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'Main Title' / 'Rebel Blockade Runner' (from Star Wars:…
'Main Title' / 'Rebel Blockade Runner' (from Star Wars: Episode IV -
A New Hope
) - John Williams
Context
John Williams (1932 - )
Romantic Style Film Scores
Use of Lietmotifs
Originally by Richard Wagner (19th century operas)
First leitmotif in Bar 4
Very successful - 50 oscar nominations
Film Score
Star Wars (1977) first film (A New Hope)
Resources
Full Symphony Orchestra
Nearly 90 Performers
10 Woodwind - 11 brass - 6 percussion - harp - 60 strings
Tonality
First Section (Theme) - is
B♭ Major
.
Second Section (Stars) - More
atonal
- dissonant chords - ends with bi-tonality (C pedal + A♭ major chords)
Harmony
Lots of Quartal Harmony - chords made of 4ths rather than 3rds - open unfinished sound - like sus chords
Lots of Tonic/Dominant (
inverted
) pedals
Sections end on
imperfect cadences
to carry to next
Chords become more dissonant in second section
Melody
A Section
Opening Fanfare - 4ths and 7th (
Octave Displacement
)
Bold, clearly defined melodies - Leitmotifs
Melody built on tonic (B♭) and Dominant (F)
Lots of Leaps
B Section
Contrasts
A
Violins in Octaves - less forceful dynamics
Much more stepwise - still uses 4ths and 7th
Rhythm
Brisk Tempo (100 bpm) - military mood
Brass Triplet - military
Syncopated brass accompaniment in theme
Gradually slows but last 10 bars are at a faster tempo
Texture
Mainly
Homophonic
Melody often doubled in octaves
Homorhythm - block chords
Lots of pedal points - tonic - inverted - dominant
Rhythmic ostinato at end