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

Terrific Remasters, and Even Better Liner Notes! Really!

Brian Jay Jones | Damascus, MD USA | 02/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were anywhere between the ages of 6 and 15 in 1977 (I was 10), chances are you played the heck out of the original double-album STAR WARS sound track until the grooves wore out. Back then, you probably listened mostly to the cantina music and the opening fanfare, but couldn't really be bothered with some of those 7-minute long pieces that didn't seem quite as punchy as those funky oboes in the Jawa Sandcrawler theme.Now that you're all grown up, pick up this beautiful CD that doesn't have all those affectionate hisses and pops from overplay that you remember from vinyl, and listen to the rest of the album -- you'll be surprisingly pleased at what you may have missed sprawled out on the living room floor all those years ago. Apart from sheer listening pleasure, you'll also have the help of Michael Matessino's careful notes on each track, which will ensure you'll have a new appreciation for the use of themes that John Williams incorporates throughout even the smallest pieces.I found Matessino's notes to be, perhaps, the most useful I've read in any film score package, and it's obvious that Matessino sat down and took careful notes on the score while the film was rolling. Matessino always has an interesting take on things, and is great at pointing out things a listener (without the benefit of the film rolling at the same time) might have missed -- find out why, for example, Matessino believes that Leia's theme was played at the moment of Ben Kenobi's death, rather than his own theme. The notes are just terrific, and Mattesino's prose is surprisingly bouncy.Apart from the beautiful sound and terrific notes, the CD also captures some "behind the scenes" takes, including the first-ever run through of the STAR WARS Main Theme.Put on this CD and prepare for an afternoon of heavy waves of childhood flashbacks -- but DON'T NEGLECT THOSE LINER NOTES!"

The Force is strong with this one

Alex Diaz-Granados | Miami, FL United States | 06/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you purchased the original 1977 2-LP Star Wars soundtrack album.....
Or its CD re-release - which is now out of print, as they say....
Or if you bought the 4-disc Star Wars Trilogy boxed set....If you thought you'd heard the entire score to any of the classic trilogy and don't own the Special Edition sets....well, you missed out on quite a bit.This 2-CD collection of music composed and conducted by John Williams for Star Wars: A New Hope is the definitive version of one of the most popular soundtrack albums ever. Released in conjunction with the Special Edition re-release of the Classic Star Wars Trilogy, this 1997 album contains the complete score that added so much magic and wonder to George Lucas' beloved first installment of the Star Wars saga.With the addition of Alfred Newman's 20th Century Fox Fanfare (with CinemaScope extension) and the tracks presented in proper order and as they appeared in the film, John Williams' fans can now hear a digitally remastered and glorious score. Because Nick Redman (who has produced many of Williams' "ultimate" re-releases) aims for completeness and accuracy here, gone are the "concert arrangements" and "cut-and-paste" segues where "tracks" from different scenes are patched together because "they sound good together." For instance, in previous "original soundtrack" albums the producer took cues from the rescue of Princess Leia, Ben Kenobi's mission at the tractor beam terminal, and the Battle of Yavin, combining them into the track titled "The Last Battle." A hard task and it sounds fine, but that's not what we heard in the movie. Thus, the Main Title (Star Wars Theme) no longer segues into music from the end titles in that familiar overture fashion we are all familiar with. Instead, Main Title merely states Luke Skywalker's Theme and the Rebel Fanfare (which will be a recurring theme throughout the film and will also appear in the other films). Then, abruptly, it will cut off and fade into the Imperial Attack. As a result of this rearrangement of cues, some tracks have been renamed to fit the scenes they belong in. Some are shorter than we remember them, while still others have had material restored. Soundtrack fans will be pleased when they hear previously unreleased bits of music (such as a short little coda that followed the droid auction), as well as music that was not in the film, including an alternate Binary Sunset theme which was re-scored when Lucas suggested that Ben's Theme would fit the emotional context of the scene better. The program notes are extremely interesting and informative, adding to the collectible value of this 2-disc set.I have owned all of the versions I mentioned, and I am fond of them all, but this is the best...and my favorite....version."

A Brilliant & Forever Memorable Soundtrack for an Epic Film

M. Hart | USA | 11/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At a time when many films were no longer being provided with orchestral music, George Lucas decided to do the opposite with the first of his "Star Wars" films back in 1977; and I can still remember the first time that I ever saw the film back in 1977 in a local theater. In silence, the classic line, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...," appeared against a black screen. The audience was silent and curious. Suddenly, a blaze of John William's main title for "Star Wars" filled the theater and began to capture the minds and hearts of the audience for an adventure of epic proportions. Rich with percussion, brass instruments and a string orchestra, the main title for "Star Wars" is probably one of the most recognized pieces of music in the world today.



Following the power of the main title, the music momentarily softens to a flute solo only to quickly crescendo once again as a rebel passenger ship is under attack from a powerful Imperial Starcruiser. With a blaze of laser blasts, the rebel theme is squashed by the power of the Imperial Attack music with the eventual entry of Stormtroopers and Darth Vader into the captured rebel ship. It is here that two robotic characters, R2-D2 and C-3PO, take center stage as they escape to the desert planet of Tatooine. The music that accompanies their long journeys across its arid surface is quite appropriate, followed by the Jawa mechanical-sounding march.



The music that accompanies the introduction of Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) at his uncle's moisture farm/home becomes his personal theme music throughout the film, but I prefer the more emotional theme music written for Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher). One of the most dramatic musical scores in the film is the theme that accompanies the destruction of the peaceful planet of Alderan, which was Princess Leia's home. This is similar to the theme used towards the end of the film during the final destruction of the Death Star, but some of the music in "Star Wars" was rather comical, such as the two cantina band songs on the planet of Tatooine.



Shortly after seeing the film in 1977, I purchased the complete "Star Wars" soundtrack when it was first made available on a dual LP album and loved to listen to it. Even years after the film was released many friends and acquaintances of mine also owned the film's soundtrack in one form or another. The film and its music captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people and continues to do so to this day. The film would never have been as good without an impressive soundtrack, but thanks to George Lucas' selection of John Williams as the primary composer, both the film and its soundtrack will no doubt capture hearts and imaginations for decades to come. Therefore, I rate the two-CD album "Star Wars, A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it."