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Star Wars

Handling of Forces

  • (Bars 1-6) Tremolo on strings.

  • Avoiding use of electronic sounds and solo sections.

  • Full symphony orchestra.

  • (Bars 4-6) Doubling of parts.

  • (Bar 29) Harp Glissando (slide).

  • (Bar 33) Pizzicato

Introduction (1-3)

  • Fanfare like figures played in the brass

  • Staccato triplet figures

  • Free imitation between trombone and tuba

  • Quadruple time

  • Fortissimo

  • Inverted tonic pedal and tremolando - violins

Main theme A (4-7)

  • High trumpets play heroic leitmotif

  • Syncopation in lower range instruments (bassoon, low strings) emphasises by snare drum

  • Woodwind and upper strings continue inverted tonic pedal and tremolando

  • Fortissimo

Main theme repeated (8-11)

  • Melody repeated on trumpet

  • Descending bass on accompaniment

  • Semi quaver lower auxiliary figure on alternate beats

Contrasting section B (11-20)

  • Melody played in strings in octaves

  • Glockenspiel plays important parts of melody

  • Horns, piano, oboe play accompanying block chords

  • Harmony reinforced by triplet figures on piano/flute/harp/clarinet

  • dominant pedal

  • mezzo forte

Main theme A played twice (21-9)

  • Melody doubles across 3 octaves

  • Ascending scale like passages in woodwind

  • Syncopated chords

  • Glissando in harp links to next section

  • fortissimo

Link (30-32)

  • fanfare-like material

  • Rapid ascending sequences in bassoon/flutes/strings

  • chord is built using repeated triplet/semiquaver rhythms

Transition (33-35)

  • Brass and woodwind sustain strange/unstable harmonies

  • Rapid arpeggio phrases

Star Wars

Handling of Forces

  • (Bars 1-6) Tremolo on strings.

  • Avoiding use of electronic sounds and solo sections.

  • Full symphony orchestra.

  • (Bars 4-6) Doubling of parts.

  • (Bar 29) Harp Glissando (slide).

  • (Bar 33) Pizzicato

Introduction (1-3)

  • Fanfare like figures played in the brass

  • Staccato triplet figures

  • Free imitation between trombone and tuba

  • Quadruple time

  • Fortissimo

  • Inverted tonic pedal and tremolando - violins

Main theme A (4-7)

  • High trumpets play heroic leitmotif

  • Syncopation in lower range instruments (bassoon, low strings) emphasises by snare drum

  • Woodwind and upper strings continue inverted tonic pedal and tremolando

  • Fortissimo

Main theme repeated (8-11)

  • Melody repeated on trumpet

  • Descending bass on accompaniment

  • Semi quaver lower auxiliary figure on alternate beats

Contrasting section B (11-20)

  • Melody played in strings in octaves

  • Glockenspiel plays important parts of melody

  • Horns, piano, oboe play accompanying block chords

  • Harmony reinforced by triplet figures on piano/flute/harp/clarinet

  • dominant pedal

  • mezzo forte

Main theme A played twice (21-9)

  • Melody doubles across 3 octaves

  • Ascending scale like passages in woodwind

  • Syncopated chords

  • Glissando in harp links to next section

  • fortissimo

Link (30-32)

  • fanfare-like material

  • Rapid ascending sequences in bassoon/flutes/strings

  • chord is built using repeated triplet/semiquaver rhythms

Transition (33-35)

  • Brass and woodwind sustain strange/unstable harmonies

  • Rapid arpeggio phrases

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