The problem with jokes, unlike music, is that they are great to hear once, but the more they are repeated the more irritating they become. Having this concert on May the Fourth did nothing to change my mind on that, but it did allow me to indulge in a totally unscientific and subjective experiment.
I must be one of the few people on this, or any other planet, who has never seen any of the films in the Star Wars franchise. I was interested, therefore, to see how the music stood up to scrutiny without having the visual reference points for which it was written.
As with all in-depth theses I will lay out the process by which the conclusion was arrived at. Firstly, I must thank the superb Orchestra of Opera North, under the leadership of Sarah Brandwood-Spencer, for helping me in my task by playing the works in their usual flawless manner, we are so privileged to have them in this Galaxy, let alone Leeds. My senior lab assistant was Guest Conductor and Host, Caleb Young, who has assisted the composer, John Williams, on several projects in Los Angeles, Berlin and Vienna, so was able to make sure that the data upon which the result was drawn was valid. Thank you, Sir.
To begin an experiment it is always a good idea to make sure that the preparation is meticulous, which was done by drawing on the work of Alfred Newman, and playing his 20th Century Fox Fanfare.
There then came a period of cross-reference to other works on the subject by Jay Chattaway, Alexander Courage, Jerry Goldsmith and Dennis McCarthy, whose combined expertise resulted in the development of Star Trek Through The Years. This reinforced the theory that there is a certain structure common to work in this area.
Before taking a pause to examine our findings, further elements from John Williams were removed from their cans: The Empire Strikes Back (Hans Solo and the Princess), Attack of the Clones (Across the Stars) and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Adventures on Earth). This confirmed the success of the formula thus far.
After a break allowing me to ruminate on the experiment and consult with my colleagues, who had seen one or more of the films, I returned to my position in the lab.
This seemed like an appropriate time to compare and contrast the works of other film composers, which was done by the playing of a medley of extracts from the most famous soundtracks of all time. There were twenty-two, from all genres; westerns, mysteries, blockbusters, musicals, comedies, period pieces etc. This was very nostalgic, as I had actually seen a great many of those featured, I just don’t happen to be a big sci-fi, superhero or fantasy fan, I think my brain is too logically wired. This mash-up did bring an element of humour to the evening when the string section recreated the shower scene from Psycho followed by the theme from The Pink Panther.
Back to the experiment in hand and The Force Awakens Suite, with March of the Resistance, Rey’s Theme, Scherzo for X-Wings and The Jedi Steps and Finale. This was followed by The Phantom Menace Suite – Anakin’s Theme and Duel of the Fates. All of which echoed the franchise’s themes from the first half, obviously modified to suit the action to which the music was meant to enhance.
One of the stories Caleb Young regaled us with, regarding John Williams, was that it occurred to the conductor that, working on the release dates, the composer must have been writing the scores for Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, simultaneously! He also noted that when writing the music for the original Star Wars film Mr Williams had to create a love theme for Princess Leia, without realising there could be a sequel, and that the other half of the loving couple would later turn out to be her brother. Had the police found out I am sure that The Force would have been with them in no time.
Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind was the penultimate offering with the big finish appropriately provided by Star Wars Suite – Throne Room and End Title. This left the audience – or should I say, my lab rats – in raptures, and quite rightly so. They had enjoyed an evening of music which obviously recalled the various incidents they remembered from the films, played superbly by a collection of first class musicians, who also injected their personalities into the performance, in a live situation rather than being tweaked on a sound desk.
My conclusion was that I didn’t get as much enjoyment out of the evening as did my fellow audience members. I can’t attach any blame to anyone concerned, because, as already stated, the Orchestra and Conductor were amazing, in fact, the programme of music was skilfully curated so as to include breaks from the main franchise. John Williams’s compositions were incredible, but, because they were all commissioned to perform a basic function to a series of nine films, each of which is linked, huge variations in style was not an option. Thus there seemed to be battle themes, love themes and travelling through space music, which, when used behind the cinematography, I am sure were breathtaking, but, without the associated visuals, either being shown or recalled, after about half an hour I was getting a bit bored.
Suitably prepared for the main part of the procedure, the first element was examined thoroughly by the rendition of Mr Williams’s Star Wars Suite, comprising the Main Title, Princess Leia’s Theme, The Imperial March and Yoda’s Theme. Each of the four sections was consistent in utilising the full orchestra, with variations insofar as tempo and volume were concerned. Even those of us who have not seen any of the films will know the Main Title, which, as in any work, is an introduction to the elements to be utilised. Princess Leia’s Theme, again fairly familiar, was a more tender piece relying more on the strings to add sensitivity. The Imperial March added the rest of the instruments to the beaker, and the bunsen burner was turned up to full flame. The solution was allowed to return to lab temperature with Yoda’s Theme.
As with any research, I have been examining the other work of the subject, John Williams and the variation there is unbounded. Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, The Poseidon Adventure, Jaws, The Valley of the Dolls and many more. Incredibly he has scored 9 of the top grossing 25 films in USA box office history. Speaking of scoring, I particularly like his theme music for NFL Sunday Night Football, where I do watch the pictures. He has 26 Grammys 5 Oscars from 54 Nominations, 7 BAFTAs, 3 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes as well as many other accolades, including being made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
So, here I stand, a minority of one, but at least I am in very exclusive company.
As a postscript, on the bus home I was listening to Sounds of the Seventies on BBC Sounds and Bob Harris played, you guessed it, Meco’s disco version of the Star Wars Theme to celebrate Star Wars Day. Is nowhere safe!
To see what is in store from Opera North, please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on
For shows coming to Leeds Heritage Theatres it is https://leedsheritagetheatres.com/whats-on/
Feature image from Opera North. Photographs by Stan Graham.
Tyke It To The Limit 