Star Wars

One of the most important functions of film music is to create a mood or atmosphere so as to create an aural frame of reference for viewing visual images. As movies and television plays a major role in today’s society, film composers have become fascinated in creating meaningful musical film score by experimenting different elements of music in order to enrich, enhance, develop and dramatise movie action.

One of the most popular and successful American orchestral composers of the modern age, John Williams is the winner of five Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, three Golden Globes, two Emmys and five BAFTA Awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. John Williams was born in New York, on February 8, 1932, the oldest of Esther and Johnny Williams. Music played an important part in his life. From the age of seven he studied piano, and he also learned to play the trombone, the trumpet, and the clarinet. In 1948 the family moved to Los Angeles, where the father free-lanced with film studio orchestras. After graduating in 1950 from North Hollywood High School, where he played, arranged, and composed for the school band, He composed his first serious work, a piano sonata, as a nineteen-year-old student and l

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Williams also used polyphonic texture, major tonality with repeated main theme string leitmotifs to reinforce the strong forceful space atmosphere in order to help the audience to feel the boundless universe.

In Imperial March, Williams uses the powerful, dramatic sound of the main brass melodies and percussion accompaniment to portray the battle scene. Main string melodies with percussion accompaniment and allegro tempo creates the tense, worried feel and portrays the fast chasing around the asteroid field.

In his ‘Star Wars’ films, John Williams has successfully used music to accompany he scenes of the Main Theme and Princess Leia from ‘Star Wars’; Asteroid Field and The Imperial March’ from ‘The Empire Strikes Back’; and Jabba the Hutt from ‘Return of the Jedi’, by incorporating melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, tonality, timbre and dynamic. In the ‘Star Wars’ films, Williams uses leitmotifs to represents characters - Luke, Leia, Vader, Yoda… He also transforms his motifs according to context and dramatic need of the moment, often with tremendous effect. Minor tonality also depicts the dark surroundings as he lives in an isolated mansion in the desert. Long sustained notes follow by short staccato notes created an unbalanced feel of the movements of the bulkiness character.

In the classical film music, the leitmotif technique is most often representing a person or group of persons. A very low registered instrument, tuba, is used to portray the heaviness of the character.

Asteroid Field presents the unpredictable flying chase in the asteroid field. Williams also uses major tonality to show the audience Princess Leia’s innocent and dignity. Princess Leia is a total contrast with the powerful feel of the Main Theme. The minor tonality and the accented, loud dynamics depict the idea, mood and atmosphere of war violence. Short string solo with flute syncopated rhythm accompaniment and the short detached accidental notes emphasizes the bizarreness and clumsy feel of Jabba.

The Main Theme is featured with the powerful full symphony orchestral music to help the audience to involve to the atmosphere in the unpredictable space scene.

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