Solo 3: Imperial March Diegesis (Minutes 11-15 with Samantha Tripp)

What happens to the narrative when an iconic theme like the "Imperial March" becomes diegetic? What does that do to the audience? Samantha Tripp is here to help us explore this fascinating topic today. We discuss Solo, Rebels, the British Empire, the efficacy of propaganda music, and other bits and pieces from minutes 11-15 of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Timestamps: 00:00 - Hello there! 01:49 - Characteristics of the diegetic Imperial March in Solo ("Empire Recruitment") 18:25 - John Powell's own words about his diegeticization of the Imperial March. 26:30 - Comparing this to Star Wars: Rebels ("Glory of the Empire") 35:35 - Could we reverse-engineer Williams's original "Imperial March" by taking this Edwardian Pax-Britannica-style version and putting it through a filter of chromaticism? 45:01 - Does the propaganda do its job? 50:49 - David Glen Russell possibly wrote the "Glory of the Empire" theme for Rebels. 1:02:40 - SWMM Questionnaire Things Mentioned: Star Wars Rebels Season 1 - "Glory of the Empire" - https://youtu.be/TouCl6yp13A Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory) - https://youtu.be/Vvgl_2JRIUs Walton - Orb and Sceptre Coronation March - https://youtu.be/Qir5ndIlsJ8 Walton: Crown Imperial: A Coronation March - https://youtu.be/fraKCzza0To Resistance Broadcast interview with John Powell: https://youtu.be/Ujm6aLuN7yQ Another example of a patriotic march but for the USA: The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa - "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band - https://youtu.be/a-7XWhyvIpE Themes: 4. Han & Q'ira 2a. Young Han Solo (Searching, comp. JW) 3. Secrets 10a. Imperial March (Theme) 1. Young Han Solo (Heroic, comp. JW) 5. The Gang Note: I use the theme names and numbers established in Frank Lehman's Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars. You can download it free at his website: https://franklehman.com/starwars/. Soundtrack: "Spaceport" / "Spaceport (1M6-7)" "Gonna Be a Pilot (1M8)" "Empire Recruitment (1M9)" "Mimban Battle (1M10A-B)" --------- STAR WARS MUSIC MINUTE QUESTIONNAIRE: 1. In exactly 3 words, what does Star Wars sound like? Powerful, evocative, grandiose. 2. What's something related to Star Wars music or sound that you want to learn more about? Musician stories from recording the sequel films, particularly The Rise of Skywalker. What is it like sitting in the orchestra, hearing those themes, and trying to make connections in the film ahead of time? 3. What's a score or soundtrack you're fond of besides anything Star Wars? The Shape of Water (composed by Alexandre Desplat) Bonus Question: What would you encourage listeners to pay extra attention to on their next viewing of Solo: A Star Wars Story? The juxtaposition between the Imperial March in the advertisement versus the battle. Also, the way that John Powell's score creates and plays with tension as Han and Qi'ra are trying to make their way through the barrier, then later on, as Han is hiding. Listen for the string ostinati, etc. --------- Samantha Tripp: YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hiwYy5oTsb50N-kxRhonA  -------- If you enjoyed this episode and want to show extra appreciation, feel free to buy me a coffee and shout out the guest! https://buymeacoffee.com/starwarsmusmin If you want to support the show, consider becoming a patron!  https://patreon.com/chrysanthetan Leave a voice message, and I might play it on the show...   https://starwarsmusicminute.com/comlink Where else to find SWMM: Spotify: https://smarturl.it/swmm-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://smarturl.it/swmm-apple YouTube: https://youtube.com/starwarsmusicminute TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starwarsmusicminute? Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWarsMusMin Instagram: https://instagram.com/starwarsmusicminute Email: [email protected] For those curious, here is the full abstract for the talk Samantha is preparing. The abstract was co-written by Samantha Tripp and her advisor Frank Lehman. The