Star Wars Flashcards
When was star wars released?
1977
What is a leitmotif and who pioneered it?
It is a musical idea associated with a character, object or event that was pioneered in the 19th century operas of Richard Wagner
Which character is the motif starting on the upbeat to bar 4 associated with ( de de de daa daa dedede daa da)
Luke Skywalker
When did specially commisoned music for films appear?
1930s
How is a heroic effect created in Luke Sykwalkers motif?
From a loud dynamic, it’s scoring for trumpets and it’s focus on the two most important notes in the key of Bb major: the tonic and dominant. As well as the use of strong rising intervals, triplets (that here add to the march like quality) and syncopated accompaniment helps to create excitement
When else does Luke Skywalker’s motif occur and who is it played by?
When Luke ponders his destiny it is played by solo flute then solo clarinet. When he rescues Leia it becomes strongly rhythmic and percussive
In the last ten bars of the music a new Leitmotif is introduced. What is it called and why is it Like Wagner’s motifs?
It is called the Rebel Blockade runner and it is like Wagners motif as it is essentially just an interval of a minor 3rd
How is the music scored?
- full orchestra of almost 90 players
- 10 woodwind, 11 brass, 6 percussion, harp and 60 strings
- it is written in short score
What is it called where everyone plays and where can this be found in this set work?
Tutti (e.g. bar 21)
Who orchestrated the score?
Herbert W Spencer
Describe the orchestration of the scoring
It is thickly scored with much doubling of parts, few solo lines and no use of electric guitars, synthesizers or electronic effects
Loosely describe the structure of this set work
The first 29 bars have a short introductorary fanfare followed by a ternary (ABA1) structure. The second part sets the scene for this particular film, a new hope
What happens in bars 1-3?
- music- introductorary fanfare
* screen- title Star wars fills the screen immediately receding into the distance
What happens in bars 3-11? A
- music- 4 bar trumpet theme immediately repeated with different accompaniment
- screen- first paragraph of falling text
What happens in bars 11-20? B
- music-8 bar contrasting theme on violins plus link
* screen- 2nd paragraph of scrolling text
What happens in bars 20-29 A1
- music- repeat of a but more fully scored with small changes plus link
- screen- third paragraph of scrolling text
What happens in bars 29-35?
- music- shortened fanfare, crescendo and diminuendo
* screen- tiny stars appear against black void
What happens in bars 36-39?
- music- piccolo solo, mysterious harmony
* screen- tiny stars appear
What happens in bars 39-60
- music- sudden orchesteral outburst followed by rebel blockade runner leitmotif
- screen- the surface of a huge planets Swings Into view. A tiny rebel spacecraft is being fired upon
Describe the tonality in the first half of the set work
It is Bb major reinforced by an inverted tonic pedal on Bb on bars 1-6 a dominant pedal on F in bars 11- 14 and phrases that end with the dominant chord of F creating imperfect cadences
Describe the tonality in the second half of the set work
It becomes increasingly atonal with dissonant chords, and a sense of bitonality in the last 10 bars where Ab minor clash with a rhythmic ostinato on a pedal c
Describe the harmony in the first 7 bars
Quartal harmony
Describe the harmony in the first half
Mainly chords in root position often with added notes. There is some chromaticidm e.g. in the parallel triads of bar 7
Describe the harmony in the 2nd half
The unrelated chords in bars 33-35 create little sense of key but the interval of an augmented 5th between Ab and E natural that is in bars 32-39 fives a mystic unworldly character. In bars 46-50 dissonant note clusters of c, Db, F and G are hammered out. Parralel triads return in the last four bars heard over a pedal of C.
Give features of the set works melody displayed in section A
Intervals of a 4th and 7th and the triplet quaver rhythm feature in the fanfare and the melody section of A. A rising contour based on the tonic and dominant of the key helps to give the melody it’s heroic quality.
Give features of the melody in section B
It is scored for violins in octaves. It has a less forceful dynamic than section A and more stepwise movements. But it also has intervals of a 4th and 7th and quaver triplet rhythms
Give some rhythmic features of the fanfare
It has a brisk tempo and a 44 time which creates a march like military mood. And the triplet figures in the first three bars scored for brass are typical of fanfare
Give rhythmic features for the rest of the set work
- the syncopated accompaniment in bars 4-6 and 21-24 adds to the excitement
- the pulse becomes less obvious from bar 33 and the time changes to triple metre at bar 44 with the tempo gradually slowing in bars 47-50
- the last 10 bars are at a faster tempo
Describe the texture
- Mainly homophonic (melody and accompaniment, often with the melody doubled in octaves)
- A few imitative points (trumpets and trombone in the opening fanfare
- A homorhythmic texture of block chords in bars 44-50
- Several pedal points including a rhythmic ostinato on pedal c in bars 51 to the end
