Tobar

That's awesome doubleo! =D

A nice vintage little article first published in the winter 1977 issue of Science Fantasy Film Classics.

THE MUSIC OF THE STARS

JOHN WILLIAMS AND THE MUSICAL HERITAGE OF "STAR WARS"

Article by GEOFREY DARROW

Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Bernard Herrmann, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Igor Stravinsky, and Jerry Goldsmith. Together their various forms of composing and arranging have influenced John Williams into composing one of the year's most sweeping and heroic film scores to track a motion picture: "Star Wars."

Through the recommendation of friend Steven Spielberg, director of the all-time box office hit "Jaws" (which Williams also scored and for which he won the Oscar for best soundtrack of the year), "Star Wars director George Lucas consulted John Williams on scoring his recently finished film. After viewing the second cut at a private screening, Williams and Lucas settled upon the basic feeling they would try for in scoring the film. After two months Williams finished the music, and with the help of the London Symphony Orchestra cut the score. It was a return to the days of full blown symphonic themes, with the added note that each of the major characters would have their own theme - Princess Leia, Luke, Ben Kenobi, and Darth Vader each moved to a different rhythm as did the shark in "Jaws," who also had his own theme.

As the titles roll through space the score swells with a fanfare, a broad heralding of fanfaring brass. It is this element that helps to make it so reminiscent of the earlier film scores of Erich Wolgang Korngold. Korngold composed most of Errol Flynn's successful junkets in the buckling of swash.

His scores for "Robin Hood," "The Sea Hawk," and "Captain Blood," are classics and their influence is obvious in that the music has a "Royal" feeling. This is not surprising considering that Flynn's movies usually took place around the throne of England.

It might be noted that this form of film music has long been ignored by most of today's composers in favor of more atonal clashes mixed with seasoned realities more reflective of the times. This is not to say that one way is better than another but only that "Star Wars" is a throwback to another era in its music also, and exemplifies the trends which the genre has survived in search of its perspective.

The best example of this form is Jerry Goldsmith's classic score of "The Planet of the Apes." The synthetic blend of sounds was the year's most revolutionary and trend setting score. This example demonstrated that mood and musical accompaniment are determined by many moods, not just sweeping scores which overpower the screen's image and cast a shadow of pretentiousness over a director's work. Goldsmith's score and it's power therein is heard in "Star Wars" (when the Sand People make their appearance) in a mixture of primal percussion and atonal notes.

The main reason for Lucas and Williams' decision to return to the full orchestral score is based partly on this influence. Since the release and subsequent popularity of "Planet of the Apes" and several of Goldsmith's other excellent scores, several less talented composers have used his vision of the future and things fantastical to the extremes, creating unwanted themes of cold desolution and hopelessness. Lucas' desire to jell his film's visual and general tone led him and Williams to return to the old form.

As the film continues, both visually and musically, signs of the classical influence are heard. Notes reminiscent of Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" sweep down the corridors of the Deathstar, trailing the carnage, swept along by Darth Vader and his hords of starship troopers. This same musical treatment has served Williams before in "Jaws," as the primal beat used by Stravinsky also trails that film's main character and his victims throughout the ocean.

The overall sinister feel of the Deathstar is underlined by Stravinsky's beat and smoothed out in a taut wire of musical suspense, influenced by the master of this form Bernard Herrmann; who has scored such films as "Psycho" (a score frequently copied and unequalled for its skin crawling ability), "Citizen Kane," "Taxi Driver" and many more. Also, Bernard Herrmann's score for "Bride of Frankenstein," which was used as the theme for the "Flash Gordon" serials echoes throughout the opening credits. Again, Ming was Royalty, an Emperor, and the music has that "feeling" of rebel intrigue against the Empire. Brave and daring rebels that are a part of our movie heritage, and therefore our youthful experience, give us the impression that the music is actually royal, and well suited for the film.

In complete contrast, for the cantina sequence, Williams introduces the denizens of space to the swing of Benny Goodman and the big band sound of Glenn Miller's brass. Using the talents of nine jazz musicians playing a trumpet, two saxes, an elusive clarinet, steel drums, assorted percussion and a harp synthesizer, Williams creates a piece of music both hauntingly familiar and yet other-worldy as it slips from one mainstream of music to the other and back again.

During several of these sequences a number of themes appear and reappear to set the main feeling of the scene. In composing these themes Williams produced four main peices; Princess' Theme, Luke's Theme, Ben Kenobi's Theme, and Darth Vader's Theme. These musical creations slip in and out of the film, playing as much against each other as they do in physical appearance upon the screen. They come together at the film's climatic dogfight around the Deathstar; as the ships spin in and out of battle, so the music does battle with each theme appearing and reappearing to be replaced by another which seems to be pushed out by another, only to return in harmony with its brothers.

It is music which swells when it is needed, heralding the audience's reaction and flow of adrenal excitement, as if John Williams was as one with the FORCE while he was composing.

brash_stryker said:

Can any audio/editing gurus tell me if it's worthwhile redoing them at 48Khz, 24 bit?

The higher the bit rate the better I always say! But then I have no idea what I'm talking about so. =P

Awesome stuff, thanks for the new clip Ady! I'm just wondering though, will you be adding grain to the still photo elements? The background behind the hologram seems to sit perfectly still compared to the live elements that seem to breath because of the film's natural grain. I noticed the same with the new bridge during the "First catch of the day" scene. I think a small bit of grain would go a long way to making the elements feel like they were filmed. Oh and awesome job on the opening bridge explosion! =)

Dave's pretty good about keeping with these things. That's why Grevious and Anakin can never meet in the series because they first met in ROTS. It seems to me that the only reason Qui-Gon is able to communicate with Obi-Wan is that area they're in acts as a conduit that allows him to appear but only in that location. So later on when Yoda reveals he's been talking to Qui-Gon, Obi-wan is still justifiably taken aback because Qui-Gon was able to materialize on his own.

Oh yeah, that reminds me. Let us not forget:

Jedi padawan Sha'a Gi (Seriously.)

see you auntie said:

Yes I think Tobar is cheating also ;)

Maybe you ought to take Han's advice... ;)

I always wondered if they were the ones behind Han's ribbing of Luke about Leia. Thinking about it, I also wouldn't be surprised if they were behind, "Let the Wookiee win!"

Let's not forget Whorm Loathsom from the Clone Wars movie, and Savage's brother Feral. I enjoy the show, but they really need to stop with the lame names.

skyjedi2005 said:

The most wild idea which is really lame to me is darth maul's brother, supposedly a story idea Katie Lucas came up with.

Actually they're the ones that try to reign in George's crazy ideas. =P A lot of the really weird stuff comes directly from George. Like the Maul's brother idea, that was actually George's idea. They just had Katie write it. Which is good because she's turned out to be a pretty good writer.

Here's a video where the director of the show talks about George's idea. (It's also interesting to note that it looks like they used the old pink transfer of TPM at the beginning there)

I agree with the first post, I always liked Luke's original blade color.

I'm finding that I enjoy the more independent-ish films from studios like Focus Features that only play in one theater in town, than I do the big releases that are in all the multiplexes.

Definitely digging the 1159. =)

Anchorhead said:

To further the thread derailage, I was looking forward to Green Hornet being made into a film.  That is, until I saw it was - yet another - Seth Rogen fratboy vehicle.  Too bad, man.  A huge missed opportunity.

Have you actually gone out and seen the film yet? It's actually pretty good.

TV's Frink said:

I can't ever get past the voices on PAL.  It's just not what I'm used to.

Yeah, it really grates on my ears. So here's hoping someone converts it! =)

Looks great, have you checked to see how the setting suns look?

These samples are awesome dj! Think we could maybe see a shot of the gas giant Yavin?

LOL!

I'll throw my lot in with those digging the v3 samples.

Yeah no, I actually really enjoy the political episodes myself as well.

There are a few of us here who watch it, though it's never discussed for some reason. =P

Yeah the one trooper when they're talking about the new BT-16, I like the one trooper's response, "Yeah some of the other guys were telling me about about it, they say it's...it's quite a thing to see."

The first half of this season was pretty slow with a lot of politics. =P But this second half is gonna really pick up especially with this nightsister trilogy that just started.

"Rather than do some angry, socially relevant film," he answered, "I realized there was another relevance that is even more important--dreams and fantasies, getting children to believe there is more to life than garbage and killing and all that real stuff like stealing hubcaps--that you could still sit and dream about exotic lands and strange creatures. Once I got into Star Wars, it struck me that we had lost all that--a whole generation was growing up without fairy tales. You just don't get them anymore, and that's the best stuff in the world--adventures in far-off lands. It's fun.

"I wanted to do a modern fairy tale, a myth. One of the criteria of the mythical fairy-tale situation is an exotic, faraway land, but we've lost all the fairytale lands on this planet. Every one has disappeared. We no longer have the Mysterious East or treasure islands or going on strange adventures.

"But there is a bigger, mysterious world in space that is more interesting than anything around here. We've just begun to take the first step and can say, 'Look! It goes on for a zillion miles out there.' You can go anywhere and land on any planet.” - George Lucas April 1977

"It was made for kids. It was made for twelve year olds, in fact." - John Dykstra July 1977

I think the problem is that we're so used to today's entertainment for children which is incredibly dumbed down and shallow.

Sluggo said:

That's not the same sound as in the book.

And thank goodness for that!

That's what this is for 1anakin. But while we're on the subject, did Ady ever post comparisons for ESB? The first post only has ANH and TPM.