Analysis - The Emperor's Theme

[Ludwig 1,179]

Here is part 3 of my Star Wars theme analyses, this one on the Emperor's theme:

http://www.filmmusicnotes.com/celebrating-star-wars-themes-part-3-of-6-the-emperors-theme/

Enjoy!

[Director of Poltergeist 8,204]

My favorite rendition outside of "The Emperor" (AKA "The Emperor's Death") is in Revenge of the Sith, the end of "Be Careful of Your Friend" (begins around 40 seconds).

[Incanus 5,858]

The Emperor's theme seems to symbolize the Dark Side (and the Sith as you say) as much as The Force Theme is the musical flipside of the coin. While there seems to be a bit of an overemphasis on it in TPM, broadcasting the villain to the knowledgeable fans from the start, Williams gets a lot of subtle references in during AotC and RotS which are nice foreshadowing before its full revelation.

Interestingly the rendition in Anakin's confession scene in AotC is tracked from the finale where Dooku meets Sidious on Corucscant. I think the original used only Anakin's own motif for his fall to the dark side (the 3rd section of Across the Stars) and the Imperial March. I think the Emperor's theme would be have been a rather good insertion for a larger subtext but I guess JW didn't have time to rewrite the cue.

[Little Ghost 7,936]

My favorite rendition outside of "The Emperor" (AKA "The Emperor's Death") is in Revenge of the Sith, the end of "Be Careful of Your Friend" (begins around 40 seconds).

I did not hear it.

[BloodBoal 7,544]

That's because it's not there.

[Incanus 5,858]

But isn't the Emperor's theme the one theme from which everything else in JWs canon is derived from?

[Wojo 2,458]

Augie used the theme first, it's his. This Emperor guy simply stole it.

[Incanus 5,858]

Augie used the theme first, it's his. This Emperor guy simply stole it.

I wonder who this mysterious Augie is and what does he do.

[BloodBoal 7,544]

Augie was banned from this forum long ago.

[Incanus 5,858]

Not that Augie. The other AUGIE!

[BloodBoal 7,544]

We named the dog Augie.

[nightscape94 967]

He's named after the dog?

[Luke Skywalker 2,219]

Augie used the theme first, it's his. This Emperor guy simply stole it.

I wonder who this mysterious Augie is and what does he do.

At your service:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Augara_Jowil

[Incanus 5,858]

That's just something written after the fact to explain the name. I want to hear Williams' own explanation!

[mandel 3]

The link at JWFAN is wrong, it goes to the Darth Vader's.

[Incanus 5,858]

Interestingly and a bit frustratingly Williams later seems to forget that Emperor's theme has a B-section as well and throughout the Prequels only the A-part of the theme is used, often just repeated back to back if the scene length required it.

[crumbs 15,533]

Well the Emperor didn't really exist until the third film, so keeping only a fragment of the theme throughout the prequels makes sense to me.

[Incanus 5,858]

Well the Emperor didn't really exist until the third film, so keeping only a fragment of the theme throughout the prequels makes sense to me.

Using it from the onset to broadcast who Sidious was, is a bit obvious in TPM as well though. Some renditions of the repeated A-section just feel a bit lazy to me, when there is a perfectly good end to the melody. This also happens in RotS when the Emperor has been revealed, e.g. in the scene where he transports wounded Anakin to Coruscant.

[crumbs 15,533]

It's lucky he remembered the theme at all.

After all, he forget any love themes existed in the OT.

[Incanus 5,858]

It's lucky he remembered the theme at all.

After all, he forget any love themes existed in the OT.

Yeah we should be glad for small mercies.

[crumbs 15,533]

It's a miracle he didn't accidentally use Theme from Jurassic Park instead of the Force Theme,

[BloodBoal 7,544]

People love to make lists of themes that may return in TFA, when really, what they should do is a list of themes Williams may have remembered.

[crumbs 15,533]

He didn't have to remember Main Titles because they're likely re-using the Phantom Menace recording for the fourth time.

T'was so much easier than re-recording it with those unversatile Los Angeleans.

[Ludwig 1,179]

Interestingly and a bit frustratingly Williams later seems to forget that Emperor's theme has a B-section as well and throughout the Prequels only the A-part of the theme is used, often just repeated back to back if the scene length required it.

I never heard a B section to this theme. Do you mean the section between 1:39-2:22 below?

Besides, ROTJ uses repetitions of the A section in a number of places as well. I don't know if this is your beef with it, but when I hear it in TPM, it seems a tad overused. I can't really say why I should feel that way when Vader's theme is ten times more pervasive in TESB and I don't feel it's overused there. Strange.

[Incanus 5,858]

What I actually meant is the second phrase of the theme itself which JW uses very rarely if at all in the Prequels, resorting to repeat the first one. The second phrase comes to a natural end which it never achieves in the Prequels. The passage I am talking about is the answering phrase to the initial one and can be heard clearly in 2:41-2:59 of the video you posted. Of course there are times when the scene length stops Williams from using the whole melody and it frustrating cuts away just before reaching the end of the second phrase. I don't whether it is intentional or was it always the scenes themselves but it is prevalent throughout the new trilogy.

This is not a major gripe but an observation on how the theme is used in the Prequels. As crumbs says above the way it feels open ended or unfinished actually ties to the musical dramaturgy of the whole story quite nicely.

[Ludwig 1,179]

Oh, the second phrase. Ok, that I can see. I thought you were talking about a separate B section like in Luke's theme. Terminology, terminology...

[Incanus 5,858]

Yes it can both clarify and complicate if people do not speak with the same terminology. Luckily we were not too far off.

[skyy38 21]

I always thought that THE EMPERORS THEME was too "wordy" so I simplified it.

https://soundcloud.com/skyy38/emperors-theme-2

Also, even though THE IMPERIAL MARCH sounds "minor", it is actually written in the major mode.