ESB 22: An Editor’s Film

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Written By Chrysanthe Tan

Dan Golding is here to discuss minutes 106-110 of The Empire Strikes Back! We talk about Ben Burtt's frustrations, intense pedal points, a nasal brass canon, free fanfares, Empire being an "editor's film," and how the music is "meanwhile" (sounds strange, but it'll make sense when you listen to the episode). 😅

Timestamps:

  • 0:00 - Hello there!

  • 7:05 - Ben Burtt's frustrations, Irvin Kershner's on-set mic, David Prowse's fitness book, and other delights from Alan Arnold's Journal of the Making of Empire Strikes Back.

  • 17:51 - Cool tunnel. Gareth Edwards's "indie hour."

  • 22:42 - Misty, foggy, smoky.

  • 29:13 - Empire is an editor's film.

  • 30:39 - Meanwhile...

  • 43:14 - Dark Side motif and a high, strained tuba.

  • 50:04 - Force buzz.

  • 1:10:09 - Luke's little chaos clarinet.

  • 1:17:59 - Ben Burtt on creating the wind sounds.

  • 1:29:26 - Canon with nasal, muted brass, stressed, compressed Yoda's theme.

  • 1:38:39 - Lando, from cad to hero.

  • 1:50:29 - Harmonic fudge?

  • 2:00:32 - Han and Leia theme sounds different here, for many reasons.

  • 2:09:47 - Willrow Hood sighting.

  • 2:11:00 - A fanfare for free.

  • 2:21:39 - "Wonderful!" Rhythm restored. Earnest strings. G pedal point.

  • 2:30:45 - Use of Han and Leia's theme in The Force Awakens trailer.

  • 2:37:52 - Pseudo Dies Irae.

  • 2:40:00 - Return of the pedal. Jazzy voicings.

  • 2:49:18 - Shoutout to Dennis Hamm.

  • 3:00:39 - 15 Second Rule.

  • 3:07:26 - A surprise in the very final frame of these minutes.

  • 3:16:02 - SWMM Questionnaire

Things to Check Out:

Cues:

  • 11M1 "Through The Window"

Musical Themes:

  • Imperial March (Theme)

  • Dark Side (Motif)

  • Chromatic Knell

  • Yoda (A Section)

  • Cloud City (Lando's Palace)

  • Han & Leia (A)

Where are we in the soundtrack?:

  • "The Clash of Lightsabers"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

  • New answer: Elegant musical storytelling.

  • Previous answers: Nimble orchestral nostalgia. Mythic orchestral memory.

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

  • New answer: The unreleased music (and alternate cues, etc).

  • Previous answers: What will Natalie Holt's soundtrack for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series sound like? Given all the new directions that various Star Wars scores have gone since John Williams was at the helm (ex. Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, etc), will we ever return to the original sort of orchestral sound?

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

  • New answer: Fleishman Is in Trouble (composed by Caroline Shaw)

  • Previous answers: Watership Down (composed by Angela Morley) and Vertigo (composed by Bernard Herrmann).

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Guest: Dan Golding

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Where else to find SWMM:

Chrysanthe Tan

Composer / Violinist

www.chrysanthetan.com
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ESB 23: First Force Foray
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ESB 21: Oedipally Violent Romance