Music Album Review: 'The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score'
Artwork by William Stout. (C) 1980, 1992 Varese Sarabande Records and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) On May 21, 1980, Varese Sarabande – a record label that specializes in movie/television soundtracks and classical music – dropped the long-play (LP) record and cassette versions of The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score. This album presented selections of composer John Williams’ music for Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, which had premiered in theaters just two days before. Performed by The National Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Charles Gerhardt, the one-disc record was intended to supplement – not compete with – the “official” two-record soundtrack released one month earlier by RSO Records. 12 years later, on May 26, 1992, Varese Sarabande re-issued The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score as a digitally-remastered compact disc (VSD 5353). Like its vinyl “parent,” the C