Episode 1: Raiders of the Lost Ark - Part 1

Art of the Score

In Art of the Score, we dissect the greats of film music from top to bottom. For our first two episodes, we’re starting with John Williams’ 1981 score for Raiders of the Lost Ark, one of the most iconic collaborations between Williams and Spielberg. In episode one, we take a look at the themes of Raiders in detail – how they work, why they’re perfect for their characters, and the blueprint that they set up for the film. Episode Notes: - 3:05 Where Raiders of the Lost Ark sits in film history, why it was made, and how - 8:00 The visual look of Raiders - 10:00 John Williams’ musical style in context - 13:52 An introduction to leitmotif - 16:42 The Raiders March (Indiana’s Theme) - 27:40 Marion’s Theme (and what is Raiders about, anyway?) - 37:10 John Williams and the major sixth in romantic contexts - 45:20 The Ark Theme - 50:30 Comparison with the Grail Theme from The Last Crusade - 55:30 The Nazi theme and comparison with Imperial Music from Star Wars - 59:35 Comparison with the Nazi theme from The Last Crusade Join us for Episode Two as we go even deeper into the score, uncovering the hidden moments and orchestrational genius that makes Raiders a film score for the ages. We’d love to hear from our listeners – get in touch via Twitter, and if you like The Art of the Score, please take a moment to subscribe, rate and comment.