The Composer
Analysis of John
Williams’ “Snow
Battle”
David Isaac
June 25, 2011
Formal structure
Much of John William’s battle music is based upon a loose structure (as it is part of the
movie). The elements of the structures are primarily groove sections and non-groove
sections. I have divided up the piece into different sections (many times using John
Williams’ own double bar-lines.)
1
22
22
Intro, 1st occurrence of Snow Battle Main Theme (Ostinato A)
23
39
17
Snow Battle Main Theme
40
47
8
Snow Battle Second Theme
48
53
6
Interlude, Walker theme in the trombones and low brass
54
61
8
Subordinate Theme to Second Theme, based off of woodwind scales
in mm.40-47
62
66
5
Interlude #2, based off the same material as interlude 1
67
75
9
Snow Battle Second Theme
76
78
3
Oom-pah interlude
79
84
6
Interlude #3
85
97
13
Interlude #3 + Snow Battle Main Theme
98
102
5
Dialogue interlude, syncopated melody
103
112
10
Syncopated Oboe Melody
113
120
8
Ostinato A, occurs (not very audible), with new melody in trumpets
121
126
6
Spinning around the walker
127
128
2
129
130
2
Upward brass scales
131
132
2
Percussion Interlude
133
135
3
Tutti Chords
136
138
3
139
144
6
Recap Snow Battle Main Theme
145
148
4
Codetta w/rebel theme fragment
T he Comp os e r—John Willia ms’ Snow B attl e
One can organize it into larger sections. Mm. 1-39 comprise the Introduction and
Main theme. Mm. 40-97 is the Second Theme and Ostinato B. Those two sections are
more formally organized, while the material that comes later, not so much so. Mm.
98-112 is an interlude section, a relief from previous material. Mm.113-120 is a bold
tutti section. Mm. 121-138 is my favorite section, and the most loosely organized.
Changes in texture begin to occur every two or three measures.
Of course, this division of the piece into sections is somewhat arbitrary and there are
probably many more ways to do it. In the excel file I have put a dark line to delineate
each section.
Mm. 1-39 Introduction and main theme
I’m not going to dwell on this section, as it is the most formally coherent. It is
interesting to note that the ostinato is syncopated at the half-note, and eighth note
level. That is, it is syncopated on beat 3 and 3½. (Using quarter notes to determine the
beat, although the piece is in cut time.)
Mm. 40-97 is the Second Theme and Ostinato B
By this time in the recording, the tempo has reached about half note = 85.
The driving force behind this section is really Ostinato B. This ostinato is syncopated at
the eighth note level. Many figures in the bass take on this syncopation. See especially
the bass mm. 85-97.
This section begins with the 8 measure Snow battle 2nd theme. There is then after a 6
measure interlude that features the ostinato pattern. A subordinate theme occurs which
is based on motive A (part of the Snow Battle Main Theme). Then the interlude comes
back. The snow battle 2nd theme occurs again and the section closes with interlude 3
and the return of the main theme.
So the structure of this section is a loose ABCBADB.
Mm. 98-112
This section begins with 98-102, which is a interesting piano section, accented by
syncopated xylophone/piano chords. The next sub-section is 103-112 which contains
very tense 5 and 6 note chords.
Mm.113-120
This section begins with a great tutti section including a new melody in the trumpets.
(Mm. 113-118.) This is concluded with very dissonant 8-27B chords.
Mm. 121-138: Loosely Organized Section
Begins with a section containing whirling strings. The interplay between the melody
and the disjunct bass is of most interest. Below is a reduction (without the whirling
upper string trills.) This upward scale pattern is mostly based upon the symmetrical
octatonic scale. Mm. 131-132 features a percussion rhythm.
–2 –
w ww.d a v id imu s i c.com/bl og
T he Comp os e r—John Willia ms’ Snow B attl e
To summarize, I find these are the most interesting formal aspects:
1. Different ostinatos and melodies are syncopated at different levels.
a. Ostinato A is syncopated at the half-note level on beat 3. Also the
eight note level on beat 3½
b. Ostinato B is syncopated at the eight note level on beat 2½ and 4½.
c. The Second Theme is syncopated at the quarter note level and eight
note level on beat 2 and 3½.
2. Sections are organized by melody and ostinato, interrupted by other ostinato
sections. Other sections are only orchestral flourishes. (Mm. 121-138)
–3 –
w ww.d a v id imu s i c.com/bl og
T he Comp os e r—John Willia ms’ Snow B attl e
Bass and key progression
In John Williams’s battle music, the bass is structurally important. Why? The bass is
primarily static in each section. Certain bass notes are hammered in a single section,
and it can help identify a key, or which note is considered to be primary.
In the snow battle mm. 1-14, the bass ostinato goes between C# and G, the tritone,
which is an important interval in this piece and other cues of the Empire Strikes Back.
Mm. 18-22 the main theme begins, which appears to be in a b-natural minor, while C#
is being hammered in the bass.
This C# and G is a tritone and is ambiguous. It is the tones 2 and 6 (supertonic and
submediant) in b-minor, or 7 and 4 in d-minor, which makes the transition in measure
35 so natural.
At measure 36, there begins a bass note shift to D. This section is in D harmonic
minor.
I have outlined the key progression in this Gustin Graph here:
This graph is based on the circle of fifths. It does seem that most of the modulations
avoid progression by fifth
The basic main note progression is as follows: b-d-e-bflat-f-g-b. This progression
between keys is usually by a third or major second, with one tritone progression and
one progression by a fourth. The loose organization of keys fits the basic concept of the
piece.
Scales Used
Although John Williams uses the symmetric octatonic scale quite frequently, this does
not differ very much from the variation of the melodic minor scale that we see him use.
For example an octatonic scale closely related to d-minor is C#-D-E-F-G-Ab-Bb-B .
The “Williams Minor Scale” is C#-D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C, where only the Ab and B are
changed. Note that John Williams usually starts the scale on C# and ends it on C. He
tends to avoid using C-C#-D in succession, which would be awkward.
–4 –
w ww.d a v id imu s i c.com/bl og
T he Comp os e r—John Willia ms’ Snow B attl e
Chord analysis
See the graph on the next page.
–5 –
w ww.d a v id imu s i c.com/bl og
The Snow Battle Harmonies
Measure
Instrument
24
Ww.
26
Ww.
28
Ww.
26
Ww.
30
Ww.
35-39
Ww.
48
Ww.
48
Strings
49-53
5-21B
54-61
Brass
66
Ww. + brass
74
Low Brass
79-80
Brass
81
Brass
82, beat 1-2
brass
82, beat 1-3
Brass
83, beat 1-2
Brass
83, beat 1-3
Brass
84, beat 1-2
Brass
84, beat 1-3
Brass
91
Brass
91, b 2
Brass
98
Piano
98
Piano
99
Piano
100
Piano
101
Piano
101
Piano
103
Strings
104
Strings
105
Strings
106
Strings
107
Strings
108
Strings
109-110
Strings
111-112
Strings
113, b 3-114
Strings
114, b3.5
Strings
119-120
Brass-WW.
127-128
Brass
133-135
Tutti
136-138
Woodwind Tr.
136-138
Woodwind Tr.
144
ww. + Perc
Forte Name
5-32
5-32B
5-32
5-32B
5-32
5-32
5-32
4-13
5-21B
4-19
4-18B
4-12B
3-11B
4-19B
4-10
4-21
4-z29B
4-12B
4-z29B
4-12B
4-7
4-2B
5-30
3-5
6-z43B
4-18B
4-11B
4-z29
4-18B
5-29B
6-30B
6-13z
5-21
6-15
5-21
5-20B
6-z49
5-16B
5-22
3-11
4-17
6-20
5-22
5-32
Other name
Neapolitan Pentachord 1
Neapolitan Pentachord 2
Neapolitan Pentachord 1
Neapolitan Pentachord 2
Neapolitan Pentachord 1
Neapolitan Pentachord 1
Neapolitan Pentachord 1
Minor-second diminished tetrachord
Syrian Pentatonic/Major-augmented Ninth Chord,
Minor-augmented Tetrachord
Minor-diminished Tetrachord
Major-third Diminished Tetrachord
Major Chord
Augmented-major Tetrachord
Minor Tetramirror
Whole-tone Tetramirror
All-interval Tetrachord.4
Major-third Diminished Tetrachord
All-interval Tetrachord.4
Major-third Diminished Tetrachord
Arabian Tetramirror
Major-second Tetracluster.1
Enigmatic Pentachord.1
Rite chord.2, Tritone-fourth.1
012568
Minor-diminished Tetrachord
Major Tetrachord
All-interval Tetrachord.3
Minor-diminished Tetrachord
Kumoi Pentachord.1
Petrushka chord
Alternating Hexamirror/comb RI7)
Major-augmented Ninth Chord
comb I (b)
Major-augmented Ninth Chord
Hirajoshi Pentatonic
Prometheus Neapolitan mode (132312),
Major-minor-dim Pentachord.2
Persian Pentamirror
Minor Chord
Major-minor Tetramirror
Augmented scale
Persian Pentamirror
Neapolitan Pentachord 1
harmony analysis starts m. 17
Interval Content
113221
113221
113221
113221
113221
113221
113221
112011
202420
101310
102111
112101
001110
101310
122010
030201
111111
112101
111111
112101
201210
221100
121321
100011
322332
102111
121110
111111
102111
122131
224223
324222
202420
323421
202420
211231
224322
213211
202321
001110
102210
303630
202321
113221
Measure
1
23
40
48
54
62
67
76
79
85
98
103
113
121
129
131
133
136
139
145
M. End
22
39
47
53
61
66
75
78
84
97
102
112
120
128
130
132
135
138
144
148
Length
22
17
8
6
8
5
9
3
6
13
5
10
8
8
2
2
3
3
6
4
Luke's First Crash mm.21-end
21
30
31
34
35
37
38
44
45
50
51
57
58
58
59
63
64
72
73
90
91
91
92
93
94
99
100
109
110
112
113
123
124
125
126
129
130
132
133
150
Section
A
A1
B
C
D
C
B1
E
C
A2
F
G
H
I
J
J
J
J
A3
K
10
4
3
7
6
7
1
5
9
18
1
2
6
10
3
11
2
4
3
18
Primary Bass
C#/G
C#/G
D
E
E
B flat
F
N/A
G
G
N/A
G?
C#/G
D
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
C#/G
C#
Name
Intro, 1st occurrence of Snow Battle Main Theme (Ostinato A)
Snow Battle Main Theme
Snow Battle Second Theme
Interlude, Walker theme in the trombones and low brass
Subordinate Theme to Second Theme, based off of woodwind scales in mm.40-47
Interlude #2, based off the same material as interlude 1
Snow Battle Second Theme
Oompah interlude
Interlude #3
Interlude #3 + Snow Battle Main Theme
Dialogue interlude, syncopated melody
Syncopated Oboe Melody
Ostinato A, occurs (not very audible), with new melody in trumpets
Spinning around the walker
Upward brass scales
Percussion Interlude
Tutti Chords
Magic Chord
Recap Snow Battle Main Theme
Codetta w/rebel theme
At measure 84 there is an apbrupt modulation
1-22
F#/d#m
B/g#m
E/c#m
A/f#m
D/bm
G/em
C/am
F/dm
Bflat/gm
Eflat/cm
Aflat/fm
Dflat/bflatm
Gflat/eflat
35-47 48-61
=====
62-66
67-78
79-97
98-112
113-120
121-138
==
===
???
===
139-148
==
???
====
=
==
Gustin Graph
Not a precise graph, just outlining what I believe to be the main note in each section.
Using the circle of fifths, the key progressions don't make the most sense.