yeah I am, and yep it does synch up with the gap removed this as you say could be misleading I never thought about that in terms of assembling the CD but I do believe they used the score notes and if it stated a rest then the gap is correct.

But the change of tempo (suddenly going double time) at the end of the R2-D2 scene does not feel right. And more so the big piano beats looking at the ice plain landscape also make even less sense.

the double time kicking in on the shots of people running about just seems to reflect what is going on, on the screen but then this gap we are talking about shifts to a part somewhere where the snow speeders are preparing to launch without actually showing them Launch.

I probably just want to believe there was some kind of storyboard card on the screen for that bit when it was scored where they are preparing to go out of the base I wish I could prove it, but I seriously know I cannot. But this is what I think John Williams intended, and I have given you my take on it.

I also think it's a bit naughty to not observe pauses in the music just because there is no footage to compliment it. That is the best thing about the unused music what ever interpretation people have of it. It is still a wonderful and fascinating thing :)

I don't think that big piano riff would be heard at all until we actually witness the first shot of the hulking AT-AT (through Binoculars). There is no way this music is intended for anything other than the first time we see it and absolutely none of the lead up to that point. That may mean excising a couple of bars as they are repeated and placeholders only. I have not checked but I would be surprised if the first note of the piano riff and the AT-AT foot stomping down did not match the change to double time when we are in the hanger. I will check this later on.