"The Force Awakens" Musical Timeline

It is difficult to analyze anything when your experiencing it for the first time. Only through repeated exposure can a viewer/listener begin to understand the intricacies of the product. On Monday I saw Star Wars for the second time. Here's what I was able to gather from that second viewing, comparing the music if the film to the same music on the soundtrack:

0:00 main titles [track 1, beginning]

0:06 Ren's motive [ track 1, 4:20?]

0:08 Ren's motive (low horns) [not in soundtrack]

0:09 Ren's motive (horns in unison, higher than previous) [ track 1, 5:30?]

0:10 chromatic horns [track 1, 6:13]

0:11 Rey seen for first time (no music). Flute solo [track 2, 0:38] when she shows her face for first time. Curiously, the English horn solo that opens track 2 "The Scavenger" [track 2, 0:00-0:38] is omitted from the film.

0:12 first hearing of chime motive of Rey's theme [track 2, 0:56] as she slides down sand dune. Flute tiptoe motive [track 2, 1:09], horn melody [track 2, 1:31] - both firsts.

0:13 Rey arrives home (regal motive [track 2, 1:45] first heard, celesta plays chime motive [track 2, 1:59], tiptoe [track 2, 2:08].

0:14 pensive horn solo as she eats her portion [track 2, 2:22]. Flute solo plays Rey melody [track 2, 3:00].

0:15 no music as Rey free BB-8

0:16 noodling celesta as Rey and BB-8 chat [track 4, 0:20].

0:17 Ren interrogates Poe (no music until end of scene)

0:19 Ren's motive (stopped horn) "Ren wants the prisoner" [not in soundtrack] Main theme (flute) "This is a rescue" [not in soundtrack].

0:22 Poe's theme (?) as Finn takes out turbo laser [track 3, 1:21].

0:25 no music at crash site

0:27 Ren's motive [not in soundtrack]

0:28 attempted Droid-napping (no music). Music as BB-8 sees, chases Finn.

0:29 " Poe didn't make it" (descending clarinet solo) [track 5, 0:20].

0:30 running theme first heard [track 5, 1:10].

0:32 rebel motive first heard upon first shot of millennium falcon [track 5, 2:30]. More running theme [track 7, 0:15].

0:33 falcon takes off [track 7, 0:45]. more rebel motive [track 7, 1:02].

0:35 batman-like theme (not sure whose theme yet) [track 7, 2:35]

0:36 falcon escapes to safety (flute music similar to ESB?) [track 7, 3:23]. Rey's melody slowly [track 8, 0:23].

0:37 falcon is boarded [track 8, 1:08].

0:40 ascending brass reminiscent of death star motive from ANH [track 9, 0:10]. Main theme heard as Han and Chewie make first appearance [track 9, 0:50?].

0:42 main theme again when solo enters cockpit of falcon [track 9, 0:50?]. First force theme (1st two phrases only) "you are the Han solo who fought with the rebellion" [not in soundtrack].

0:48 running theme as good guys board falcon [track 9, 2:50?].

0:49 rebel motive as falcon escapes [track 9, 3:44].

0:50 first appearance of Snoke (low make choices, reminiscent of sith theme) [track 17?].

0:54 "it's true. All of it." (solo horn force theme - very similar to earlier force theme [ not in soundtrack]. Rey's melody played by flutes in octaves [track 10, 1:00].

0:56 "job offer" (flute solo plays Rey's melody) [track 10, 1:20?].

0:59 66 motive first heard (stopped horns in octaves) [not in soundtrack].

1:00 only appearance of imperial march [not in soundtrack].

1:04 Rey's melody (quiet horn) as she is drawn to Luke's light saber [not in soundtrack].

1:07 Jurassic park motive? [track 11?]. Force theme (horn, two phrases only) as Maz advises Rey [track 11, 2:15].

1:08 rey runs from Maz (Rey's counter melody) [track 11, 2:40].

1:10 star killer strings [track 12].

1:13 Ren's motive (brass in octaves, then unison horns) [track 13, 0:51 and 1:29]. Rey's melody (solo English horn) [track 13, 1:44].

1:15 first appearance of resistance march as the resistance comes to the rescue [not in soundtrack].

1:17 poe's theme (?). [not in soundtrack but similar to what is heard at track 3, 1:21]. Three iterations of 66 motive, progressively bigger [track 14, 0:20].

1:18 Ren's motive (stopped horns in octaves) [track 14, 0:48].

1:19 Rey's regal motive [track 14, 1:21], melody (strings in octaves) [track 14, 1:40], regal [track 14, 1:55].

1:20 first appearance of Leia's theme (flute) [track 15, 0:13]. princess theme [track 15, 0:42].

1:21 resistance march [track 15, 1:24].

1:24 bouncy bass clarinet [track 15, 2:59]. Leia's theme (flute) [track 15, 3:28].

1:25 66 motive x2 (quiet) [track 15, 3:46]. Force theme (horn) [track 15, 4:05].

1:26 66 motive? (very quiet) [not in soundtrack].

1:28 66 motive x2 ('x3?) [not in soundtrack].

1:29 Rey melody [not in soundtrack].

1:30 smoke (male chorus) [track 17?] 66 motive [not in soundtrack].

1:31 66 motive (loud brass) [not in soundtrack].

1:33 resistance march builds [not in soundtrack].

1:34 resistance march full. Leia's theme "I hate when you leave" [not in soundtrack].

1:35 princess theme [not in soundtrack].

1:36 falcon arrived at star killer (rebel motive) [not in soundtrack].

1:41  rey melody [not in soundtrack].

1:42 rey melody [not in soundtrack].

1:44 Han and Chewie set charges on star killer [track 18, 0:20]. Ren's motive [track 18, 0:47], ren again (slowly by muted trumpets) [track 18, 1:06].

1:49 han's death [track 19, 1:29].

1:50 Ren's motive (ff horns unison) [track 19, 2:48].

1:51 Ren's motive [track 19, 3:48]. 66 motive [not in soundtrack], Rey melody [track 19, 3:55].

1:53 Rey claims Luke's saber: Force theme, dies irae??? [not in soundtrack].

1:55 scherzo for x wings (main theme all over the place) [track 21].

1:56 66 motive [track 20, 1:11], ren's motive [track 20, 1:20], force theme  [track 20, 1:53].

1:57 rey melody  [track 20, 2:10], force theme (high note of this phrase for first time) as rey defeats ren [track 20, 2:39]. Ren motive (f horns) [track 20, 2:54].

1:58 falcon rescues Finn and rey: Rey counter melody [track 22, 0:10].

1:59 poe's theme (??) as star killer blows up [track 22, 0:36]. Force theme (trumpet rapid triplets) [track 22, 0:51]. Rey melody [track 22, 1:27].

2:00 Leia theme [track 22, 1:51].

2:02 force theme (horn, strings) [track 22, 2:16].

2:03 rey theme (slow and sad) [track 22, 2:43]. Leia's theme [track 22, 2:57].

2:04 main theme (horn) [track 22, 3:55]. Rey tiptoe [track 22, 4:04], melody [track 22, 4:08], and regal [track 22, 4:21].

2:05 Jurassic park motive [track 23, 0:06].

2:06 Luke's theme? [track 23, 0:19], force theme [track 23, 1:39].


​With additional viewings, I will continue to hone and develop the relationship between the visual and audio components of the film.