3- Main title/ Rebel Blockade runner from Star Wars - John Williams Flashcards
Context Star Wars
John Williams
written 1977
Melody Star Wars
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
Lower Auxiliary note
moves between a melody note to the note below and back again
Articulation Star Wars
Lots of accents - makes it leap out at the listener e.g. bar 2
Dynamics
Mostly loud to grab attention
Rapid dynamic changes
Texture Star Wars
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
Structure Star Wars
AABA structure
Music follows action on screen
4 bar phrases in main theme
Harmony Star Wars
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
Instruments Star Wars
- 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
Rhythm, Tempo, Metre
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
Tonality Star Wars
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
Fermata Definition
A pause marking where the note is held
Leitmotif
A short pattern that represents a character, place or emotion
Atonal Defintion
No use of key
Bitonality
Two different keys are used at the same time as each other
