Star Wars

Question 1

What is the instrumentation of “Star Wars”?

Answer 1

Full symphony orchestra

Question 2

What is the metre of the piece?

Answer 2

4/4 (simple quadruple)

Question 3

Describe what the brass instruments play in the introduction.

Answer 3

Fanfare

Question 4

What characteristic features of a fanfare are heard in this piece?

Answer 4

Triplets, repeated notes, notes of a broken chord and played by brass instruments

Question 5

Which instrument plays the main theme when it is played the first time? (bar 4)

Answer 5

High trumpets

Question 6

The tempo is 100bpm, how does this tempo fit the mood of the film?

Answer 6

The fast tempo matches the exciting mood of this action film

Question 7

Describe the accompaniment to the main theme (bar 4).

Answer 7

Block chords

Question 8

Describe the rhythm of the accompaniment to the main theme (bar 4).

Answer 8

Off beat quavers, triplet quavers/semiquavers with frequent rests

Question 9

Which percussion instrument emphasizes the accompaniment played with the main theme? (bar 4)

Answer 9

Snare drum

Question 10

Describe what the upper strings and woodwind play in the introduction and above the main theme (bar 4).

Answer 10

Inverted pedal (high pedal note)

Question 11

What playing technique do the upper strings use in the introduction and during the main theme?

Answer 11

Tremolando

Question 12

Why is the metre appropriate for the film?

Answer 12

4/4 metre reflects the military nature of the war between rebels and the imperial forces

Question 13

What is the tonality for the first 29 bars of the piece?

Answer 13

Bb major

Question 14

What happens to the tonality from bar 30 onwards?

Answer 14

It becomes less clear with unstable harmonies and chord progressions

Question 15

What do the bass instruments play when the spaceships appear?

Answer 15

Pedal note on C

Question 16

Which instruments play the melody in the contrasting section (B)?

Answer 16

Strings

Question 17

Across how many octaves is the melody played in the contrasting section?

Answer 17

3

Question 18

Describe the tonality in bars 39 - 41 (planets appear).

Answer 18

Atonal

Question 19

Identify the cadence at the end of the main theme in bar 7.

Answer 19

Imperfect

Question 20

Which instruments play the main theme when it returns in bar 21?

Answer 20

Violin, viola, cello, horns and trumpets

Question 21

Which instruments play the chordal accompaniment in the contrasting section?

Answer 21

Horns, piano and oboe

Question 22

Which tuned percussion plays the important notes of the melody in the contrasting section?

Answer 22

Glockenspiel

Question 23

Which percussion instrument plays on the first beat of the main theme when it returns in bar 21?

Answer 23

Cymbal

Question 24

What does the harp play in bar 29 at the end of the return of the main theme?

Answer 24

Glissando (slide)

Question 25

What do the upper woodwind play in the return of the main theme?

Answer 25

Rushing scalic-like passages

Question 26

Describe what the brass instruments play at bar 30 (space is filled with stars).

Answer 26

Fanfare-like idea

Question 27

Identify the features of the fanfare played by the brass instruments in bars 30 and 31.

Answer 27

Repeated staccato quaver/triplet semiquaver rhythm that builds up in a chord

Question 28

Describe what the strings play at the end of the star-filled space section (bars 31 - 32).

Answer 28

Rapid staccato sextuplet semiquavers in a rising sequence

Question 29

What happens to the tonality at bar 30 (star-filled space)?

Answer 29

It becomes less clear

Question 30

What do the strings and harp play in bars 33 - 35 (transition section)?

Answer 30

Fast broken chord/arpeggios

Question 31

What happens to the texture at bar 36?

Answer 31

It is much lighter/thinner

Question 32

Which instrument plays the melody at bar 36?

Answer 32

Piccolo

Question 33

What does the harp play underneath the piccolo melody in bar 36?

Answer 33

Broken chord pattern

Question 34

What does the flute play underneath the piccolo melody in bar 36?

Answer 34

Trills between G and Ab

Question 35

What key is the music in at bar 36 (where piccolo plays the melody)?

Answer 35

C major but with Ab

Question 36

What do the violins, celeste, vibraphone and woodwind play in the accompaniment to the piccolo melody at bar 36?

Answer 36

Held/sustained chords

Question 37

Describe what the strings play as the planets appear at bar 39.

Answer 37

Rapid rising semiquaver sextuplets

Question 38

Describe what the trombones and horns play as the planets appear. What does this represent?

Answer 38

Chords representing the imperial force

Question 39

Describe the tonality when the planets appear at bar 39.

Answer 39

Atonal

Question 40

What do the bass instruments play as the spaceship appears in bar 42?

Answer 40

Pedal note on C

Question 41

What do the brass instruments play as the spaceship appears in bar 42? What does this represent?

Answer 41

Chords representing the imperial force

Question 42

Which percussion instrument plays a rhythm that suggests that something bad is going to happen?

Answer 42

Timpani

Question 43

Describe the metre at bar 44 when the larger spaceship is in pursuit of the rebel spaceship.

Answer 43

Changes to simple triple (3/4)

Question 44

Describe the harmony of the chords played by the orchestra when the larger spaceship is chasing the smaller one.

Answer 44

Dissonant (clashing) chords

Question 45

Describe the articulation of the chords from bar 44 to the end.

Answer 45

Accented

Question 46

What happens to the tempo as the larger spaceship is in pursuit of the smaller spaceship?

Answer 46

It slows down (ritardando)

Question 47

What is the tempo at the end of the extract (from bar 51) where the action moves inside the rebel spaceship?

Answer 47

It changes to 160 bpm

Question 48

What rhythmic device is played at the end of the extract (from bar 51)?

Answer 48

Ostinato (repeated pattern) on the note C

Question 49

What is the tonality at the end of the extract?

Answer 49

Bitonal ( 2 tonalities at the same time)

Question 50

What is the main texture of the extract?

Answer 50

Homophonic (melody and accompaniment)