Star Wars Flashcards
What is the instrumentation of “Star Wars”?
Full symphony orchestra
What is the metre of the piece?
4/4 (simple quadruple)
Describe what the brass instruments play in the introduction.
Fanfare
What characteristic features of a fanfare are heard in this piece?
Triplets, repeated notes, notes of a broken chord and played by brass instruments
Which instrument plays the main theme when it is played the first time? (bar 4)
High trumpets
The tempo is 100bpm, how does this tempo fit the mood of the film?
The fast tempo matches the exciting mood of this action film
Describe the accompaniment to the main theme (bar 4).
Block chords
Describe the rhythm of the accompaniment to the main theme (bar 4).
Off beat quavers, triplet quavers/semiquavers with frequent rests
Which percussion instrument emphasizes the accompaniment played with the main theme? (bar 4)
Snare drum
Describe what the upper strings and woodwind play in the introduction and above the main theme (bar 4).
Inverted pedal (high pedal note)
What playing technique do the upper strings use in the introduction and during the main theme?
Tremolando
Why is the metre appropriate for the film?
4/4 metre reflects the military nature of the war between rebels and the imperial forces
What is the tonality for the first 29 bars of the piece?
Bb major
What happens to the tonality from bar 30 onwards?
It becomes less clear with unstable harmonies and chord progressions
What do the bass instruments play when the spaceships appear?
Pedal note on C
Which instruments play the melody in the contrasting section (B)?
Strings
Across how many octaves is the melody played in the contrasting section?
3
Describe the tonality in bars 39 - 41 (planets appear).
Atonal
Identify the cadence at the end of the main theme in bar 7.
Imperfect
Which instruments play the main theme when it returns in bar 21?
Violin, viola, cello, horns and trumpets