ESB 17: Pomp Without Circumstance (Minutes 81-85 with Alex Ludwig)

Star Wars Music Minute

Musicologist Alex Ludwig (Dies Irae guru) returns to the show to discuss minutes 81-85 of The Empire Strikes Back! We talk about the form, orchestration, and rhythm of the Lando's Palace cue, the stern parenting of Yoda and Obi-Wan, and how the music paints the text.

Video version of this episode is here: https://youtu.be/tdJUdPsUQBQ

Timestamps:

• 0:00 - Intro.
• 10:30 - Meeting Lando with some exhaust, a ship, and a clarinet glissando reminiscent of Rhapsody in Blue or Salome.
• 16:02 - So many pedals!
• 19:36 - Old-fashioned but unbalanced ABA-ish form.
• 24:14 - Jocular cello pizz for Han's laugh.
• 29:06 - Dotted rhythms are hard.
• 36:50 - Echuta.
• 43:08 - Transition from Cloud City to Dagobah.
• 51:00 - Woodwinds on a bed of strings.
• 56:04 - Bad cop, bad cop.
• 1:03:43 - Solo horn, perfect text painting.
• 1:06:54 - Do you ever fudge the minutes?
• 1:14:53 - Does Obi-Wan's voice sound unusually deep here?
• 1:21:15 - Last-minute pep talk.
• 1:23:49 - Thrawn tangent, Wayland, Joruus C'baoth
• 1:28:34 - Two very distinct atmospheres in the same cue.
• 1:32:27 - Dies Irae.
• 1:39:34 - SWMM Questionnaire

Things to Check Out:

• Rhapsody in Blue (by George Gershwin) - https://youtu.be/TDZWLP7TgBM
• Salome (by Richard Strauss) - https://youtu.be/50rnWQvIK2I
• Field of Dreams (score by James Horner) - https://youtu.be/4qyVehgTxtA
• Pavane for a Dead Princess (by Maurice Ravel) - https://youtu.be/DVtNt-6OTM8
• Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/.

Cues:

• 8M3 "Lando's Palace"

Musical Themes:

• 15a. Cloud City 1 (Lando's Palace)
• 1a. Main Theme (A Section)
• 3. Force
• 10a. Imperial March (Theme)
• 12a. Yoda (A Section)

Where are we in the soundtrack?:

• "Lando's Palace"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

• New answer: Stories in sound.
• Solo season answer: Soaring searching strings.
• ANH season answers: Triumphant brass fanfares. Ominous contrapuntal warblings.

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

• New answer: What were the spotting sessions like for this film in particular?
• Solo season answer: Who's gonna write the next paradigm-shifting Star Wars score?
• ANH season answer: What it's like for new composers (Michael Giacchino, John Powell, Ludwig Göransson, etc) to play in the playground of Star Wars music -- to have all these themes at their fingertips, get to use them and take them to new places. "What is it like to get the keys to this kingdom as a composer?"

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

• New answer: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (composed by Disasterpeace AKA Rich Vreeland)
• Solo season answer: The Matrix trilogy (composed by Don Davis)
• ANH season answer: The Social Network (composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) and Sunset Boulevard (composed by Franz Waxman)

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Guest: Alex Ludwig

• Website (including the Dies Irae List): https://alexludwig.net/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/celexo
• YouTube channel: Film Music Tropes - https://www.youtube.com/celexo22

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