Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
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CD Details
Brand: Star WarsComposer: John Williams
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Collector's Edition, Soundtrack
CD Release Date: 2004-09-21
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- 20th Century Fox Fanfare
- Main Title/Approaching The Death Star/Tatooine Rendezvous
- The Droids Are Captured
- Bounty for A Wookiee
- Han Solo Returns
- Luke Confronts Jabba/Den Of The Rancor/Sarlacc Sentence
- The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assault
- The Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/Obi-Wan's Revelation
- Alliance Assembly
- Shuttle Tydirium Approaches Endor
- Speeder Bike Chase/Land Of The Ewoks
- The Levitation/Threepio's Bedtime Story
- Sourc Music: Jabba's Baroque Recital
- Jedi Rocks
- Archival Bonus Track: Sail Barge Assault (Alternate)
- Parade Of The Ewoks
- Luke and Leia
- Brother and Sister/Father and Son/The Fleet Enters Hyperspace
- Emperor's Throne Room
- The Battle Of Endor
- The Lightsaber/The Ewok Battle
- THE BATTLE OF ENDOR II
- THE BATTLE OF ENDOR III
- Leia's News/Light of the Force
- Victory Celebration/End Title
- Source Music: Ewok Feast/Part Of The Tribe
- Archival Bonus Track: The Forest Battle (Concert Suite)
Music reviews of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
Music Review: Dark Themes Make This Score
Rating: 4 Stars
Prior to the emergence of the prequel trilogy, this particular Star Wars score is probably the darkest of the saga. From the moment the opening titles end, an eerie mood is set, and Darth Vader's Imperial March is almost immediately the focus of our attention. Now this soundtrack does take a little while to pick up the pace, but when it does, it's magic. There are a lot of dark themes in this soundtrack that tend to give the film a more sinister overtone, and it is this characterisitc that sets it apart from the other Star Wars scores.
For example, this is the first Star Wars score in which Williams has employed a choir (For the most part, he sticks to the male voices). With that said, what Williams created with the Emperor's theme is something that suits that character to a tee. Even if you don't know what the Emperor looks like, this spooky motif will immediately have you conjuring up images of something truly evil and sinister. But what really fascinated me about this theme is the way it competed with Vader's theme for dominance of the score, almost as if Vader himself were trying to rise above his master's influence. Other darker moments of the score include the Rancor's music (a classic monster track if there ever was one), the underscore of the Battle of Endor, and of course the final duel between Luke and Vader.
In the three tracks listed The Battle of Endor, the music cues underscoring the lightsaber duel only confirms what I said earlier in terms of the Emperor's theme becoming more dominant and more sinister. I noticed that whenever Luke ended up getting the short end of the stick, it was the Emperor's theme that accompanied these momentary defeats, not Vader's. However, Williams did introduce a new theme for the final sequencce of the lightsaber duel (the only point it was ever used), that does not exhibit a typical action scene romp, but is rather characterized by a moving strings motif augmented by chorus to illustrate the tragedy of this confrontation. It is at the point where the Emperor is zapping Luke to a crisp with his force lightning that the Emperor's theme has now reached its ultimate climax. The buildup or orchestra and chorus only better serves to illustrate the Emperor's raging desire to destroy Luke. And when Vader intervenes and destroys the Emperor, Luke's theme re-emerges almost as an exhausted victory cry.
The music that follows had me at my gut. At the point where Vader has finally found peace and redemption, the Imperial March theme is recited by a lonely harp above a sustained low strings note. This music now makes you pity a character you had once come to fear and associate with pure evil. This is followed shortly by the most movong rendition of Luke's theme as he lays his father to rest on a burning pyre. The tragic mood is quickly lightened by the newly-composed Victory Celebration that brings the film's revival to a fitting close.
Overall, although this does not top his first Star Wars score, Williams still delivers something special to our ears. This is definitely a must-have for any Williams collection, as it shows a more contrasting side to the saga's musical narrative. This is definitely a darker score - and I am not complaining!
More Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] free music reviews:
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Description of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
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