Emperor's theme a minor key mirror of Yoda's theme??

Anyone else notice this, or is this just old news?

It is right down to the number of notes.

I also liked how Han Solo and Leia's themes were so closely connected.

 

The Emperor's theme isn't a minor key mirror of Yoda's theme.

 

These themes are incredibly similar. Both are nine notes, 4 in the first section, 5 in the second.

Seems to me the Emperor's theme is a darker take on Yoda's. I could be wrong, but nonetheless, the themes are quite the flipside of each other.

So glad you could go more into discussion of the topic than the quick, dismissive sentence you gave. Perhaps John Williams made a comment on it you care to share?

 

I'm sorry, but when I hear the Empeor's Theme, it goes "3-3-6" or "3-3-5" as far as "sections" of notes as you put it. Are you talking about measures here?

 

I see what you mean, they certainly have similar structures. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if it was more than a coincidence. But for now, I wouldn't worry about it. It's very easy to see things as something much more than it really is when it comes to music.

 

The Emperor's theme does not have nine notes in primary, secondary, or any kind of form. The greatest similarity I can find is two sections with pauses, then a third section with continuous notes...

 

I seem to remember seeing, either in the Anthology or SE liner notes, that Yoda's Theme was almost a mirror of The Imperial March. I'm not musically knowledgeable in terms and lingo, but I think it said one was in a major chord and the other in a minor.

Is this true?

 

General Kenobi et al... I suppose where I'm talking about the Emperor's theme is when it just starts it seems to be four notes, followed by five, then goes to 3-3-5. I lost my ROTJ soundtrack, so I am going by the clips on the internet. I know it is 4-5 in ROTS, at least in the scene where the Imperial Shuttle was landing on Mustafar. I can't find it on the ROTS cd to save my life, though.

Maybe the two themes just seem similarly different to me...lol.

 

Not true. The Emperor's theme is basically a 3-3-6 deal... like this (where d = note):

d d d... d d d... d d d d d... d...

I don't know where you are getting the 4-5 part. Maybe that's a section that precedes the Emperor's theme in some specific cue?

 

hey, it'd make sense everyone, as they are opposite sides of each other. Best not to totally dismiss, nor accept any theory until it's addressed by the composer, which i don't see too much out of williams for a comtemporary composer. I'd like to hear more about his reasoning. The evidense seems a little sketchy...but there's no reason to say it's not possible.

~JW

 

I don't know about being a minor key mirror of Yoda's theme, but I do know it is incredibly similar to Augie's Municipal Band from TPM...