Sometimes, while sitting in the pew, my mind does wander. Have you ever noticed that music is frequently more than background prettiness Sometimes it can manipulate emotions. Smooth jazz, for instance, has always sounded to me as if it were transcribed emotion rather than melody. Some of Palestrina's compositions resonate so with a listener that, instead of feeling his emotions change with the music, he can feel the music itself changing his emotions Listen sometime to the music used at memorial services: the finest compositions will match the feelings of the listener, support the feeling, and, essentially, carry the weight of the hearer's grief. In short, music has meaning beyond reason. Certain melodies will convey certain feelings or abstract ideas, regardless of where they are placed. For instance, if one listens closely to the defiant sneer of John Williams' Imperial March, from the score for the film The Empire Strikes Back, he would detect transpositions of that venerable childhood taunt "Nyah Nyah Na-Na-Nyah!"
One reason my thoughts have wandered to the music of Star Wars is because, along with the (at this time) upcoming Blu-Ray release of the films of the saga, some unreleased material, and new interviews, are to be included. One leaked interview has featured composer John Williams talking about
Yoda's theme. In that clip, he describes the melody as reflecting the dignity and simplicity of true wisdom. ( http://www.play.com/Campaign.html?campaign=9190&cid=2024469 )
While I've always liked Yoda's theme, I've never thought it fit the character. The tune is entirely too domestic for so mystic a presence. In fact, the first time I heard the composition apart from the film, the picture it conjured in my mind was of Luke Skywalker and some girl drifting in a boat on a lake. Luke's imagination also drifts to a vision of the future: of himself cheerfully working around a comfortable homestead. During the second strain, he sees the droids and a couple of children doing their part. Finally, we see the girl, now a contented mother and homemaker of this happy family The vision gradually fades, and the scene returns to the couple tranquilly floating on the lake. Perhaps it's a silly fancy, but it's what I heard in that music.
But Williams is partially right. Originally, the passage we now recognize as Yoda's Theme did speak of dignity and wisdom, but, above all, it conveyed a sense of fulfillment. It had first appeared thirty-eight years earlier in the 1942 Columbia film Talk of the Town http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035417/ (Directed by George Stevens, Score by Fredrich Hollander http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006130/ ) To digress, the film is one that every lover of liberty should see: it follows the jail break of an independent freedom-lover (Cary Grant) who was framed for arson and murder. The story shows how sometimes the letter of misused law must be broken in order to vindicate the spirit of the True Law. Anyway, one of the characters who helps exonerate Grant's character is the dean of a prestigious law school, who was unexpectedly in town at the time. About 41 minutes into the film, the dean (Ronald Colman) learns that he has been nominated for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. ( http://youtu.be/PIOWxTuLmpY ) This Supreme Court theme is the opening phrase of Yoda's theme. Throughout the film, we hear it change key and pitch, but the phrase remains plainly recognizable. Occasionally, it has been whispered that John Williams sometimes works the music of other composers into his own. It's possible John Williams was unaware of this unattributed musical quotation, but considering how famous The Talk of the Town is, I would be greatly surprised if he had not heard it.
But this could hardly be called plaigarism. He took what was probably a five-measure phrase and wove it into a whole tone poem; much as a writer can take a quotation and make it into an essay. Who remembered that little old musical theme with possibilities; and who now doesn't know Yoda's Theme? In a sense, Williams rescued that melody from oblivion. Williams' acknowledgment may not be considered scholarly, but this melody, certainly, should be grateful that it has been immortalized as an important parts of Star Wars.
The choice of that phrase, philosophically, was brilliantly appropriate; not because it spoke of wisdom, but of completion. As one watches The Talk of the Town, it becomes obvious that the appointment of Colman's Professor Lightcap to the Supreme Court was the fulfillment of his heart's desire, just as Luke's studies under Yoda were apparently the fulfillment of his destiny. And, to my own amazement, I realized even my impression of Luke's domestic dream was also one of fulfillment. It intrigued me that John Williams could have been so right about the choice of music, yet not recognize the obvious reason why.
