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John Williams - Star Wars Trilogy (Box Set)
Music CD CoverArtist: John Williams Edition: Music CD Format: Box set, Soundtrack CD Release Date: 2004-09-21 Music Label: Sony Soundtracks: Music CD 1- 20th Century Fox Fanfare
- Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner
- Imperial Attack
- The Dune Sea of Tatooine/Jawa Sandcrawler
- The Moisture Farm
- The Hologram/Binary Sunset
- Landspeeder Searck/Attack of the Sand People
- Tales of a Jedi Knight/Learn About the Force
- Burning Homestead
- Mos Eisley Spaceport
- Cantina Band
- Cantina Band #2
- Binary Sunset [Alternate Take][*]
Music CD 2- Princess Leia's Theme
- The Millennium Falcon/Imperial Cruiser Pursuit
- Destruction of Alderaan
- The Death Star/The Stormtroopers
- Wookiee Prisoner/Detention Block Ambush
- Shootout in the Cell Bay/Dianoga
- The Trash Compactor
- The Tractor Beam/Chasm Crossfire
- Ben Kenobi's Death/Tie Fighter Attack
- The Batte of Yavin: Launch from the Fourth Moon/X-Wings Draw Fire/Use ...
- The Throne Roon/End Title
Music CD 3- 20th Century Fox Fanfare
- Main Title/The Ice Planet Hoth
- The Wampa's Lair/Vision of Obi-Wan/Snowspeeders Take Flight
- The Imperial Probe/Aboard the Executor
- The Battle of Hoth: Ion Cannon/Imperial Walkers/Beneath the ...
- The Asteroid Field
- Arrival on Dagobah
- Luke's Nocturnal Visitor
- Han Solo and the Princess
- Jedi Master Revealed/Mynock Cave
- The Training of a Jedi Knight/The Magic Tree
- Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: Main Title / The Ice Planet Hoth - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: The Wampa's Lair / Vision of Obi-Wan / Snowspeeders Take Flight - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: The Imperial Probe / Aboard The Executor - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: The Battle of Hoth (Ion Cannon / Imperial Walkers / Beneath the At-At / E - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: The Asteroid Field - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: Arrival on Dagobah - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: Luke's Nocturnal Visitor - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: Han Solo and the Princess - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: Jedi Master Revealed / Mynock Cave - John Williams
- Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, film score: The Training of a Jedi Knight / The Magic Tree - John Williams
Music CD 4- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)
- Yoda's Theme
- Attacking a Star Destroyer
- Yoda and the Force
- Imperial Starfleet Deployed/City in the Clouds
- Lando's Palace
- Betrayal at Bespin
- Deal With the Dark Lord
- Carbon Freeze/Darth Vader's Trap/Departure of Boba Fett
- The Clash of Lightsabers
- Rescue from Cloud City/Hyperspace
- The Rebel Fleet/End Title
Music CD 5- 20th Century Fox Fanfare
- Main Title: Approaching the Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous
- The Droids Are Captured
- Bounty for a Wookiee
- Han Solo Returns
- Luke Confronts Jabba/Den of the Rancor/Sarlocc Sentence
- The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault
- The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/Obi-Wan's Revelation
- Alliance Assembly
- Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor
- Speeder Bike Chase/Land of the Ewoks
- The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story
- Jabba's Baroque Recital
- Jedi Rocks
- Sail Barge Assault [Alternate Take][*]
Music CD 6- Parade of the Ewoks
- Luke and Leia
- Brother and Sister/Father and Son/Fleet Enters Hyperspace/Heroic Ewok
- Emperor's Throne Room
- The Battle of Endor: Into the Trap/Forest Ambush/Scout Walker Scramble
- The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle
- The Battle of Endor 2: Leia Is Wounded - The Duel Begins/Overtaking ...
- The Endor 3: Superstructure Chase/Darth Vader's Death/The Main Reactor
- Leia's News/Light of the Force
- Victory Celebration/End Title
- Ewok Feast/Part of the Tribe
- The Forest Battle (Concert Suite) [*]
Free Music Notes for Star Wars Trilogy (Box Set)Free Music Review: This is more of a description of the music than a review for this particular set, really . . . Hit: 5 Stars
A New Hope:
What to say about Star Wars? It's all too known to say very much. But let me just point out a few things, instead. The Main Title track, after the fanfare calms, is quoting 'Mars' from Holst's 'The Planets'. "The Dune Sea of Tatooine" is a tribute to Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring'. The bonus track contains several different takes on the Main Title if you sit around and wait--there is a LOT of silence 'til it starts, but it's fascinating to hear the subtle differences from take to take. With "May the Force Be With You" and "Princess Leia's Theme", we have the beginning of the lovely, melodic leitmotifs we have come to associate with Star Wars music.
The Empire Strikes Back:
Both the best movie and the best soundtrack of the original trilogy, in my opinion. Whether or not you agree about the movie, the music here really is the best, from a professional standpoint and not just an "it's pretty!' one. Three huge things happen in this movie, musically: "Han Solo and the Princess", the love theme which is based on "Princess Leia's Theme"; "Yoda's Theme"; and, last but certainly not least, "The Imperial March". I believe the two biggest, most recognisable themes of the saga are the Main Title theme and "The Imperial March", which was constructed from half-developed "evil" cues from 'A New Hope', and also Chopin's "March funèbre, Lento" from 'Piano Sonata No.2 in B flat minor' (trust me, you know it).
The Return of the Jedi:
The only new themes (there are plentiful delectable motifs) to come out of this movie are "Parade of the Ewoks", which nearly succeeds in making the Ewoks themselves cute, and the extremely luscious "Luke and Leia". "The Emperor's Theme", introduced in 'Empire Strikes Back', is emphasised, and voices lace over the epic duel between father and son (not nearly as stimulating as the music or the fight scenes of the prequel trilogy). It is true, there are some slightly embarrassing tracks ("Threepio's Bedtime Story", "Jedi Rocks"), but somehow all is set right by the power of "Victory Celebration" (which evokes much the same in its feeling of somewhat tragic triumph that "Now We Are Free" does in 'Gladiator'). It closes the saga perfectly (and we won't be mentioning the Yub Nub song, thank you very much).
I might also mention that Star Wars themes do wonders for hearing intervals. And that knowing the intervals make relationships between themes throughout the saga that much more interesting.
Star Wars Trilogy (Box Set) PosterGiven that it's largely credited with reinventing Hollywood--or at least fostering its overweening box office expectations--it's hard to imagine that the genesis of George Lucas' sprawling, multi-billion dollar Star Wars franchise was once considered a risky studio proposition at best. But Lucas himself has wisely singled out the robust, retro-romantic music of composer John Williams as the unlikely artistic linchpin that holds all of the saga's disparate dramatic, thematic and technical elements firmly together. Boxed together here then are three of the most successful and influential film scores of modern Hollywood, work that draws as much on Williams' masterful sense of classical music history as it does his own well-studied melodic and arranging instincts. Each of the three double-disc collections here contains all of the music written for Star Wars: A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (and even Alfred Newman's intyroductory "Fox Fanfare"), newly upgraded via Direct Stream Digital remastering that adds stunning new presence and clarity to Williams' rousing, epochal scores. Each chapter also features a lenticular 3-D cover and newly designed fold-out film poster, as well as encoded disc features allowing online access to elaborate new Star Wars screen savers; the ultimate musical compendium of the original Star Wars triptych. --Jerry McCulley
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