John Williams (1932- ) is credited for initiating a renaissance of the leitmotif after its “fall from grace” in the wake of the full-length film theme song and more Spartan film noir. Formally trained in orchestration, his return to the lush practices of Hollywood’s Golden Age provided the framework for leitmotivic scoring, often in a veritable Wagnerian operatic style. In fact, Williams’ propensity for blatant “overscoring” is such that musicologist Irena Paulus respectfully states that, “(Williams’)…film scores almost choke on their own music.”[1] Williams has served as composer or music director for over eighty films, resulting in forty-five Academy Award nominations.[2] His music for the original Star Wars film series is a masterful and timeless example of a modern day Wagnerian-like film score, sprinkled with the additional influence of Erich Korngold, Igor Stravinsky and Gustov Holst.[3]
From the beginning, director George Lucas, himself a music aficionado, called his Star Wars trilogy a “Space Opera”,[4] thus opening wide the door to the Wagnerian association. Following this style, Williams made clear distinctions between Good and Evil in the myriad of musical themes heard in the film.[5] “Good” includes Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia and Yoda, and “Evil” is heard in the Empire theme, Darth Vader/Imperial theme, Jabba the Hutte, Star Death, and Bobba Fett.
The Luke Skywalker theme is undoubtedly the most memorable because it also serves as the main title theme that opens every episode. Its triumphant styling is, in Williams’ own words, “…larger than he (Luke) is. His idealism is more the subject than the character himself, I would say.”[6] In the first film, A New Hope, the theme is indeed, huge and heroic. In The Empire Strikes Back, the theme hovers in minor mode, and in Return of the Jedi Williams applies the theme to the Rebellion as well, illustrating Luke’s sense of growth and understanding of his role.[7]
From the beginning, director George Lucas, himself a music aficionado, called his Star Wars trilogy a “Space Opera”,[4] thus opening wide the door to the Wagnerian association. Following this style, Williams made clear distinctions between Good and Evil in the myriad of musical themes heard in the film.[5] “Good” includes Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia and Yoda, and “Evil” is heard in the Empire theme, Darth Vader/Imperial theme, Jabba the Hutte, Star Death, and Bobba Fett.
The Luke Skywalker theme is undoubtedly the most memorable because it also serves as the main title theme that opens every episode. Its triumphant styling is, in Williams’ own words, “…larger than he (Luke) is. His idealism is more the subject than the character himself, I would say.”[6] In the first film, A New Hope, the theme is indeed, huge and heroic. In The Empire Strikes Back, the theme hovers in minor mode, and in Return of the Jedi Williams applies the theme to the Rebellion as well, illustrating Luke’s sense of growth and understanding of his role.[7]
Although the Luke Skywalker theme is the opening music, it is interesting to note that it is not the overriding theme within the films.[8] More prominent is the Darth Vader theme, the rhythmic Imperial March with its shifting tonality and chromaticism that illustrates its character; fallen from good to evil; militant, unpredictable, and fearful.[9]
From a Wagnerian point of view, Paulus suggests that the Imperial March harmonically recalls the famous Tristan chord, the nebulous leitmotif for Tristan in Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde. Though certainly not as complex, the Imperial/Darth Vader theme offers the same sense of ambiguity.[10] Paulus goes on to say that the varied ways in which Williams transforms the Darth Vader theme to match his character development are in keeping with Wagner’s practice of introducing a leitmotif and subsequently altering it harmonically, rhythmically, tonally or with new instrumentation.[11] The most dramatic shift of the theme is at Darth Vader’s death, when Williams changes the instrumentation and slows the tempo and the rhythm to reflect the poignant scene between father and son. At this point, the theme as it was first introduced is virtually unrecognizable in its altered state.
Another prominent theme that unites all the films is the Force theme, the only “Good” theme that Williams set in a minor key.[12] Made up of four phrases, Williams ends each one on a sustained note, thereby allowing himself the ability to easily fragment the full motif. The Force theme is initially linked with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but then is heard at every reference to The Force, and eventually comes to be connected with what is to come. By The Return of the Jedi, the Force theme also overrides the main title theme as it relates to Luke, becoming Luke’s theme as well.[13]
Another prominent theme that unites all the films is the Force theme, the only “Good” theme that Williams set in a minor key.[12] Made up of four phrases, Williams ends each one on a sustained note, thereby allowing himself the ability to easily fragment the full motif. The Force theme is initially linked with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but then is heard at every reference to The Force, and eventually comes to be connected with what is to come. By The Return of the Jedi, the Force theme also overrides the main title theme as it relates to Luke, becoming Luke’s theme as well.[13]
From these main themes, Williams then implemented the Wagnerian idea of “kinship” themes; modifying existing themes into new motifs and fragments which result in a web of interconnecting leitmotifs.[14] One such example is Princess Leia’s theme, which is the Force theme in retrograde and in major mode. The Princess Leia theme then becomes the Love theme.[15]
Williams’ culminates his thematic scoring with the Luke and Leia theme, which unites all the main “Good” themes in new melodic and harmonic material.[16]
So consistent was Williams with his leitmotivic scoring that it might be said that the Star Wars films could be overly predictable as each character is stamped with his or her theme. So too were Wagner’s themes in his earlier operas, and only later did they become more sophisticated.[17] Like Wagner’s later operas, in later Star Wars sequels Williams used more intricate transformations of his themes. In The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the Luke theme and the Darth Vader theme “compete” musically as the two characters duel, are superimposed, extended, cut, and varied in numerous ways, sometimes closely related, and sometimes extremely distant . Williams also created his own thematic codes as well, pairing his themes in recurrence rather than using the Wagnerian technique of a recurring one theme at a time.
John Williams does not write for opera, a genre where the burden of the story falls on the music. Film, by its nature, relies on spoken word to convey the story, with music falling to a lesser station. In this setting, however, Williams has been able to create a Wagnerian musical atmosphere in a modern genre unbeknownst to Wagner himself. In the words of musicologist Neil Lerner, the precision and power of the Star Wars score, “gleams and shines.”[19]
John Williams does not write for opera, a genre where the burden of the story falls on the music. Film, by its nature, relies on spoken word to convey the story, with music falling to a lesser station. In this setting, however, Williams has been able to create a Wagnerian musical atmosphere in a modern genre unbeknownst to Wagner himself. In the words of musicologist Neil Lerner, the precision and power of the Star Wars score, “gleams and shines.”[19]
[1] Irena Paulus, “Williams Versus Wagner or an Attempt at Linking Musical Epics.” International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music 31, no. 2 (December 1, 2000), 157.
[2] Danae A. Lincoln, “The Art and Craft of John Williams.” Thesis. Oregon State University, July 25, 2011.
Accessed November 12, 2012, 3. http://scholarsarchive.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/22075.
[3] Neil Lerner, “Nostalgia, Masculinist, Discourse and Authoritarianism in John Williams Scores
Star Wars and Close Encounters of a Third Kind.” In Off The Planet: Music, Sound And Science Fiction Cinema edited by Phillip Hayward. Indiana University Press, 2004, 98.
[4] Ibid, 154.
[5] Ibid, 158.
[6] Ibid, 160.
[7] Ibid, 160-161.
[8] Ibid, 160.
[9] Ibid, 160-162.
[10] Ibid, 162.
[11] Ibid, 163.
[12] Ibid, 164.
[13] Ibid, 165.
[14] Ibid, 153.
[15] Ibid, 168-169.
[16] Ibid, 170.
[17] Ibid, 172.
[18] Ibid, 173.
[19] Lerner, “Nostalgia”, 97.
[2] Danae A. Lincoln, “The Art and Craft of John Williams.” Thesis. Oregon State University, July 25, 2011.
Accessed November 12, 2012, 3. http://scholarsarchive.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/22075.
[3] Neil Lerner, “Nostalgia, Masculinist, Discourse and Authoritarianism in John Williams Scores
Star Wars and Close Encounters of a Third Kind.” In Off The Planet: Music, Sound And Science Fiction Cinema edited by Phillip Hayward. Indiana University Press, 2004, 98.
[4] Ibid, 154.
[5] Ibid, 158.
[6] Ibid, 160.
[7] Ibid, 160-161.
[8] Ibid, 160.
[9] Ibid, 160-162.
[10] Ibid, 162.
[11] Ibid, 163.
[12] Ibid, 164.
[13] Ibid, 165.
[14] Ibid, 153.
[15] Ibid, 168-169.
[16] Ibid, 170.
[17] Ibid, 172.
[18] Ibid, 173.
[19] Lerner, “Nostalgia”, 97.
