Solo 16: Contrapuntal Droid Rebellion

Jun 10

L3 starts a revolution, Han moves coaxium containers, and the (perky, contrapuntal) music is the Force that binds us all together. Also worth considering: Is L3 a big ol' boom box? Newly minted Star Wars writer Riley Silverman is back on the show to discuss Solo Minutes 76-80 of Solo!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Hello there!
04:45 - Riley's theory of droids in Star Wars
11:06 - Didactic & diegetic
14:35 - "Mine Mission" counterpoint
29:33 - Oasis of friendship, then back to the mission
36:36 - How music scales with size and scope.
45:50 - Tense action cue while Han moves the canisters.
48:11 - Coaxium music - dangerous, delicate, destiny?
56:21 - Solo interconnectivity, Solo criticism, Kathleen Kennedy, misguided Alden Ehrenreich blame.
1:03:58 - I love old characters.
1:14:42 - the mine mission! My buddy's back!
1:19:47 - L3 is focused on her revolutionary ideals, but her revolution begins as an afterthought.
1:22:37 - Listener question: Do droids listen to music?
1:27:25 - Are droids capable of music composition? Playing instruments? Tangent about AI, art, and creativity.
1:39:52 - SWMM Questionnaire

Things Mentioned:

ANH 5: Hologram Opera (with Aiden Feltkamp) - https://youtu.be/MCzKs1MjefE
Counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint
Imitation is the repetition of a melody in a polyphonic texture shortly after its first appearance in a different voice. The melody may vary through transposition, inversion, or otherwise, but retain its original character. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imitation_(music)
Invention: a short composition (usually for a keyboard instrument) in two-part counterpoint. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_(musical_composition)
Bach - Invention No. 1 in C Major with sheet music - https://youtu.be/R4IzqJtD4dM
"One Day More" from Les Miserables - https://youtu.be/4TbQfgfzvoE
Well-Tempered Clavier (J.S. Bach), Book 1, Kimiko Ishizaka, piano - https://youtu.be/nPHIZw7HZq4
Beethoven X: The AI Project - https://www.beethovenx-ai.com/
(Review) The Intelligence of Bodies: The philosophical and musical failings of “Beethoven X: The AI Project” - https://van-magazine.com/mag/jan-swafford-beethoven-x/
Evolution of Star Trek Series Music Theme (1966-2020) | VioDance - https://youtu.be/h8MkYdtU61Y
bookshop.org

Themes:

8. L3-37
1. Young Han Solo (Heroic, comp. JW)
5. The Gang
6. Han & Chewie
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/.

Where are we in the soundtrack?:

"Mine Mission"
"Break Out"
"Extra Deluxe Mine Mission (4M30B-5M30C-31)"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

New answer: Epic space magic.
Previous answer: Epic space magic.

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

New answer: How many different screams are there? (like the Wilhelm scream)
Previous answer: How do people go about designing music for a scene or character in the first place? Writers start with a blank page and somehow use words to convey scenes; what is the musical/sound version of that process like?

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

New answer: Gentlemen Jack (composed by Murray Gold), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (composed by Danny Elfman)
Previous answer: Doctor Who, which has gone through dozens of composers over the decades. The original theme was composed by Ron Grainer and realized by Delia Derbyshire. Murray Gold was the composer from 2005 to 2017.

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Guest: Riley Silverman

Star Wars: Exploring Tatooine: An Illustrated Guide (coming August 2022 -- preorder now, if you're seeing this before then!) https://www.rileysilverman.com/books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rileyjsilverman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rileysilverman/
Star Wars Music Minute ANH 15: Band of Weirdos (minutes 71-75) https://youtu.be/Pfip5QleeZ0

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