A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

More than 40 years ago, George Lucas introduced to the world his singular imagination, ingenuity, and creative genius. He also gave me an opportunity never before given to an operatic or film composer...the chance to work continually on a single project, and with each film, to add to a collection of musical themes which I hope will be seen as parts of a singular whole.  This experience has been one of the highlights of my professional life, bringing me so much joy in working with some of the world's greatest orchestras and musicians. I stand before the now completed nine Star Wars films with pride and gratitude for the gift of this extraordinary journey. - John Williams, in the liner notes for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack On December 20, 2019, Walt Disney Records published Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a one-disc recording featuring the musical score for the ninth and final film of the Skywalker ...

Pros:  The music, particularly the sequencing and newly released tracks; the liner notes. Cons:  The flimsy Slimline packaging. OVERTURE Many of us who go to movies, whether we consciously are aware of it or not, know that one of the key elements of a film's success is its musical score. While visuals -- whether it be the vast vistas of the West in a Clint Eastwood movie or the soft curves of a beautiful woman undressing for a love scene -- are what call attention to the audience's eyes, it's the soundtrack -- dialogue, sound effects, and the musical score -- that captures the mind and enhances the emotional impact of whatever it is we are watching. This is just as true in the early 21st Century as it was in the days of the silent movies 100 years ago, when Charlie Chaplin's comedic antics and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s adventures were accompanied by live pianists at the ritzier movie palaces of the day. Although there have been many acclaimed compose...

I've been enthralled by John Williams' scores for the original 1977-83 Star Wars Trilogy ( A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi ) since I first owned the 2-LP original soundtrack album from the first installment of the saga. For instance, I have bought the original 1977 recording in all available formats, from LP, eight-track, cassette, and compact disc. I also have the slightly expanded variation available in The Star Wars Trilogy Soundtrack Anthology four-disc box set and the even more complete Special Edition 2-CD set. So it shouldn't be a jolting shock to you, the reader, that I bought Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace' s 1-CD original soundtrack recording on the very day of its release (about a month prior to the premiere of Episode I). Like many Star Wars fans, I'd waited for 16 years for a new movie -- the 1997 Special Edition really didn't count as new movies -- since Return of the Jedi 's theatrical run ...

(C) 2007 Sony Classical and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) On November 7, 2007, Sony Classical's Masterworks label released The Music of Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collector's Edition, an eight-CD box set that reissued the three Special Edition soundtracks from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi in their full glory. In addition, the collection includes Star Wars: The Corellian Edition, a 2005 compilation of Star Wars' greatest hits from the six movies then in existence. (Lucasfilm was still an independent company and the Sequel Trilogy was something that existed only in the imaginations of a few hopeful fans.) Sony Classical Masterworks' concept? Repackage the CDs as replicas of the 1977, 1980, and 1983 original LP albums. (C) 2007 Sony Classical and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) And to complement the 434 minutes of composer-conductor John Williams' scores for the Original Trilogy, Sony also packed a CD-ROM which contains "digital fi...