The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

the empire strikes back: the original motion picture soundtrack [soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
By the end of the 1970s, John Williams was already a legend among filmmakers and film-scoring buffs. But the success of Star Wars elevated him to something he probably could have scarcely imagined--bona fide pop-culture icon. Williams's masterful score to the first Star Wars sequel (and the chapter many sci-fi fans cite as the series' most dark, emotionally complex, and satisfying) fleshes out his original character themes with some new ones while painting compelling musical portraits of alien worlds as disparate as the ice planet Hoth and the swampy Dagobah. Notable are the menacing, Prokofiev-inspired "Imperial Theme (Darth Vader's March)"; the noble "Yoda and the Force"; and Hoth's "Battle" cues, which are some of the most dramatic action cues ever. This expanded edition also fleshes out the already familiar themes with new tracks that restore the score to its status as a grand galactic symphony. A richly illustrated booklet is included as well, helping listeners place each piece of music in its proper cinematic context. Of his four attempts at coloring George Lucas's rich stellar saga, this remains Williams's most consistent and compelling. --Jerry McCulley

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The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Average customer rating:

Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V)
Not one of his bests, but very close
John Williams' finest work
A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy
Williams is slumming it

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Star Wars Trilogy
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

ASIN: B000850IS6
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Star Wars and The Revenge Of The Sith
Anakin's Dream
Battle Of The Heroes
Anakin's Betrayal
General Grievous
Palpatine's Teachings
Grievous and the Droids
Padme's Ruminations
Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
Anakin's Dark Deeds
Enter Lord Vader
The Immolation Scene
Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious
The Birth Of The Twins and Padme's Destiny
A New Hope and End Credits

Amazon.com

John Williams' lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas' beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can't Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It's remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you've heard it, and even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

The Force Is Also with:

Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack box set
Star Wars Episode II sountrack
Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Trilogy on DVD
Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Customer Reviews:

Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V).......2007-06-21

product: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V), included as bonus disc in Episode III soundtrack.

The bonus dvd with this soundtrack was the reason I purchased. I enjoy film soundtracks, and science fiction, but this dvd was a real highlight for me. I got the soundtrack cd out of the local library. The cd was missing from the case, but I found this wonderful dvd instead that I went out to purchase later.

With optional segments of dialog from Ian McDiarmid, this film is a stunning visual and musical overview of the full epic story of episodes I-VI of Star Wars. For those of us who felt that eps. IV-VI fell short of our expectations, this film presents them well as parts of the whole story. The Musical Journey also stands as a summary of the entire SW opus for someone who is not familiar with the Star Wars characters and plot. Highly recommended.

Options: no subtitles or other options.

Not one of his bests, but very close.......2007-05-21

The Episode III soundtrack is very good. Not great, but very, very good. You can tell that Williams is getting old, but he still manages to weave together a very memorable score.

My favorite tracks are "Battle of the Heroes," "Anakin's Betrayal," Palpatine's teachings, "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan," and the "Immolation Scene."
The others are very good as well, but these are especially nice. "Battle of the Heroes" is Dual of the Fates for Revenge of the Sith. "Anakin's Betrayal" is a very sad track that is, in my opinion, one of William's most powerful pieces. "Palpatine's Teachings" is really, really neat. It's very dark and moody, a perfect piece for the evil emperor. The only weird thing is the end. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan" is the action piece that plays during the battles of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor. Finally, "The Immolation Scene" is another sad piece, even more so than "Anakin's Betrayal."

Although I really like this CD, there are some things that are missing (as usual). First, the whole sequence where the droids are looking for Obi-Wan after he was shot. You see Obi-Wan in his ship with Senator Organa on the Hologram (or whatever it is), and Obi-Wan says that his clones turned on him. That was some pretty awesome music that OF COURSE was left out of the CD. Then there was Dual of the Fates in the movie, but completely absent from the CD. And probably the most annoying was that whole piece of music before Obi-Wan and Anakin fight. It was so touching and sad and I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT IT OUT! Absolutely amazing. Also, did anyone notice that some little bits were cut out? For example, in Anakin vs. Obi Wan, they cut out about a second or two of choir. What?! What the heck is with that? It's when Anakin is running on the long thing and jumps on the droid on the lava. Also, there was some pretty cool drumming when you see Yoda and the Emperor fighting, and you can see the whole stadium (the big room). There's also drumming in "Enter Lord Vader" that is muted in the soundtrack.

Oh well...if I'm going to collect movie scores, I'm going to have to get used to the fact that in almost all cases there's not going to be every bit of music. I've experienced this in both Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park I (there was very little left out on this score), and almost everything else. At the moment, I'm just waiting for the 22nd, for the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 soundtrack. It's gonna be amazing.

See Yu

John Williams' finest work.......2007-04-20

There is little more I can say that hasn't already been said about the soundtrack to Episode 3, especially what Amazon contributor Dan Mohr wrote in his review of the soundtrack on 2/2/2006. His review captured almost all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions I had when I first listened to the soundtrack, and was, IMO, the best review of John Williams' greatest masterpiece.

Having said that, I will say that few soundtracks have ever so perfectly captured the underlying emotional currents of their respective movie; in the case of ROTS, the contemporaneous tragedies of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, the extermination of the Jedi, and the rise of the oppressive Empire. The listener is confronted with the depth and totality of the evil that has beset the entire galaxy to a degree that the film could not reach in only 2 hours.

Bravo, Dan Mohr, and BRAVO John Williams!

A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy.......2007-04-07

This is a great work of art. I rank it 4th among Star Wars soundtracks after A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace. I had a hard deciding which I thought was better, The Phantom Meance or Revenge of the Sith, but I decided that The Phantom Menace lays the foundation for so much that is in this soundtrack and is thus the more masterful work. But that doesn't mean that this score still isn't great. Every piece is a thrill to listen to and pace never lets up. "Battle of the Hereos" is an amazing piece and the rendition of the "Funeral Theme" from Episoded I captures the film's tragety magnificently. Also I do not think John Williams could have portrayed the Jedi's extinction more perfectly than he did in "Anakin's Betrayal". This is without a doubt the best score of 2005 and one of the best of the decade.

Williams is slumming it.......2007-04-01

Williams's score for Revenge of the Sith is almost entirely overbearing, lacking any emotional subtlety. The music is overcomplicated and even a bit confusing, especially in the tracks that correspond to action sequences in the movie. His overuse of choral tracks and vocals is too bombastic and irritating to be listened to without the explosions and laser blasts of the soundtrack to soften them. (Yes, this music is actually softened by the sounds of warfare.) Worst of all, much of the music has simply been lifted from earlier scores. At times his self-imitation was so blatant that I actually wondered whether the editor who had complied this score had made a mistake and I was listening to The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. Also suffers from not including the entire score, in some cases cutting out musical segues in obvious and awkward ways.

The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

My favorite Star Wars film and soundtrack!!!
Easily the greatest soundtrack ever made
Still missing some music
If you liked the film, you must own the soundtrack
simply the BEST of Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
John Williams , and London Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Return of the Jedi: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
Star Wars: A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (The Ultimate Star Wars Recording)(1999 Film)

ASIN: B000003G8G
Release Date: 1997-01-28

Tracks:

20th Century Fox Fanfare
Main Title/The Ice Planet Hoth
The Wampa's Lair/Vision Of Obi-Wan/Snowspeeders Take Flight
The Imperial Probe/Aboard The Executor
The Battle Of Hoth (Ion Cannon/Imperial Walkers/Beneath The At-At/Escape In The Millennium Falcon)
The Asteroid Field
Arrival On Dagobah
Luke's Nocturnal Visitor
Han Solo And The Princess
Jedi Master Revealed/Mynock Cave
The Training of A Jedi Knight/The Magic Tree

Tracks:

The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)
Yoda's Theme
Attacking A Star Destroyer
Yoda And The Force
Imperial Starfleet Deployed/City In The Clouds
Lando's Palace
Betrayal At Bespin
Deal With The Dark Lord
Carbon Freeze/Darth Vader's Trap/Departure Of Boba Fett
The Clash Of Lightsabers
Rescue From Cloud City/Hyperspace
The Rebel Fleet/End Title

Amazon.com essential recording

By the end of the 1970s, John Williams was already a legend among filmmakers and film-scoring buffs. But the success of Star Wars elevated him to something he probably could have scarcely imagined--bona fide pop-culture icon. Williams's masterful score to the first Star Wars sequel (and the chapter many sci-fi fans cite as the series' most dark, emotionally complex, and satisfying) fleshes out his original character themes with some new ones while painting compelling musical portraits of alien worlds as disparate as the ice planet Hoth and the swampy Dagobah. Notable are the menacing, Prokofiev-inspired "Imperial Theme (Darth Vader's March)"; the noble "Yoda and the Force"; and Hoth's "Battle" cues, which are some of the most dramatic action cues ever. This expanded edition also fleshes out the already familiar themes with new tracks that restore the score to its status as a grand galactic symphony. A richly illustrated booklet is included as well, helping listeners place each piece of music in its proper cinematic context. Of his four attempts at coloring George Lucas's rich stellar saga, this remains Williams's most consistent and compelling. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

My favorite Star Wars film and soundtrack!!!.......2006-02-15

Oh, this is an awesome CD. My favorite is the "Imperial March." It is synonymous with Darth Vader. I can just see him walking the catwalk on the bridge of his imperial cruiser.

"Yoda's theme" is a whimsical piece. Very much like the little creature himself. "Yes, to Obiwan you listen."

Another wonderful piece is "Carbonite." It is when Han Solo, betrayed by Lando, is handed over to Vader to be frozen. Leia, Chewie, Han, and C3-PO are led to the deep freeze chamber. Vader, Lando, Storm Troopers, and the other ugly creatures are present for the event. This is where Leia and Han kiss and she tells him that she loves him only to get a "I know" in return. This is a magnificent piece. The drums and the horns are featured in it.

Of course the getway is awesome as well. The whole CD is worth every penney you would spend to buy it. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Easily the greatest soundtrack ever made.......2005-09-14

And the title is no exageration. I'm a late-comer to this album, having been a fan of John Williams for years but owning only a few "best of" CDs. When I finally got off my [...] and bought this, it blew me away, despite the fact that I had many of the songs already on mp3. There were so many surprises, such a perfectly fluid grace as each song slid into the next, that I still can listen to it repeatedly and get chills. I don't believe I will ever buy or own an album that I enjoyed as thoroughly as this, or that I can listen to again without hesitation time and again (which I do, great studying music).

Favorites: Hard to choose, but I'd say the Battle of Hoth, the Asteroid Field (still my favorite, loved it the moment I heard it as a wee lad), Mynock Cave, Imperial March, Yoda's Theme, Attacking a Star Destroyer, Departure of Bobba Fett (the biggest surprise, if your adreneline doesn't spike after it, you need more testosterone), Rescue From Cloud City.

And if you take one thing away from this review, make it this: don't do what I did, don't sit on the fence, just fork out the [...] and buy... this... album. Best investment in an album I've ever made.

Still missing some music.......2005-08-07

Mind you, I'm giving three stars for the set, not the track itself which is wonderful. But someone really messed up the placement and editing of these tracks. On disc two for example, the music that plays during the credits is completely gone, as is the rebel fleet scene, and the music track titles do not at all match with their scenes in the movie. They should've reviewed this CD set a little more closely before releasing it.

If you liked the film, you must own the soundtrack.......2005-05-05

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980.) The soundtrack to the film, composed by John Williams.

In 1977, George Lucas took the world by storm with A New Hope, the first film in the Star Wars series. The film became known as a science fiction masterpiece in a relatively short period of time, and his spawned numerous sequels and prequels alike. One of the driving forces behind the films, in addition to excellent acting and (what were then) state-of-the-art special effects, the films featured an excellent musical score, composed by John Williams. When John Williams does the score for a movie, he very rarely fails to please with his compositions. Read on for my review of the soundtrack to Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980.)

To put it in the simplest terms possible, if you're a fan of the Star Wars movies, the soundtracks are an essential purchase. When the soundtracks were rereleased on CD in 1997 and again in 2004, the tracklists were upgraded over the original vinyl versions. Each of the soundtracks from the classic trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi) is now a dual-disc set, which features every piece of music from the entire film it represents, from start to finish. Hell, they've even got the Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare intro! Each soundtrack has the complete musical score from its respective film, in the order each piece appeared in the film. Furthermore, each soundtrack adds an alternate version bonus track. Even further adding to the greatness is that many of the pieces of music are the full-length complete versions. Because of this, you get the complete piece of music, meaning you'll even hear portions of some pieces that didn't even appear in the films (because the versions in the films were cut short in some cases.) My lone complaint is that some songs that should have been divided into separate tracks weren't (for instance, on each soundtrack, the opening theme fades right into the first unique piece of music to each film, and it's ALL ONE TRACK, meaning you can't skip right past the inro to the first unique piece of music. On the flip side, the end credits are directly connected to the LAST unique piece of music from each film, meaning you can't skip directly to the end credit theme (and this is sure to disappoint some listeners.)) Despite that little flaw, these are still great soundtracks. Every piece of music on here is excellent, proving John Williams to be one of the greatest composers who ever lived. The soundtracks not only show off his musical ability, but also his diversity musically. To put it simply, if you liked the movies, the soundtracks are an essential buy.

The soundtracks got rereleased in 2004, obviously to cash in on the rerelease of the classic trilogy of films on DVD. In addition to remastering the sound and revamping the cover art of the soundtrack CDs, the record company gives an alternative option - a box set of all three soundtracks from the classic trilogy. If you purchase the box set, you'll save a few bucks, so I recommend getting it rather than buying them separately.

If you liked the classic Star Wars Trilogy (and honestly, who didn't?), the soundtracks are well worth adding to your CD collection. Whenever John Williams does the music for a film, his score NEVER fails to please - and his abilities aren't limited to just the Star Wars series. I also strongly recommend the soundtracks to any other films he has scored. For all you classic Star Wars fans - the soundtracks are essential purchases.

simply the BEST of Star Wars.......2005-04-24

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW WAS WRITTEN BY A GREAT STAR WARS FAN AND LOVER OF ALL STAR WARS MUSIC.

A New Hope was just the beginning and it is excellent for what it is, yet it is clearly shaped by many pre-existing and familiar classical/cinematic sounds and moods.

Return of the Jedi pulls much from the previous 2 films. It has it moments but, it is not as much a singular work as it is a compilation.

Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, while flaunting many new themes, pull much from each other and are not characterized by AS MANY great memorable musical moments. Thus they do not stand alone nearly as well as individual works. I think a lot of this is due to George Lucas's latest style of editing and mixing the new movies. We end up with a MISH-MASH of musical cues that repeat each other and interupt the musical journey that we're listening for [it is understood that a certain amount of this cutting/mixing happens in all movies, but this fan is of the opinion that Lucas has cheated us of some of the musical enjoyment that we've grown to expect from a Star Wars movie].

In the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, John Williams dove through the surface of the shallower pre-existing Star Wars score and explored a deeper and more substancial universe. We hear much more "John Williams" in Empire's score. It's a darker more brooding peice than the privious work. As compare with the latest two films, it carries us throught the plot with undeniable DISTINCTION and clear STRUCTURE. And it does this NOT JUST WITH ITS BASIC THEMES AND MOTIFFS (which are without a doubt some of his most loved thems: Imperial March, Han/Princes, Yoda),but with instantly recognizable and unmistakeble cues and sequences. There is the mechanical HOTH BATTLE. There is the snappy-rythmed ASTEROID FIELD, the chillingly sinister DUEL (which Williams is going to rehash for us in III), the glorious fanfaring ESCAPE FROM CLOUD CITY, the operetic DESCENT INTO THE CARBONITE CHAMBER, and many more which make the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK a thrilling and a very logical/satisfying musical experience that is unprecidented by any other episodes and few other films in history.

The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite From The Original Motion Picture Score

Average customer rating:

Good idea, bad execution
Superior to the Original Soundtrack!
THE definitive Empire Strikes Back release
One of the best renditions of the Empire score
Best performance of ESB so far.

The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite From The Original Motion Picture Score

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
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The Star Wars Trilogy: Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back/Return Of The Jedi (Re-recording)
Alex North's 2001

ASIN: B0000014SO
Release Date: 1992-05-26

Tracks:

20th Century-Fox Fanfare
Main Title, The Imperial Probe
Luke's First Crash
Han Solo and the Princess
The Asteroid Field
The Training of a Jedi Knight and 'May The Force Be With You'
The Battle in the Snow
The Imperial March
The Magic Tree
Yoda's Theme
The Rebels Escape Again
Lando's Palace, The Duel (Through the Window)
Finale

Customer Reviews:

Good idea, bad execution.......2006-03-07

I find the lack of not-so-great reviews here a bit amazing, really. Now I claim Empire as the greatest film ever, and I listen to the soundtrack on a regular basis. But that's not to say I can't enjoy a different interpretation of the score. But this just is not very good. For starters, by making this a "suite," an attempt has been made to join parts of the score that were originally interrupted by different themes due to the on-screen action. In the movie, sometimes the scene changes suddenly and the music reflects that, so this album tries to "fix" that, to change it into something you could just go to the symphony concert and hear played. And while John Williams himself worked on this "suite," it's really a terrible job. The new changes sound forced and are no less jarring than the original. I expected a smooth, flowing interpretation and this is anything but. But worst of all is the musicianship. These guys are just NOT that good. I heard at least three trumpet flubs on this CD, guys just trying to hit high notes and flat-out MISSING. And the cymbal player... I kid you not, on a couple of songs it sounds like they got a middle school kid off the street to play the cymbal. I honestly was thinking to myself, "can this guy not count?" I knew this wasn't THE soundtrack when I bought it, and I understood the idea behind it and it had the potential to be good. It's just... not.

Superior to the Original Soundtrack!.......2006-01-17

This re-recording of the music of John Williams for the film "The Empire Strikes Back" by Charles Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic Orchestra is, in many ways, even better than the two-CD Special Edition Original Soundtrack. I must first add that the Special Edition is an absolute must for fans of John Williams (particularly fans of this score) as it contains every minute of music Williams composed for the film, including some really essential themes that did not make it onto the Gerhardt recording, and given an outstanding performance by the London Symphony Orchestra. As this score is one of Williams' very best of all time, fans should certainly have the original recording. That said, the Gerhardt recording presents an even more enjoyable listening experience, as it contains suites of the very best music from the film, performed (generally) even better than the original recording, with superior sound quality. Additionally, the Concert Suites have an advantage over the original recording in that the Suites are arranged to maximize the audio experience, leaving out the repitition of themes and "background" music from the original, which are better suited to accompanying the scenes in the film for which it was written, than for our listening enjoyment. The Suites also avoid the choppiness inherent in duplicating for CD music which was meant to accompany the rapidly changing action on the screen.
The Han Solo and the Princess Suite found on this CD is surely the greatest performance of this music ever recorded, very powerful and harmonized beautifully, a sort of 20th century version of the "love music" from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture. The Asteroid Field Suite is even more exciting than the original recording as is Battle on the Ice, particularly since the original Ice Battle track is over 15 minutes long, switching between themes to accompany the action in the film, often without any organic connection between the themes. The re-recording contains just the battle music, performed thrillingly.
The Imperial March Suite is superior to the original since it starts with music from the Carbon Freeze scene and switches to the original march, which is performed faster than the original, making it more exciting, if perhaps a bit less manacing. The music for the Training of a Jedi Knight sounds more magical than you've ever heard it before, while Yoda's Theme lilts more than in the original. The only music which is slightly better in the original is the Through the Window music (a drop too fast here) and the beginning of the closing credits music (the brass has slightly more oomph in the original). Otherwise, hearing this music in Suite form, performed magnificently, and with excellent digital sound (the original recording is analog and contains slight background hiss) makes for an immensely enjoyable and unforgettable listening experience.
In summation, while fans should certainly get the Special Edition, if I had to pick one, I'd go with the Gerhardt recording. You will find yourself listening to this CD over and over again. This is a true must-own CD for fans of John Williams and 20th century classical/orchestral music in general. Get it now before it goes out of print.

THE definitive Empire Strikes Back release.......2005-08-15

Charles Gerhardt and the NPO released many CDs on RCA Victor, mainly of golden age film scores, but also a Star Wars/Close Encounters CD and Return of the Jedi. For whatever reason, RCA passed on Gerhardt's recording of Empire Strikes Back, but no fear, Varese Sarabande picked it up. I love all of the Gerhardt recordings, and this is my favorite of the three. While it doesn't have all the cues that the 1993 Anthology or 1997 sppecial editions had, it still has most of the major themes and is performed superbly by the National Philharmonic.

George Korngold (producer) and Charles Gerhardt (conductor) did a huge favor for film score fans with the Classic Film Score series, and of course the Star Wars trilogy recordings.

One of the best renditions of the Empire score.......2003-09-30

Even though I had owned the original soundtrack recording of John Williams' score for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on vinyl LP and cassette, but when Polygram released that soundtrack on compact disc, I was less than thrilled. The tracks were out of sequence and fewer in number...so it was a bit of a gyp. So when I found this wonderful album of the Empire Strikes Back Symphonic suite on CD, I was ecstatic.

Basically, this 13-track album consists of the basic Concert Suite (The Imperial March, Han Solo and the Princess, Yoda's Theme, and The Asteroid Field), supplemented by several other cues from the film score, including Alfred Newman's Fox Fanfare, Main Title/The Imperial Probe, and Training of a Jedi Knight.

To avoid repetition of familiar material, composer John Williams, conductor Charles Gerhardt, and producer George Korngold present some of the compositions with different arrangements. The Imperial March, for instance, leads off with material used while Han Solo is being frozen in carbonite. The new intro adds menace and malice to the already dark and jeering theme for Darth Vader.

My personal favorite twist is the rendition of the love theme (Han Solo and the Princess). It is presented here with new orcheestrations and no sudden cut to Vader's theme as in the film soundtrack. As it goes through the theme and variations cycle, little quotes of Princess Leia's Theme from the first film appear, first subtly by plucked harp strings, then more boldly by the violin and wind sections.

Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic do a magnificent job on this amazing film score. Williams fans should run, not walk, to get this recording.

Best performance of ESB so far........2002-12-29

Superb CD. I knew it was a selection from the score, but i had this CD for a long time without actually realizing it was'nt the original 'recording'. When years later i obtained the Special Edition recording of the original,i actually found myself going back to this one much more (and still do). Its a far far superior performance of the music (and Williams himself agrees on the sleeves that they are beautiful suites of his score). Gerhardt gets the full ooomp and brassy power out of the orchestra and this makes for a stunningly powerful performance of Empire strikes back's main themes and cues. The Asteroid field is 10 times better here than on the original recording where its infact quite weak and incidental background quality. This version will leave you with you hair sticking up and a sound blasted face. Incredible power. Williams himself is not a fan of full released scores and prefers to release "Selections from" CD's of his scores. I,like many JW fans used to grumble about this no end, but more and more i appreciate why he and Jerry Goldsmith prefer this. It makes for a much more balanced,well paced,and enjoyable listening experience. The 2 disc Phantom menace score from Sony was an example of how "ALL" the music in the film on disc is not quite as enjoyable as you would of imagined. Give this CD a try and i can guarantee you'll prefer this one anyday.

Average customer rating:

My favorite Star Wars film and soundtrack!!!
Easily the greatest soundtrack ever made
Still missing some music
If you liked the film, you must own the soundtrack
simply the BEST of Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
John Williams , and London Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Return of the Jedi: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
Star Wars: A New Hope: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (The Ultimate Star Wars Recording)(1999 Film)

ASIN: B000003G8Z
Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

20th Century Fox Fanfare
Main Title/The Ice Planet Hoth
The Wampa's Lair/Vision Of Obi-Wan/Snowspeeders Take Flight
The Imperial Probe/Aboard The Executor
The Battle Of Hoth (Ion Cannon/Imperial Walkers/Beneah The At-At/Escape In The Millennium Falcon)
The Asteroid Field
Arrival On Dagobah
Luke's Nocturnal Visitor
Han Solo And The Princess
Jedi Master Revealed/Mynock Cave
The Training Of A Jedi Knight/The Magic Tree

Tracks:

The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)
Yoda's Theme
Attacking A Star Destroyer
Yoda And The Force
Imperial Starfleet Deployed/City In The Clouds
Lando's Palace
Betrayal At Bespin
Deal With The Dark Lord
Carbon Freeze/Darth Vader's Trap/Departure Of Boba Fett
The Clash Of Lightsabers
Rescue From Cloud City/Hyperspace
The Rebel Fleet/End Title

Amazon.com essential recording

Customer Reviews:

My favorite Star Wars film and soundtrack!!!.......2006-02-15

Easily the greatest soundtrack ever made.......2005-09-14

Still missing some music.......2005-08-07

If you liked the film, you must own the soundtrack.......2005-05-05

simply the BEST of Star Wars.......2005-04-24

Music:

Music

music

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