John Williams: The Empire Strikes Back (Vimyl 180g)

Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score

Contents

1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare
2. Main Title / The Imperial Probe
3. Luke’s First Crash
4. Han Solo And The Princess
5. The Asteroid Field
6. The Training Of A Jedi Knight And “May The Force Be With You”
7. The Battle In The Snow
8. The Imperial March
9. The Magic Tree
10. Yoda’s Theme
11. The Rebels Escape Again
12. Lando’s Palace
13. Finale

(May 4, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA) – In celebration of Star Wars Day 2021, Varèse Sarabande Records is reissuing the long out-of-print LP The Empire Strikes Back – Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score by Academy Award® winner John Williams. Out of print since 1980, the record is pressed on black 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold cover with the original Star Wars artwork and notes

Originally released to complement, not compete with, the 2-LP Motion Picture Soundtrack, this 1-LP release skillfully combines a “Symphonic Suite” that John Williams created for concert performance with new arrangements of other cues from the film score. The Empire Strikes Back has become not only one of Williams’ most iconic scores, but also one of the most iconic film scores of all time. The LP comes in a gatefold cover with the original iconic Star Wars paintings by William Stout, images by John Williams, and annotations by author Ray Bradbury, composer and critic Christopher Palmer, and the maestro himself

“The suite, which I had written and adapted specifically for concert performance […] was cleverly augmented with other music from the film to form a unified whole. A great orchestra and Gerhardt’s opulent sound and dramatic phrasing make a fine addition to a rapidly growing list of great recordings of film music.” – John Williams