I’ve always had trouble understanding what people meant by “space opera” as a genre of science fiction. As a fan of actual opera, I couldn’t figure out what was being referred to. Operas can be grandiose productions (Turandot) or fun comedies (The Barber of Seville) or, more often than not tragic tales of loss (La Boheme, Tosca, etc.).
What does any of that have to do with something like Star Wars?
I was came across a few things recently that made me finally figure it out, or at least, figure out an explanation that makes sense to me, whether or not it’s the agreed upon explanation, if such a thing even exists.
What is opera, compared to musical theatre?
A while ago, I was reading a piece in the New York Times about the difference between musicals and opera. Most people don’t recognize the difference, or they think it’s something simple like, opera is in a foreign language, or opera is for rich people. They summed it up this way in the article:
To begin with, in no way do I see the matter as a lowbrow-highbrow debate. Opera is not by definition the more elevated form… Nor is the distinction dependent on musical complexity… Here’s the difference: Both genres seek to combine words and music in dynamic, felicitous and, to invoke that all-purpose term, artistic ways. But in opera, music is the driving force; in musical theater, words come first.
I find myself agreeing with this definition, even as I think the words, the story, in opera are just as important.
None shall sleep
I had a friend ask me once, as I was singing the aria Nessun dorma from Turandot at karaoke, if I knew what the words meant or if it was just the music that I appreciated. I had to say that it was both, but more than that, it’s all the story that came before that aria.
Taken out of context, Nessun dorma doesn’t seem like much. At its core, it’s a victory lap by the protagonist as he’s on the verge of winning what he wants, Turandot’s heart. Puccini’s music is stirring and the climax of the aria is satisfying by itself. But within the context of the larger story, it’s much more.
The country has been stuck in this cycle of death caused by Turandot’s challenge to her suitors. One by one, suitors come and fail to answer her three riddles only to be executed, and the people have become tired of it all. This is best expressed in the longing that Ping, Pang, and Pong have to be able to go to their respective homes in the countryside and get away from it all (in Ho una casa nell’Honan).
Now, having answered Turandot’s riddles, the prince posed one of his own: if she can find out his name before the next day, he’ll forfeit his life. She’s sent out a decree saying “none shall sleep” (nessun dorma) until his name is discovered.
So here he is, singing about how he’ll win when the sun rises, “at dawn, I will win” (All’alba, vincerò!). Of course, dawn doesn’t come right then and there, and some tragedy still awaits (this is opera after all).
As the Metropolitan Opera’s podcast Aria Code notes, it becomes an anthem of hope winning out. The night always yields to the dawn.
What does this have to do with Star Wars?
With all of that in the back of my mind, I was watching a video the other day that was referencing something that George Lucas once said about Star Wars and it all came together for me.
I went looking for a version of the quote I could reference and found a Slash Film article. It’s not exactly the same as the one in the video, but close enough.
The ‘Star Wars’ movies are, in essence, silent movies because they are stories that are told visually; and in silent movies the relationship between image and music is everything. A lot of the story and a lot of the emotion are told through the music. It is one of the most important elements of a film.
This makes sense. So much of Star Wars’ storytelling comes from the music, most of which was composed by John Williams. Williams even leans heavily on a concept made famous in opera by Richard Wagner, the leitmotif, the associating of a musical theme with a character or concept. He even skillfully associates the same song with different concepts just by varying the pace. If I were to play the first few notes of the Imperial March at a march pace, you’d probably think of a looming Star Destroyer or a parade of Stormtroopers. Play it slower and Darth Vader comes to mind.
The use of music in Star Wars to really drive the story is best seen in Duel of the Fates, from Episode 1. Say what you will about the movie, this memorable theme drives the climax of the story.
The fact that the song is the first in the series to have lyrics is interesting because while the meaning seems to be relevant to the story, it’s been translated into Sanskrit, a language almost no one would know1. Knowing the meaning of the lyrics adds to the story, but it’s not the most important part. The music drives the battles at the end of the movie. There’s very little dialog in this sequence, just the fight between Maul and the Jedi, and Amidala’s forces retaking of the palace.
The words don’t matter as much as the music, and what’s being shown. Space opera.
Footnotes
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The lyrics are apparently from a medieval Welsh poem translated into English, “Under the tongue root a fight most dread, and another raging behind in the head”. Williams took it and tried translating it into a variety of languages before settling on Sanskrit.
