- 9 Talk
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Duel of the Fates
| |
| Duel of the Fates | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Composer | |
| Written | |
| Recorded |
1999[1] |
| Released |
|
| Represents | |
| Performed by | |
| Genre |
Film score[1] |
| Musical details | |
| Length |
4:14[1] |
| Key |
G major[4] |
| Tempo/Style |
Maestoso[4] |
| Time signature |
4/4[4] |
| Use | |
| Soundtracks | |
| Movies | |
| Samples | |
| Versions | |
- "The…piece…is a result of my thinking that something ritualistic and/or pagan and antique might be very effective. I just felt the way that George has staged that, on top of that great stairway, the way it's done is so dramatic and so like a great pagan altar, the whole thing seems like a dance or a ballet, a religious ceremony of some kind, probably ending in the death of one of the combatants…"
- ―John Williams
"Duel of the Fates" is a musical theme recurring in the prequel trilogy and the name for a scene in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It was composed by John Williams. It was also featured in Episode II, Episode III, and Star Wars: Clone Wars, though not in its full form.
This symphonic piece is played with both a full orchestra, as well as a choir that chants an archaic Welsh poem Cad Goddeu (Battle of the Trees) in Sanskrit. In English, the poem reads: "Under the tongue root a fight most dread, and another raging behind, in the head." Musically, it recalls one of the primary motifs heard in the opening of the third movement of Dvořák's "New World Symphony".
The music is played primarily during a lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul on Naboo. In addition to this scene, it was also played as Anakin Skywalker searched for his kidnapped mother on Tatooine. Variations on the main theme from "Duel of the Fates" are played in Revenge of the Sith during the battle sequence between Yoda and Darth Sidious. George Lucas believed the sense that everything is "in larger hands," as implied in "Duel of the Fates," plays very well into the third movie. Williams himself in an interview, however, said that it wasn't meant to have any particular deeper meaning and was simply meant to sound dramatic.
Contents |
Conception and development
Edit
John Williams wrote the score for the 1999 film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and the respective soundtrack,[9] as had been the case with the previous three Star Wars films from the original trilogy.[10][11][12] "Duel of the Fates" was written as the main theatrical motif for the film and was utilized in various forms throughout the scenes depicting the Second Battle of Theed, mainly used to represent the duel between Darth Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Qui-Gon Jinn.[6] The piece, along with the entire score, was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.[1] The original soundtrack was released by Sony Classical on May 4, 1999,[2] and the Ultimate Edition was released on November 14, 2000.[3]
SummaryEdit
The theme commences with the London Voices singing a chant in Sanskrit. The strings then enter with the violins playing a repeating phrase consisting of two eighth notes followed by two sixteenth notes and another eighth note. The low strings play sets of one, two, and five eighth notes with a measure of rest between each set's measure excluding the last, which has a pickup note, making the previous measure only seven eights rest. This continues for twenty measures with slight variations in the low string part. After the phrase has repeated for six measures, the theme's main melody comes in, played by the clarinets. This melody consists of two eighth notes followed by four quarter notes, two more eighth notes, and a final quarter note. It repeats four times, with the first two occurrences being identical and the last two varying. The end quarter note in the last repeat of the melody is tied to two whole notes and decrescendos as the strings continue to play their repeating phrases. After another three measures, the harp plays a rising phrase. In the next bar, the French horns play the melody, and the trombones echo it in the background. Then strings repeat their phrases for a few more bars, this time accompanied by the flutes, and then the London Voices return with their Sanksrit chant. Meanwhile, the trombones play the motif's main melody. This is followed by more repetition of the string phrases intermingled with accented notes and phrases from the tubas and trumpets. Then London Voices then return with the chant, and the horns and trumpets trade out on the primary melody. The trumpets then join the strings as they continue to repeat their phrases, crescendoing into a chorus chant of two eighth notes followed by a rest, which repeats eight times as the trumpets play between every other phrase.[1]
LyricsEdit
Sanskrit wordsEdit
Sanskrit Translation Khara Matha Khara Rath Amah Khara=dreadful Khara Rath Amah Yuddha Khara Matha=head Khara Syada Rath Amah Dai Ya Rath=speak Khara Ki La Dan Ya Amah=give Niha Ki La Khara Rath Amah Yuddha=battle Syada Ki La Khara Rath Amah Syada=raging Khara Dan Ya Khara Rath Amah Dai=purify Khara Dan Ya Khara Rath Amah Ya=going Niha Ki La Khara Rath Amah Ki=like Syada Ki La Khara Rath Amah La=taking Khara Dan=separate Khara Matha Khara Rath Amah Niha=loss Khara Dan Ya Khara Rath Amah Niha Ki La Khara Rath Amah Syada Ki La Khara Rath Amah Khara
PronunciationEdit
Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah Korah Rahtamah Yoodhah Korah Korah Syahdho Rahtahmah Daanyah Korah Keelah Daanyah Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah Korah Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah Korah
Original fragment of the Cad GoddeuEdit
A chat er dygnawt And a battle was contested Dan von y tauawt Under the root of the tongue A chat arall yssyd And another battle there is Yn y wegilyd In his head
UseEdit
In the soundtracksEdit
The theme makes its only pure occurrence in a Star Wars soundtrack in the second track titled "Duel of the Fates" on the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace soundtrack. This is the only use that is made of the theme in the original soundtrack; however, it is used several times throughout the Ultimate Edition soundtrack.[1] In the Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones soundtrack, the motif makes one appearance three minutes and thirty-five seconds into the tenth track titled "Return to Tatooine."[5]
In the moviesEdit
"Duel of the Fates" was first played in The Phantom Menace. The "Duel of the Fates" scene (named by the DVD version of the film) is the scene where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan duel Darth Maul in the Theed Generator Complex. It is played in instrumental form as Queen Amidala and her guards are ambushed by Droidekas in the Theed Hangar, and as Darth Maul and the Jedi activate their lightsabers. It is used again as the duel moves from the hangar to the generator complex. The cue comes to an end as the electric shields separate the three combatants for the first time.
"Duel of the Fates" is played when Anakin travels across the surface of Tatooine to search for his mother, Shmi Skywalker Lars and rescue her from her captors, the Tusken Raiders.
"Duel of the Fates" is played for the final time during the middle of Darth Vader's duel against Obi-Wan on Mustafar, as well as Yoda's fight with Darth Sidious in the Senate Chamber and concludes as Yoda falls from a very great height.
In the Expanded UniverseEdit
The theme makes an appearance in the main menu of the game Star Wars: Battle for Naboo and during the game's second bonus mission.[13] It also appears in the opening cinematic for Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles and during the game's tenth mission, The Final Battle.[14] The theme is played in Star Wars: Clone Wars Chapters 18[15] and 19 during the battle between Anakin and Asajj Ventress and concludes with Ventress's defeat.[16] It can also be heard during the climatic battle against Lord Vartonis in Trials of Obi-Wan, the third expansion of the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies.[17] The theme is utilized in the sixth level of "Episode I" titled "Darth Maul" in LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game[18], and in the fifth level of the same name in LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.[19]
According to the roleplaying game sourcebook Coruscant and the Core Worlds, curators of the Coruscant Ice Crypts claim to have heard faint hums of "korah matah" emanating from the halls of the underground tombs. This could indicate that the tune may be of Zhell origin in-universe.
In other merchandiseEdit
In popular cultureEdit
The composition has been featured in many fan films. It was also featured on an episode of The Simpsons in which Bart Simpson and Principal Skinner battled on top of a bus with sticks that had peanuts and shrimp attached to them. The theme also plays during Soulcalibur IV whenever Starkiller fights within either of the game's two Star Wars-themed stages, as well as during his extended ending.
AppearancesEdit
- Return
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Episode I Racer (Main Menu)
- Star Wars: Obi-Wan (Alternate version)
- Star Wars: Starfighter (alternate version)
- Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (Orchestra-only version)
- Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (Only in PSP version)
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: Clone Wars
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars film (Trailer)
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith video game
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game (Alternate version)
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II video game (Trailer)
Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace soundtrack
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Amazon.com: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: London Symphony Orchestra John Williams: MP3 Downloads. Amazon.com (2011). Retrieved on February 15, 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Amazon.com: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (The Ultimate Star Wars Recording)(1999 Film): John Williams: Audio CD. Amazon.com (2011). Retrieved on February 15, 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace music book
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones soundtrack
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
- ↑ Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- ↑ Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- ↑
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org) - ↑ Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- ↑ Star Wars: Battle for Naboo
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles
- ↑
Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 18" - ↑ Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 19"
- ↑ Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan
- ↑ LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
- ↑ LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
External linksEdit
- Duel of the Fates music video on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
Star Wars music on Wikipedia
- Official Star Wars music site
