across your analysis in my study of this score! I'm currently a university student, studying music and this semester I've been taking a class on film and TV music analysis and since the full score for this game was made publicly available by the composers, (and we'd be looking at a cue from it later in the course) I took it upon myself to do some studying/analysis of this score. (also because I love this game lol) I've been looking a lot into themes in my study of this score, so your analysis has been super helpful. I haven't done nearly as much as I hope to eventually, but I have found some stuff that you might find interesting.

Mainly that I think this theme is actually intended mostly to represent the empire, not Cal. Or if it is intended to relate to Cal specifically, perhaps his dark side and struggles there? Regardless, in the score, the theme first appears under the heading "Imperial theme" (heading is page 113 in the score if you want to pull it up, theme starts on the following page in the horns) I saw the comparisons you and @foxykatie425 drew to Cal's theme, and while I do commend your work and it makes me wonder if a connection was in some way intended, I think the theme is far more similar to the B section of John Williams' Imperial Theme. The A, then Gb bit especially. If you listen to the section that immediately follows the main gesture of the theme, it really sounds like the imperial theme. (sorry I'm not super good at explaining this in words. when I talked to my professor about this, I played sections on the piano to illustrate my point, but I can't really do that here. If my writing is too difficult to decipher, let me know and I'll try to be more specific) Additionally, this theme is very closely associated with the empire. As you've noted, it appears in Dark Times, Above the Clouds, and Nova Garon. However, I'd argue that it could just as easily ,if not more, be applied to the empire than Cal. In Dark Times, Cal is being taken through coruscant, past the Imperial palace. In Above the Clouds, the empire is fighting on the observatory as well. Nova Garon is an imperial base. The theme also appears in the tracks Garrison, containing music played during imperial encounters on Koboh, and Mogu in the Mist, containing music played in the imperial outpost we find on Koboh. i detect hints of the theme during Imperial-related bits on Jedha, too (Listen like super closely to Trident) . All this to say, I think because Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton aren't super allowed to use John Williams' actual music in their scores, I think they made a new, derivative form of the Imperial theme. However, I think there may still be something to the connections you've pointed out to Cal's theme. I was hoping to get to speak to the composers on this subject, but unfortunately they were to busy to meet.

On a completely different note, I think Koboh itself has a theme! I found it in A Frontier Welcome (1:32 in bass clarinet, harps and cello), Where the Nekkos Roam (1:38, clarinets), and Rambler's reach (beginning flute, but basically everywhere). These are just a couple instances, it's in pretty much every cue on Koboh though. There's even a cool version of it at 1:40 of rambler's reach played on horn and banjo(? that part isn't in the score for some reason) that is like a western version of the theme that represents Rambler's reach as a community. I haven't spent enough time with the score and game to ensure that's the right connection, but I'm pretty confident.

Anyway, just thought I'd give you my thoughts on this! I absolutely love this game and the score is fantastic. At this point I'm considering a career in film/tv/video game score analysis because of how much I enjoy this lol

Feel free to reach out with any questions, I know I didn't do a great job explaining the connections to the imperial theme. After my finals, I'd be happy to do a full analysis comparing those themes!

I think I might have gotten something wrong in my Jedi Survivor score post. Maybe someone who didn't fail music theory in high school (aka me) and understands minor or inverted keys more could help.

I'm trying to figure out if this melody is musically related to Cal's theme in any way, shape, or form.

I originally thought it was a minor or inverted variation of a part of Cal's theme and now I'm second-guessing myself. It's a theme that's heard throughout the game and it's definitely at least a secondary darker theme for Cal cause it almost always plays in relation to him but I can't tell if it actually is a minor or inverted variation. Maybe even a darker extension of it or something? During the track Above the Clouds that theme and Cal's almost consistently switch back and forth which made me think it was Dagan's theme for a bit but it's definitely not. It's also not Bode's, this is Bode's theme, also heard here.

Was I right about it being some sort of musical variation of Cal's theme or is it something completely different?