Star Wars: A New Hope Soundtrack - 10. The Battle Of Yavin

The Battle of Yavin consists of three sections. The first, Launch from the Fourth Moon, begins with soaring strings and leads into a militaristic procession of horns, strings, and percussion accompanying the Rebel X-wing and Y-wing snub fighters as they lift off from the base. The score's final statement of the Death Star motif is heard as the fighters pass through the battle station's magnetic field. A crescendo is reached, and X-Wings Draw Fire takes over with a trumpet fanfare of Ben's theme which leads into a rhythmic rendition of same. A short sequence with Vader features his theme. The trumpets return to dominate a section That Williams calls "a lot of difficult but very exciting battle music." Eventually, the music finds its way back to Ben's theme as the X-wings engage attacking TIE fighters. Another fanfare marks the beginning of Use the Force, the pace quickening as Luke leads an attack run down the trench towards the exhaust port target. The Imperial theme makes one final appearance in the score, but Williams refrains from using Luke's theme until he is alone in the trench with Vader on his tail. The tension mounts, when suddenly, a soaring version of Ben's theme appears out of nowhere (along with the old Jedi's voice). Heeding his mentor, Luke switches off his target computer as his own theme resumes. A timpani solo is followed by Luke's theme in a diminished key as the Fourth Moon of Yavin comes within firing range of the Death Star and Luke's time runs out. Rhythmic pulses enter as Han Solo knocks the TIE fighters out of the fight, sending Vader spinning out of control. Luke fires, meets his target, and flies clear. A crash of timpani marks the eruption of the Death Star in a huge fireball, and as the survivors fly towards Yavin, their victory is announced by a glorious flourish of strings and the Rebel Fanfare.