ESB 9: Dagobah Piccolo Workout (Minutes 41-45 with Samantha Tripp)

2023-01-09

Flutist & Star Wars music researcher Samantha Tripp returns to the show to talk about the rich sonic environment of Dagobah! This is EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Minutes 41-45. Timestamps: 0:00 - Hello there! 4:27 - How do you feel about the Asteroid Field concert arrangement? 16:15 - Violin articial harmonics at the end of the Asteroid Field. 20:12 - Flute harmonics. 29:20 - Semitonal Slip. 36:22 - Muted trombones. 43:07 - Two layers of glissando. 48:03 - The can-can? 50:45 -...

Flutist & Star Wars music researcher Samantha Tripp returns to the show to talk about the rich sonic environment of Dagobah! This is EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Minutes 41-45.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Hello there!
4:27 - How do you feel about the Asteroid Field concert arrangement?
16:15 - Violin articial harmonics at the end of the Asteroid Field.
20:12 - Flute harmonics.
29:20 - Semitonal Slip.
36:22 - Muted trombones.
43:07 - Two layers of glissando.
48:03 - The can-can?
50:45 - Dagobah reverb. The rich sonic environment of Dagobah.
54:21 - The music telling us not to be worried about Artoo.
59:35 - Ridiculously high piccolo tutti that would be hard to do in tune. Smart orchestration choice that brings in the Eb clarinet.
1:07:30 - Sinewy, slurred string line that makes the 16th notes sound like syncopated 8th notes.
1:13:18 - An added rest in the Droids theme.
1:27:12 - Tritone at the end of the Dagobah music foreshadowing/leading into the Imperial March.
1:35:20 - Music demarcating the status difference between Vader and Piett.
1:41:48 - Imperial March and the flat submediant.
1:48:48 - The Imperial March's invariance.
2:00:50 - Listener question about potential bias toward British composers.
2:14:10 - Ben Burtt's Dagobah sound design.
2:19:54 - Recap of the 4 sections in these minutes.
2:21:36 - SWMM Questionnaire.

Things to Check Out:

John Williams Conference - https://johnwilliams.sciencesconf.org/
Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances (arr. for violin) - https://youtu.be/MVt85w21MoQ?t=108 (queued up to the artificial harmonics section)
Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld (Can-Can starts at 6:58) - https://youtu.be/vEnW5_GTooI
Score: A Film Music Documentary - https://www.score-movie.com/
"Essay for Strings" (John Williams) - https://youtu.be/L3Jd9ysG314
"Essay for Orchestra No. 1" (Samuel Barber) - https://youtu.be/8ZkB-hHGqWw
Edward Elgar "Symphony No.1 " (2. Mov.)
https://youtu.be/y4TI8yxKhRE
Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars (by Frank Lehman): https://franklehman.com/starwars/.

Cues:

End of 4M3 "The Asteroid Field"
5M1 "Crash Landing"

Musical Themes:

11a. Han & Leia (A Section)
28) Semitonal Slip
1a. Main Theme (A Section)
13. Droids
10a. Imperial March (Theme)

Where are we in the soundtrack?:

"The Asteroid Field"
"Arrival on Dagobah"

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STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE:

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

New answer: Texture. Motion. Thematic.
Solo season answer: Powerful, evocative, grandiose
ANH season answer: Powerful, evocative, grandiose

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

New answer: More about the behind-the-scenes people: recording engineers, music editors, orchestra librarians, contractors, etc.
Solo season answer: Musician stories from recording the sequel films, particularly The Rise of Skywalker.
ANH season answer: What was it like for the musicians recording the original trilogy, particularly the first film? Did they realize that they were playing something so iconic?

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

New answer: The Shape of Water (Alexandre Desplat)
Solo season answer: The Shape of Water (composed by Alexandre Desplat)
ANH season answer: Spider-Man: No Way Home (composed by Michael Giacchino)

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Guest: Samantha Tripp

Recursive References and In-Universe Instances of the Imperial March (MaMI conference presentation by Samantha Tripp and Frank Lehman) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYV7O3uSZn0
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hiwYy5oTsb50N-kxRhonA
ANH 23: Trench Run Tension (Minutes 111-115 with Samantha Tripp) - https://youtu.be/7VgkV0f5GwE
Solo 3: Imperial March Diegesis (Minutes 11-15 with Samantha Tripp) - https://youtu.be/Kj9EAuzCY68

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