"The Arena," a theatrical theme of lesser importance, was created by John Williams. It was composed for the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, part of the prequel trilogy, and its associated score. The piece is used to musically depict the executions taking place in the Geonosis Petranaki Arena, and later, the Grand Army of the Republic. The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) performed "The Arena" in 2002, and it was included as part of the track called "Love Pledge and The Arena" on the Attack of the Clones soundtrack. This musical theme showcases different sections of the LSO and incorporates elements reminiscent of "Across the Stars" and "The Force Theme." You can hear this theme in the films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, as well as in the video game expansion pack Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns, the video games Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: Republic Commando, and the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided.
The musical piece is primarily polyphonic. It begins in the key of A minor before shifting to C major. It has a tempo of 88 bpm and is in duple meter, with a 4/4 time signature. The sheet music for this composition appeared in the Attack of the Clones music book. The soundtrack for Attack of the Clones was initially made available by Sony Classical on CD on April 23, 2002, and later as an MP3 download on May 24, 2005. On September 25, 2015, Sony Classical made the announcement that the Attack of the Clones soundtrack, along with the soundtracks from the other five Star Wars films, would be re-released in three distinct collections: Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection, Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Edition, and Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection, with a release date of January 8, 2016.
John Williams, the composer, was responsible for crafting the musical score for the 2002 prequel trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. This mirrored his involvement in the four preceding Star Wars movies. He enlisted the talents of the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices for the musical performances. However, only the orchestra was used for "The Arena," the musical motif designed to underscore the executions within the Petranaki Arena on Geonosis.
The Attack of the Clones soundtrack was initially distributed by Sony Classical on CD on April 23, 2002, followed by its release as an MP3 download on May 24, 2005. Later, on September 25, 2015, Sony Classical announced plans to reissue the Attack of the Clones soundtrack alongside the soundtracks of the other five films, packaged in three new sets: Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection, Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Edition, and Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection, all scheduled for release on January 8, 2016.
"The Arena" is mainly polyphonic, meaning that the various sections within the orchestra typically perform distinct parts, differing significantly in rhythm and pitch from those of other instruments and groups. The musical theme is in the key of A minor, features a tempo of 88 bpm, and employs a duple meter with a time signature of 4/4. Furthermore, the theme shares melodic similarities with the droid march from the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace soundtrack.
The composition commences with parts played by percussion, string, and woodwind instruments, frequently transitioning into the key of C major before eventually returning to the tonic key. Brass instruments are used sparingly throughout this initial segment. This section is actually homophonic.
Transitioning into a polyphonic texture, the theme incorporates a snare drum roll that leads to the primary melody, performed by the tuba and bass trombone. This melody is supported by a simple quarter note rhythm played by the snare drums and low strings. Subsequently, the remaining low brass and french horns join in, repeating the melody an octave higher. The trumpets enter near the end of the melody's second iteration. The melody is then reiterated by the french horns, while the trumpets play a countermelody that initially consists mostly of the note E. Following this, the theme evolves into a complex series of brass rhythms, spearheaded by the trumpets. This is succeeded by a brief phrase involving woodwinds, strings, and keyboard percussion, which then leads into a rapid string section that repeats four times before transitioning into another modified version of the main melody.
Following the altered melody, the composition proceeds with several measures featuring additional brass, again set against a quarter note rhythm by the percussion. It then progresses into a lively percussion segment, punctuated by accented bursts from the brass instruments. This leads into a fast-paced brass section, subtly accented in the background by brief string bursts. The theme then moves into a heavily accented phrase primarily played by brass instruments, followed by a descending phrase in the low brass. The main melody is played once more, alternating between the trumpets and the low brass. The low brass then plays two sets of two slurred notes, complemented by a three-note phrase from the trumpets that repeats twice.
The trumpets then play the main melody again. The low brass repeats the slurred note pairs, this time against a faster, more intricate trumpet part. The low brass then performs a complex rhythm, with trumpets and strings playing in short bursts. After this, the french horns play the main melody again, with brass, woodwinds, and strings contributing bursts in the background. The trumpets and percussion play in the spaces between the phrases of the melody. Next, the low brass plays another rhythm similar to the earlier one, with trumpets playing in the background.
The strings then transition into a brief section of "Across the Stars," which is the main love theme from Attack of the Clones. After a few measures of low brass and trumpets, the theme transitions into a timpani and string section, where the strings repeat a fast phrase repeatedly. The brass instruments play occasionally during this section. After the string/timpani part, the low brass plays an extremely low phrase. The next few measures feature the percussion, followed by the brass. Then the low brass and low strings play a bass melody, while the keyboard, percussion, and woodwinds play quick bursts. This is followed by another reference to "Across the Stars" by the strings, and then the french horns.
This leads into another fast string part, followed by a phrase split between the euphoniums and other low voices. The theme then references "The Force Theme," switching between low brass and trumpets. The strings follow, playing the previous upbeat part again. The trumpets come in for the last time, and the theme fades out with a low string part. By the end, the music has settled into the key of C major.
The theme can be heard starting at one minute and fifty-five seconds into the track "Love Pledge and The Arena" on the Attack of the Clones soundtrack. The majority of this track is comprised of this theme. Although the theme is present in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, it is not included on the film's soundtrack.
In Attack of the Clones, the theme is exclusively used during the planned executions of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala within the Petranaki Arena located on the planet Geonosis. However, in the film, most of the theme is omitted, except for the sections that score Poggle the Lesser's announcement of the executions' commencement up until Skywalker subdues the reek. It is also featured in one of the main menus of the DVD. The theme resurfaces in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith to introduce the planet Kashyyyk before the battle that takes place there, and again when Darth Vader attacks the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
The theme is incorporated into a medley of background tracks in the 2002 expansion pack, Clone Campaigns, for the video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. This medley is designed to represent the game's various factions, with "The Arena" specifically representing the Confederacy of Independent Systems faction. The piece also accompanies bounty hunter Jango Fett's pit arena fight on Outland Transit Station in Chapter 1 of the 2002 video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, as well as the pit arena fight at Gardulla the Hutt's palace in Chapter 4. The composition is also present in the 2003 massively multiplayer online roleplaying game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, and each of the game's expansion packs, since it was included in the game's initial release.
Additionally, it appears in the 2003 console game Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Its first appearance is during the LucasArts logo sequence prior to the main menu. The game further incorporates the theme in several missions, including "Mission 1: The Rescue Begins," when the player first encounters IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tanks, in "Mission 2: To the Arena" when the player and the other Jedi arrive at the landing pad, in "Mission 3: The Battle of Geonosis" as the player approaches a gunship on foot, in "Mission 4: The Evacuation of Rhen Var" during the cutscene depicting the player's arrival on Rhen Var, in "Mission 9: New Alliances" while on foot in the Separatist base, in "Mission 14: Assault on Thule" after the last power farm is destroyed, and during "Mission 15: Dark Side Rising" after the last hangar is destroyed. The theme is also featured in the "Academy" game mode on Geonosis.
The theme is heard at the end of Chapter 12 of Star Wars: Clone Wars (2004) when Mace Windu is surrounded by B2 super battle droids after losing his lightsaber during the Battle of Dantooine. Chapter 22 also includes the theme, using it during clips of Separatist victories across the galaxy. The composition is used in Chapter 23 as the Separatist Droid Army begins its attack on the planet Coruscant. It also appears in the 2005 Star Wars: Republic Commando video game as the player receives a briefing inside a Republic gunship during the Geonosis intro scene. It returns during "Save the Ship," part of the second campaign, and during "The Bridge at Kachirho" and "Search and Destroy" in the third campaign.
The sheet music for this theme is included in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones: Selections from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the sheet music book for Attack of the Clones, published by Bantha Music. The book was released for the following instruments and editions: trumpet, piano, easy piano, clarinet, tenor sax, and alto sax.
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones soundtrack
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones: Selections from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- Sony Classical to Release Ultimate Editions of Original Star Wars Soundtracks on StarWars.com (backup link)