Star Wars Complete Score, Album Notes

A NEW HOPE FOR FILM MUSIC
Hearing the complete score for Star Wars in the sequence of the film adds a unique, organic dimension to the listening experience. Very few scores so vividly paint musical pictures of such accessibility and precision that one becomes aware of the narrative through the music alone. In any given moment there is no mistaking desert for detention block or spaceport for sand-crawler. The plight of Princess Leia, the coming-of-age odyssey of Luke Skywalker, and the final quest of Obi-Wan Kenobi all exist as much in the music as they do on the screen. John Williams weaves these various characters and storylines into a unified musical whole through his use of specific moods and distinct thematic material.

This Wagnerian technique is called "leitmotif" - the linking of melodic phrases with individual characters or story elements which can be repeated and re-orchestrated, played loud or soft, fast or slow, mournful or joyous, as required by the narrative. The practice was common to the biggest film composers of the 1930's - Max Steiner, Erich Korngold, Franz Waxman - and perpetuated in subsequent decades (and in a variety of ways) by their colleagues and successors - Alfred Newman, Bernard Herrmann, Miklos Rosza, and others.

By the time noted jazz musician Johnny Williams appeared on the feature film scene in the early 1960's, the full symphonic score was a rarity and the composer was usually called upon for light but sophisticated comedies. By the time he composed the score for The Reivers in 1969, "Johnny" had become "John" and a distinctive musical voice had emerged. After winning his first Academy Award for adapting the Bock/Harnick score for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), the Wagnerian technique became more pronounced in Williams' music for The Cowboys (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974). Its effectiveness gained a new level of awareness when his music for JAWS drove crowds out of the water and into cinemas in 1975.

This phenomenal success created a climate ripe for the return of the symphonic score and earned Williams a second Oscar on March 29, 1976. Four days earlier, Star Wars had begun principal photography in Tunisia, and its creator George Lucas was directing the film with the firm belief that only existing classical works could musically convey the scope of his ambitious epic. Even the "Flash Gordon" serials of the 1930's, one of his chief inspirations, uses Liszt's "Le Prelude" as its main title, and the monumental 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) quickly became linked with "Blue Danube" and "Thus Spoke Zarathustra."

But Jaws director Steven Spielberg knew better and brought his friends Lucas and Williams together. The composer accepted the task, eventually deviating from his usual practice in three ways - he read the script, he visited the set, and he listened to a temporary music track comprised of Holst, Dvorak, Walton, Miklos Rosza's score for Ben-Hur (1959), and others. The selections successfully conveyed the idiom of the music that Lucas wanted for his film, and Williams concurred that a 19th-century Romantic sound with liberal use of leitmotif would perfectly offset the otherworldly sights of a galaxy far, far away. But finding an appropriate musical style for the film did not necessarily mean that it would be accepted by audiences.

Science-fiction films were rarely successful at that time, and giving one a full symphonic background score added another risk to the venture. Lucas, fortunately, was not just making a movie, he was creating a universe, one made believable by the infusion of an appropriate but subtle degree of familiarity. What he achieved visually, Williams would do musically by tapping into the entire grand tradition of Hollywood film scoring, occasionally recalling known classical and cinematic moods, and successfully grounding the film's fantastic settings. While some critics dismissed the work as purely derivative, it actually illustrates that Williams is always as aware of the needs of the audience as he is the needs of the film.

The eight scoring sessions began at the Anvil Studios on Saturday, March 5, 1977, and were produced by George Lucas himself. Also on hand was Lionel Newman, then head of the 20th Century Fox music department, working with recording engineer Eric Tomlinson to balance the London Symphony Orchestra's eighty-six musicians and the arrangements of Herbert Spencer. The placement of microphones was based on that employed by Lionel Newman's brother Alfred Newman, the renowned head of Fox music from 1939-1960 and the composer of nearly two hundred scores. Recording was completed on Wednesday, March 16th.

After Kenneth Wannberg selected and edited all the best takes, the score was conformed to the film by sound mixers at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood. Star Wars premiered on Wednesday, May 25, 1977, and in less than six months it broke the box-office records set by Jaws. Once again, the music played a strong role in the global phenomenon. By late summer, a disco version became America's number one song, and in November, Zubin Mehta conducted an entire concert of Star Wars music at the Hollywood Bowl. Williams received three Grammys in February 1978 and a third Academy Award on April 3rd. With sales of the album eventually reaching four million copies and countless re-recordings emerging, Star Wars was clearly the beginning of a film music renaissance.

THE SPECIAL EDITION

1997 is the 20th Anniversary of STAR WARS, marked by a major theatrical release of the film as a "Special Edition" along with Special Editions of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Never-before-seen and newly-created footage has been incorporated, and both picture and sound have been fully restored and enhanced. While fans of George Lucas' epic space saga wait eagerly for the unveiling of the next chapter, audiences will have the opportunity to experience the original classic trilogy with the same anticipation and excitement of twenty years ago. Star Wars remains one of the best-selling orchestral soundtracks of ail time as evidenced by the many re-recordings released over the past two decades.

For the original 1977 soundtrack album, John Williams selected seventy-four minutes of music out of the eighty-eight minute score. To provide musical variety, the overall sequencing did not follow that of the film and many tracks used segues to combine cues from unrelated scenes. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most thoughtfully-produced score albums ever released, limited only by a master tape created with 1970's technology and geared for home audio systems of the time, As part of the debut of the "Special Edition," the Academy Award winning score for Star Wars is now presented complete and uncut. For the first time, all music follows the chronology of the film, including previously unreleased material and a recently located alternate cue.
This sequencing has necessitated the creation of new track titles which have been designed to accurately reflect on- screen story action as well as provide terminology specific to the Star Wars universe. The score has been digitally remastered from newly-discovered multi-track source elements, bringing unprecedented clarity and fidelity to the listening experience. It is hoped that this enduring John Williams score becomes an enjoyable part of every listener’s discovery (or re-discovery) of Star Wars.

CD 1
The soundtrack opens with Alfred Newman's Twentieth Century-Fox Fanfare, a hallmark of the musical tradition which Star Wars resurrected and as representative of a sonic era as the Star Wars music would later become. Newman's shorter, monaural fanfare had made its debut in the mid-1930's, but to distinguish those pictures released in Fox's revolutionary CinemaScope process, Newman recorded this extended stereophonic version in 1954 fat which time Williams was a pianist in the Fox orchestra). By the late 1960's, however, other wide-screen formats had superseded CinemaScope, and the fanfare was not used consistently. It was George Lucas' inspired creative stroke to reintroduce it when Fox released Star Wars in 1977. Within a few years, the fanfare was in general use again, and to the Star Wars generation, the fanfare became so identified with the films that a truly complete presentation of music from the soundtrack would be amiss to eliminate it.
Fortunately, like the fanfare, the Star Wars Main Title by John Williams is written in the key of B flat major, making the fanfare almost a short prelude to the score. The startling contrast of the original Newman recording of the fanfare with the first crash of the Star Wars "Main Title" has been recreated here-a moment in which composer John Williams heralded a new era of film music and of cinema sound itself. The first melody in the Star Wars score is the theme associated with Luke Skywalker. "When I thought of a theme for Luke and his adventures," Williams says, "I composed a melody that reflected the brassy, bold, masculine, and noble qualities I saw in the character. When the theme is played softly, I tended towards a softer brass sound. But I used fanfarish horns for the more heraldic passages. This theme, in particular, brings out the full glow of the glorious brass section of the London Symphony Orchestra."

This now-classic Star Wars theme perfectly conveys the heroism at the heart of the saga with the economy of its opening fifth (reaching upward), descending triplet (gathering strength for another try), and triumphant lift to an octave above the opening note (attainment of the goal). The note is savored and then the last four notes are repeated (reassurance of achievement). The phrase then rounds out simply and effectively (the task completed). As the film's prologue crawl disappears into infinity, musical "twinkling stars" lead into Rebel Blockade Runner as the indelible first image of the picture appears-Princess Leia's ship being overtaken by a gigantic Imperial Cruiser. Here Williams introduces the first strains of the Rebel Fanfare, a three-phrase motif which leads to punctuated dissonant chords for brass and percussion. The cue ends with a trumpet ensemble of the Rebel Fanfare.

The motif is picked up again in militaristic style at the beginning of Imperial Attack, played alternately by French horns and strings over a rhythmic bass pulse. This is the first instance in the score where a melody is passed from section to section of the orchestra, a technique that occurs several times throughout the work with every major theme. The frenzied music for the shootout is actually an undeveloped version of the Imperial theme, and is followed by the return of the Rebel Fanfare, which builds to foreboding brass at the entrance of Darth Vader. in the scene where stolen Imperial technical data is stored into the memory banks of astro-droid R2-D2, themes for Ben Kenobi and Princess Leia Organa are introduced in succession, "I think of Ben Kenobi's theme as reflecting both him and also the Jedi Knights and the Old Republic that he remembers," comments Williams. "It also serves to represent the Force, the spiritual-philosophical belief of the Jedi Knights, and the Old Republic.
Like the Princess' theme, it has a fairy tale aspect rather than a futuristic aspect. There is a lot of English horn in Ben's theme which is often heard under dialogue. At other times, the melody becomes the heroic march of the Jedi Knights." Princess Leia's theme is briefly restated her capture, and the Darth Vader (Imperial) theme is introduced fully when R2-D2 leads his interpreter counterpart C-3PO into an emergency escape pod. "Long ago, Darth Vader betrayed Ben Kenobi and the Jedi Knights," John Williams explains. "Now Vader represents the bad side of the Force. For his theme I use a lot of bassoons and muted trombones and other sorts of low sounds." After the launch of the escape pod, scored with a grand passage for strings and brass, the Princess is taken to Darth Vader, allowing nearly every section of the orchestra to play his theme in turn. The piece concludes with the introduction of the four-chord Death Star motif as the Imperial Star Destroyer pulls out of orbit over Tatooine.

This indicates the warship's destination and musically identifies the major threat of the film. However, since the Death Star has not yet become a visual reality, the first statement of the motif fades away on an unresolved chord, setting the tone for the ensuing desert-based action. For Dune Sea of Tatooine, Williams employs organic tonalities of woodwinds, brass, and strings to create an eerie, desolate mood as C-3PO wanders across the vast desert.
R2-D2's adventure is conveyed in Jawa Sandcrawler, a piece which works as pure music as well as with the film. The Jawa theme is mostly associated with the oboe and English horn. Titled "The Little People" on the conductor's score, the light instrumentation conveys the childlike mischievousness of the diminutive scavengers. Towards the end of the piece Williams depicts the lost and obsolete remnants of a technocratic culture through use of muted trumpet, bassoon, and dissonant chords of bending strings. The cue reaches a crescendo of brass and resolves with a statement of the Imperial theme with French horn and timpani as a task force begins searching for the refugee robots.

The Jawa theme returns in The Moisture Farm, which underscores the sandcrawler's arrival at the home of Owen and Beru Lars. Strings climb to the introduction of Luke Skywalker, whose theme is stated by French horn and repeated by winds and strings. A short coda for winds, brass, and plucked strings accompanies the movement of the droids into the homestead garage, a cue unavailable prior to this edition.

The Hologram of Princess Leia appears while Luke is inspecting the droids. Flutes dance beneath sustained strings, leading to a presentation of Leia's theme, passed almost undetectably from oboe to flute to horn and then back to oboe.

The subsequent cue, Binary Sunset, begins with flutes playing Luke's theme, with clarinet interjecting with a key change. Ben's theme is used to accompany Luke as he gazes longingly at the desert planet's twin sunset, beginning with French horn and soaring magnificently into full orchestra. Williams originally scored the scene with a darker, mysterious cue that did not utilize thematic material (see track 13). It was revised when George Lucas suggested that Ben's theme would more effectively convey Luke's dreams of leaving Tatooine. Three themes then round out the track: flutes briefly state the Rebel Fanfare, Luke's theme returns with solo clarinet, and a flute/horn combination plays Ben's theme, punctuated by celeste and chimes.

Landspeeder Search begins with a bouncing horn associated with Luke's vehicle, over which flutes play the main theme. This leads to the first appearance of the Tusken Raiders, which Williams depicts with unusual percussion including tuned logs, slap sticks, and steel plates to create an appropriately savage sound.

Attack of the Sand People begins with a section of previously unreleased music as R2-D2 detects approaching danger. The percussion is featured as Luke is assaulted. A blare of horns and flourish of strings marks the appearance of Ben Kenobi, followed by a series of flute and horn phrases which end in a glissando. A dignified version of Ben's theme is then played by a bassoon/horn combination.

Tales of a Jedi Knight starts with strings and celeste and then gives a more developed statement of Ben's theme by English horn and cello. Muted horn, accompanied by piano and bongo, are heard as the threat of returning Sand People occurs, followed by bittersweet music for the scene in which C-3PO is found. The music continues in Ben Kenobi's desert dwelling, a previously unavailable section of the score. A solo clarinet states Darth Vader's theme as Ben tells Luke about his fallen pupil. Dialogue describing the defeat of the Jedi Knights is beautifully highlighted by descending flutes. This leads to the optimism of Ben's theme, with French horn against a background of harp, now linked to the Force for the first time as Kenobi describes the energy field to Luke.

Learn About the Force features more previously unreleased music, with the return of Princess Leia's theme as her holographic message is played in its entirety. The melody is played by oboe and then joined by flute, fading away on a cloud of strings and harp. Cellos convey Luke's reluctance to join Ben's mission to Alderaan, with a clarinet-bassoon combination stating Ben's theme as the veteran Jedi resolves to undertake the journey alone. Then comes the sudden appearance of the now fully-developed Death Star motif, heard as the Star Destroyer approaches the monstrous Imperial battle station.
Burning Homestead begins with a sad solo trumpet and strings as Ben and Luke find the slain bodies of the Jawas who sold C-3PO and R2-D2. The tempo quickens as Luke realizes that his family is in jeopardy and bolts to his landspeeder. Ben's theme is played by the trombones as Luke returns home, with strings and French horn climbing to the discovery of the remains of his aunt and uncle. The theme is played again by cello, with horns leading once again to the Death Star motif. In the battle station's detention block, Darth Vader approaches Senator Organs's cell, with both characters' themes occurring in succession. A section of threatening winds and piercing strings underscores the arrival of the torture robot, with pounding timpani leaving the Princess to an undisclosed ordeal.

The music continues immediately with Mos Eisley Spaceport as Luke returns. The mournful wanderings of a clarinet/English horn duet leads to a dramatic French horn statement of Ben's theme as Luke vows to learn the ways of the Force. The bouncing horn of the landspeeder returns as their journey continues, culminating in a brass fanfare at the appearance of the spaceport. Percussion and piano join the bouncing horn of the landspeeder, leading to a quiet statement of the Imperial theme, which underscores the group's tense exchange with stormtroopers. Flutes play Ben's theme as the landspeeder cruises through the town.

Cantina Band and Cantina Band #2 are the two source music cues for the saloon sequence where Luke and Ben meet Han Solo and Chewbacca amidst an array of slimy alien characters of unimagined diversity. The concept for the jitterbug-style music was prompted by George Lucas, who asked, "Can you imagine several creatures in a future century finding some 1930's Benny Goodman swing band music in a time capsule or under a rock someplace - and how they might attempt to interpret it?" For the realization of Lucas' concept, Williams brought in nine jazz musicians and wrote the two pieces for solo trumpet, saxophone, clarinet. Fender Rhodes piano, steel drum, synthesizer and various percussion. The cues were equalized during recording to give them a slightly unnatural, otherworldly quality. Disc One concludes with a fascinating alternate version of Binary Sunset. This vastly different rendition, rescored at Lucas' suggestion (see track [6]), was recently located in the Lucasfilm archives and is a treasure for Star Wars and film score enthusiasts.

NOTE: (CD1 - TRACK 13, 05:00) As a special bonus, all five recorded takes of the Main Title are presented at the end of track 13 on Compact Disc One. At the conclusion of "Binary Sunset (alternate)," two minutes and forty-five seconds of silence precedes the continuous presentation of takes 16 through 20, complete with slate numbers and incidental noise. Take 76 has particular historical value, as it is the world's first recording of the Star Wars theme. In it the wind section provides prominent flourish, which was then toned down in take 17 after Williams and Lucas evaluated the playback. The addition of brass to the second half of the cue distinguishes takes 18, 19, and 20, portions of which were utilized to create the edited Main Title as heard on track 2 and in the film.

CD 2
John Williams' concert suite of Princess Leia's Theme begins the second disc with musical formality. This is a beautifully constructed work in which the graceful purity of the theme emerges in all its fullness as it is played in turn by horn, flute, and violins, with wind interludes before and after each verse. The final crescendo and solo violin finale perfectly express Leia's inner strength and yearning for the innocence of a time long past. Returning to the action at Mos Eisley, Luke and Ben enter the spaceport to begin the journey to Alderaan.

The winds are featured prominently in The Millennium Falcon, including bass clarinet and contra-bassoon, with Luke's theme appearing twice throughout the cue and an ominous progression of trombone chords accompanying views of an alien Imperial spy. For the Special Edition, this cue is divided by the addition of Han Solo's encounter with Jabba the Hutt.

Imperial Cruiser Pursuit begins with Vader's theme as stormtroopers assault Han Solo's ship at Docking Bay 94. The escape from Tatooine focuses visually on Solo's heroic flying skills, but the music is based on Ben's theme to mark the Jedi's return after many years of isolation. The theme is played first by horns and then by strings and trumpet over ascending brass progressions. Arpeggios emerge as the Falcon is pursued by Star Destroyers, followed by brass and string rhythms as Han prepares to escape into hyperspace. The dramatic jump to lightspeed culminates with a cut to the Death Star and a full statement of the accompanying motif.

In Destruction of Alderaan, Williams refrains from any recurring themes, but instead delivers a brilliant ninety-second musical capsule embodying the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. At first, winds take on a threatening quality, then the brass and strings do the same as Princess Leia is pressured into divulging the location of the secret Rebel base. Finally all sections join in for a rhythmic expression of out-of-control technology, building to a crescendo as the Death Star wipes Alderaan out of existence with one blast of its prime weapon. The action for the second half of the film deals entirely with the infiltration of this ultimate weapon.
It begins with The Death Star, which on Williams' score is humorously entitled "Is It a Bird?" The cue underscores the sequence where the Millennium Falcon is helplessly drawn into the battle station, a destiny-defining moment that brings all of the characters together. The opening progression of dissonant brass chords evokes the same technological relentlessness of "Destruction of Alderaan." Strings then double the brass in a more tonal section and lead to a majestic trumpeting of the Rebel Fanfare. Its use here is noteworthy, since the obvious approach would have been to apply the Imperial theme and the Death Star motif. The Fanfare instead keeps focus on the resourcefulness of the heroes and helps avoid unnecessary grimness.

The action continues with The Stormtroopers, a previously unavailable section which begins with three bass notes as the group emerges from hidden smuggling compartments, Ben's theme follows, played by English horn and bassoon, and then the Imperial theme returns with flutes and muted trumpets as a scanning crew approaches the docked freighter. A percussive thump marks the overpowering of two Stormtroopers, and the Imperial theme is played once again as duty officers in a nearby control room investigate. They too are overpowered, and the group, with Han and Luke disguised as the Stormtroopers, takes over the control room with an explosion of brass and a brief statement of Luke's theme.
Wookiee Prisoner begins with a playful arrangement of winds and plucked strings as Chewbacca, posing as a captive, frightens away a small Imperial droid. Percussion then enters, punctuated by piano chords as Luke, Han and Chewie move through the corridors of the Death Star. Elsewhere, Ben is en route to the nearest tractor beam control panel, but Darth Vader senses his presence, a moment underscored by a wailing bassoon and bass clarinet. Luke's theme appears briefly just before the party enters the detention block.
The orchestra then builds, and Detention Block Ambush begins with sharp trumpets and action music as the duty officers are caught by surprise. An heroic rendition of Luke's theme accompanies the shootout, quieting to bass, cello, and timpani as Han stalls off an inquisitive officer on a comlink. Williams then scores Luke's rescue of the Princess with a succession of the Rebel Fanfare, Leia's theme, and Luke's theme, passed from French horn to trumpet.

Action music returns in Shootout in the Cell Bay, notable for the passing of themes and phrases from one group of instruments to another in a way that suggests competing rivals. This is particularly evident in the passing of the Rebel Fanfare from oboe/trumpet to French horn and in the two-note phrases that lead to the faster action music of the shootout itself. At cue's end, the Imperial theme is passed from French horn to trumpet, and then descending orchestral chords accompany the escape of the Rebels into a refuse duct.
Dianoga was written for the scene where Luke is nearly killed by a beast inhabiting the garbage room, but it was decided that the sequence played better with no scoring. (For the Special Edition, however, a portion of this cue underscores the establishing shots of Mos Eisley spaceport). In it, different brass combinations play climbing figures that are developed more fully in The Trash Compactor, the beginning of which was also cut from the film up to the chord that precedes the statement of the Imperial theme. This sequence visually symbolizes the Empire's determination to crush the Rebellion, and the music once again depicts technology gone awry. Like "Destruction of Alderaan," no thematic material is utilized, only a dark, relentless rhythm that complements both the visual and sonic aspects of the scene, building to a climax as the droids save the foursome at the last moment.
By contrast, The Tractor Beam is a subtle, moody piece, crudely but accurately labeled "Ben Creeps Around" on the conductor's score. It consists primarily of strings and percussion (including tam-tam, marimba, military snare, and the highest B natural on the piano) as the veteran Knight disables the magnetic beam that holds the Millennium Falcon in the landing bay. French horn and winds are used during a comical scene with Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie exiting the compactor, and later, brass makes a hopeful statement of Luke's theme as they all get a welcome glimpse of Han's Corellian starship.

Nervous violins lead to their discovery by stormtroopers and Chasm Crossfire, which features string pulses punctuated by the Imperial theme and timpani as a foot chase begins. The middle portion of the cue finds Luke and Leia cornered at the central core shaft. The ensuing shootout is scored by a rousing version of Luke's theme and features orchestral echoes that fit the setting perfectly. As indicated by the score sheet title, "The Swashbucklers," Williams' approach in this cue was to pay homage to adventure films of the late 1930's by infusing it with an upbeat, busy quality rather than a dark, threatening tone.
As Luke secures a line on some overhead machinery, Leia's theme is heard, and a trumpet fanfare accompanies their successful swing-across. Then it's back to the pulsing rhythm as Han and Chewbacca are chased by stormtroopers. The Imperial theme threatens, but the smuggler and the Wookiee outsmart their pursuers. Timpani is featured as Ben encounters his former pupil Darth Vader in a corridor near the docking bay, lightsaber activated and ready.

Ben Kenobi's Death starts with the Force theme as the Jedi looks to Luke, then smiles knowingly at Vader before saluting his nemesis, forfeiting the duel. Interestingly, Williams uses Princess Leia's theme at the moment Ben vanishes, deferring to the purely musical effectiveness of the sweeping melody over any apparent thematic relevance, although the theme does reinforce the connection between the Princess and the old Jedi suggested by her holographic message. A triumphant statement of the Rebel Fanfare occurs as the Falcon successfully escapes the Death Star, bookending its earlier use. This is followed by a sentimental rendition of Ben's theme, passed first from oboe to flute and then (after a clarinet climbs up and down the scale to initiate a key change) from French horn and back to oboe. A rhythmic phrase builds as Han, Luke, Chewie, and Leia prepare to engage attacking sentry fighters.

The music for the TIE Fighter Attack is based on the Rebel Fanfare, with descending five-note phrases occurring throughout. This is film scoring at its most triumphant - a cue unlike any other ever written fora movie, and so kinesthetically connected to the imagery that it is impossible to believe either existed before the other. A crescendo is reached with the Death Star motif, which brilliantly carries the drama into its final act by musically reminding the audience that the real battle is still to come.

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.

The Throne Room begins with a brass fanfare which leads into a formal processional version of Ben's theme as the award ceremony begins. The opening fanfare then returns, leading to strings introducing a new melody which, as the composer points out, "has a kind of 'land of hope and glory' feeling in it, almost like Coronation music." Horns then enter with Luke's theme, followed again by the new melody as a resolution is reached.

The End Title begins with a restating of Luke's theme and the Rebel Fanfare. Luke's theme then plays all the way through, followed by a gentle rendition of Princess Leia's theme by cello, with flute and i piccolo playing the Rebel Fanfare overhead. The music swells back to a final statement of Luke's theme, with violins leading the orchestra up two and a half octaves and back again for a grand trumpet rendition of the Rebel Fanfare. The motif is then played by the string section alone, and the throne room fanfare is recalled once more, bringing the story as told through the music to a perfect consummation.

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The Empire Strikes Back

Composing the musical score for an outer space epic would seem a daunting task, but in the case of The Empire Strikes Back, the grand scale of the film was only one of John Williams' challenges. The music for Star Wars had ushered in a renaissance of film scoring, earning Williams his third Academy Award. The record album had become the biggest-selling orchestral soundtrack in history, its success part and parcel of the global phenomenon that had turned Star Wars into the most popular movie in history. For the sequel, Williams had to avoid retreading territory he'd already covered but not stray too far from what had been established and accepted. In his composition, Williams continued to employ the Wagnerian technique of "leitmotif"-the application of distinct thematic material associated with specific characters and storylines.

A library of themes had already been developed for the first film-the main Star Wars theme, the Rebel Fanfare, Princess Leia's theme, and the theme associated with Ben Kenobi and The Force.

"With that as a basis," the composer explains, "I wanted to try to develop material that would wed with the original and sound like part of an organic whole. So, in the creation of new themes and the handling of the original material, the task, both in concept and instrumentation, was one of extending something that I had written three years before. I had to look back while at the same time begin again and extend." Williams' musical extensions to the evolving Star Wars universe consisted of three major new themes and several recurring motifs, all written, like their predecessors, in the 19th-century Romantic idiom.

The most distinct is the Imperial March, a dark, but fun musical depiction of the might of the Empire which serves as a malevolent "Hail to the Chief" for its principal figure, Darth Vader. This is balanced by the benign Yoda's Theme, representing the wisdom of the Jedi Master. These two themes were first unveiled on April 29, 1980, three weeks before the opening of the film, on the occasion of John Williams' first official concert as the new conductor-in-residence of the Boston Pops Orchestra. The third major addition is a love theme associated with Han Solo and Princess Leia, a sweeping melody used throughout the score in a variety of arrangements. Added to this are motifs for the droids, the bounty hunter Boba Fett, and a march for Cloud City and its administrator, Lando Calrissian.
Although several elements distinguish the music for The Empire Strikes Back from its earlier sibling-most notably the use of synthesizer and dissonant orchestration-the superb performance of the London Symphony Orchestra remains a constant. Of the 129 musicians contributing to Empire, 72 had also played in the sessions for Star Wars. Between the two projects, Williams had also used the LSO for The Fury, Superman, and Dracula (while Jaws 2 and 1941 were recorded at 20th Century Fox in Hollywood).

Recording on Empire began right after Christmas of 1979, with sessions being divided between Anvil Studios, where the first score had been recorded, and EMI Studios at Abbey Road, "We did 18 sessions of three hours each spread over a period of two weeks," Williams discloses. "That's quite a bit of time, but we had two hours of music for the film. In a normal symphonic setting you wouldn't need 18 sessions, but in recording for film you have problems of synchronization that slow down the process, especially in a score for a film so complex as The Empire Strikes Back." As with Star Wars, Williams was supported by the team of recording engineer Eric Tomlinson, orchestrator Herbert Spencer, music editor Kenneth Wannberg, and supervisor Lionel Newman, the head of the 20th Century Fox music department.

The Empire Strikes Back was released on Wednesday, May 21, 1980 and, like its predecessor, surpassed the box-office gross of Jaws to find its place. Just below Star Wars on the list of all-time popular films. The soundtrack album sold one million copies by the end of August, and the score garnered another Oscar nomination for Williams, who only a year later would be back with the LSO to record the score to Raiders of the Lost Ark while waiting, along with the rest of the world, for the saga to continue. In the meantime, Star Wars and film score enthusiasts were treated to one of John Williams' most diverse and ambitious works for the cinema.

THE SPECIAL EDITION
1997 is the 20th Anniversary of the original Star Wars, marked by the major theatrical release of "Special Edition" versions of the film and its two sequels. Never-before-seen and newly-created footage has been incorporated into all three films, with both picture and sound fully restored and enhanced. Part of this restoration includes new presentations of the John Williams scores on compact disc. The music from The Empire Strikes Back was first released as a 75-minute double LP set on Friday, May 16, 1980, five days before the premiere of the film. Within five years, however, the demise of the vinyl format brought about the reconfiguration of the Empire soundtrack as a bargain item.

The first compact disc release, the only one available for many years, reflected this alteration and ran only half the length of the original 2 LP set, an issue further complicated by the existence of re-recordings containing material not available elsewhere. Although the content of the double album was restored for an anthology boxed set in 1993, much of the music has remained unreleased until the 1997 Special Edition made it possible to present the complete score on a 2 CD set for the first time. All the music has been re-mastered for unprecedented clarity, and many of the track titles have been changed from previous releases in order to reflect the chronological story action. It is hoped that the resulting listening experience makes a far away galaxy sound a little closer.

CD 1
The 20th Century Fox Fanfare was composed and originally recorded by Alfred Newman in 1933, when Twentieth Century Films first merged with Fox Movietone. In 1939, Newman became head of the studio's music department, and in 1954 he prepared an extended version of the fanfare for use on Fox's CinemaScope stereophonic presentations. The fanfare was eliminated from the studio's 70mm TODD-AO productions in the 1960's, and by the 1970's both long and short versions were used arbitrarily and inconsistently. Star Wars reintroduced Newman's original version to the cinema-going masses, and for the sequel Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra made a new recording of Newman's extended fanfare for the first time in a quarter century. This recording, presented here, is followed as in the film by the Main Title, the classic Star Wars march performed here with slightly modified orchestrations from those for the first film.

The "Main Title" leads into The Ice Planet Hoth, the beginning of which was eventually rescored with "The Imperial Probe" (see track 4). Both versions start with dancing flutes and a rising horn phrase over which Darth Vader's theme is introduced by a solo piccolo. This original version continues with the entrance of trumpets, leading the orchestra to a great crescendo of Vader's theme and beginning an extended sequence of more than sixteen minutes of continuous music. Nine minutes of this music was either dropped, rescored, or replaced by other cues. A grandiose passage leads to a rhythmic section featuring the tuba, followed by a sudden quietness as Luke's tauntaun is seen striding across the glacier. Strains of the main Star Wars theme are played by a solo trumpet as Luke appears, and then, as he converses via comlink with Han Solo, the French horns introduce the new theme for Han and his growing relationship with Princess Leia. Bombastic percussion and trumpets intervene when Luke is suddenly attacked by a wampa ice creature. This is followed by unused militaristic music for Han Solo's arrival at the Rebel base. The main theme is heard subtly in the violin section, and then prominently by trumpets as Han checks in with his first mate, the Wookiee Chewbacca. Flutes and trombones recall Princess Leia's theme from Star Wars as Han enters the command center.

As he informs General Rieekan that he and Chewbacca must leave to settle a debt with Jabba the Hutt, the orchestra gently modulates into another playing of the theme by oboes and flutes. The violins swell, leading to the first full presentation of the Han/Leia theme as the Princess voices her objection. This melody perfectly complements the earlier theme, but trades in its pure innocence for a more mature love theme infused with an appropriate hesitancy and a sweeping 19th-century Romanticism. Williams next introduces a playful new motif for C-3PO and R2-D2 as the droids appear. As the mystery of Luke's whereabouts develops, the rest of the cue features various shades of his theme by French horn, violins, and oboe/flute. The track ends with a dramatic violin flourish of Solo's theme as Han mounts a tauntaun to search for his friend.

The Wampa's Lair continues the action as Luke's fate is revealed. Suspended upside-down in the wampa's cave, his feet frozen in the ice, Luke regains consciousness. Piccolos, bassoons, sinister strings, muted brass, and a synthesizer contribute to the atmospheric music accompanying Luke's attempt to use the Force to retrieve his lightsaber before the wampa returns. After a French horn statement of the Force theme, the trumpets explode as Luke frees himself, only to emerge from the cave into a raging blizzard. The balance of the track features more unused music including the Rebel Fanfare as Han continues searching, the droid motif as C-3PO and R2-D2 keep a vigil at the shield door, and an ethereal rendition of Luke's theme as the young Rebel collapses face down in the snow.

Vision of Obi-Wan, a section of previously unavailable music, takes the action back to the Rebel base, with a mournful rendition of Luke's theme accompanying the sadness of his friends. A dissonant section then leads to another French horn statement of the Force theme as the spectre of Ben Kenobi appears to Luke, instructing him to travel to Dagobah to continue his training with Yoda, the Jedi Master. This is followed by a dramatic passage as Han finds Luke and sets up an emergency shelter in which they will brave the cold Hoth night.

As the cue ends, a repeating two-note horn phrase can be heard faintly, which then becomes prominent at the start of Snowspeeders Take Flight, a rousing and rhythmic piece written for the scene in which Rogue Flight rescues Luke and Han at daybreak. Following Luke's recovery, the focus returns to The Imperial Probe, beginning here with the subtle, atmospheric piece which in the finished film replaced the first portion of "The Ice Planet Hoth." Vader's theme is again played by solo piccolo, and then suggested subtly by the quiet chord progressions heard during the robot's landing.

Back at the Rebel command center, the droid's presence is detected as Aboard The Executor begins. A tense rhythm builds to a muted trumpet playing Darth Vader's theme, followed by atonal music written for the scene where Chewie distracts the probe, allowing Han to destroy it. The opening rhythm returns, leading to a fullbodied statement of the Imperial theme as the Starfleet is seen in another part of the galaxy. This was replaced in the film by the first part of the formal "Imperial March" (CD2, track 1), and combined with the end of this original version, in which Williams begins demonstrating the theme's versatility as Captain Piett shows Admiral Ozzel and Darth Vader the fragmented probe transmission from Hoth.

The Battle Of Hoth consists of four sophisticated and complex action cues.
The Ion Cannon is first, beginning quietly with the main theme on clarinet as Luke exchanges reluctant farewells with Han and Chewbacca. The Imperial theme returns as the action moves again to Darth Vader's Star Destroyer, now entering the Hoth system. Various permutations of the theme play as General Veers delivers a report to Vader, who executes Admiral Ozzel a moment later.

Strings enter in a military mood as Princess Leia conducts a hurried briefing for pilots back on Hoth. Quiet tense chords accompany the preparations of the Rebels' ground troops. As the first' Alliance transport runs the blockade, the imperial theme, Rebel Fanfare, and main theme are played in succession as the ion cannon disables a Star Destroyer in its path. A triumphant passage underscores the boarding of snowspeeders and the launch of Rogue Flight.

Imperial Walkers is a hostile cue that accompanies the initial onslaught of the menacing All Terrain Armored Transports. Williams reveals that the piece "has unusual orchestration calling for five piccolos, five oboes, a battery of eight percussion, two grand pianos, two or three harps, in addition to the normal orchestral complement. This was necessary in order to achieve a bizarre mechanical, brutal sound for the sequence." Recurring thematic material is deferred with the exception of one unexpected statement of the Princess' theme.

Beneath the AT-AT takes the action back to the Rebel base, beginning with a rhythmic string phrase as Leia and the Rebel strategists revise their evacuation schedule and Han prepares his ship for lift-off. The droid motif is played over C-3PO's quick farewell to R2, who is loaded into Luke's X-wing fighter. Action music returns as the battle becomes more frenzied, leading to the Imperial theme followed by a brass and wind rendition of the rhythmic phrase which begins the cue. An alarming passage for brass and piano is heard as Luke's snowspeeder crashes. Luke's theme appears briefly, followed by abrasive pulses as a walker approaches, crushing the downed craft. Williams uses Luke's theme in a French horn/flute counterpoint as Han returns to the command center to escort Leia to her ship. As the ground troops retreat, the Force theme is played passionately by trombones and trumpets with rising strings adding to the tension. The Rebel Fanfare appears triumphantly as Luke destroys one of the walkers. The Imperial theme then returns as the lead walker obliterates the power generator, deactivating Hoth's protective shield and allowing Vader to Sand.
Debris from the explosion blocks the corridor to Leia's transport as Escape in the Millennium Falcon begins. Leia's theme appears briefly and then the brass boldly states the Imperial theme as Vader and a squad of troopers burst into the command center. As Han, Chewbacca, the Princess, and C-3PO reach the Falcon, Solo's theme is intercut with Vader's as the Corellian starship again comes to the rescue in the nick of time. The Han Solo theme continues, rounding out as Luke takes off in his X-wing for outer space, bringing the Hoth sequence to a close.

The Asteroid Field is one of the most popular cues in the score, beginning with an arrangement of Darth Vader's theme as the Millennium Falcon engages the forces of the Empire. The tempo quickens as Han, failing to repair the hyperdrive, dives into an asteroid field. Here the music requires virtuoso playing from the wind section. As four TIE fighters give chase, Williams delivers a soaring brass melody. The love theme appears at the end of the cue as Han ducks the ship into a huge asteroid cave.

Arrival On Dagobah begins with appropriately "sludgy" music for the dark, lush, misty planet onto which Luke has crashed. Strains of Luke's and Leia's themes are heard as the young Rebel opens the cockpit. A moment later R2-D2 accidentally topples into the swamp. The droid motif is used when R2's periscope appears, but its mood turns threatening with the arrival of a large creature that attacks and then spits out the robot. The motif continues until the action moves to the Executor with Darth Vader's theme, a scene that reveals a tantalizing glimpse of the unmasked Vader. After a short unscored scene with Han and Leia, the action returns to Dagobah, where Luke is setting up camp. Here Williams continues to augment the atmosphere with lush strings, muted brass, and English horn. The Force theme is heard just before Luke is surprised by the appearance of a tiny, gnome-like creature.
Luke's Nocturnal Visitor starts rummaging through the survival gear, a scene for which Williams composed a playful wind rendition of Yoda's theme featuring pizzicato strings. Aboard the Falcon, the relationship between Han Solo and the Princess progresses in a quiet scene that ends with a passionate kiss. This straightforward presentation of the love theme then leads to Vader's theme as the Dark Lord is commanded to contact the Galactic Emperor. For this ominous sequence, Williams applies very quiet atonal strings and celeste.
Jedi Master Revealed is the first of several cues in the film in which Williams seamlessly weds Luke's theme, the Force theme, and Yoda's theme for much of the action on Dagobah. The intrusion of Darth Vader's theme marks the beginning of Mynock Cave, as a Star Destroyer and TIE bombers move through the asteroids. In the momentary safety of the cave, the Falcon is suddenly attacked by bat-like creatures, prompting Han and the others to investigate. Emerging into the foggy environment, Williams uses strings, celeste, harp, and synthesizer to generate the appropriate mystery. In an energetic rhythmic section, Han discovers that the asteroid cave is actually a huge space slug, forcing him to make a quick escape, once again facing asteroids and pursuing Imperials.

The Training of a Jedi Knight presents a light version of Yoda's theme written for the sequence in which Luke carries the Jedi Master on his back. Williams interweaves Vader's theme and The Force theme as Luke learns about the dangers of the dark side.
Spooky orchestration takes over in The Magic Tree as Luke detects a malevolent presence from a nearby cave. Luke's theme is played briefly by French horn, followed by ominous strings as Luke enters the cave. A synthesizer is employed for the appearance of the image of Darth Vader and the dream-like saber combat. With this central conflict now fully established, the trilogy reaches its mid-point, with successive statements of Luke's theme, Yoda's theme, and Darth Vader's theme musically summarizing the various matters to be resolved.

CD 2
Formal concert suites begin the second disc, with both good and evil musically stating their cases. The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) is the now-famous signature theme for Darth Vader. Its antithesis is the benevolent Yoda's Theme, a piece which embodies the Jedi Master's wisdom and gentility. Underscore returns with the introduction of the element which will make the final chapter of the trilogy possible.

For the bounty hunter Boba Fett, in lieu of a fully developed theme, Williams unassumingly presents a low, descending two-note bassoon phrase at the start of Attacking a Star Destroyer as the character is first seen aboard the Executor. Action music returns as the Millennium Falcon is pursued by the Avenger, finally emerging from the asteroid field. The hyperdrive still unresponsive, Han turns the ship on his attacker, inexplicably disappearing from Imperial scanners seconds later.

Returning to Dagobah with a subtle statement of Yoda's theme, Luke is training with Yoda, but loses concentration when R2-D2 informs him that the X-wing has sunk to the bottom of the swamp.

Yoda and the Force underscores Luke's failed attempt to raise it. A brief synthesizer is heard, followed by the main theme and then the Force theme as Yoda counsels Luke. Yoda's theme then begins quietly, and swells to a glorious climax as the Jedi Master demonstrates the full power of the Force. Vader's theme is heard as the action returns to the Executor.
Imperial Starfleet Deployed begins with Vader's theme again as the Dark Lord issues commands after executing the captain of the Avenger. The Millennium Falcon is then revealed attached to the side of the Star Destroyer as another bold statement of Vader's theme is heard.

After checking the data banks for a safe nearby port, City in the Clouds begins as Han skillfully detaches the ship and floats away with the warship's garbage flow. The love theme is used here, followed by the Boba Fett bassoon motif as the bounty hunter witnesses the careful maneuver. Back on Dagobah, the Force theme is heard as Luke is overcome by a vision of his friends in jeopardy. Yoda's theme is played with high strings, accompanied by various chimes and celeste, as Luke tells his vision to Yoda, who advises his pupil to not act in haste. A soaring, exotic sound is introduced as the Falcon arrives at the planet Bespin.

Angelic women's voices are heard over the first images of Cloud City, the orchestra quieting as the ship is escorted to a landing platform and Han's old friend Lando Calrissian appears.
Lando's Palace introduces a cosmopolitan march as Han, Leia, and Chewie are greeted, which turns suddenly sinister when inquisitive Threepio makes a wrong turn and is blown apart by an unseen assailant. On Dagobah, Luke has decided to abandon his training and go to his friends. Luke's, Ben's, and Yoda's themes are interwoven as the Jedi Master and the spectre of Kenobi implore Luke to reconsider, Vader's theme also appears, indicating the threat of the dark side that awaits Luke at Bespin. As Luke lifts off, promising to return, the Force theme reaches a crescendo, ending quietly with cello.

Betrayal at Bespin follows immediately with a lofty version of Luke's theme as the X-wing fighter returns to outer space. The love theme is played during a scene at Cloud City in which Leia is worried about the missing C-3PO, whose pieces are found by Chewbacca a moment later. Lando's march returns as the administrator escorts Han, Leia, and Chewie to dinner. This time the melody is punctuated by the Rebel Fanfare. As the door to the dining hall opens, Lando's trap is sprung. Darth Vader stands in greeting, stormtroopers surround the group, and Boba Fett enters, scored again with the bassoon motif. Luke's theme is heard as the young Rebel is seen in his X-wing, zooming towards Bespin. The droid motif occurs during a short scene in a Cloud City prison cell in which Chewbacca reactivates C-3PO, ending with a threatening statement of the Imperial theme as Vader begins torturing Solo.
Deal with the Dark Lord begins with Vader's theme, followed by a rising brass motif which occurs throughout the cue. The droid motif returns as it becomes apparent that Chewbacca, attempting to put the droid together, has placed C-3PO's head on backwards. The rising horn reappears, leading to the love theme as Leia comforts Han after they are returned to the cell. The tension builds when Lando enters, trying to explain his actions, but Han strikes him. The cue ends with the rising horn and an ominous statement of the love theme.
Carbon Freeze begins an extended musical sequence which leads to the film's climax. The main theme is passed from trumpet to flute to horn as Luke approaches Cloud City. The Imperial theme takes over as the Rebels are brought into the chamber where Darth Vader plans to freeze Luke for transport to the Emperor after testing the process on Han Solo. The love theme is featured throughout the piece, swelling to operatic proportions as Han and Leia kiss goodbye and Han is lowered into the carbon chamber. Brass and pounding percussion play over the freezing of Solo, ending with a powerful rendition of Vader's theme. This is followed by atonal strings, piccolo, and horn in a short passage written for the raising of the carbonite block, which was later rescored with the dramatic rendition of the love theme that follows it. Descending horn phrases underscore Lando's announcement that Han has survived the process. The effigy is then turned over to Boba Fett for delivery to Jabba the Hutt. Rhythmic phrases, punctuated by the Imperial theme, round out the scene as Vader alters his bargain with Lando, deciding to take Leia and Chewbacca as his own prisoners.

Quiet strings continue the rhythm as Luke arrives and Darth Vader's Trap begins. An ascending horn and wind motif is heard as Luke spots Boba Fett and the carbonite block. The shootout as he gives chase is scored with Yoda's theme. Piano, percussion, and cello are used to create tension before Yoda's theme builds to a climax, then quiets as Luke enters a dark alcove. Atonal strings and percussion are heard as Luke is brought into the carbon freezing chamber and Vader appears. The ascending horn phrase is heard again as Luke confronts the Dark Lord and draws his lightsaber, the duel beginning.

Meanwhile, the earlier rhythmic phrase returns in Departure of Boba Fett, which begins when Lando's men overtake the stormtroopers, freeing Leia and Chewie. The ascending horn motif is played once again as Boba Fett loads the carbonite block into his ship, the Slave I. An urgent version of the love theme is heard as Leia, Lando, Chewie, and the droids race to the landing platform to save Han, only to glimpse the bounty hunter's ship lifting off. The latter part of the cue is unused music for the continuation of the lightsaber duel. Vader's theme is used as Luke is pushed backward into the freezing pit, with the Force theme and Yoda's theme returning triumphantly as Luke escapes, retrieves his fallen lightsaber, finally overpowering Vader, who falls off the platform. The cue ends with Luke's theme as the young Jedi pursues the Dark Lord.

Clash of Lightsabers accompanies the next phase of the duel, in which Vader uses the Force to hurl objects at his opponent. A grand statement of the Imperial theme is heard as Luke is overwhelmed, plummeting through a window into the reactor shaft. Miraculously grabbing hold of a suspended gantry, Luke pulls himself to safety. The action cuts to Leia and Lando, exchanging fire with stormtroopers and making their way to the Millennium Falcon. Yoda's theme is used, followed by a brief reprise of the Cloud City march. A brass rendition of the love theme then enters, the tension building as R2-D2 attempts to open the blast door leading to landing platform 327. After a brass section interlude, the theme reaches a climax, now punctuated by ascending trumpet phrases, as the door is opened and the Rebels board the ship, which lifts off moments later.

Rescue from Cloud City marks the end of the lightsaber duel, with Vader severing Luke's right hand. Dissonant strings underscore Vader's plea to Luke, with his startling revelation highlighted by a dramatic rendition of the Imperial theme. The music reaches operatic proportions as Luke refuses to join Vader, allowing himself to fall down the reactor shaft and into an exhaust tube. The young Rebel's long descent leaves him hanging on a weather vane beneath the city, the full orchestra conveying his desperation and pain. With help from Ben not possible, he calls out to Leia, and the Force theme is heard as the Princess senses Luke's danger. Chewie turns the Falcon back towards the city. A moment later, Luke is spotted, and the music reaches new dramatic heights as Chewie carefully guides the Falcon and Lando pulls the injured Luke in through a topside hatch just as three Imperial fighters close on them.

Hyperspace is a fast-pulsed, constantly modulating action cue that follows the Falcon away from Bespin and into the clutches of Vader's Star Destroyer. Princess Leia's theme is interwoven as she is reunited with Luke. The rhythm is broken by the Imperial theme as a tractor beam is prepared aboard the Executor, then picks up again with the droid motif as R2-D2 reveals that the Falcon's hyperdrive has been deactivated by the Empire. Innovative orchestration is applied to the Imperial theme as Vader contacts Luke telepathically, again pleading with him to turn to the dark side of the Force. The rhythmic pulse returns and finally builds to a triumphant resolution as R2-D2 reactivates the hyperdrive, allowing the Falcon to escape to lightspeed. The piece ends with Vader's theme, as the temporarily defeated Dark Lord exits the bridge.

The final scene of the film takes place at The Rebel Fleet. Dramatically and musically, the resolution is the opposite of the first film's "Throne Room" Finale, which used a triumphant version of the Force theme. Here, as Lando and Chewie say farewell to Leia and Luke as they leave to track down Boba Fett, a melancholy rendition is heard. With Luke's hand replaced by a prosthetic, he joins Leia at the viewport to watch the Falcon's departure. With Han's fate still a mystery, the scene ends with the love theme as Luke and Leia think of their friend and ponder their futures. The crash of the End Title leads to Luke's theme, the Rebel Fanfare, and into a presentation of the three new themes for the film - Yoda's theme, the Imperial March, and the love theme. The score ends with a final statement of the Rebel Fanfare, followed by four punctuated crashes - the first notes of Darth Vader's theme - before the brass and timpani point the way to a fulfilling conclusion.

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Return of the Jedi

LINER NOTES
RETURN OF THE COMPOSER
Following the success of STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, there was never a doubt that John Williams would return to score the climactic chapter of the STAR WARS trilogy. But not even Yoda could have foreseen that one day it would yield a soundtrack album longer than the film for which its music was commissioned. Williams' score for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK had skillfully expanded on the style and content of the music for the original. New themes were interwoven and some daring moments began appearing, giving the evolution of the saga's sic an organic quality. Williams' phenomenal success in the three years following EMPIRE assured the filmmakers and the fans that the composer would achieve the same spectacular feat for RETURN OF THE JEDI. First came a new project from STAR WARS creator George Lucas, the swashbuckling RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, directed by Steven Spielberg, who had initially recommended Williams to Lucas for the first STAR WARS film back in 1976. Williams had provided music for all of Spielberg's feature films to date - THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS, JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, and 1941. RAIDERS, with - its brassy, vigorously heroic score fit for a globe-trotting 1930's adventure, became the biggest box office hit of 1981 and earned picture, director, cinematographer and composer Academy Award nominations.

These achievements were surpassed the following summer, however, when (while RETURN OF THE JEDI was shooting) Spielberg's ET. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL zoomed past the records of JAWS, EMPIRE, and STAR WARS to become the world's most successful movie. Williams' score for this film was the antithesis of RAIDERS - filled with gentle harp and piano, passionate strings, and even a cameo appearance of Yoda's theme from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Most noteworthy and memorable, however, was the soaring melody that whisked a bicycle into the air and across a harvest moon. For this innovative score, the composer received an Academy Award for the fourth time. At the time E.T. set its box office record, seven out of the ten most popular films of all time boasted a John Williams score. It would seem that the composer would then be prepared to conquer anything, even a new STAR WARS film filled with the strangest creatures and hugest battles to emerge from George Lucas' imagination - all set amidst evolving relationships and a climactic confrontation between good and evil.

Once again Williams delivered several new themes for the latest installment. These included the appropriately tuba-based Jabba the Hutt theme, a playfully bucolic march for the Ewoks, a sweeping melody for Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, and a darkly satanic theme for the Emperor, complete with a sinister wordless male choir. Combining these with existing themes for Luke, Yoda, Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and the Rebels, Williams brought to JEDI a huge palette with which both tender personal moments and breathtaking action could be musically painted beyond anyone's expectations. As with STAR WARS, EMPIRE, and RAIDERS (as well as the score for Fox's 1982 film, MONSIGNOR, Williams' most recent work), JEDI was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, the sessions taking place at EMI/Abbey Road Studios during January and February 1983, Mixing engineer Eric Tomlinson, orchestrater Herbert Spencer, and editor Kenneth Wannberg all reprised their respective duties. The end result is two and a half hours of recorded orchestral music consisting of background score, source music, and concert suites an Academy Award nominated feat of prolificity that only a film of RETURN OF THE JEDI's scale could inspire.

THE SPECIAL EDITION
The road leading to this complete presentation of the music from RETURN OF THE JEDI has been long but worthwhile. The original soundtrack album as released on Friday, May 20, 1983, five days before the premiere of the film, differed from its predecessors in a number of ways. Three years earlier, a 2-LP EMPIRE soundtrack had been released that was very much like the phenomenally successful STAR WARS album. By 1983, however, the vinyl format was beginning its demise, and uncertainty about the future viability of soundtracks dictated the release of one LP for JEDI instead of two. Some additional music later appeared on re-recordings, but even including these only twenty percent of Williams' work was actually available In 1993 a boxed-set anthology presented a considerable portion of unavailable material, but many sought-after cues continued to elude soundtrack aficionados.

Now on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of STAR WARS and the theatrical release of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition, the entire score for JEDI has been assembled into a seamless chronological presentation, with all music completely re-mastered from original elements for unprecedented quality. Also included are two newly recorded tracks for the Special Edition. The debut of this complete score is an invitation to the ultimate musical odyssey as well as a testament to John Williams' tireless creativity and to the enduring appeal of the music of STAR WARS.

CD 1
The TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FANFARE (1) by Alfred Newman (head of Fox's music department from 1939 1960) once again provides a prelude to the classic STAR WARS MAIN TITLE (2) by John Williams, transporting viewers and listeners to a galaxy far, far away, where an Imperial Shuttle is seen APPROACHING THE DEATH STAR (2). The music opens eerily, creating a military mood and then building to the famous "Imperial March" from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as Darth Vader's ship lands on the colossal, uncompleted bat tie station.

Several broad strokes of the theme are heard as the Dark Lord disembarks, informing the station's commander of the imminent arrival of the Galactic Emperor After a bold resolution of Vader's theme, the music continues with TATOOINE RENDEZVOUS (2), most of which accompanies a sequence eliminated from the film. In it, Vader uses the Force to contact his son, Luke Skywalker. The tone of the music changes with the appearance of a synthesizer and dis sonant strings, which Williams uses to gracefully transform the setting to the desert planet Tatooine. The next thirty minutes of music are imbued with dark complexity as Luke and his companions embark on the rescue of Han Solo from the notorious gangster, Jabba the Hutt. Eerie tonalities of welling woodwinds and abrasive brass seem to emerge directly from the dingy, cavernous environment as the heroes encounter a repulsive den of bizarre alien creatures. The sequence begins with the brief telepathic exchange between Luke and Vader, which is broken by the appearance of droids Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio, accompanied by Luke's theme and a playful bouncing wind melody as Luke places a newly constructed lightsaber inside Artoos domed head. This motif continues as heard in the film with the arrival of the droids at Jabba's imposing desert fortress. The track concludes with unused short phrases for the opening of the palace door and the droids' encounter with Bib Fortuna, Jabba's majordomo.

As THE DROIDS ARE CAPTURED (3), the strings and brass create an atmosphere of jeopardy as the robots are shown the carbonite effigy of Han Solo before being escorted to a droid labor pool. BOUNTY FOR A WOOKIEE (4) begins with a sustained piercing chord, followed by brass and wind phrases leading to Jabbas theme on the tuba as the mercenary Boushh appears with Chewbacca. A violin phrase leads to a quieter, woodwind rendition of Jabba's theme which plays under the negotiation for Chewbacca's bounty, with brass emerging as Boushh threatens Jabba with a thermal detonator The eerie atmosphere continues in HAN SOLO RETURNS (5), with a series of flourishes of dissonant strings, brass, and percussion accompanying the stealthy movements of Boushh and building to the unfreezing of Han Solo. A moment later, a brass crescendo leads to EMPIRE's love theme as the bounty hunter is identified as a masked Princess Lela. Jabba's theme then interrupts as the crime lord and his cronies trap the pair and take them prisoner.

In LUKE CONFRONTS JABBA (6), various flourishes of strings, brass, winds, and percussion appear over a foundation of sustained low notes (augmented by synthesizer) as the Jedi Knight arrives the next day, using the Force to bypass Jabba's guards and face the formidable mobster Jabba's theme appears briefly, followed by a tense build-up of strings, and an explosion of brass as the floor drops away and Luke plummets into the DEN OF THE RANCOR (6). The score's first action cue is filled with threatening brass and winds, and punctuated by clanking percussion as Luke battles the gigantic monster kept in a cave beneath Jabba's audience chamber. Both the Force theme and Luke's theme appear mid-way through the cue. Luke kills the beast by bringing down a spiked gate upon it, and SARLACC SENTENCE (6) begins, the timpani and synthesizer marking the creature's last gasp of life. Strings and brass return as Luke, Han and Chewie are brought before Jabba, who decrees that these defiant enemies will be thrown into the mouth of a desert-dwelling beast, while Leia and the droids will remain Jabba's servants.

THE PIT OF CARKOON (7) is heard as Jabba's sail barge arrives at the Sarlacc's nesting place. Jabba's theme plays over tense strings as Luke threatens the underworld leader one final time. With mocking laughter as the only response, the SAIL BARGE ASSAULT (7) commences. Punctuated horn blasts lead to a full statement of Luke's theme as Artoo propels the concealed lightsaber into his master's hand. Williams now delivers a satisfying musical pay-off to the Tatooine sequence a bold action cue filled with familiar orchestrations of the Rebel fanfare as the heroes unite in battle against Jabba's bandits. Vigorous trumpet statements of Luke's Theme are heared as the Jedi displays his newly refined talents, and Jabba's theme occurs as Princess Leia uses her slave chain as a death weapon against her over-bearing master. The piece ends with a victorious brass crescendo as the sail barge is transformed into a huge inferno in the desert and the Rebels make haste to depart Tatooine.

A new dramatic sequence begins as THE EMPEROR ARRIVES (8) at the Death Star, starting with the first of three successive cues in which both Luke and Vader are separately counseled by their masters and mentors. A "call to arms" for solo trumpet and horn precedes a full-bodied statement of Darth Vader's theme, the music quieting into the first occurrence of the Emperor's theme, a wonderfully malevolent motif for which a men's choir is employed. Another statement of Vader's theme ends the scene, the action moving to APPROACHES ENDOR (10) begins with descending horns as Dagobah for THE DEATH OF VODA (8). Continuing an innovation established in EMPIRE, Williams beautifully integrates the themes for Luke, Yoda, and the Force as the Jedi Master gives final counsel to Luke from his deathbed. As the end nears, Williams initiates an abbreviated version of Yoda's theme by making the third note a half-step lower and the fourth note a half-step higher, narrowing the melodic intervals. Back at his X- wing, a distraught Luke is surprised by the sudden appearance of the spectre of Ben Kenobi.

OBI-WAN'S REVELATION (8) was written as underscore for the old Jedi's disclosure of the mystery of Luke's past, but only the very end is used in the film. It features an appropriately celestial arrangement of Ben's theme that ultimately leads to Leia's theme as the identity of the Princess is revealed. Another "call to arms" fanfare takes the action to the Rebel armada, where the fleet is massing for a major offensive against the Galactic Empire. Underscoring the mission briefing given by the Rebel leaders aboard the headquarters frigate, ALLIANCE ASSEMBLY (9) is a stately military cue featuring an optimistic progression of chords arranged for brass and strings, culminating with flutes playing Luke's theme. The piece rounds out as the action moves to the docking bay. SHUTTLE TYDIRIUM APPROACHES ENDOR (10) begins with descendings horns as Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, and the droids launch in a stolen Imperial craft. Their mission: infiltrate the Imperial complex on Endor and deactivate the Death Star's protective shield. Once under way, the action quickly moves to the command tower on the battle station, where ominous chords of strings, low winds, and choir are heard as the Emperor dispatches Vader and the Starfleet.

For the shuttle's approach to the forest moon, descending horns and strings are used, with themes for Vader and the Force juxtaposed as son and father each detect the other's proximity. SPEEDER BIKE CHASE (11) begins the action on the moon of Endor as the Rebels spot Imperial biker scouts in a forest clearing. Suspenseful chords lead to a burst of trumpets as Han's ambush fails and the chase begins. The music segues to LAND OF THE EWOKS (11) as Luke returns to Han, with descending horns and winds entering as they realize the Princess is missing. The action then - moves to the unconscious Leia and her discovery by a lone Ewok. Williams introduces the whimsical, primitive Ewok theme during the humorous encounter, but it comes to an abrupt end as a sniper is detected in the nearby woods. When Lela suddenly finds herself held at gunpoint by a biker scout, the Ewok provides a diversion. Williams weaves Princess Leia's theme into an explosion of brass and percussion as she overpowers the trooper and shoots the sniper, unfortunately destroying the pair's speeder bikes in the process.

The Ewok theme then leads to sharp trumpet bursts that take the action to the Death Star. The Imperial theme is heard as Vader enters the throne room to inform the Emperor of the presence of his son and Rebel commandos on the sanctuary moon. The Emperor's theme returns in the scene, followed by Leia's theme and the love theme as Han and Luke continue the search for the lost Princess. A passage for winds enters as Chewbacca loads the others to what turns out to be an Ewok hunting trap. Playful winds and strings are hoard as the group is caught in a net. After R2-D2 provides a means of escape, rumbling percussion and eerie winds and strings underscore the appearance of the Ewoks as they surround the heroes and hail Threepio as a deity.

THE LEVITATION (12) of Threepio at the Ewok village is Luke's resourceful way of convincing the forest dwellers to release the captives. Soaring strings are heard over the Force theme, and the piece finishos with a number of flourishes as Leia is reunited with her friends THREEPIO'S BEDTIME STORY (12) features primitive" orchestrations of the themes for Luke, the Force, Vader, and the love theme as the droid imparts the Rebels' galactic adventures to the Ewoks in order to win their support. Source music from the Jabba the Hutt sequence is presented at the end of Disc One. JABBA'S BAROQUE RECITAL (13) is hoard as the crime lord is first introduced following track 21. This is followed by JEDI ROCKS (14), a song newly composed and arranged by Jerry Hey for the expanded Special Edition sequence in which Jabba's guests are entertained by an ensemble of alien musicians (following track 3). The disc closes with SAIL BARGE ASSAULT [alternate] (15), a straightforward action cue that was dropped when it was decided to use more of Luke's theme and the Rebel Fanfare for the sequence, which in this version are heard only at the beginning. The occurrence of Jabba's theme and the brass finale are similar to the final version (track 7), and there is also an interesting use of a passage later incorporated into the concert version of "The Forest Battle" (CD2, track 12).

CD 2
The second disc begins with formal concert suites of the two themes that depict the essential elements of the story's climax. PARADE OF THE EWOKS (1) is a marching version of the theme for the diminutive Endor natives who will withstand an onslaught of Imperial technology using primitive but effective weaponry. LUKE AND LEIA (2) completes the story's trio of Romantic melodies. Unlike the innocent "Princess Leia's Theme" from STAR WARS and the wildly fanciful "Han Solo and the Princess" from EMPIRE, "Luke and Leia" is infused with a virtuous maturity that embodies the enlightenment of the two characters and the full comprehension of their destinies.

The concert suite gracefully leads back to underscore with BROTHER AND SISTER (3), which plays as Luke confides the family history to Leia. Beginning with a poignant string phrase, the Force theme is then prayed by the oboe, followed by the return of the abbreviated Yoda's theme introduced as the Jedi Master dies (CD1, track 8). Williams now truncates it further by taking the second note of the theme down a major third instead of a fifth, removing its melodic quality entirely and transforming it into a foundation on which the new theme for Luke and Leia is introduced by the cellos. The Force theme returns as Luke leaves to face Darth Vader, followed by a brief restatement of the Luke and Leia theme which modulates its way into EMPIRE's love theme as Han Solo appears to comfort Leia, FATHER AND SON (3) continues the action with sinister orchestration and pounding percussion as an Imperial walker delivers the surrendered Luke to Lord Vader a forest landing platform. After statement of the more dramatic, gothic passage underscores the exchange before the Force theme appears. Eerie strings are heard as Luke's determination to redeem his father is developed. The scene ends with a bold rendition of Vader's theme as Luke is taken away, and a brief statement of Luke's theme as Vader ponders his son's words.

Rhythmic winds begin THE FLEET ENTERS HYPERSPACE (3), heard as Han, Chewie, and Leia plan their strike on the Imperial base, The Ewok theme returns as Threepio is informed of a secret entrance, which leads to a grand trumpet arpeggio as, back at the Rebel armada, the snub fighters take flight led by Lando Calrissian. In the Millennium Falcon, Williams incorporates the "throne room" motif from the final scene of STAR WARS as Lando leads the fleet into hyperspace. Shades of the motif heard in "Tatooine Rendezvous" (CD1, track 2) appear in HEROIC EWOK (3) as the furry allies lead the Rebels to an Imperial control bunker complex. The Ewok theme is used as one of the creatures steals a speeder bike, leading away all but one of the guards. As the track ends, Han captures the remaining soldier and the Rebels enter the bunker.

Vader's theme is heard as Luke is escorted to the EMPEROR'S THRONE ROOM (4), with various permutations of the Emperor's theme heard over the initial encounter. THE BATTLE OF ENDOR I (5) marks the beginning of a remarkable feat by Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra over thirty minutes of continuous action music for the climax of the trilogy. Into the Trap underscores the capture of the Rebels at the bunker and the arrival of the fleet in the Endor system. The Imperial theme is heard as Lando sees the Death Star for the first time, and a portion of Luke's theme occurs as the fighters assume attack position. A syncopated brass phrase leads to the Rebel Fanfare as TIE fighters engage them and the Rebels realize that the Death Star's shield has not yet been deactivated. Forest Ambush returns the action to the control tower as Luke's temptation by the Emperor begins. On Endor, Han and the Rebels are surrounded by a legion of troops, but the Imperial theme is heard as the droids lead the stormtroopers into an Ewok trap.

Breakneck action music marks the beginning of Scout Walker Scramble as pandemonium erupts, with Ewoks, Rebels, stormtroopers, Imperial Speeder bikes, and walkers scattering in all directions, the forest suddenly exploding with combat. As Han and Leia return to the secured bunker door, the action moves to outer space, where four classes of Rebel fighters and the Falcon are protecting the Rebel cruisers from TIE fighters and interceptors. The Imperial theme is heard as the Star Destroyers mysteriously hold position. Soon the reason is clear: the Death Star is actually armed and operational - as revealed when the Prime Weapon Fires, wiping out Alliance frigates with one blow. The action music for the rest of the track accompanies the continuation of combat both on and over the planet, the Rebels losing ground on both fronts.

THE LIGHTSABER (6) begins with Vader's theme and continues with the Emperor's theme as Luke finally succumbs temptation and summons his weapon from the Emperor' side. On Endor THE EWOK BATTLE (6) underscores an optimistic turn of events - the seizing of a scout walker by Chewie and the Ewoks, who at last turn firepower on the Imperials and lead the enemy forces into an array of Ewok traps - all as Williams elaborates on the Ewok theme and punctuates th action with "native war calls." THE BATTLE OF ENDOR II (7), starts with a run of bras which quiets as Leia Is Wounded. The love theme is heard a Leia shoots two troopers. A moment later, Chewie arrives with the commandeered walker. The action cuts to the Death Star as The Duel Begins. Themes for the Emperor and the Force represent both the mutual and individual conflicts of Luke and Vader. The orchestra builds briefly as Luke leaps to an over head platform, followed by the Force theme and a bombastic rendition of the Emperor's theme as the combat continues. Overtaking the Bunker is heard as Han disguises himself as a officer in order to capture the remaining Imperials and set explosive charges on the shield generator controls.

In The Dark Side Beckons, a synthesizer augments the climactic sequence where Vader searches for Luke beneath the throne room. As the Dark Lord reads Luke's thoughts and Leia's true identity is exposed, Luke's fury is released, the orchestra and chorus reaching operatic proportions as Vader is vanquished by his enraged son. The Emperor's theme appears as he expresses twisted approval, but the Force theme is played as Luke refuses to turn to the dark side. Action music is heard as the shield generator explodes, with the Rebel Fanfare occurring as Lando finally leads the fighters toward the Death Star. The Emperor's Death features a full-bodied statement of the Emperor's theme as the raw power of the dark side is savagely unleashed on Luke. The orchestra and chorus reach a great crescendo, with the Force theme erupting triumphantly as Vader comes to his son's rescue, throwing the Emperor full force into a reactor shaft at the expense of his own life.

THE BATTLE OF ENDOR III (8) begins with Lando leading the fighters in a Superstructure Chase, pursued by TIE fighters. Here Williams applies concert arrangements of material from STAR WARS, which culminates with the destruction of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer, the Executor. By contrast, Darth Vader's Death presents something entirely new - a bittersweet rendition of the Imperial March played in succession by violins, flute, oboe, French horn, and harp as Vader is unmasked and dies in his son's arms. The battle reaches its final climax as Lando and the fighters approach The Main Reactor scored with a grand passage for trumpets that contains a brief rendition of Luke's theme as the young Jedi escapes the collapsing Death Star.

The cue reaches a joyous conclusion that marks the pulverizing of the battle station into a blinding, planet-sized ball of fire that can be seen from the forest below. The theme for Luke and Leia is followed by the love theme as Han receives LEIA'S NEWS (9) and the couple resolve the awkwardness of their romance. LIGHT OF THE FORCE (9) follows, which is comprised of two versions of the music written for the scene where Luke destroys forever the persona of Darth Vader. Both versions present stately renditions of the Force theme. After three films full of destructive explosions. tire takes on a purging power as Luke sets the funeral pyre ablaze, while overhead, Rebel fighters set off spectacular fireworks in the night sky.

A chanting voice then calls the entire galaxy to a VICTORY CELEBRATION (10), a section of music composed by John Williams for the extended Special Edition finale. The new footage shows celebrations around the galaxy as fireworks are set off on Bespin and Tatooine. Finally, the grandest revelry of all is seen on the Imperial throne world of Coruscant. Returning to Endor, the Ewoks are hosting a party of their own, with guests of honor Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, See-Threepio, Artoo-Detoo, and Princess Leia. They are soon joined by Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker - the only one aware of the presence of three others: the ethereal images of Ben Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker, the latter now reclaimed by the light side of the Force and smiling proudly at his son as the music reaches a triumphant climax of percussion and choir. Thus the trilogy closes, and over the END TITLE (10) Williams recalls Luke's theme and the Rebel Fanfare before presenting the film's two new themes, "Parade of the Ewoks" and "Luke and Leia."

The main STAR WARS theme then returns, followed by the Rebel Fanfare and a statement of the "throne room" motif, bringing dramatic closure to the trilogy with a glorious resolution. Source music for the Ewok village is presented at the end of Disc Two. EWOK FEAST (11) is heard as Luke, Han, and Chewie are first taken to the treetop colony (following CD1, track 11). The track then segues to PART OF THE TRIBE (11), played as the Ewoks ceremonially commit to helping the Rebels (following CD1, track 12 and preceding CD2, track 3). Both cues feature combinations of innovative percussion and were the last cues recorded for the film. Disc Two comes to a close with the rhythmic and rousing concert version of THE FOREST BATTLE (12), in which Williams expands upon the material in "The Ewok Battle" (track 6) to create a musically autonomous suite which serves as a fitting "encore."