The excellent and incomparable movie score composer, John Williams, has been nominated for a few Grammys based on his work on the Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith movie score. (review) He was specifically nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for a track called "Anakin's Betrayal". For those who do not follow movie scores, this great piece of music is heard in Episode III when Emperor Palpatine issues "Order 66" and continues to play as the clones turn on the Jedi and Anakin slaughters the Jedi children.
John Williams has written most of the famous themes heard in movies for the past 30 years, including Jaws, Star Wars (I-VI), Indiana Jones, Superman, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter. It's just amazing what the man can do. With Episode III, he was able to convey the wide range of emotions through music so we as an audience could feel Anakin's fall.
John Williams' best work on Episode III was not released on the soundtrack
but should be included on the super-duper Special Edition we all know is
coming. It is a small :45 second piece where Williams brilliantly intertwines
three main themes that describe Anakin’s journey perfectly.
For those of you with the DVD, go to Padme's funeral scene. As the
camera pans to Padme's necklace (the one Anakin gave her as a boy) we hear the
Qui-Gon funeral music. This gives way to the Force theme. As Darth
Vader walks onto the bridge of the Star Destroyer, the Force Theme gives way again to
the Qui-Gon funeral theme, culminating with the Imperial March as Darth Vader
crosses his arms and takes his place at the Emperor’s side. While this particular arrangement of music
may have gone unnoticed by most movie-goers, more astute listeners (ok geeks!)
will immediately notice the significance.
The Force theme represents what he was, a Jedi, Qui-Gon’s funeral theme represents the death
of that Jedi, and the Imperial March
represents what he has become.
This is the genius of John Williams.