Excerpt+19


 * Track 19: John Williams – Star Wars theme (1:30) **

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Describe ways in which texture, tone colour and rhythm are used to create a sense of drama in this excerpt.

notes: - thick orchestral textures - use of bass to high pitches for the majority of the excerpt giving a large scope to the sound, very full - The cello section in the first section is soft and has a very warm tone colour, but in the second section with tutti brass section the low brass sound breaks through the texture and the higher brass are much more loud and sharply articulated giving quite a bright tone colour with added resonance of the bass instruments in both the brass and strings families. - at the beginning the upper strings have an alberti type accompaniment in semiquaver like rhythms in relation to the very legato cello section solo. - The texture gets thicker as the excerpt continues, and dies down just before the brass fanfare passage at the end. - There is a diverse range of rhythmic material throughout this excerpt with rhythmic ideas often juxtaposed e.g. at the beginning of the excerpt with the slow rhythmic values of the cello section solo with the upper strings semiquavers.

Texture: The texture is often quite thick in this excerpt providing dramatic walls of sound. The texture at the beginning of the excerpt is mostly homophonic with the celli playing the melody and the upper strings providing an alberti bass-like accompaniment, this technique adds a shimmering quality to the sound of the melody which is rather dramatic effect. The inherent drama of the music is ever more accentuated as the excerpt moves on as the texture thickens and becomes more interesting.

tone colour: The excerpt begins with quite a high register with high wind instruments that gradually move down slightly to make way for the warm, resonant middle register celli solo. The interplay between the celli solo and the high wood wind "main theme" fragments creates a dramatic effect as it suggests two characters in dialogue. The final section of the excerpt is quite contrasting (the contrast also creates a sense of drama) as the brass play a declamatory, forte fanfare-like statement of the "main theme" which is very bright in tone and is brilliant as opposed to the rich, warm celli solo at the beginning.

Rhtyhm: Williams uses many different rhythmic ideas throughout often juxtaposing them creating interest and drama e.g. at the beginning the upper strings have an alberti type accompaniment in semiquaver like rhythms in relation to the very legato cello section solo. And to add drama to the brass' final statement at the end of the excerpt the rhythms are first dotted and then sustained creating very effective, minute contrast.

Troy Rogan