[Thor Joachim Haga]

I’m currently finding out a few things while listening through my STAR WARS CDs – first, that my tolerance level for busy orchestral action music is much, much lower than it used to be (partly because of a taste change, partly because of the tinnitus). Second, while all nine John Williams soundtracks have generous running times of close to 80 minutes, only the original trilogy and prequel trilogy “deserve” it (they’re rich enough to sustain it). For the sequels, however (I’ve currently ripped off the shrinkwrap of THE LAST JEDI and listening through that — I think only for the third time), I’m not so sure. Williams’ style is now so motivic and cellular, it feels a bit like a chore to listen to in all its whimsical nature. And even the socalled “setpiece” tracks are not as well-rounded and defined as in the past. THE FORCE AWAKENS comes out reasonably well, the other two less so. Would have worked better at the 50-minute mark, I think.