Star Wars Music Minute

In The Empire Strikes Back Minutes 71-75, Yoda raises the ship while Luke looks on in disbelief. Oboist Trevor Mowry and Father David Mowry return to SWMM to talk about this emotional cue (complete with the best E Maj7 chord ever), the "Peter and Wolf"-like instrumentation (are you team French horn or team trumpet?), the expansiveness of Yoda's theme, and the tactility of Star Wars sound design. We also cover a fantastic listener question from Tim B!

Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/wBIOiuPCMjc 

Timestamps:

• 0:00 - Hello there!
• 6:39 - French horn representing Luke.
• 16:29 - Sad Luke theme.
• 21:42 - Woodwinds welling up from behind.
• 26:52 - Purpose of doubling an oboe and flute?
• 33:18 - Impactful marriage of the score with sound effects.
• 38:56 - The strings representing doubt, indulgence.
• 41:56 - How many "miracles" has Luke seen so far?
• 47:37 - Skywalker bloodline and Yoda's growth.
• 52:58 - C Minor to E Major. Final obstacle has been removed.
• 55:57 - Ascending dyads in piccolo/flute. "Anything can happen."
• 59:42 - Large interval leaps in Yoda's theme.
• 1:04:05 - Every component of Yoda's theme ends on an open-ended note, revealing the spiritual reality that Yoda was talking about. (!)
• 1:10:17 - Grounded Yoda in the cellos. Diminution of Sad Yoda set in the flutes.
• 1:16:23 - An insulting exhale. Force choke from Jedi Outcast.
• 1:19:14 - Pesky "A"s. Scrappy Rebels.
• 1:23:56 - First ever honorary doctorate awarded via podcast.
• 1:27:31 - Threepio is powered down. Tactile-ness of Star Wars.
• 1:32:51 - Listener question from Tim Bobrowski (thank you!)
• 1:36:42 - SWMM Questionnaire

Things to Check Out:

• "La Mer" 3rd movement (Claude Debussy) - https://youtube.com/watch?v=KUFpcPEcwTo&t=914
• Dominic Sewell's analysis of cue 7M3 Yoda Raises the Ship https://youtu.be/rP5213v20fo
• Thus Spake Zarathustra (by Richard Strauss) - https://youtu.be/Szdziw4tI9o
• Portsmouth Sinfonia : "Also sprach Zarathustra" - https://youtu.be/hpJ6anurfuw
• ANH 19: Run, Luke! Run! (Minutes 91-95 with Fr. David and Trevor Mowry) - https://youtu.be/9FZgc1x5slg
• Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/.

Cues:

• 7M3 "Yoda Raises The Ship"
• 7M4/8M1 "Vadar's Command"

Musical Themes:

• 1a. Main Theme (A Section)
• 3. Force
• 12a. Yoda (A Section)
• 24. Revelations
• 10a. Imperial March (Theme)

Where are we in the soundtrack?:

• "Yoda And The Force"
• "Imperial Starfleet Deployed/City in the Clouds"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

• Father David: Expansive real horizons. (Previous answer: Raw triumphant heroism.)
• Trevor: Past, present, future. (Previous answer: Timeless space adventure)

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

• Father David: How much has the transition to digital sound production changed the feel of Star Wars?
• Trevor: How one gets to be someone who conducts the performances of the live to picture concerts. (Previous answer: Everything about the Cantina Band, the human beings behind Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. Where did they get these people? Where did they get a steel drum player who could shred like that?)

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

• Father David: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Previous answer: Baby Driver, directed by Edgar Wright)
• Trevor: Vertigo (composed by Bernard Herrmann)

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Trevor Mowry:

• Look up "Trevor Mowry oboe" to find lots of oboe-related things online.
• "The President's Own" Marine Band - https://www.marineband.marines.mil/

Father David Mowry:

• Website: https://www.fatherdavidmowry.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrMowry

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