"The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)"[1]is a musicalthemepresent in theStar Warsfranchise. It was composed byJohn Williamsfor the filmThe Empire Strikes Back.Together with "Yoda's Theme "," The Imperial March "was premiered on April 29, 1980, three weeks before the opening of the film, on the occasion of John Williams' first concert as official conductor-in-residence of theBoston Pops Orchestra.[2]One of the best knownsymphonicmovie themes, it is used as aleitmotifthroughout theStar Warsfranchise.[3]
| "The Imperial March" | |
|---|---|
| SinglebyJohn Williams | |
| from the albumThe Empire Strikes Back | |
| Released | April 29, 1980 |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Label | RSO Records |
| Songwriter(s) | John Williams |
| Audio sample | |
FromThe Empire Strikes Back(Finale) | |
Use inStar Wars
edit"The Imperial March" is sometimes referred to simply as "Darth Vader's Theme." In the movies (except for the originalStar Wars), themarchis often played whenDarth Vaderappears. It is also played duringDarth Sidious's arrival on theDeath StarinReturn of the Jedi,though it doessegueinto the Emperor's own theme as he appears.
Original trilogy
edit"The Imperial March" is first heard inThe Empire Strikes Backin lowpiccolosas theGalactic Empiresends probe droids across thegalaxyin search ofLuke Skywalker.Its major opening occurs asImperial-classStar Destroyersamass and Darth Vader is first presented in the film, 19 minutes into the movie. The theme and related motifs are also incorporated into tracks such as "The Battle ofHoth"during the eponymous battle," The Asteroid Field "during the chase sequence involving theMillennium Falcon,and "The Clash of Lightsabers" during Luke and Vader's duel on Cloud City overBespin.Return of the Jedimakes similar use of the theme, though its final statement is significantly different, making quiet use of aharpas a redeemedAnakin Skywalkerdies in his son's arms.
Prequel trilogy
edit"The Imperial March" appears on a few occasions in the prequel trilogy, most often used to foreshadowAnakin Skywalker's future as Darth Vader. An innocent theme for the nine-year-old Anakin inThe Phantom Menaceat 1H10 is thematically based on "The Imperial March." "The Imperial March" is also heard towards the end, asYodaacknowledges Anakin asObi-Wan's apprentice in saying "The Chosen One, the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training" at 2H06. It is also heard softly at the end of the final credit roll, where it fades into the character's signature breathing, showing that the rest of the prequel trilogy will reveal how Anakin became Darth Vader. In the second prequel,Attack of the Clones,"The Imperial March" is sometimes played subtly when an event foreshadows Anakin's future: It is first played when Yoda senses Anakin slaughtering a tribe ofTusken Raidersto avengehis mother's death and later with more force when Anakin tellsPadmé Amidalawhat he did. It is played most prominently and recognizably during the final sequence whenclone troopersassemble and departCoruscant,foreshadowing the end of the Republic. Although "Across the Stars" is featured most prominently in the film's end credits, several notes from "The Imperial March" are heard beneath it near the end.
InRevenge of the Sith"The Imperial March" is first played when Anakin rebukes the Jedi Council for denying him the rank of Jedi Master, although appointing him to the Council at 0H37. The track can also be heard when Anakin tells Mace Windu about Palpatine's true identity, Darth Sidious. It is later played when Anakin is dubbed as the Sith Darth Vader, shortly after the death of Mace Windu. "The Imperial March" is quoted when clone troopers find dead Wookiees on Kashyyyk and when Padmé confronts Anakin on Mustafar. A few notes of the "March" are played when Vader arrives on Mustafar to kill the Separatists. The piece is played more clearly during the "Battle of the Heroes" scene between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader at the movie's climax and in the simultaneous battle between Yoda and Sidious, as a rearrangement of the version heard in "The Clash of Lightsabers" fromThe Empire Strikes Back.It is also played when Darth Vader receives his armor at 2H06 and when he looks up at the first Death Star with Sidious at 2H11.
Sequel trilogy
editIn the 2015Star Wars: The Force Awakens,two bars from the brass motif of "The Imperial March" are played after antagonistKylo Renregards the charred remains of Darth Vader's helmet, vowing to finally succeed where the Galactic Empire failed. In the 2017Star Wars: The Last Jedi,the track was briefly played afterSupreme Leader Snokecompares antagonist Kylo Ren to Darth Vader, saying he saw the potential of "A new Vader." In the 2019Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerthe track is present in the scenes where the mask of Darth Vader is shown, when Darth Sidious first reveals the Final Order, a massive armada ofXyston-class Star Destroyers built by theSith Eternal,to Kylo Ren, when Rey seeks Sidious' Sith wayfinder in the Death Star's wreckage, and when a Sith Star Destroyer arrives to destroyKijimi.
Star WarsAnthology
editTrailers forRogue One: A Star Wars Storyfeatured the track prominently; the first notes of "The Imperial March" can be heard at the end of the trailer as the letters turn to reveal the name of the upcoming movie. Prior to this, Darth Vader can be heard breathing and his appearance is seen as a reflection on the floor. In the film proper, scored byMichael Giacchino,the theme can be heard when Vader emerges from his sanctum to confer with Director Orson Krennic, and again after Vader warns Krennic about overstepping his bounds. The theme can be heard once more when Vader attacks the Rebel soldiers trapped in a hallway; it is slowed down enough not to be obvious and joined with a chorus reminiscent of that fromRevenge of the Sith.The theme is finally heard outright when Vader witnesses theTantive IVfleeing into hyperspace.
The track appears early inSolo: A Star Wars Story,transposed into a major key, asdiegeticmusic in theCorelliaspaceport as part of a commercial encouraging viewers to join theImperial Navy,encouragingHan Soloto enlist as his ticket off the planet. This brief appearance marks the first and thus-far onlyin-universeappearance of "The Imperial March" in a theatrical film.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
edit"The Imperial March" has influence in short but dark moments revolving around Anakin. For example, in episode 62, "Citadel Rescue", Anakin and CaptainWilhuff Tarkinboth mention during their escape their good relationship with the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin shakes hands with Tarkin at the end of the episode, while Tarkin says he will inform the Chancellor of Anakin's good performance. During that handshake, a hint is to be heard in the music referring to "The Imperial March." Other episodes that feature the theme include "Brain Invaders" (when Anakin strangles Poggle), "Voyage of Temptation" (when Anakin kills Merrik), "Overlords" (multiple times), "Ghosts of Mortis" (multiple times), "Kidnapped" (when Obi-Wan talks with Anakin and thenAhsoka), "Deception" (multiple times) and "Friends and Enemies" (multiple times), "Crisis on Naboo" (when Anakin argues with Obi-Wan), "The Lawless" (duringDarth Sidiousscenes), and "The Jedi Who Knew Too Much" (multiple times). The theme is used prominently during the sixth season.
Star Wars Rebels
editIn "Empire Day", the episode's title referring to the Empire's anniversary, "The Imperial Anthem"arrangement of" The Imperial March ", is heard during the parade. The march is also heard in" Call to Action "when Grand Moff Tarkin arrives on Lothal, in the final scene of" Fire Across the Galaxy "when Darth Vader arrives on Lothal, and in multiple scenes in" The Siege of Lothal. "
Obi-Wan Kenobi
editInObi-Wan Kenobi,the march is heard in "Part VI" after Darth Vader's contact with Darth Sidious.
Uses outsideStar Wars
edit- Rush Limbaughused the composition for his "Gorbasm" updates onMikhail Gorbachev.
- In January 2003, duringSuper Bowl XXXVII,ABC Sportstook to using "The Imperial March" as a leitmotif for theOakland Raiders.[4]
- In 2012,Volkswagenreleased a commercial forSuper Bowl XLVI,featuring several dogs barking to the tune of "The Imperial March."[5]
- Shortly beforethe Scottish independence referendum,apro-independencecampaigner rode a rickshaw alongside a group of anti-independenceLabourpoliticians, who had travelled by train from London to Glasgow for a highly publicized visit, as they paraded through the center of the city, playing the Imperial March and announcing to Glaswegians: "Your Imperial Masters have arrived. Bow down before your Imperial Masters!"[6][7][8]
- The main part of the composition can be heard duringAsterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.
- Protesters in US and Europe[9]have playedThe Imperial Marchin coincidence with interventions by the police to cast it as belonging to thedark side.[10]
- "The Imperial March" is briefly used in theWalt Disney Animation Studiosfeature filmRalph Breaks The Internetwhen Vanellope Von Schweetz runs away fromFirst Orderstormtrooperson OhMyDisney website.
- On 19 August 2024, aGerman Navycorvette,theBraunschweig,played "The Imperial March" as she was towed out of London.[11]
- OnThe Simpsons,"The Imperial March" is used as a theme at times forMr. Burns.
Inspiration and influences
edit"The Imperial March" took inspiration and stylistic influences from Chopin'sMarche funèbreand English composerGustav Holst's Opus 32,The Planets,written between 1914 and 1917,[12]andGrande Marche de MedjidiebyAugust Ritter Von Adelburg.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Michael Matessino, booklet for original soundtrack recording forEmpire Strikes Back,Special Edition, page 17. RCA ASIN B000003G8G. "The Imperial March(Darth Vader's Theme) is the now famous signature theme for Darth Vader. "
- ^Michael Matessino, booklet for original soundtrack recording forEmpire Strikes Back,Special Edition, page 6. RCA ASIN B000003G8G.
- ^Irena Paulus, "Williams versus Wagner or an Attempt at Linking Musical EpicsArchived2019-07-21 at theWayback Machine"International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music312 (2000): 153. "John Williams used leitmotifs in the genuine sense of the word. He has come very close to the practice of Wagner in the various procedures in which he varies and transforms his themes, and in using the idea of the thematic image (the arch-theme that is the unifying element of the musical material). However, the similarity of Williams's and Wagner's leitmotifs is greatest in the area of kinship of themes (a series of new themes or motifs derive from a single motif or theme) on the basis of which both of them create a web of mutually related leitmotifs. The closeness of the procedures of the two can also be found in the area of melody, rhythm, form, harmony, instrumentation, and even in the domain of the ratio of the old and the new in their music. The ultimate objective of Richard Wagner was to create the music drama, music for the stage based on the old roots of opera, in which all the musical elements were subordinated to the drama. The ultimate aim of John Williams was to take part in the creation of a film in which his music would serve to define the film's substance and help all the other elements of it to function property."
- ^Urbanski, Heather (2007).Plagues, Apocalypses and Bug-Eyed Monsters: How Speculative Fiction Shapes Our Nightmares.New York: McFarland. pp.132–133.
- ^"Volkswagen's 'The Bark Side': Dogs Bark The 'Star Wars' Imperial March For Super Bowl Commercial (VIDEO)".The Huffington Post.January 19, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 11,2016.
- ^Nsubuga, Jimmy (September 12, 2014)."Pro-independence rickshaw rider taunts Labour Party members with Star Wars' Imperial March down Glasgow high street".Metro UK.Archivedfrom the original on July 5, 2017.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
- ^Bland, Archie (September 13, 2014)."Scottish independence vote: Cameron's Scottish roots won't help the 'No' brigade".Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-06-18.RetrievedJuly 8,2017.
- ^"Labour MPs Blasted With Imperial Death March in Glasgow".uk.news.yahoo.Yahoo News Network. September 12, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2014.
- ^"Eight Examples of Popular Culture Used to Symbolise ProtestConducttr".blog.conducttr.22 August 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-04.Retrieved2021-08-24.
- ^Hendler, Micah (July 26, 2020)."Portland Protestors Play Star Wars" Imperial March "While Being Tear Gassed By Federal Agents".Forbes.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-24.Retrieved2021-08-24.
- ^Dazio, Stefanie (22 August 2024)."German warship blasts Darth Vader anthem in heart of London. 'No deeper message,' navy says".AP News.Retrieved29 December2024.
- ^Shobe, Michael. and Kim Nowack."The Classical Music Influences Inside John Williams' 'Star Wars' Score",Archived2017-07-03 at theWayback MachineWQXR (Dec 17, 2015).
External links
edit- The Imperial MarchonWookieepedia,aStar Warswiki