PROGRAM NOTES, CONT'D. Star Wars: Suite for Orchestra (1997)
John Williams
George Lucas’s Star Wars films are among the most successful in the history of cinema. The riveting portrayals of adventures “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away …” are the product of a remarkable collaboration of writing, acting, directing and production talent. No doubt one of the great reasons for the immense popularity of the Star Wars movies is the music written by the American composer and conductor, John Williams (born on February 8, 1932 in New York City). The Williams’ Star Wars soundtracks, with their soaring melodies and brilliant orchestration, are among the finest achievements in American cinema, worthy of the tradition of such composers as Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Franz Waxman, and Bernard Herrmann. As in the case of film scores written by John Williams’s great predecessors, excerpts from the Star Wars films have enjoyed immense popularity in the concert hall as well. This concert presents an orchestral Suite John Williams fashioned from his music for the first three Star Wars releases: Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). In a preface to the score, the composer offers the following comments: During 1997 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of George Lucas’ classic film Star Wars. All of us concerned with this phenomenal movie have been gratified to see an entire new generation of very young film-goers enjoy the Star Wars trilogy and relate so strongly to its story, characters, and music. Also, I am personally delighted to have this new edition of the score available to orchestras and the public. It includes the “Imperial March” and “Yoda’s Theme,” both of which have not been available until this present printing. I have always felt privileged to have had the opportunity to compose music for these landmark films, and the ongoing interest in the films and their music has continued to be one of my greatest joys. — John Williams Approximate performance time is twenty-five minutes. Program notes by Paul Schiavo (http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/buy/single/programnotes.aspx? id=10721) and Ken Meltzer (http://encoreatlanta.com/aso-feature/2009/star-wars-and-more-2.html)