Episode 11: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

For this episode on John Williams’ breathtaking music to the film that started it all — Star Wars — I am joined by fellow musician, educator, and composer, Keith Sisterhenm as we talk about why the phenomenon of Star Wars and its music are so important to film history and the history of our culture. For this famous score, Williams looked to the past and made the leitmotif technique mainstream again, bringing it back from utter antiquity. He composed 10 leitmotifs to carry the emotion forward in this super-charged science fiction fantasy adventure. Keith and I discuss how the main leitmotifs serve the story and how sometimes Williams borrowed and made his own, music of the past.