Check it out... if you have any interest in film music, or wonder why Star Wars became a phenomenon, John Williams' classic score playing a major role in the film's success
Skip it... if you only like the Star Wars scores featuring the 'Imperial March', as there is really no other reason to avoid this masterpiece
"It’s easy to forget amidst the hype and clichés just how good this score is."
It’s funny to
think that the Disney money-printing machine known as Star Wars began almost 40 years ago as a small indie film. George
Lucas’ low-budget 1977 science fantasy film revolutionized special effects, burst
open Hollywood’s perpetual blockbuster craze, and made all the money. Adjusted
for inflation, Star Wars (now known
as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope)
is still the 3rd highest grossing film of all time. A large
contributor to its massive success is the orchestral score by John Williams.
Williams’ score saturated the culture like few film scores before
and after. The soundtrack album (on vinyl in those days) went platinum, and
even spawned a disco version single. It won Best Original Score (or its
equivalent) from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and the
Grammys, a feat matched only by two other scores (Williams’ E.T. in 1982 and Michael Giacchino’s Up in 2009). The American Film Institute
declared it the Greatest American film score of all time, and A New Hope’s music has been referenced
and parodied endlessly alongside its film throughout the years.
Which brings us to an important question: Why on earth am I going to
write about it? Surely everything that could possibly be said about this score
has already been written, and I’m sure it has. But I’ll review it for two
reasons: 1) Because Episode VII
comes out soon, and this is an effective gimmick for this website to run, and
2) Because it’s easy to forget amidst the hype and clichés just how good this
score is, and it’s important to remind ourselves every so often.
In this review, I will cover and reference the contents of the 1997
Special Edition RCA release, which is identical in musical content to the 2004
Sony Classical album and the 2007 Sony 30th Anniversary edition.
These releases are a comprehensive collection of the music in the film (as are
the concurrent releases of the scores for The
Empire Strikes Back and Return of
the Jedi).
Like most of the Star Wars scores, Williams anchors A New Hope around 3 central themes,
which he brings together in his end credits suite, and garnishes with a number
of minor motifs. The first theme is the one heard over the opening titles, a
heroic fanfare jumping between fifths and octaves with triplets in between. It
also has a B theme, less brassy, more romantically swashbuckling, which comes
in handy when hearing the A theme gets tiresome. It is used here primarily as a
stand-in for the protagonist Luke Skywalker and his adventures, and is arguably
one of the most famous pieces of music ever written.
The second primary theme is for the concept of the Force, and by
extension, wise Jedi master Ben Kenobi. A slow melody, it plays in a minor key
but is always rising, striving upwards. In its softer moments, it lends a sense
of mystery, emerging from an ethereal haze; in its most grandiose moments, it
provides great emotional heft to potent scenes. The third major theme is for
Princess Leia; it’s a tender motif, slightly naïve but with a touch of
melancholy. It is the only one to receive a concert suite arrangement on the
album (though finding such arrangements of the other 2 is not difficult).
The score opens with great fanfare(s), first Alfred Newman’s classic
20th Century Fox theme, followed by the main Star Wars theme in ‘Main
Title/Rebel Blockade Runner,’ which segues into a soft piccolo as we pan across
the vast space. Upon seeing Tatooine and the enormous Star Destroyer, the music
crescendos to introduce the Rebel theme, a two chord fanfare, before a repeated
chord closes out the cue, evocative in rhythm and structure of Gustav Holst’s
‘Mars, the Bringer of War.’ Williams frequently uses the repeated chord
technique to extend tense scenes and make the time seem to stretch.
The next track, ‘Imperial Attack,’ is propelled by precise
militaristic music, slow when building tension, fast and overlayed with
frenetic action across the orchestra when battle breaks out. After
introductions to motifs for the Stormtroopers and the Empire as a whole (though
used only in this first entry), we hear the themes for Leia and the Force for
the first time, coinciding with the princess’ first appearance on screen. The
cue continues to alternate between suspense and action before building to a
climax at 4:20, where high strings shriek, uncertain of major or minor key as
the escape pod floats in limbo before settling on a major key cadence as the
droids escape. We’re then treated to soft renditions of the Stormtrooper motif
before concluding with the Death Star theme, a 4 note arpeggiated seventh chord
whose brevity makes it great for scene transitions (and cue endings).
We then follow C-3PO and R2-D2 onto the desert planet Tatooine in
the cues ‘The Dune Sea of Tatooine/Jawa Sandcrawler’ and ‘The Moisture Farm.’
Sparse rhythmic plunking and string glissandos establish the otherworldliness
in classic sci-fi fashion, to some degree evoking scores like Goldsmith’s Planet of the Apes. We also hear the
theme for the droid-dealing Jawas, a bumbling oboe over oom-pah reeds conveying
the strangeness, smallness, and silliness of these characters. The secondary
phrase on trumpet almost seems a forerunner to the theme for the similarly tiny
Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. At 1:24
of ‘The Moisture Farm’, we get just our second rendition of the main theme as
Luke Skywalker appears on screen, immediately identifying him as the
protagonist.
After a substantial stretch of the film without music, the score
returns with a jolt as Luke discovers Leia’s message in ‘The Hologram/Binary
Sunset.’ Leia’s theme plays in a rendition most similar to its concert
arrangement, as ethereal as her projection. Following this is a soft playing of
Luke’s theme, which brings us to one of cinema’s iconic moments. Luke looks off
into the sunset as the Force theme plays, first on solo horn, followed by the
full orchestra for the B phrase, hinting at his future, echoing his yearning
for a more interesting life. Like most performances of this theme, it’s utterly
poignant.
After a fast tempo rendition of Luke’s theme to open ‘Landspeeder Search/Attack
of the Sand People,’ we get dissonant, percussive music for the Sand People, a
cousin to the earlier music for the desert and the Jawas. After repeating a 2
note suspense phrase as a mysterious hooded figure appears in the film, we hear
the Force theme as the man removes his hood. This flows directly into ‘Tales of
the Jedi Knight/Learn about the Force,’ where the Force theme is reprised as
the man reveals himself to Luke as Master Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi. After an
interlude of more Sand People music, the Force theme guides us back to Ben’s
home, where he tells Luke of his father and the Old Republic. Hints of the
Empire theme and the Force theme weave in and out, never quite resolved, before
Leia’s theme returns as Ben views the hologram. A sad string elegy appears
briefly as Luke struggles with what he should do, giving way to the Force
theme. Slow, grim harmonies yield to faster strings in ‘Burning Homestead’ as
Luke realizes his family is in danger. A determined burst of the Force theme
precedes his discovery that he was too late. Both ‘Learn about the Force’ and
‘Burning Homestead’ end with bursts of the Death Star motif to transition to
brief scenes of Princess Leia’s captivity and torture in the evil fortress.
Williams blends the avant-garde textures of Tatooine with the more romantic
tones of space adventure in ‘Mos Eisley Spaceport’ as the heroes arrive at
Luke’s gateway to space. After this, we enter the famed cantina, and the two
iconic diegetic pieces ‘Cantina Band’ and ‘Cantina Band #2.’ Williams goes back
to his 60s jazz roots in these two cues, establishing a wholly unique sound to
the bar in the context of the Star Wars universe.
‘The Millennium Falcon/Imperial Cruiser Pursuit’ builds the tension
as it cuts between ominous wind music for the Stormtroopers closing in and
optimistic renditions of Luke’s theme as the protagonists prepare to leave,
building to a dramatic chord as Han Solo’s ship is revealed, though it hangs
without resolve as Luke criticizes its beat up appearance. Swirling strings and
heroic brass launch the action music as the Empire pursues the Falcon.
Throughout the rest of the cue, a slow, metronomic pulse from the lower
registers mark the constant approach of the Imperial Cruisers and the time
running out for the heroes to get to lightspeed, while the increasingly
desperate strings propel Han and Chewie into escape, culminating in a big chord
that transitions effortlessly into the Death Star motif as we cut back to Darth
Vader and Princess Leia.
‘Destruction of Alderaan’ opens with some twinkling, has some string
buildup, has some juicy brass and timpani rips, and closes with a wrenching
string motif that is echoed throughout the orchestra, the last cries of pain
from the destroyed planet fading away. ‘The Death Star/The Stormtroopers’ opens
with a slowly building march as the Falcon is drawn helplessly towards the
battle station. Interestingly enough, it culminates not in the Death Star
motif, but instead in a defiant burst of the Rebel fanfare. After a brief
rendition of the Force theme and a truly menacing statement of the Stormtrooper
theme, some sparse suspense music suddenly comes to life with frenzied
dissonance before Luke’s theme closes out the cue and he reaches temporary
safety.
The next four cues, which comprise the remainder of the action on
the Death Star, are filled with more soft suspense punctuated by bursts of
action as characters sneak around and get into firefights. Strange creatures,
such as the mouse droid and the trash eating monster get undeveloped identities
on winds, while action music is blasted out of sharp brass with layers of
strings above and percussion below. With all the principle characters together,
Williams blends every thematic color together in this sequence. We feel the
pace of the movie shift, as Luke’s theme and the Rebel fanfare kick ass in ‘Wookie
Prisoner/Detention Block Ambush’ before finally uniting with Princess Leia’s
theme. In ‘Shootout in the Cell Bay/Dianoga,’ the Stormtrooper snarls back into
the frame as the heroes are trapped, bearing down on them until they escape
into the garbage chute. ‘The Trash Compactor’ emphasizes the rock bottom they
hit as a repeated descending 2 note theme, a forerunner to Williams’ theme for
the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of
the Lost Ark, builds the tension
as they struggle to not get squished. The thematic interplay comes to a peak in
‘The Tractor Beam/Chasm Crossfire,’ shifting effortlessly between each identity,
particularly some attractive development of the Main Title’s B theme, for the
string of successes and setbacks.
As Ben Kenobi sacrifices himself to enable the others’ escape, a
solemn but brief performance of the Force theme is followed by a fast but lush
rendition of Leia’s theme in ‘Ben Kenobi’s Death/Tie Fighter Attack.’ The Rebel
theme takes the torch as the Falcon gets away from the Death Star, and some
aching development of the Force motif occurs as Luke processes his loss. But
his grief is short-lived, as high strings and pizzicato low strings usher him
back into action to fend off Imperial fighters, building into the energetic and
iconic TIE Fighter attack music. The propulsive strings and syncopated brass
hits get the blood pounding, with the Rebel fanfare popping up frequently to
contribute to the militaristic edge. Swirling strings take over for a brief
stretch before arpeggiated woodwind runs bring us back to the original phrase.
Finally, a large crescendoing scale culminates into a triumphant blast of the
Death Star motif, as they finally get away, before rumbling in the bass region
and percussion echo the final TIE Fighter explosion. It’s impressive to
consider that Williams wrote such a memorable sequence while using only one
significant motif, mostly built around a standalone melody.
The score climaxes in ‘The Battle of Yavin,’ as a fleet of Rebels in
small fighters dogfight with TIE Fighters and attempt to destroy the Death Star
before the Death Star destroys their base and wipes out the Rebellion. Over the
course of 9 minutes, Williams weaves the major themes together while propelling
the battle from every section. Early in the cue, the militaristic brass leads
the charge with the Force theme, accompanied by a variety of counterpoints with
each rendition, intercut with the Stormtrooper theme combating it in the wind
sections. Curiously, much of the first half of the track is buried in the film
mix beneath the gunfire and ship noise sound effects. Halfway through the track
(and after a significant music-free stretch in the battle), the strings build
the tension with rhythmic fury before launching into a 3/4 pattern, a 3 note
descending phrase that slowly climbs up the scale with each iteration heading
the sonic assault, before the percussion suddenly cuts it off by with the death
of Biggs. A trumpet solo emerges and segues into a minor key version of Luke’s
theme as he flies down the trench, the Rebellion’s final hope. Another repeated
phrase (2 notes this time) appears for a few seconds before the brass and
percussion give way to legato strings. Luke hears Ben tell him to “Use the
Force,” as the strings deliver another powerful performance of the Force theme.
The music takes a definitive turn for the major key, but only for a few bars,
Luke’s theme getting some of its only significant development in the series in
both major and minor keys (and something in between at times) as Vader closes
in on him. With the Death Star in firing range, and several others things
happening at once, Williams again stretches time and extends the tension with a
chord repeated for 20 seconds. By my count, the chord is played 47 times before
a final hit on timpani and tuba coincide with the Death Star’s explosion.
Chimes twinkle away with the remnants of the battle station, before a triumphant
inversion of the Rebel theme closes the scene out.
The film closes with ‘The Throne Room/End Title.’ As Luke, Han, and
Chewbacca are honored for their heroism, the Force theme is morphed into a
pompous military performance, with an elegant middle section featuring the B
phrase of Luke’s theme. Though we don’t see performers, the march is intended
as diegetic music, which might open up crazy fan theories. The piece then
segues into the end credits, featuring excellent arrangements of the main theme
and Princess Leia’s theme, the Rebel fanfare flitting in between. This is the
kind of music that you stay in the theater to hear, regardless of whether
there’s a post-credit scene or not.
In addition to these cues (virtually all of the music heard in the film),
the album includes a concert arrangement of Princess Leia’s theme that opens
disc 2, as well as a 17 minute track at the end of disc 1 that includes the
original version of ‘Binary Sunset’ in addition to several alternate takes of
the opening sequence. Ideally, these 2 would be pushed to the end of disc 2
instead of pushed in the middle of the album, but it isn’t difficult to excise
them in making your own playlist. Those jaded by the bold themes or harboring a general dislike of Star Wars will still find a multitude of interesting non-thematic
and textural moments to appreciate. Ultimately, A New Hope is a watershed moment for film music, an iconic work of
art unto itself, and a must-have for any film score collector. You can purchase Star Wars: A New Hope on Amazon and iTunes, here and here.
9.6
____
Additional notes about release: additional information listed in review.
Track Listing
| Disc 1: | ||
| 1. | 20th Century Fox Fanfare | 0:23 |
| 2. | Main Title / Rebel Blockade Runner | 2:14 |
| 3. | Imperial Attack | 6:43 |
| 4. | The Dune Sea of Tatooine / Jawa Sandcrawler | 5:01 |
| 5. | The Moisture Farm | 2:25 |
| 6. | The Hologram / Binary Sunset | 4:10 |
| 7. | Landspeeder Search / Attack Of The Sand People | 3:20 |
| 8. | Tales Of A Jedi Knight / Learn About The Force | 4:29 |
| 9. | Burning Homestead | 2:50 |
| 10. | Mos Eisley Spaceport | 2:16 |
| 11. | Cantina Band | 2:47 |
| 12. | Cantina Band #2 | 3:56 |
| 13. | Binary Sunset (Alternate) [Contains Secret Track:Takes 16-20 Of Main Title] | 2:19 |
| Disc Time: | 42:53 | |
| Disc 2: | ||
| 1. | Princess Leia's Theme | 4:27 |
| 2. | The Millennium Falcon / Imperial Cruiser Pursuit | 3:51 |
| 3. | Destruction Of Alderaan | 1:32 |
| 4. | The Death Star / The Stormtroopers | 3:35 |
| 5. | Wookie Prisoner / Detention Block Ambush | 4:01 |
| 6. | Shootout In The Cell Bay / Dianoga | 3:48 |
| 7. | The Trash Compactor | 3:07 |
| 8. | The Tractor Beam / Chasm Crossfire | 5:18 |
| 9. | Ben Kenobi's Death / Tie Fighter Attack | 3:51 |
| 10. | The Battle Of Yavin (Launch From The Fourth Moon / X-Wings Draw Fire / Use The Force) | 9:07 |
| 11. | The Throne Room / End Title | 5:38 |
| Disc Time: | 48:15 | |
| Total Album Time: | 91:08 | |
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