Star Wars Analysis Flashcards
What are the 4 main sections of an orchestra?
Woodwind, brass, percussion and strings
What is the lowest sounding orchestral brass instrument?
Tuba
Which section is the most prominent at the beginning of the score?
Brass
What does the music start with?
Brass fanfares using triplet rhythms-the trumpets imitate the trombone music
How many bars does the intro last?
3 bars each with 4 beats then the main tune starts
What happens to the speed at the end of the intro
Ritenuto ‘rit’ means slow down
What is the main theme known as and what is it associated with?
Star Wars leitmotif and is associated with the hero Luke Sywalker with heroism and adventure
Between which 2 notes of the main theme is there a minor 7th leap?
C and B flat
What type of cadence is used at the end of each phrase?
Imperfect-ending with F major chord
How does the music show adventure and heroism?
Loud volume, major key, full symphony orchestra with a bright high sounding trumpet theme, percussion instruments, wide leaps in melody line and a march-like rhythm
What instrument plays in the middle section of the theme and in what style?
Violins in legato style
What is the structure of the main theme?
Ternary ABA (A repeats in an altered form
What instruments feature in the mysterious quiet part?
A vibraphone, a harp ostinato, trills in woodwind, broken chords on the celeste and a haunting piccolo solo high above the texture
Which percussion instrument plays the ‘war drum’ loud repeated notes?
The timpani-kettle drums
Lots of the Star Wars harmony uses this type of chord-what is it?
Quartal-in quartal harmony the chords are built from 4ths instead of the usual 3rds
