ANH 16: Orchestration Wars (Minutes 76-80)

A discussion about the music and sound in minutes 76-80 of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which starts with the rescue of Princess Leia and ends with jumping into the garbage chute. Today's guest is composer & music technologist Jeremy Sawruk. We discuss John Williams's detailed underscore, which features chromatic mediants, motion in thirds, harmonic tension building, and interesting orchestration choices.

Things Mentioned:

• Family Guy clip from S6:E1 - Binary Sunset ft. John Williams - https://youtu.be/60saxSsoMlo
• Family Guy Blue Harvest Radio DJ scene - https://youtu.be/jMGs3WjXueE
• Frank Lehman's Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars: https://franklehman.com/starwars/.

Themes:

• 4) Martial Rhythm
• 2. Rebel Fanfare
• 4. Leia
• 1a. Main Theme (A Section)
• 6a. Imperials (Motif)

Soundtrack:

• "Wookiee Prisoner/Detention Block Ambush"
• "Shootout in the Cell Bay/Dianoga"
• "The Princess Appears"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like?

• Opera without words

2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about?

• Musical / orchestrational “filler”
• Sound effects and foley

3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars?

• Older score: North by Northwest by Bernard Herrmann
• Newer score: Loki by Natalie Holt
• Other John Williams score: Catch Me If You Can

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Jeremy Sawruk:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/composer314
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jsawruk

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