3- Main title/ Rebel Blockade runner from Star Wars - John Williams

Question 1

Context Star Wars

Answer 1

John Williams
written 1977

Question 2

Melody Star Wars

Answer 2

fanfare
leitmotif
Rebel blockade runner - short piccolo melody

A THEME - stepwise movement, some leaps

B THEME- scalic, full descending scale,

Rapid repeating notes - tonic Bb triplets

imitation

triplets
long minims

Anacrusis
Rising perfect 5th - heroic
Auxilary notes
balanced stepwise motion and leaps

7th intervals
4th intervals
5th intervals

-fanfare - start (grand and heroic)
- Leitmotif played by trumpet and other brass –> uses intervals of a 4th, 5th and 7th

B theme scalic played by violin and other strings

Full descending scale e.g. end of B theme (Descending Bb minor melodic scale e.g. end of B theme
A theme returns but with small changes

A theme stepwise movement and leaps

“rebel blockade runner” section - short piccolo melody during the “star filled sky” section

Rapid repeating notes using tonic Bb triplets
- Imitation
7th intervals (in fanfare)
Main theme –> 4 bar idea with balances stepwise motion and leaps

Repeated use of triplets and long minims to create excitement and tension

B theme contrast to A theme - feels less forceful - uses scalic patterns, with some leaps and triplets to remind of A

Anacrusis –> used in both themes

Rising perfect 5th which create a heroic feel e.g. bar 1

Leap of minor 7th e.g. bar 2

Auxiliary note (notes in main chord) - bar 4 to reach note of C, preparing for repeat of 4 bar phrase

Trumpets play leaps of sevenths from F to Eb

Question 3

Lower Auxiliary note

Answer 3

moves between a melody note to the note below and back again

Question 4

Articulation Star Wars

Answer 4

Lots of accents - makes it leap out at the listener e.g. bar 2

Question 5

Dynamics

Answer 5

Mostly loud to grab attention
Rapid dynamic changes

Question 6

Texture Star Wars

Answer 6

homophonic

Pedal texture - variation

Inverted tonic pedal

Dominant pedal bar 12-15

Ostinato texture 51- 60

Few solos/ light texture

Main theme= block chords or arpeggios

Question 7

Structure Star Wars

Answer 7

AABA structure
Music follows action on screen
4 bar phrases in main theme

Question 8

Harmony Star Wars

Answer 8

tonal
Dissonant
Tritone bar 44
Perfect cadences (not many)
Atonal
Quartal harmonies
Chords syncopated
descending baseline
Imperfect cadences

Tonal harmonies
Main theme mostly diatonic
- Melody and accompanied by mostly major and minor chords
Dissonant
Tritone bar 44 (augmented 4th/ diminished 5th)
- Not many perfect cadences
- Harmony is complicated - dissonant and atonal
- Quartal harmony - (chords made of notes that are 4 steps apart) bar 4-7
- Main theme of the chords are syncopated
- Descending bassline
- Dissonance used in exciting parts of scenes - creates tension and excitement
- Imperfect cadence
- Intro and A theme uses inverted tonic pedal
- Dominant pedal played in brass e.g. theme B
Unrelated chords used to create, strange unstable effect

Question 9

Instruments Star Wars

Answer 9

• Main title/ rebel blockade runner uses a full symphony orchestra –> strings, percussion, woodwind and brass
  Wind –> flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon
  Brass –> Horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba
  Percussion–> Timpani, triangle, tam tam (gong), vibraphone, glockenspiel, cymbal.
  Piano, celeste, harp
  Orchestra in a traditional romantic-era orchestra, doubling of parts an octave or more apart

Question 10

Rhythm, Tempo, Metre

Answer 10

Fast tempo- exciting
4/4/ metre - march style
Fanfare - rapid repeated notes and triplets - expectation
Rhythmic feel of main theme - quadruple/ duple pulse
triplets
syncopated block chord, mixing offbeat quavering triple quavers with frequent rests
Bar 33- pulse becomes less clear
Metre changes to triple time at bar 44
homorhythmic chords bar 44-5 - creates drama
end - very fast tempo
mixture of quavers, triple quavers and crotchets and rests bar 44 - tempo also slows here
Fast triplets and demi-semiquavers e

Question 11

Tonality Star Wars

Answer 11

Bb major - first 29 bars
bar 30 - less clear - more unstable harmonies
Bar 39 modulates to C major
bar 42 onwards - music based around note C with bass pedal
more complex chords and much dissonance
atonal passages and bitonality

Question 12

Fermata Definition

Answer 12

A pause marking where the note is held

Question 13

Leitmotif

Answer 13

A short pattern that represents a character, place or emotion

Question 14

Atonal Defintion

Answer 14

No use of key

Question 15

Bitonality

Answer 15

Two different keys are used at the same time as each other

Question 16

Quartal Harmony

Answer 16

A chord that is build on intervals of a 4th rather than the usual 3rd.

Question 17

Tritone Defintion

Answer 17

The interval of an augmented 4th/ diminished 5th.

Question 18

Homorhythm Definition

Answer 18

Rhythmic unison - where every person plays the same rhythm

Question 19

Mezzo Forte

Answer 19

moderately loud