ESB 5: Weeds of the Reeds

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Written By Chrysanthe Tan

In minutes 21-25 of The Empire Strikes Back, Vader sets course for the Hoth system while the Rebels prepare to defend their base. Joining me today is Stephanie Manning, a bassoonist, writer, and 2022 Fellow of the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism. We talk about the Imperial March, the contrast between Rebel and Empire music, and the bassoon's role in the orchestra.

Sidenote: Stephanie is the first bassoonist I've had on the show, so it was high time for a thorough introduction to this often-overlooked but very present instrument that's part of the Star Wars scores.

Check out the video version of this episode if you want to see the bassoon visuals. Once Disney accepts my copyright dispute, it will be right here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2abkoRqBMwQ (Maddeningly, the video is currently blocked at the time of initial release. 😵‍💫)

Timestamps:

  • 0:00 - Hello there!

  • 8:20 - Quickie Lesson: Primer to the Instruments of the Orchestra

  • 13:55 - Hard to imagine hearing the Imperial March for the first time.

  • 17:26 - "Pay attention to me" melodies.

  • 24:31 - Imperial March vs. Chopin's Funeral March.

  • 30:52 - Imperial March vs. John Philip Sousa marches.

  • 39:17 - Bassoon show and tell (range, embouchure, double reed, height comparison, how the keys work, how sound is produced)

  • 48:03 - The part where I promised there would be a timestamp.

  • 54:01 - Bassoon playing demonstration.

  • 1:00:02 - How to mic a bassoon.

  • 1:02:08 - Orchestrating bassoon.

  • 1:08:48 - What made Stephanie choose to play the bassoon? (It's not a commonly chosen instrument.)

  • 1:24:55 - Standout bassoon moments in orchestral literature.

  • 1:29:10 - End of bassoon tangent (lol) and back to the buildup of strings to the Imperial March drop.

  • 1:34:42 - Sweet, elongated string lines (Rebels) vs. short, sharp lines (Imperials).

  • 1:42:17 - Beginning of the Battle of Hoth set piece.

  • 1:50:00 - Obvious contrast between the past cue (which had lots of different moods, push-pull, rise-fall) and this cue (ramping up).

  • 2:08:38 - SWMM Questionnaire

Things to Check Out:

Cues:

  • End of 2M4 "The Probe Scanner"

  • 3M1 "Drawing The Battle Lines"

  • 3M2 "Leia's Instructions"

Musical Themes:

  • 10a. Imperial March (Theme)

  • 24) Imperial March Vamp

  • 1a. Main Theme (A Section)

Where are we in the soundtrack?:

  • "The Battle Of Hoth (Ion Cannon/Imperial Walkers/Beneath the"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

  • Thematic. Intense. Lush.

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

  • Details about the score preparation and recording process.

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

  • The Cat Returns (by Yuji Nomi)

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Guest: Stephanie Manning

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Where else to find SWMM:

Chrysanthe Tan

Composer / Violinist

www.chrysanthetan.com
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ESB 6: Battle of Hoth Set Theory
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ESB 4: Snowspeeder Macroharmony