Search - John Williams, London Symphony Orchestra :: Star Wars: A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)

John Williams' Star Wars Trilogy Scores Shine Bright

Alex Diaz-Granados | Miami, FL United States | 06/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For over 30 years, composer/conductor John Williams has been one of the most prolific and renowned film score creators in Hollywood. For many of his fans, the music he recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra for the Star Wars saga has been -- and will remain -- his masterpiece.Until the 1997 Special Edition soundtracks were released, this 1993 4-disc collection was the most complete version of the Original Soundtrack recordings. Earlier CD editions either went out of "print" or were simply awful (The Empire Strikes Back's first CD release was criminally lacking in tracks and organization; indeed, it was a "bargain basement" priced CD and was not as good as, say, the Varese Sarabande release of Charles Gerhardt's recording of the Empire score). It fell to producer Nick Redman (who has been working steadily on releasing good collections of Williams' film music) to compile this Soundtrack Anthology.Although much of the material had been released in other editions of the soundtracks, the Anthology set allows listeners to enjoy and appreciate the evolution of the music as the series moved from A New Hope to Return of the Jedi. Williams -- as the booklet of liner notes points out -- uses the Wagnerian technique of "leitmotivs" or themes...sometimes for characters such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, sometimes for places or things (the Death Star has a theme, as do the Ewoks on Endor and, most importantly, the Force). The themes themselves are often simple and very hummable, but it is their flexibility...no, malleability....that allows Williams to describe what's going on with music alone. The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from The Empire Strikes Back, for instance, can go from jeering and strident in one scene, brooding and atmospheric in another, and even gentle and melancholy when it is last heard in Return of the Jedi. The effect is, as John Williams clearly intended, a very operatic and vivid experience.Because most of the music in this set was adapted from the earlier recordings, some of the "cues" appear out of chronological order (in terms of where the music is heard on the actual films). And while many tracks have either been "filled out" with material not heard on the earlier releases or restored/reincorporated, this boxed set is still missing many other tracks that ARE on the Special Edition recordings. Williams fans who seek completeness will have to buy those recordings instead.Nevertheless, since the Return of the Jedi score was redone in two scenes, this boxed set is now the best source for the original Lapti Nek and Ewok Celebration tracks. Traditionalists who bemoan the Special Edition's revisions may still prefer The Star Wars Trilogy Soundtrack Anthology. In any case, this is a great buy no matter how one looks at it."

Not the whole galaxy, but not bad

Paul Bubny | Maplewood, NJ United States | 11/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Like another poster, I owned this boxed set before the release a few years ago of the "Special Edition" 2-CD packages representing each film in the original trilogy. This set is rendered almost, but not completely, obsolete by the later issues. Yes, the "Star Wars" (sorry, George--I refuse to call the first movie "Episode IV: A New Hope"), "Empire" and "Jedi" special-edition soundtracks are more complete than this (although even these aren't absolutely note-complete: If you've got sharp ears, when watching "Empire" or "Jedi" you'll hear a bit of music that didn't make it to CD, because alternate takes were used in the movies). But if you just want a generous helping of "Star Wars" tunes and aren't so concerned about having every last note, this set might be the better bargain. It's cheaper than buying three double-disc sets, and it's got maybe 70 percent of the music contained in the special-edition packages. And if it matters to you, it's got two songs ("Lapti Nek" and "Ewok Celebration") that don't appear on the "Jedi" 2-CD set, because they were replaced for the Special Edition reissue of "Jedi.""

John Williams is a genius....

Alex Diaz-Granados | 04/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big Star Wars fan, so naturally, when i saw this CD, i grabbed it. and it was incredible. John Williams is a genius. Some of the tracks were really amazing! My favorite is Princess Leia's Theme. In this track, Williams has truly captured the magic of Star Wars and the character of Princess Leia. When i hear this track, i can SEE it. Meaning, when i close my eyes, i can see the music. it's rolling and flowing and its just beautiful. of course, all the other tracks are great too, like the Main Title, Rescue of the Princess, etc. i really enjoyed listening to this music and i highly recommend it to everyone. its terrific!"