Recording the Star Wars Saga
© Copyright 2005-2012 Chris Malone – www.malonedigital.com Page 6
Composing the Original Trilogy
In 1977, decisions regarding musical accompaniment for
Star Wars just seemed like another necessary detail to
bring the over-budget 11 million-dollar film to audiences.
Initially, George Lucas considered applying classical
music and felt that an approach of utilising well known
pieces, similar to that achieved for 2001: A Space
Odyssey, might be appropriate.
Williams knew the importance of a score that connected
with viewers, especially during scenes of outlandish
creatures and heroic action. The composer fancied the
film as a grand space opera with strong themes of good
versus evil and so it was agreed that an operatic
approach, using the leitmotif technique, should be adopted. Classical composer Richard Wagner was
most associated with the leitmotif approach, one of employing a melody or chord progression to signify
a character, emotion or locale. Wagner’s four-opera Ring Cycle is perhaps the best-known classical
use of leitmotif and Williams has certainly acknowledged the influence.
“It was not music that might describe terra incognita but the opposite of that, music that would put us
in touch with very familiar and remembered emotions, which for me as a musician translated into the
use of a 19
th
century operatic idiom, if you like, Wagner and this sort of thing. These sorts of influences
would put us in touch with remembered theatrical experiences as well – all western experiences to be
sure,” articulated Williams looking back on the score some 20 years later, in 1997.
When editing a film, a temporary music score is often used to gain a feel for rhythm, pacing and to
provide a composer with the mood a director desires to be conveyed in music. During editing of Star
Wars, cues from King’s Row, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Ben-Hur, The Battle of Britain,
Prince Valiant and The Bride of Frankenstein, together with classical music by Holst, Tchaikovsky,
Dvořák, Bartók and Elgar, was either directly used or cited to communicate the right musical feelings.
Williams saw the temporary music track as inspiration to develop his own swashbuckling music that
embraced the brassy and heroic sound of film composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s 1930s and 40s
films for Warner Brothers, in particular King’s Row.
After settling on an approach, the completed film was spotted for music by Williams, Lucas and music
editor Ken Wannberg. The composer was offered six weeks to craft his score. Despite comments to
the contrary, in keeping with his preferred working method, Williams chose not to review the script. “I
remember seeing the film and reacting to its atmospheres and energies and rhythms. That for me is
always the best way to pick up a film – from the visual image itself and without any preconceptions
that might have been put there by the script.”
In the July 1978 issue of Films and Filming, Williams explained that he preferred to muse at the piano
and develop thematic material from cue-sheets that accurately specified timings. The composer
commenced his score by crafting motifs for: The Force; Luke Skywalker; Princess Leia; the “little
people” (Jawas); a heroic fanfare for the Rebel alliance; and a menacing theme for the Imperial
troopers. The motifs were subsequently realised for certain instruments, for example: The Force
theme was typically set wistfully for cor anglais or french horn; Princess Leia’s theme gently rendered
on flute; and the rebel fanfare blasted out by trombones and trumpets at their uppermost registers.
Byrd, Craig L. “John Williams.” Feature Articles . (n.d.) Film Score Monthly. 11 Jun. 2005.
<http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/williams.asp>.
Byrd, Craig L. “John Williams.” Feature Articles . (n.d.) Film Score Monthly. 11 Jun. 2005.
<http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/williams.asp>.
Elley, Derek. “John Williams.” The Film Composer: 3. Films and Filming. Jul. 1978: 20-24.
X-Wings prepare for the trench run as Williams
records his Walton (Battle of Britain) inspired cue
with the London Symphony Orchestra