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Summary Edexcel Music GCSE Grade 9 Notes (Main title- John Williams)
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made in 2019 and used in 2019 exams to get grade 9.
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JOHN WILLIAMS – ‘MAIN TITLE’/ ‘REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER’ –STAR WARS
CONTEXT:
John Williams is widely considered to be one of the greatest film
composers of all time.
His scores have been nominated for many awards ( 5 Oscars). He
has done films such as Jaws, Harry Potter and Jurassic park
He repopularised the use of grande late romantic orchestral scores
in movies 1970 and onwards. (he had 19th century approach) (uses
fully symphony orchestra)
Used romantic device ‘leitmotif’ (pioneered from Richard Wagner in
his operas). Was where a character or idea is represented by the
same musical idea.
Release in 1977
The opening theme of this piece is associate with Luke Skywalker
and the ideas of heroism and struggle.
INTRODUCTION (b1-3):
B flat major
Fortissimo
Rapid repeated B flat triplets creates excitement and fanfare like
Quadruple time
Imitation between trumpets and trombones
marcato – accented sforzando
Inverted tonic pedal in violins (played tremolando)
Played ff
Quartal harmony
MAIN THEME (A) (b4-7):
Heroic leitmotif theme (1-5)
Leitmotif played by trumpets
Punctuating syncopated block chords by brass, lower strings, and
bassoon.
Rhythm emphasised by snare drum.
Melody dominated homophony
Tremolando by upper woodwind and strings and inverted tonic pedal
creates excitement
Played ff
Imperfect cadence
MAIN THEME REPEAT (b8-11):
Trumpet plays melody again
, Tonic pedal idea is varied by lower auxiliary semiquavers on
alternate beats.
Accompaniment changes slightly to allow descending bass.
CONTRASTING SECTION B (b11-20):
Contrasting melody played by all strings apart from double bass
Double bass- doubled across 3 octaves
Glockenspiel plays important notes
Anacrusis
Triplets in flute, clarinets and harp reinforce A.
Accompanying block chords in horns and piano
Tertiary relationship
Dominant pedal note
MAIN THEME (A) played twice (b21-29):
Melody doubled across 3 octaves in violin, viola, cello, horn and
trumpet
Punctuating syncopated off beat chords
Rushing upwards scale like passages in woodwind
Harp glissando (provides link)
LINK (b30-32):
Fanfare like material related to intro
Rapid ascending sequential figures in strings, bassoons and flutes
Ambiguous
TRANSITION (b33-35):
Strange unstable harmonies sustained by woodwind and brass
Rapid arpeggio (broken chord) in strings
String pizzicato (plucked)
Diminuendo
STAR FILLED SKY (b36-38):
Strange unstable harmonies sustained by woodwind and brass
Rapid arpeggio (broken chord) in strings
String pizzicato (plucked)
Diminuendo
APPEARANCE OF PLANETS (b39-41):
Scurrying upwards in strings increased tension
Block chords
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