Han Solo and the Princess conspiracy?

[Bespin 8,480]

3 hours ago, aj_vader said:

 

Imagine he did something like the Lord of the Rings Symphony in 6 Movements!

 

Yeah but this time we need a minimum of 3 symphonies, and for the better, 9 !

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

On 20.2.2017 at 2:23 AM, karelm said:

The rest of the suite is lackluster and proves what is most important is the composer/conductor rather than the orchestra.

 

Rambo III begs to differ.

 

On 20.2.2017 at 5:31 AM, DominicCobb said:

Isn't the reason JW thought "Across the Stars" was the first love theme because he considers "Han Solo and the Princess" to just be Han's theme?

 

That's what I've been saying.

 

On 20.2.2017 at 9:06 AM, BloodBoal said:

Isn't it a tad too romantic to be just Han's theme, though?

 

Then perhaps it's Leia's perception of Han? It certainly seems to be pretty consistently applied to Han, and that includes its appearance in TFA (where it might as well represent a love theme, but basically it's quite literally Leia thinking of Han).

8 hours ago, TownerFan said:

The original Star Wars Symphonic Suite that Williams prepared in 1977 (for Zubin Mehta and the LA PHil) was comprised of:

 

I. Main Theme

II. The Little People

III. Leia's Theme

IV. Here They Come!

V. The Battle

VI. Throne Room and Finale

 

This suite was performed often by JW himself and by many orchestras around the world, as it was made publicly available through Fox Music after the huge success of the film. It has also been recorded by Zubin Mehta and the La Phil and by Charles Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic.

 

Here They Come! was not originally part of the suite, and does not feature in the Mehta recording. It was added to the suite afterwards by Charles Gerhardt's request.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The Gerhardt/NPO suite is still the best rerecording os music from Star Wars (1977)

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

Yes.

[Will 2,215]

@TownerFan, good point about not taking the interviews too literally either.

 

I remember at a recent Boston concert I listened to, Williams incorrectly stated that "Luke and Leia" was from the second SW film. I think that speaks to how things can slip by this far on (as in the AOTC clip). I kind of doubt he didn't consider "Han and Leia" a love theme. That wouldn't really make any sense IMO. 

 

I think the Tavis Smiley interview thing is probably for a different reason ... given that he'd just written several statements of it for love scenes, JW couldn't have forgotten that it was a love theme rather than Han's theme, but more likely, I guess, just wasn't taking the conversation too seriously -- i.e. that bit was only meant as a kind of "side-note" to illustrate the point that themes were returning; in other words, he was just absent-mindedly listing off characters with themes associated with them as they came into his mind.

 

I guess maybe it could be a little like the "Marion's Theme" situation too. Isn't that basically a love theme, but Williams often refers to it (and even titled it) as just her theme? Or how "Leia's Theme" was sort of written as a love theme ... again, back to the "don't take it too literally" advice. 

[Tom 4,651]

It is an excellent theme and I wish Williams and others would program it more. However, I cannot understand why people actually care if he classifies it as a love theme or otherwise--the music is the same either way. 

[Amer 2,096]

3 hours ago, Tom said:

It is an excellent theme and I wish Williams and others would program it more. However, I cannot understand why people actually care if he classifies it as a love theme or otherwise--the music is the same either way. 

 

My own conclusion is that its primarily 'Han's Theme' It makes its first appearance when Luke and Han are on their Hoth recce. We as an audience have been so swept with the romantic-tragic arc of the story that we have taken it for granted that it was the Love Theme. In my opinion,  It's used as a dramatic device for the budding romance between Han and Leia which is great as it works great in that context. Williams inter played specific themes for different dramatic sequence in the Trilogy. We get Leia's theme when Ben Kenobi dies in A NEW HOPE and Yoda's Theme makes a heroic appearance during the Luke and Vader's duel in EMPIRE. The 'Han Solo and The Princess' cue on the Gerhardt album is fantastic but its an 'intercourse' of both Han's theme and Leia's Theme. Both the character's themes are distinct in this cue. Both musical motives fight for dominance starting with a foreplay (where they introduce each other and leading to the final musical climax)  And Lets also not forget that Leia's theme was basically to support the supposedly love between Luke and Leia for A NEW HOPE. until EMPIRE, but we always thought it was her character theme and stayed pretty much through out the series.Williams was using his themes a dual device all along interchanging to suit the dramatic moments.

 

While Williams acknowledges this album greatly in the liner notes, I don't know for sure if this 'Han Solo and The Princess' Concert version was an original piece by Williams or arranged exclusively by Gerhardt  and approved by Williams himself ?

[King Mark 3,631]

it says it was arranged by Williams, no questions there

[Amer 2,096]

4 minutes ago, king mark said:

it says it was arranged by Williams, no questions there

 

Thanks for the confirmation. I just also checked the sleeve and Williams mentions that 'Han Solo and the Princess' as part of:  ''...the suite, I had specially written and adapted for the concert performance'' I suppose the other cues(apart fromt he concert suite) some of which are reductions from the original score and made into part of an extended suites are thus rendered in part by Gerhardt using Williams original cues. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Great album!

[TownerFan 4,983]

13 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Here They Come! was not originally part of the suite, and does not feature in the Mehta recording. It was added to the suite afterwards by Charles Gerhardt's request.

 

You're right. I think "Cantina Band" was part of the original suite instead of that.

[Stempel 136]

23 hours ago, Bespin said:

 

I'm talking about the sheet music.  That's the "Official" Star Wars Suite.

 

It's what I'm talked about, it has never been "clear", no conductor plays or record that Suite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[publicist 4,643]

5 hours ago, azahid said:

 

Please Varése, remaster this so that it doesn't sound so digitally shrill. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

And ruin the way it was performed and recorded?

[Bespin 8,480]

2 hours ago, Stempel said:

 

 

 

Slobowhat?

 

Of course I talked about worldwide known ensemble. By example, when Simon Rattle conducts The Berliner Philharmoniker for live performance and plays only the Main Theme... It's annoying at the end to have pretty much always only the theme being played and recorded.

 

But in another hand, a Suite for Schindler's exists and artists still record only the theme...

 

I guess this is the lot of film composers... They can't force the artists to play their suites or arranged stuff... at the end, they play the little part they want to play, even if it's only 4-5 minutes in lenght.

[publicist 4,643]

25 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

And ruin the way it was performed and recorded?

 

Yes!

[Will 2,215]

9 hours ago, Bespin said:

 

Slobowhat?

 

Of course I talked about worldwide known ensemble. By example, when Simon Rattle conducts The Berliner Philharmoniker for live performance and plays only the Main Theme... It's annoying at the end to have pretty much always only the theme being played and recorded.

 

But in another hand, a Suite for Schindler's exists and artists still record only the theme...

 

I guess this is the lot of film composers... They can't force the artists to play their suites or arranged stuff... at the end, they play the little part they want to play, even if it's only 4-5 minutes in lenght.

 

Yep. I think that's just the way it is with film music. It could indicate a lack of respect, but since even JW himself does it it probably just shows the realization that little suites were never really meant to constitute an entire work, unlike the symphony you mentioned.

[Tom 4,651]

It would be cool if Williams scores all nine episodes for him to record a 2-cd definitive suite for SW.  Probably asking too much, but who knows.