MOVIE MASTERPIECES
Program and Resources
10.30am, Wednesday 19 August, Townsville Civic Centre
The Program
WILLIAMS
Star Wars Main Theme
WILLIAMS
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
SHORE
The Lord of the Rings:
Harry’s Wondrous World
Fellowship of the Ring,
Symphonic Suite
BADELT
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Curse of the Black Pearl
MORRICONE
Gabriel’s Oboe
from The Mission
WILLIAMS
Schindler’s List, Three Pieces
Theme
CORIGLIANO
Red Violin
The Pope’s Concert
WILLIAMS
E.T. Suite
Adventures on Earth
Flying Theme
The Conductor
Guy Noble
Guy Noble is one of Australia’s most versatile conductors
and musical entertainers, conducting and presenting
concerts with all the major Australian orchestras and
performers such as The Beach Boys, Yvonne Kenny, David
Hobson, Ben Folds, Dianne Reeves, Randy Newman, and
Clive James.
He has cooked live on stage with Maggie Beer and Simon
Bryant (The Cook, The Chef and the Orchestra, Adelaide
Symphony) appeared as Darth Vader (The Music of John
Williams, Sydney Symphony) and might be the only person
to have ever sung the Ghostbusters theme live on stage
accompanied by The Whitlams (Queensland Symphony
Orchestra).
Guy is a regular guest presenter on ABC Classic FM,
conducted La Boheme throughout Queensland with (Opera
Queensland and Queensland Symphony), hosts and
accompanies Great Opera Hits (Opera Australia) writes a
column for Limelight Magazine, presents the inflight classical
channels on Qantas, Air China, China Airlines and Gulf Air,
and is delighted to conduct Queensland Symphony Orchestra
in Gladstone.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Queensland Symphony Orchestra is renowned for its high quality, breath-taking performances of both
classical and modern compositions that engage audiences of all musical tastes, interests and ages.
As the largest performing arts company in Queensland employing 88 full-time musicians and the
state’s only professional symphony orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra plays a vital role in
Queensland’s cultural community, giving over 145 live performances across 47 weeks each year to
more than 700,000 people.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s annual season attracts high-profile international and national
artists featuring repertoire and special.
Located principally in Brisbane, each year the Orchestra also undertakes a regional tour delivering a
free community engagement program and conducts an extensive state-wide education program that
connects with 30,000 students, from pre-school to university level.
The Orchestra also presents innovative corporate workshops engaging the business sector to think
outside of the box about leadership and team work.
In addition to its own program, Queensland Symphony Orchestra performs for major arts festivals,
direct broadcasts and recordings, and supports state and national opera and ballet companies..
The Orchestra
To discover the instrument families in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra
and the musicians who play them, click here.
The importance of a Leitmotif in movie music
Themes run throughout movies and are an important compositional technique. Music in
movies adds to the emotion and magic of the action on screen and great movie scores
sometimes are not noticeable until you turn the sound down and realise what is missing.
Imagine a chase in an Indiana Jones movie or how scary a horror movie would be without
the music in the background.
A Leitmotif is a theme or melody that is associated with a character, idea or event.
Composers use leitmotifs or themes to introduce and identify characters in the movies,
operas and musicals.
Think of the leitmotifs associated with your favourite characters.
Think of the Imperial March that is played when Darth Vader appears in Star Wars! This is
Darth Vader’s Leitmotif.
Sing the leitmotifs of these characters and then click on the link to see if you are correct:
Harry Potter
The shark in Jaws
Superman
Pink Panther
JOHN WILLIAMS
Star Wars,
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
John Williams
John Williams was born in New York. John started piano lessons aged seven. When the family moved to the West
Coast, his father, who was a percussionist, found session work playing on film soundtracks and John started working
as a freelance pianist.
After many years working as a pianist, John Williams made the transition into composition. Among his early works as
a composer were the television shows such as Lost in Space, Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. He then composed
for a variety of films including The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. His first Academy Award was for the
stage musical Fiddler on the Roof.
Stephen Spielberg approached Williams to score his movies. This led to Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, Superman, E.T. , Indiana Jones, Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, and
Saving Private Ryan. After a gap of a few years Williams has composed the music for
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, War Horse and most recently Lincoln.
Williams was conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, and he has written several
classical concert pieces. He has also been commissioned to compose works for some
big events such as the Olympics and the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty.
Listen and watch:
You Tube featuring famous violinist Itzhak Perlman speaking about,
and then playing, John Williams’ Schindler’s List Theme.
John Williams is conducting the orchestra.
John Williams Star Wars
The main theme of Star Wars has become the easily recognised melody, theme or leitmotif
associated with Luke Skywalker.
Tie - the notes are
This strong theme features the brass instruments and is a fanfare.
held for the value of all
notes tied together
Fanfare
A fanfare is a short melody, usually loud and played by
trumpets or similar instruments, that is used for military or
ceremonial purposes or in movies when the occasion is
grand or to announce something.
Triplet - splits a portion of time, e.g.
two beats into three equal parts.
John Williams Star Wars
The second theme is a contrast to the opening fanfare. The dynamics change from ff to mf
and the theme is flowing and more melodic.
Triplet - splits a portion
of time, e.g. one beat
into three equal parts.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Star Wars with John Williams conducting
the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Semi-quavers and
semi-quaver rests
John Williams Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first novel in the Harry Potter Series by J. K.
Rowling. The book and the movie were also published under the title Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone.
The book was first published in 1997 and the movie was made in 2001.
The movie was nominated for many awards including the Academy Award for Best Original
Score (music), Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
There have been seven sequel movies of Harry Potter.
LISTEN and WATCH
There are many memorable themes composed by John Williams. Hedwig’s Theme, played
by the Celeste, has been included in every Harry Potter movie.
Celeste
A celeste is a small keyboard instrument developed in the later 19th century. To create the
sound, hammers strike metal bars to give a ringing tone. Tchaikovsky used a celeste, which
at the time was a new instrument, in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the
Nutcracker Suite.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy featuring the celeste.
Themes from Harry Potter - Nimbus 2000
The Nimbus 2000 was Harry Potter’s broom stick and it has its own leitmotif.
In the movie Harry Potter received a Nimbus 2000 from Minerva McGonagall when he
joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Seeker.
Staccato
(stacc.)
means play
the notes
short and
detached.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Nimbus 2000 theme featuring the
woodwind section of the orchestra.
Simile
(sim.)
means
continue in
the same
style.
Staccato is also
represented using a dot.
Themes from Harry Potter - Harry’s Wondrous World
Harry’s Wondrous World is the theme or leitmotif that represents Harry Potter.
It is also used during the closing credits of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry’s Wondrous World begins with a melody similar to Hedwig’s Theme
but moves on a lively and triumphant feel.
Time signature
changes.
6/8 is 6 quaver
beats to a bar.
9/8 Is 9 quaver
beats in a bar.
3/4 is 3 Crochet
beats in a bar.
9/8 and 3/4 are
both conducted
using a 3 beat
pattern.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Harry’s Wonderful World conducted by the composer John Williams.
John Williams E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a sci-fi movie made in 1982 and directed by Steven Spielberg.
It tells the story of Elliot Thomas, a lonely boy, who befriends an extra-terrestrial who is
stranded on Earth. Elliot helps E.T. return home while keeping him hidden from his mother
and the government.
The movie surpassed Star Wars to become the highest earning film of all time and it held
this honour for 10 years. The movie was re-released in 1985 and then again in 2002 to
celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Adventures on Earth, Farewell and Closing Fanfare are well known
themes from the movie.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: For the 20th Anniversary of E.T. the Extra - Terrestial, John Williams
conducted the music live while the film was screened. This documentary shows the
rehearsal process and set up for the event.
KLAUS BADELT
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Curse of the Black Pearl
Composer – Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt was born in Germany in 1967. He began his musical career in Germany
composing for both film and commercials. In 1998, Badelt was invited to Hollywood by
Oscar winning film composer Hans Zimmer and has now worked on many movies including
Gladiator, Mission Impossible 2, Pearl Harbour and The Time Machine.
More information: www.klausbadelt.com
Klaus Badelt composed the score for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black
Pearl in 2003. In the same year he had an Australian connection writing the score to Ned
Kelly (a YouTube video is on his website www.klausbadelt.com)
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
HOWARD SHORE
Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring
Symphonic Suite
Lord of the Rings – Howard Shore
The Lord of the Rings is a fantasy novel written by English author J.R.R. Tolkien. It was
written between 1937 and 1949.
It is the second best–selling novel ever written with over 150 million copies sold. It was
such a large work that it was published in 3 volumes known as a trilogy – The Fellowship of
the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
The Lord of the Rings films were directed by Peter Jackson and filmed in New Zealand
between 2001 and 2003. Peter Jackson was born in New Zealand in 1961.
Howard Shore composed, orchestrated and produced the music for the Lord of the
Rings trilogy. Like John Williams, Shore uses leitmotifs to represent the various
characters and places. Almost all the music was recorded in the Abbey Road Studios,
London, made famous as the home of the Beatles recordings.
www.howardshore.com/works/lotrsymphony/
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings trailer
Lord of the Rings Opening Theme
The opening theme is marked marcato which means that each note is played strongly and
for the full value.
Accent >. Find the other two accented notes in the
Time signature is
3/4. Count 3 beats
in each bar
Count 2 beats for the minim.
music.
Tied note. Hold the sound for
the value of both notes.
Dotted minim is worth 3
beats. The dot is worth half
the value of the note that it is
with.
Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit - leitmotif
Leggiero means lightly
Crescendo – gradually getting louder
Dynamic or volume:
Mezzo piano mp means moderately soft
Decrescendo – gradually getting softer
Lord of the Rings. Isengard’s leitmotif
Isengard’s leitmotif: The timpani part at bar 136 features a rhythm of 5 beats per bar with
accents on the 1st and 4th beats of the bar.
Clap this pattern or play on tambour or drum.
Time Signature is 5/4 .
Each bar has 5 beats.
Accent – Play the accented notes louder
Percussion Family - Timpani
Timpani, sometimes known as kettledrums, are a type of drum and are a member of the
percussion family (instruments that are hit to make a sound).
A skin is stretched over large bowls traditionally made of copper and are played with a
mallet (a drum stick with a woollen head). Timpani are made in different sizes and each can
be tuned to a range of different notes using a pedal.
A timpanist (a musician who
plays timpani) will play a
group of between three and
five timpani and they can
play both rhythms and
melodies on the drums.
Did you know?
Timpani is plural
Timpano is singular
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Solo for Timpani The Tragedy of a Young Soldier by Christopher Walker
Lord of the Rings vocal part
The music features a vocal part (bar 221 – 230). When not sung the part is played by the
flute.
Sing the song.
JOHN CORIGLIANO
Red Violin, The Pope’s Concert
The Red Violin - The movie
The Red Violin is a 1998 Canadian movie. It tells the story of a mysterious violin and its
journey over five countries and 400 years as it was bought and sold, lost and found, buried
and discovered by many owners.
The story starts in 1681 when Nicolo Bussotti, a violin maker in Italy, makes a new violin to
celebrate the birth of his child. Throughout the story the violin is donated to an orphanage,
buried by monks, stolen by grave robbers, sold to an antiques dealer who after 30 years
sells it to a young woman, hidden during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and finally
appears in an auction in Montreal. This is where the movie starts.
Did you Know?
The Red Violin won an Academy Award for Best Original
Score for composer John Corigliano.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Red Violin solos in the movie are played by famous violinist
Joshua Bell.
The movie was
inspired by a
real Stradivari
violin called the
1721 Red
Mendelssohn
which features
a red strip on
the side of its
body. It is worth
$1.7 million.
Violin Cadenza
The Violin is a member of the orchestral string family. It is made of wood and has four
strings. The violin can be played arco or with the bow drawn across the strings or by
plucking the strings with the fingers pizzicato.
The strings vibrate to create and sound and the fingers press the strings
to the finger board to shorten the strings to change the sound.
A Cadenza is a passage of music, within another work,
where the soloist improvises to create music that
shows of his or her virtuosic ability (how talented they
are). In more modern works the composer will write a
cadenza to showcase the instrument or a soloist.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – Cadenza by Nicolas Koeckert . The orchestra
stops playing and the soloist performs a cadenza showing the range of the instrument and
his talent. To show he is finishing, the soloist performs a trill and then the orchestra begins
again.
Concert Master – Warwick Adeney
Soloist – Warwick Adeney
Warwick Adeney was born into a large family of violinists and trained at the
Queensland Conservatorium and was awarded the Gold Medal in 1984.
Warwick joined the Queensland Theatre Orchestra and was appointed Concert
Master in 1989. In 2001 the Queensland Orchestras merged and Warwick
continued his leadership of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Over the
years Warwick has given many performances of solos works and continues to
enjoy the privileged and challenging life of the orchestra.
Warwick is married to Michele, a fellow musician and is blessed with nine
children, all of whom learn a variety of instruments.
The violin Warwick plays is a Venetian instrument from the mid-18th century,
possibly by Pietro Guarnerius, a very famous violin maker.
WHAT IS A CONCERT MASTER
The Concert Master is the leader of the orchestra and is also the leader of the violin
section. The Concert Master makes all the decisions about bowing and other technical
details and conveys this information to the orchestra for the conductor. The Concert Master
leads the orchestra in the tuning of the instruments before a rehearsal and concerts.
ENNIO MORRICONE
Gabriel’s Oboe from
The Mission
Gabriel’s Oboe – from the movie, The Mission
Gabriel’s Oboe is the main theme of the 1986 film The Mission. The soundtrack for the
movie was composed by Ennio Morricone and it nominated for the Academy Award for
Best Original Score and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.
Ennio Morricone is a composer, conductor and trumpet player.
He has composed music for more than 500 movies and
television series, but also writes other music.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: Gabriel’s Oboe
The Oboe
The oboe is made of wood, has a conical bore and a flared bell. Holes
which are covered by metal keys are pressed with the fingers and this
lengthens or shortens the instrument to change the sounds.
The mouthpiece is a double reed and sound is made by blowing into
the reed so that both pieces of reed are vibrating.
In the orchestra, the oboe is a member of the woodwind family.
LISTEN and WATCH
YouTube Video: London Philharmonia Orchestra . Timothy Rundle
introduces the oboe.
Beethoven Oboe Trio. There are two oboes and the bigger relative,
the cor anglais in this trio.
Cor Anglais or English Horn is also a double reed instruments and larger than the oboe.
Australian Curriculum – Music
Elements of
Music
Foundation
to Year 2
Years
3 and 4
Years
5 and 6
Rhythm
Beat and rhythm
Fast/slow
Long/short
Tempo changes
ostinato
Compound metre
Pitch
High/low
Pitch direction
Pitch matching
Unison
Pentatonic patterns
Melodic shape
Intervals
Treble clef and staff
Dynamics &
Expression
Forte, piano
Form and
Structure
Timbre
Years
7 and 8
Years
9 and 10
Time signature
Rhythmic devices anacrusis,
syncopation, ties and
pause
Regular and irregular
time subdivision
triplet, duplet
motif, augmentation/
diminution
Major scales
Pitch sequences,
arpeggio, riff,
Bass clef
Minor scales
Key and key signatures
Major/minor chords
Ledger lines
Tonal centres,
Modulation
Dynamic gradations
pp to ff
Legato & staccato
Staccato, legato
accent
Dynamic gradations
Articulations relevant
to style
Rubato, vibrato,
ornamentation,
Introduction
Same/different, echo
patterns, repetition
Verse, chorus, round
Question & answer
Repeat signs
Binary (AB) form
Ternary (ABA) form
Theme, motif
Phrase
Rondo (ABACA) form
ostinato
Repetition and
contrast
Theme and Variation
Verse chorus, bridge
Motivic development
Sonata form
Interlude, cadenza
Improvisation
How sound is produced
Every voice and
instrument has its own
sound
Recognise orchestral
instruments by sound
In isolations and in
combination
Acoustic and
electronic sounds
Voice and
instrument types
Texture
Melody
Accompaniment
Drone
Patterns occurring
simultaneously
Contrast within
layers of sound
Creating
Creating sounds using
voice and instruments
Performing
Playing instruments in
groups
Rhythms
Playing and reading
melodic and
rhythmic excerpts
Sing and play in two or
more parts
Responding
Moving to beat and
rhythms
Respond to the stories
Historical context
Awareness of
ensemble
Recognise
instrumental groups
Layers of sound and
their role. Unison,
homo/polyphonic
Consonance/ dissonance
Chromaticism
Identify instruments
by name and sound
production
Horizontal/vertical
layers
Countermelody