Song of the Week #7 - "The Jedi Steps and Finale" by John Williams
Song of the Week #7 is "The Jedi Steps and Finale" by John Williams. I'm excited to finally share some film soundtrack music as my song of the week! John Williams is, of course, the front runner of film soundtrack music. His scores have ingrained themselves deeply into popular culture across the world. From Star Wars to Harry Potter to Jaws to Jurassic Park – chances are high that even if you haven't seen these films, you've heard their main themes before, especially Star Wars' "The Imperial March".
A significant part of why I am a Star Wars fan is the music. The music of Star Wars has a special kind of magic that extends beyond the films that it accompanies. No other film franchise on Earth truly parallels Star Wars in terms of renown, influence, and emotional character. There are a plethora of themes and leitmotifs sprinkled throughout the scores that make listening to them and identifying them like exploring a universe.
My favorite part of every Star Wars soundtrack is always the final track. The final track always begins with the music of the last scene in the actual film, and then it performs a transition into the music that plays through the end credits of the film. Other films tend to include some sort of pop song in that plays through the end credits in an attempt to boost the appeal of the film by attaching a well-known pop artist. It would be insulting, however, to use some pop artist in the place of John Williams during a film's end credits. He is just that majestic. The music that plays through the end credits of a Star Wars film typically begins with the Star Wars main title theme, followed by a medley that quotes the most important parts of the film score as a whole.
"The Jedi Steps and Finale" is the final track of John Williams' score to the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, directed by J. J. Abrams.
The track begins slowly, with the rich voice of the cello driving a melody that conveys a sense of curiosity and a little bit of mystery. For those of you who have seen The Force Awakens, you'll remember exactly which scene this music accompanies, but try to forget the actual film and focus on the music itself. I challenge you to imagine a different scene in your head for which this track would fit. What is a place that is mysterious to you that you are curious about exploring? As you listen, imagine yourself or perhaps a fictional character exploring this place. What things do you find? What things do you see? As the cello hands the melody off to the flute, and the flute to the entire ensemble, you'll notice a shift in the music that conveys a sense of discovery. What have you found? Is it something surprising?
As the music momentarily dies down, the french horn proudly enunciates a leitmotif highly recognizable to even to the most lay Star Wars fan. This leitmotif is perhaps the most important theme in the entire Star Wars franchise, as it underpins many of the most important moments in the story. It is generally known as the Force Theme, as it oftentimes accompanies moments in which the Force is used or referred to in a critical way. Whenever you hear the Force Theme, that is a strong signal in Star Wars to stop whatever you're doing and pay critical attention because whatever's happening is particularly momentous. The Force Awakens is not the only Star Wars film to end on the Force Theme. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith also ends on the Force Theme, and so does Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which was scored by Michael Giacchino. Each instance of the Force Theme adds a unique touch to the ending of their respective film.
In the case of The Force Awakens, the french horn delivers the first half of the full theme, then hands it off to the violin section, which completes the second half of the theme. The violin section makes a significant modification to the theme, however. I'm not trained enough in music theory to tell you in precise technical terms what the modification is, but I can tell you that it makes the theme seem much more serious, much more contemplative, adding a sobering touch to an otherwise celebratory moment of discovery. While the original Force Theme follows a "question-answer" format, the Force Theme here seems to be one big question. It deliberately leaves the melody unresolved.
And thus we enter the end credits. I absolutely love the musical transition into the end credits of basically all of the Star Wars films. If you were to ask me the one thing I am looking forward to the most in December 2017's upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, it is its musical transition into the end credits. It is unique, triumphant, and special to Star Wars. In this case, the end credits title theme provides an exciting, somewhat unexpected answer to the unresolved Force Theme melody that preceded it. If I were watching the premiere of The Force Awakens, the transition would surely move me into a standing ovation for everyone involved in the production of the film. It is as if John Williams is teasing us by saying, "What will happen next? Find out next time on Star Wars."
Beyond that, The Force Awakens introduced many new characters, storylines, and – consequently – musical themes that were unfamiliar to us. Although there were some familiar characters and themes that returned from previous films, the majority of the themes in the film were brand new. Even the iconic "Imperial March" theme associated with Darth Vader appears only very briefly at only one moment of the film. The Star Wars main title theme, however, is one theme that remains constant throughout the entire saga, so the entry into the main credits with this theme felt to me like a return to familiar footing. It is like the feeling you get after spending a long time away from home, coming back and having the chance to sleep in your own bed again. It's that sense of returning familiarity that was incredibly moving to me.
The familiarity is short-lived, however, as the main title theme dies down, and we enter the medley. The medley first quotes "Rey's Theme", which is the theme that accompanies the character Rey, who hadn't appeared in Star Wars before. Rey's Theme is adventurous, in contrast to Leia's Theme, which is more of a love theme, befitting a princess. It has elements of danger, curiosity, and discovery infused in it. Rey's Theme then transitions into Kylo Ren's theme, which is much more evil and sinister. The medley then quotes "The Rathtars!", which is a scene in the film wherein the characters are trying to escape from something, and you can clearly feel the pursuit in the music. Afterwards, the medley quotes "March of the Resistance", which is the theme of the Resistance, the military alliance supported by the protagonists of the film.
After the quote of "March of the Resistance", the score does something awesome. It takes the Force Theme, which is most often associated with the character Luke Skywalker, and combines it with Rey's Theme. It is mixing old and new, providing a gorgeous aesthetic that bridges the gap between generations. Second to perhaps the transition into the end credits, this is the most moving moment of the score for me. As the score ends, the percussion instruments slowly and softly play the first phrase of the main title theme.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi comes out in less than a month from today. The soundtrack will be released on the same day that the film releases.
A significant part of why I am a Star Wars fan is the music. The music of Star Wars has a special kind of magic that extends beyond the films that it accompanies. No other film franchise on Earth truly parallels Star Wars in terms of renown, influence, and emotional character. There are a plethora of themes and leitmotifs sprinkled throughout the scores that make listening to them and identifying them like exploring a universe.
My favorite part of every Star Wars soundtrack is always the final track. The final track always begins with the music of the last scene in the actual film, and then it performs a transition into the music that plays through the end credits of the film. Other films tend to include some sort of pop song in that plays through the end credits in an attempt to boost the appeal of the film by attaching a well-known pop artist. It would be insulting, however, to use some pop artist in the place of John Williams during a film's end credits. He is just that majestic. The music that plays through the end credits of a Star Wars film typically begins with the Star Wars main title theme, followed by a medley that quotes the most important parts of the film score as a whole.
"The Jedi Steps and Finale" is the final track of John Williams' score to the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, directed by J. J. Abrams.
The track begins slowly, with the rich voice of the cello driving a melody that conveys a sense of curiosity and a little bit of mystery. For those of you who have seen The Force Awakens, you'll remember exactly which scene this music accompanies, but try to forget the actual film and focus on the music itself. I challenge you to imagine a different scene in your head for which this track would fit. What is a place that is mysterious to you that you are curious about exploring? As you listen, imagine yourself or perhaps a fictional character exploring this place. What things do you find? What things do you see? As the cello hands the melody off to the flute, and the flute to the entire ensemble, you'll notice a shift in the music that conveys a sense of discovery. What have you found? Is it something surprising?
As the music momentarily dies down, the french horn proudly enunciates a leitmotif highly recognizable to even to the most lay Star Wars fan. This leitmotif is perhaps the most important theme in the entire Star Wars franchise, as it underpins many of the most important moments in the story. It is generally known as the Force Theme, as it oftentimes accompanies moments in which the Force is used or referred to in a critical way. Whenever you hear the Force Theme, that is a strong signal in Star Wars to stop whatever you're doing and pay critical attention because whatever's happening is particularly momentous. The Force Awakens is not the only Star Wars film to end on the Force Theme. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith also ends on the Force Theme, and so does Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which was scored by Michael Giacchino. Each instance of the Force Theme adds a unique touch to the ending of their respective film.
In the case of The Force Awakens, the french horn delivers the first half of the full theme, then hands it off to the violin section, which completes the second half of the theme. The violin section makes a significant modification to the theme, however. I'm not trained enough in music theory to tell you in precise technical terms what the modification is, but I can tell you that it makes the theme seem much more serious, much more contemplative, adding a sobering touch to an otherwise celebratory moment of discovery. While the original Force Theme follows a "question-answer" format, the Force Theme here seems to be one big question. It deliberately leaves the melody unresolved.
And thus we enter the end credits. I absolutely love the musical transition into the end credits of basically all of the Star Wars films. If you were to ask me the one thing I am looking forward to the most in December 2017's upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, it is its musical transition into the end credits. It is unique, triumphant, and special to Star Wars. In this case, the end credits title theme provides an exciting, somewhat unexpected answer to the unresolved Force Theme melody that preceded it. If I were watching the premiere of The Force Awakens, the transition would surely move me into a standing ovation for everyone involved in the production of the film. It is as if John Williams is teasing us by saying, "What will happen next? Find out next time on Star Wars."
Beyond that, The Force Awakens introduced many new characters, storylines, and – consequently – musical themes that were unfamiliar to us. Although there were some familiar characters and themes that returned from previous films, the majority of the themes in the film were brand new. Even the iconic "Imperial March" theme associated with Darth Vader appears only very briefly at only one moment of the film. The Star Wars main title theme, however, is one theme that remains constant throughout the entire saga, so the entry into the main credits with this theme felt to me like a return to familiar footing. It is like the feeling you get after spending a long time away from home, coming back and having the chance to sleep in your own bed again. It's that sense of returning familiarity that was incredibly moving to me.
The familiarity is short-lived, however, as the main title theme dies down, and we enter the medley. The medley first quotes "Rey's Theme", which is the theme that accompanies the character Rey, who hadn't appeared in Star Wars before. Rey's Theme is adventurous, in contrast to Leia's Theme, which is more of a love theme, befitting a princess. It has elements of danger, curiosity, and discovery infused in it. Rey's Theme then transitions into Kylo Ren's theme, which is much more evil and sinister. The medley then quotes "The Rathtars!", which is a scene in the film wherein the characters are trying to escape from something, and you can clearly feel the pursuit in the music. Afterwards, the medley quotes "March of the Resistance", which is the theme of the Resistance, the military alliance supported by the protagonists of the film.
After the quote of "March of the Resistance", the score does something awesome. It takes the Force Theme, which is most often associated with the character Luke Skywalker, and combines it with Rey's Theme. It is mixing old and new, providing a gorgeous aesthetic that bridges the gap between generations. Second to perhaps the transition into the end credits, this is the most moving moment of the score for me. As the score ends, the percussion instruments slowly and softly play the first phrase of the main title theme.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi comes out in less than a month from today. The soundtrack will be released on the same day that the film releases.