Customer Reviews

Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology

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For over 30 years, composer/conductor John Williams has been one of the most prolific and renowned film score creators in Hollywood. For many of his fans, the music he recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra for the Star Wars saga has been -- and will remain -- his masterpiece.

Until the 1997 Special Edition soundtracks were released, this 1993 4-disc collection was the most complete version of the Original Soundtrack recordings. Earlier CD editions either went out of "print" or were simply awful (The Empire Strikes Back's first CD release was criminally lacking in tracks and organization; indeed, it was a "bargain basement" priced CD and was not as good as, say, the Varese Sarabande release of Charles Gerhardt's recording of the Empire score). It fell to producer Nick Redman (who has been working steadily on releasing good collections of Williams' film music) to compile this Soundtrack Anthology.

Although much of the material had been released in other editions of the soundtracks, the Anthology set allows listeners to enjoy and appreciate the evolution of the music as the series moved from A New Hope to Return of the Jedi. Williams -- as the booklet of liner notes points out -- uses the Wagnerian technique of "leitmotivs" or themes...sometimes for characters such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, sometimes for places or things (the Death Star has a theme, as do the Ewoks on Endor and, most importantly, the Force). The themes themselves are often simple and very hummable, but it is their flexibility...no, malleability....that allows Williams to describe what's going on with music alone. The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from The Empire Strikes Back, for instance, can go from jeering and strident in one scene, brooding and atmospheric in another, and even gentle and melancholy when it is last heard in Return of the Jedi. The effect is, as John Williams clearly intended, a very operatic and vivid experience.

Because most of the music in this set was adapted from the earlier recordings, some of the "cues" appear out of chronological order (in terms of where the music is heard on the actual films). And while many tracks have either been "filled out" with material not heard on the earlier releases or restored/reincorporated, this boxed set is still missing many other tracks that ARE on the Special Edition recordings. Williams fans who seek completeness will have to buy those recordings instead.

Nevertheless, since the Return of the Jedi score was redone in two scenes, this boxed set is now the best source for the original Lapti Nek and Ewok Celebration tracks. Traditionalists who bemoan the Special Edition's revisions may still prefer The Star Wars Trilogy Soundtrack Anthology. In any case, this is a great buy no matter how one looks at it.

Like another poster, I owned this boxed set before the release a few years ago of the "Special Edition" 2-CD packages representing each film in the original trilogy. This set is rendered almost, but not completely, obsolete by the later issues. Yes, the "Star Wars" (sorry, George--I refuse to call the first movie "Episode IV: A New Hope"), "Empire" and "Jedi" special-edition soundtracks are more complete than this (although even these aren't absolutely note-complete: If you've got sharp ears, when watching "Empire" or "Jedi" you'll hear a bit of music that didn't make it to CD, because alternate takes were used in the movies). But if you just want a generous helping of "Star Wars" tunes and aren't so concerned about having every last note, this set might be the better bargain. It's cheaper than buying three double-disc sets, and it's got maybe 70 percent of the music contained in the special-edition packages. And if it matters to you, it's got two songs ("Lapti Nek" and "Ewok Celebration") that don't appear on the "Jedi" 2-CD set, because they were replaced for the Special Edition reissue of "Jedi."

I am a big Star Wars fan, so naturally, when i saw this CD, i grabbed it. and it was incredible. John Williams is a genius. Some of the tracks were really amazing! My favorite is Princess Leia's Theme. In this track, Williams has truly captured the magic of Star Wars and the character of Princess Leia. When i hear this track, i can SEE it. Meaning, when i close my eyes, i can see the music. it's rolling and flowing and its just beautiful. of course, all the other tracks are great too, like the Main Title, Rescue of the Princess, etc. i really enjoyed listening to this music and i highly recommend it to everyone. its terrific!

By now, the 1993 anthology boxed set of star wars trilogy may seem old and outdated for the old and new fans. the release of the 1997 special edition soundtracks of episodes 4, 5 and 6 completes the soundtrack of the special editions.

for those like me who have purchased the boxed set in 1994, dont fret. our collection still has tracks that the double-cd per episode dont. and these are: the star wars main title here is complete at 5 mins and 23 seconds, compared to the special edition of roughly 2 minutes. the original version of lapti nek (1983) is also here. you cannot find it in the special edition since it was removed totally from the 1997 version. for all its worth, there are also "alternative" tracks in this 4-cd set (such as leaia breaks the news/sail barge assault, and the main title) and lastly, the ewok celebration (1983) here presented in two versions, the other one seguing to empire strickes back,are a delight.

i want to make it clear that i also have the special editions soundtracks of the star wars movies. however, since most tracks were segued in the 1997 version, finding a cue is easier in the 1993 version. the 1997 versions, however, sounded better than the 1993 release, primarily due to the digital remastering made on each album.

more so, the booklet of the soundtrack added to its rarity. it includes more than 50 rare illustrations by star wars artist ralph macquarrie (?) and original concept designs by george lucas. the pictures also used in the 4-cd boxed anthology are rare paintings. after all, it is still star wars, and john williams is one of the greatest movie composers of our time.

for those who purchased this set in 1993 or those planning to buy it, it's okay to spend for this item. still a must for fans and completist.

I picked my copy of this set nearly ten years ago and I still listen to this set as often as I do the newer sets. The CD's for episodes 4 and 5 are very close to the original double album versions released when the films were new. The cd for episode 6 brought the soundtrack for it up to the length of the other two. The fourth disk has bonus tracks from all three movies.

The anthology set has music that you will not find in the current versions of the movies, the Special Edition soundtracks, or on the repackaged clones of the S E soundtracks that were just released along with the DVD's. These CD's have both the ewok celebration from the original soundtrack release and the version that was actually in the original version of Jedi but not on the soundtrack. They also have the version of the battle sequence in Jedi that was rewritten for the Special Edition and and a few other tracks that have been all but forgotten now.

Another reason for getting this set is the book that came with it. The book is much more comprehensive than even the booklets that came with the Special Edition CD's. The additional information on the scoring of the music as well as rare pictures that should satisfy any Star Wars addict.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this set instead of the newer, more complete sets but it does compliment those sets very well and fills in gaps with the older music that is no longer available. It is an excellent addition to the collection of any fan of the music from Star Wars.

This release originally came out in 1993. I've waited almost ten years to get. I've never had the money, seeing as how i was a youngster at the time. I purchased all of the special edition soundtracks, which are outstanding. This is an excellent and cheeper alternative to hearing the entire trilogy score in it's entirety. Seeing as how the Special edition soundtracks are about twenty to thirty dollars each, it is cheeper to purchase the anthology which, price wise, is the equivilant of one special edition score. There are four discs in this release, each cd covers at least 95% of the music heard in actual the films. A great booklet accomponies the cds as well. The anthology also features music not available on the special edition releases, including the Ewok ORIGINAL celebration music, and jabba's palace performers. OUTSTANDING BOX SET, HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED BEFORE IT GOE'S OUT OF PRINT!!

I own the "SE" versions of all three star wars scores, and while i like return of the jedi best overall, this score is brilliant. The last track ranks as my favorite on ANY cd... "The Throne Room" fills you with a sense of hope and pride, and truly stirs my soul, while the medley that makes up the end credits is great in that it contains entirely new arrangements of the themes heard previously in the film. The liner notes on this set are excellent, which is especially good for a film score which makes such extensive use of leit-motif (and if you don't know what that is, the liner notes explain that too!).

Star Wars: A New Hope. Yet another one of John William's most famous soundtracks, A New Hope has become a popular CD with collectors, and this particular release will probably become a collector before long. It is said that this release will be the last one of A New Hope, so this could be your last chance! Although this soundtrack isn't the cheapest one out there, it is worth the cost. With more music and much better sound quality then any of the other previous releases, this soundtrack has just about every bit of music ever shown on the movie. One reason for the large price (usually around the thirty dollar range) is that this release comes with two CD instead of the used-to-be single CD. Even as more and more Star Wars films are being released, A New Hope still remains in print. Even after being written in 1977, this score is a favorite and has probably stayed in print for so long do to high demand. This edition comes with a large booklet with the main story line in short, along with screen shots from the actual movie. John Williams did an incredible job with this score, making it a international hit. The original release won the academy award in 1977, and the sequels, the "Empire strikes back" and "Return of the Jedi" were both nomidated. Any CD collector chould have this soundtrack, (that is, if you want to have one of the best scores by John Williams!) A great soundtrack and will be known as as one of William's best for years to come!

(Although this score is very good, Empire Strikes Back probably has the best score of all the Star Wars trilogy music)

John Williams is probably the best composer that Hollywood has ever known. Williams has composed music for some of the biggest movies ever made, such as Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and the Star Wars Saga.

If anyone ever tells me they haven't seen a Star Wars movie, or didn't like a Star Wars movie, I'd call them a sinner. The Star Wars movies (especially the Originals - Episodes IV, V, and VI) combine the best elements in a movie: compelling characters, a gripping plot, an original story, and an amazing soundtrack.

The London Symphony Orchestra and John Williams have combined to create a wondrous work of art. The technique John Williams uses to create themes for each of the main characters really brings the movie alive and makes the actors seem more believable. The variety of music makes the soundtrack interesting.

Here are the highlights of the key themes in the original movies:
The Main Theme (a.k.a. Luke's Theme) - This is the blazing fanfare that almost everyone knows and loves. When I listen to this song, I sometimes feel as if I can do anything because this theme is inspiring.
The Imperial March (a.k.a. Darth Vader's Theme) - The triplet figures in this theme, along with a very dark, full-bodied sound create the mood of the invincible Empire. This song is a trombonist's dream because of the low brass melody.
Yoda's Theme - This theme is a very tender and flowing. Like Yoda, his theme reflects his inner strength and his wisdom. I like this song because it is very soothing and peaceful.
Han and Leia's Love Theme- The free style (rubato) of this theme where the time is not exactly concrete, along with a very moving melody creates the feeling of being wildly and madly in love.
The Force Theme (a.k.a. Ben's Theme) - This theme is very similar to the Main Theme except that the theme doesn't feel as "impulsive" in my opinion. While the Main Theme sounds like it is trying to achieve something, the Force Theme seems to sound more like it is already victorious.

My personal favorite songs or moments in the soundtrack:
All the standard themes are genius.
The statement of the Force Theme as Luke gazes at the two setting suns is very moving (sounds like a baritone).
The Throne Room is an excellent version of the Force Theme for the end of the Episode IV. Also, the end of the credits is an amazing fanfare by the brass section.
The Battle in the Snow on Hoth contains very good elements from all the different instruments in the band, including a great introduction by the percussion and two Grand pianos.
The frantic Asteroid Field song displays some excellent work in the string section.
The Finale in Episode V contains most of the major themes throughout the movie and ends with a spectacular ending by the tympanis (This is how tympanis are MENT to be played!).
The Cantina Band songs and Lapti Nek also bring different genres to the soundtrack by adding some jazz and techno flavourings to the songs.

Enjoy this soundtrack! I know I did!

As far as I could find, this is the most comprehensive original-trilogy 'Star Wars' soundtrack released *before* the 'Special Editions.' Nearly every score and song is here and unaltered, and the sound quality is 100% to mid-1990s CD standards. Furthermore, the tracks are mostly in film-appearance order (with the exception of the fourth disc, which contains "bonus" scores and songs from all three films in no particular order--material which simply wouldn't fit on the preceding three discs).

One clear, and apparently unavoidable, drawback is the absence of the film-version of "Lapti Nek," the song played by the "live" band in Jabba the Hutt's palace. Liner notes claim this recording is lost, and a sub-standard studio-version appears in its place.

Big bonus is the enclosed booklet, full of notes on each track, and samples of pre-film concept sketches.