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Star Wars Music Minute

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  2. ANH 12: So Long, Alderaan (Minutes 56-60)

ANH 12: So Long, Alderaan (Minutes 56-60)

Jan 10, 2022

This chunk of A NEW HOPE begins with the Millennium Falcon blasting off at lightspeed and ends with Obi-Wan sensing the destruction of Alderaan. 

Discussion Guide:

  • 00:00 - Hello there!
  • 01:30 - Peter Cushing in Star Wars is like Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol. Malicious trills
  • 05:09 - Garindan's voice is John Wayne sped up
  • 07:45 - Bumbling stormtrooper music
  • 09:32 - Peter and the Wolf-ness?
  • 13:25 - "Baby's first mono-myth"
  • 15:00 - Imperial Troops Ostinato (incidental motif) and "Imperials (motif)"
  • 18:44 - Docking Bay 94 escape music is loud, chaotic elements competing, Force theme ratcheting up
  • 20:08 - Force theme maneuvering on the fly
  • 22:58 - Alternate Binary Sunset thoughts
  • 29:37 - Inside the Millennium Falcon
  • 31:58 - "Our passengers must be hotter than I thought." Han, what?
  • 33:07 - Imperial Cruiser Pursuit (incidental motif described by Frank Lehman as "nervous minor horn chords succeeded by chromatic figure in strings"
  • 33:52 - Were you obsessed with lightspeed?
  • 38:35 - Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (if you know, you know)
  • 38:47 - Brass sextuplets, instruments that are hard to multitask with
  • 45:28 - Han says "Go strap yourselves in" and it sounds funny in the mix?
  • 46:09 - Death Star motif
  • 49:03 - Bond chord (minor major 9th)
  • 56:00 - Metaphor fail, not shadowboxing
  • 58:02 - Leia's British accent
  • 1:02:07 - One of the biggest mistakes of the prequels
  • 1:03:35 - Dies Irae? Maybe? (Paging Alex Ludwig)
  • 1:07:33 - Pronouncing "Dantooine"
  • 1:09:07 - Rolling R's in "Rebel friends"
  • 1:12:37 - Death Star power up sound
  • 1:13:24 - Disturbance in the Force
  • 1:15:54 - No music with lightsabers...except?
  • 1:22:21 - "Forget your troubles with those Imperials slugs"
  • 1:23:37 - Dejarik
  • 1:27:05 - Asking Ralph to clarify something he said on Star Wars Minute podcast
  • 1:33:33 - SWMM Questionnaire
  • 1:40:11 - Dunning Kruger
  • 1:45:41 - Ukulele Force

Things Mentioned:

Themes:

  • 5) Imperial Troops Ostinato
  • 6a. Imperials (Motif)
  • 14) Imperial Cruiser Pursuit
  • 3. Force
  • 13) Dies Irae - possible
  • 5. Death Star
  • Note: I use the theme names and numbers established in Frank Lehman's Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars. You can download it free at his website: https://franklehman.com/starwars/.

Soundtrack: "The Millennium Falcon/Imperial Cruiser Pursuit," "Destruction of Alderaan," "Mouse Robot/Blasting Off"

STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

  • Sweeping expressive proclamations

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

  • Ralph wants to know what he doesn't know about the music, then learn that which he doesn't know.

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

  • Beetlejuice (composed by Danny Elfman)
  • The Addams Family (composed by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Marc Shaiman and Saxie Dowell).

Ralph Attanasia:

Star Wars Music Minute:

Xanthe: