ESB 15: Yoda and the Wolf

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Written By Chrysanthe Tan

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:

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:

Father David Mowry:

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Where else to find SWMM:

Chrysanthe Tan

Composer / Violinist

www.chrysanthetan.com
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ESB 16: Attack of the Envelope
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ESB 14: Boba Fett’s Hidden Intervals