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John Williams' new HAN SOLO AND THE PRINCESS arrangement (Debuted 2018)


Jay

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Almost missed this completely but thankfully Stefan shared the link over messenger. 

 

It's absolutely spectacular. And not before time! Oh my god it would make my day to hear this pop up in the upcoming Solo movie. 

 

7 hours ago, Erik Woods said:

An unfocused mess. Why do this when there is a superior concert arrangement out there? And he got rid of the Leia's Theme cameo.  Utterly disappointing.

 

I disagree about the original concert arrangement, because I've always thought it was rubbish to be honest. This update suggests that Williams has long been unhappy with it, too.

 

Job's a good'un - this blows the original away. 

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2 minutes ago, Quintus said:

it would make my day to hear this pop up in the upcoming  Solo movie.

 

How is that going to come about?

 

I mean, maybe a hint. But I really can't imagine more than that, especially since Williams will be writing a theme for the character.

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The way the final crescendo is delivered in this video performance... I can hear in my mind Williams' own intended "oomph" from the orchestra there, with him rehearsing with them prior. It's a far more satisfyingly cathartic and "Star Warsy" moment, than what they managed to pull off here, admirable enough though it was. I hope we get to hear the Maestro's own recording soon. 

 

It's funny, I've been off this theme for many years. In fact I was sick of it. I thought that, along with Yoda's theme, it was the most dated aspect of these old scores. But this new arrangement has breathed fresh life into the theme for me, it sounds almost contemporary. 

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The ending reminds me of the structure of his revised War Horse and Face of Pan suites. Simply beautiful... love this recent trend of throwing the finale to the woodwinds/flutes, it's very restrained and regal.

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This:

 

Note the structural similarities with this new Han Solo suite. Similar thing here, his revised Face of Pan concert suite:

 

Just sublime. Music that skips the ears and goes straight to the soul.

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The Dartmoor piece, it's the one he's always gone with for live performances, and it features two of the score's central themes mid way through the piece, but I've always felt he pays short shrift to those absolutely lush themes in the concert environment. It's a bugbear I've always had with the score, that those two utterly vintage Williams melodies weren't ever brought together in a properly fleshed out concert arrangement. Probably my most frustrating JW "missed opportunity" ever. 

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The new arrangement is quite excellent. Not quite as to the point as the original but I love all the new variations and the whole re-exploration of the possibilities of the theme. I wonder what prompted the revision. Was JW dissatisfied with the original or was he just in the Star Wars head space after TLJ and decided that a revision was in order. A bit like with Marion's theme after KotCS (that was at Spielberg's behest though).

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This is a really interesting arrangement, and substantively new.  I never really got the hype for the new Marion's theme arrangement a few years back, but this is definitely a fresh take.

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25 minutes ago, Incanus said:

The new arrangement is quite excellent. Not quite as to the point as the original but I love all the new variations and the whole re-exploration of the possibilities of the theme. I wonder what prompted the revision. Was JW dissatisfied with the original or was he just in the Star Wars head space after TLJ and decided that a revision was in order. A bit like with Marion's theme after KotCS (that was at Spielberg's behest though).

 

Considering Williams never performed the theme himself I would assume he wasn't satisfied with the arrangement.

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For me, it's like if Aznavour, at 93 yo have decided to rework La bohème, and add a new musical bridge in the middle of it.

 

That's a no-no :nono:

 

PS: Sorry, I forgot to mention that "Han Solo and the Princess" is perhaps my favorite Star Wars Theme... since 38 years.

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Wow, this is an unexpected treat. I love the new variations, feels very Golden Age to me. Fantastic!

Let's hope we won't have to wait long for a studio recording. I fully expect Williams to perform this is Chicago, Boston, Tanglewood this year.

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7 minutes ago, Damien F said:

I fully expect Williams to perform this is Chicago, Boston, Tanglewood this year.

 

Absolutely, yea.  I look forward to hearing it in Boston and Tanglewood!

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My guess is that it's similar to the revised Marian's Theme around the time of KOTCS -  Williams had been revisiting the old theme for a sequel (TFA and TLJ) and was inspired to rejigger it into a new arrangement.

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It had me within seconds but then I've been a sucker to this theme since hearing it on my Dad's old cassette. But then 3.21 happened and from then on swept away by it. If he can do this with an old theme, I have some hope for Episode IX.

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16 hours ago, TownerFan said:

It's called Variations on a Theme, boys. He took something he wrote almost many years ago and gave it a new spin.

I guess you mean variations in the wider meaning, but since in music it's a specific kind of musical composing, I'd say this is not variations, but a "development" of the theme.

Unless someone could argue that it's "developing variations".

I am not sure, i listened to it twice.

 

Overall, a very fine arrangement, better than the whole album of the Last Jedi.

 

@Bespin

What new ending with  crescendo?

You mean the music leading to 5.00''?

51 minutes ago, crocodile said:

Finally! Our first SW love theme!

 

Karol

Why do you not consider Across the Stars a love theme?

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5 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

 

@Bespin

What new ending with  crescendo?

You mean the music leading to 5.00''?

 

Don't know, the ending, where it's usually end or lead to the Star Wars main theme.

 

I watched the video only once, I'll never watch it again.

 

I'll try to forget this version and pretend it doesn't exist. :)

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Found this post talking about how it was taken off the market for revision...in 2017, I guess?

 

 

" Years before Across the Stars (Love Theme linked with Anakin and Padmè), this was the real Love Theme of the original Star Wars Trilogy. The theme appears briefly in Empire Strikes Back but the concert arrangement Williams did for the Symphonic Suite of Episode V is one of the most erotic works of the entire Saga. Now, unfortunately, this version is no more available: we performed right before it was taken off the market "for revision"... We hope that it will available again soon! For now enjoy it!"

IMHO, the new version can't hold a candle to this one.  It's just beautiful.

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