Why is the resistance theme so ear wormy?

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I swear since The Force Awakens came out 90% of the time I find myself mindlessly humming or whistling it’s this damn theme. I actually don’t listen to it that often either, it’s good, but not spectacular. It just seems to naturally worm its way into the brain. 

[Obi 404]

It's the proof is highly spectacular in fact.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Just now, Obi said:

It's the proof is highly spectacular in fact.

 

Really? Let’s follow that line of logic through to its natural conclusion. Is Baby Shark highly spectacular? 

[Fabulin 3,511]

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The reason it is written as it is, is that the theme is intended to serve as the subject of a fugue.

 

As such, the theme consists of a number of prominent motifs that get a good work out in the concert arrangement (and feature significantly as leitmotivics throughout the underscore).

Had the theme been longer and more "complete" in shape, it would have been much less malleable in countrapuntal terms.

 

There's a reason why Bach's subjects are typically short; longer, more sing-songy subjects are usually unwieldy, and one typically ends up truncating them in the process.

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First, the first phrase of the resistance theme ends on the fifth which is a strong interval, so JW is setting up a sequence where each time we land on the important fifth, we've shifted to that new dominant key and restate the phrase now in the new key.  This is a romantic era convention of emphasizing the tonic by dancing around to heighten the impact when we ultimately land on it resulting in an increasing level of climactic build up.

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Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is in D minor but begins with A (without the third).  More instruments are added as the A and E are sustained with arpeggios coming all around.  The listener is not sure if the opening is minor or major leading to a prolonged tonal ambiguity as the build continues with great power as we arrive at the tonic of D minor well into the movement.  This makes the opening feel like A minor since it acts as the dominant key to the tonic.  So this reinforces and sets up the tonic when it finally arrives.  This demonstrates Beethoven's dramatical skills...he doesn't just give you the main character, he first sets up the troubled environment where the main character exists.  So if we used Beethoven as the model for “March of the Resistance” we would start the opening on the dominant of D minor.  JW is doing the equivalent of this here but adding more repeats of the sequence. 

 

With the tritone, he's kind of implying an F7 leading us to B flat, a harmonic pattern that is entirely traditional within g minor, although he may not actually complete the chords in the orchestra. The melody ending on the leading tone is part of the cadential figure. On those two eighth notes we get a iv-V (c minor-D major), and the bass instruments use their little run to give V-i, a very standard cadence. The harmonies are surprisingly traditional throughout this piece, and stylistically it stands out from the rest of the soundtrack.

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Thank you! That's what I was hoping to learn - harmonic patterns of certain periods and composers. Now I see why the middle part of the March sounds so dynamic, and also why I couldn't hear a third (C/C#) in the first chords of the March. It's all there in the 9th! Maybe Beethoven (and his era) is the influence I was looking for

 

I tried to harmonize the first bars a bit, using the bass line (tubas?) and your explanations as a reference. The Iv-V-I cadence fits perfectly, though I believe there might be a substitute (VI-V-I). You're right, the beginning sounds so traditional that after harmonizing bars 12-14 I thought I was listening to "The Pianists" by Saint-Saens  Now I'm beginning to understand why...

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It has a very strong WWII movie feel. It reminds me of the kind of scores Ron Goodwin used to do. Where Eagles Dare etc. Heroic but gritty marches for brave men, willing to risk their lives in service of the British Empire on a mission so risky, but so important that Winston Churchill demands to be kept up to date!

 

Essentially...music for killing Nazis!

From old discussions on the forum.

 

I would add that a Schrekenfanfar beginning of the piece both in the concert version and "The Resistance" cue is a yet another Beethovenian stylistic conception.

The string & woodwind writing also seem quite classical to me.

 

 

[crumbs 14,306]

I didn't like this theme for years after TFA came out, but I finally "got it" when I heard his new renditions in TLJ (it's like the theme finally came to life with that film's wetter mix/JW's action-oriented approach to the theme, compared to its relatively restrained usage in TFA).

 

Four years later, I probably consider it the most memorable theme of the sequel trilogy. Certainly the one that pops into my head most regularly like the glorious ear worm that it is. The other two major themes being not-particularly-hummable probably contributes to this phenomena.

[Quintus 5,399]

It's great but I just want an even beefier snares accompaniment recording somewhere down the line.

[Jurassic Shark 12,053]

What about the Lockhart recording? That's quite good!

[Giftheck 916]

I've heard March of the Resistance described as 'old-school John Williams'. Maybe it's that?

[Fabulin 3,511]

4 minutes ago, Giftheck said:

I've heard March of the Resistance described as 'old-school John Williams'. Maybe it's that?

If TFA and its score upon first listening left me feeling like this:

Then March of the Resistance is either the scotch, or the monkey.

[Giftheck 916]

1 minute ago, Fabulin said:

If TFA and its score upon first listening left me feeling like this:

Then March of the Resistance is either the scotch, or the monkey.

 

Both comforting, but in different ways?

[Holko 9,516]

19 minutes ago, crumbs said:

I didn't like this theme for years after TFA came out, but I finally "got it" when I heard his new renditions in TLJ (it's like the theme finally came to life with that film's wetter mix/JW's action-oriented approach to the theme, compared to its relatively restrained usage in TFA).

Agreed, but I very rarely find it popping into my head.