Star Wars

• What year was star wars released

  1977
• Features of the opening fanfare

  triplet rhythms

  overlapping textures

  quartal harmonies
• What is the instrumentation?

  full orchestra, harp, timpani and percussion
• What are some specific uses of instruments

  violin tremolos, flute trills
• How long is the intro?

  3 bars long
• What form is it in?

  Ternary ABA structure
• What does the main theme start with?

  a perfect 5th
• Give 2 features of the main theme

  Triplet rhythms continue

  tremolo strings
• Name the 6 sections of the piece

  opening fanfare

  main theme

  blockade runner theme

  link

  march

  codetta
• What is different about the blockade runner theme?

  it is very quiet in comparison to the rest of the piece and reflects being in space
• Give 2 harmonic/ melodic points about the blockade runner theme

  Slower harmonic rhythm

  Melody based on 6 pitched
• Give 3 instrumental points about the blockade runner theme

  High pitch in all the instruments

  simple accompaniment from the harp

  held chords in woodwind
• What instrument has a solo?

  piccolo
• What does the link do?

  propels the music forward suddenly
• Give 3 features of the link

  crescendo

  bass part plays an ostinato

  sudden change to forte
• What does the brass in the link do, creating what effect?

  The brass build up a C major chord (unrelated) creating drama and expectation
• Very fast codetta

  yeah
• How is the march shown?

  simple rhythms that emphasise the strong beat, triplets
• What lengths are the motifs to make them memorable?

  2 and 4 bars
• How is the opening fanfare shown?

  repeated Bb and triplets
• What makes the melody heroic?

  anacrusis and large leaps of 5 or 7
• How does the melody of theme B contrast?

  it is more conjunct
• What is found in bar 39 and 40

  violin sequences
• What key is it predominantly in?

  Bb major
• In what bars can quartal harmony be found?

  2-6, 30-31
• What leads into the final statement of the main theme in bars 19-20?

  dominant 7th chord leads to final statement of the main theme
• What makes the piccolo theme spacey?

  Static harmony on C
• What pedal reinforces strength?

  dominant in theme B
• What pedal makes it exciting?

  inverted tonic in A
• How does the theme start?

  with a perfect cadence
• What in the dynamics emphasises the military feel in the march?

  ff
• How is the fanfare in the brass played?

  loudly
• What rhythmic feature is prominent in theme B?

  dotted rhythms
• When is the ostinato in the bass especially clear?

  codetta
• What is the metre change in the march and what effect does it give?

  4/4 to 3/4 makes it feel war like
• Give a texture feature in the 3 bar fanfare

  staggered entries
• How does the march calm the music?

  bare octaves on a C
• What dramatic feature does the march have?

  a dramatic stop
• Give 3 features of the march

  bass based on pedal C

  military rhythm in timpani

  basses playing ff
• What helps the march add strength to the final section?

  chromatic chords