Star Wars saga concert arrangement-concert suites

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Hi there, I would like to make a CD with all the concert suites from star wars, but only the ones properly composed by John himself. I mean, Gerhardt versions, they are the best but contain much 'filmscore' intertwined with the concert arrangements.

Are they all of these: (propper order of the movements inside the suites would be welcome too)

SW:

Star wars main title

The little people work

Cantina band(?)

Princess Leia

Here they come

Throne room and finale

ESB:

The imperial march

Yoda's theme

The asteroid field

Han solo and the princess (?? what is this? )

Finale (?) williams mentions it as part of his suite in the Gerhardt CD

ROTJ:

Jabba the hutt

Luke and Leia

Parade of the Ewoks

The Forest battle

TPM:

Star Wars Main title and the Arrival to Coruscant (?)

The FLag Parade

Anakins Theme

The adventures of Jar Jar

Duel of the Fates

AOTC:

Across the Stars

ROTS:

Battle of the Heroes

thanks for the help

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Luke, you can find the first version of the Star Wars suite on Decca, with the L.A. Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. Originaly, it didn't include "Here they Come", as that was added by Gerhardt to his own recording. Of course, most of those are also on Williams own recording with the Skywalker Symphony, but the Mehta recording would be my favourite performance of "The Battle" (which was part of the 5-movement suite.)

Regarding Empire Strikes Back, the finale was the end credits, I think, but I need to double check when I get back home later today. "Han Solo and the Princess" was recorded at least twice, by Gerhardt and later in the 90's by the Prage Philharmonic.

Return of the Jedi, you can find Williams own recording with the Boston Pops, which is likely the best take on them.

As for The Phantom Menace, the complete suite was recorded by Varese (I think with Talgorn conducting), but I always found the performances quite poor. Williams conducted most of it with the Pops at Tanglewood in the summer of 1999, but the sound of the radio broadcast isn't as good, naturally.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Regarding Empire Strikes Back, the finale was the end credits, I think, but I need to double check when I get back home later today.

From what I remember, I believe what I heard as part of the ESB suite (which seems to have been the proper suite, e.g. starting without main titles etc.) was Rebel Fleet & End Titles.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

hmm the Gerhardt ESB finale does not include the Rebel fleet..but then maybe han solo and the princess is the previous movement...

Miguel, thanks for the info.

Is 'The battle' from Gerhard the original williams composition or does it feature added music?

Is 'here they come' a williams concert piece or he liked Gerhardt's work and used it on the skywalker symphony CD?

Its a shame that noone has recorded al of them with the same conductor and orchestra in the same recording sessions. I like 'continuity'.

How great would have been if the 'corellian edition' had been this...(with LSO and Williams )

[fommes 153]

"Han Solo and the Princess" was recorded at least twice, by Gerhardt and later in the 90's by the Prage Philharmonic.

It's also on "Big Screen Adventure", played by the LSO.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

is it a good recording that would merge neatly with the LSO soundtracks?

[fommes 153]

It's certainly closer in sound to the OSTs and the Boston Pops recordings than the Prague or the Gerhardt. Performance is good, of course; the only thing is the orchestra or sound sounds slightly smaller-ish, or thinner perhaps. But what do I know, I'm no audiophile.

[benefactor 3]

This quote from Charles Gerhardt Liner Notes to the LP.

Following the huge success of "Star Wars", John Williams made a concert suite of the music for standard-size orchestra for public performance. It is in five movements. I liked very much the way the music was put together from the film cues (the music does not follow the exact running footage of the film in all cases) and conferred with John on two things. I wanted to use for this album the original film orchestration for large orchestra (11 woodwinds, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timapni and 3 percussion, 2 harps, piano, celesta, 26 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos and 6 basses). This is because the extra depth and sense of space of the larger orchestra impressed me very much when I first saw a preview of the completed film. Secondly, I asked to include one more movement, Here They Come!, a short, brilliant scherzo depicting a chase and sky flight between space ships, and in including this movement to rearrange the playing order of the now six movements. To this he agreed with enthusiasm.

Mehta and Gerhardt "The Last Battle" are the same but Gerhardt's tempos quite different especially at the very end of the piece. It is original Williams composition.

SW Main Title and and the Arrival to Naboo (Coruscant) was not included in Conductor's Sheet Score edition of The Phantom Menace suite, so it is not an official part of the suite. Talgorn recording of this track is intolerable for me (second half) but performance of The Flag Parade and Adventures of Jar Jar are good.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

This quote from Charles Gerhardt Liner Notes to the LP.

Following the huge success of "Star Wars", John Williams made a concert suite of the music for standard-size orchestra for public performance. It is in five movements. I liked very much the way the music was put together from the film cues (the music does not follow the exact running footage of the film in all cases) and conferred with John on two things. I wanted to use for this album the original film orchestration for large orchestra (11 woodwinds, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, timapni and 3 percussion, 2 harps, piano, celesta, 26 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos and 6 basses). This is because the extra depth and sense of space of the larger orchestra impressed me very much when I first saw a preview of the completed film. Secondly, I asked to include one more movement, Here They Come!, a short, brilliant scherzo depicting a chase and sky flight between space ships, and in including this movement to rearrange the playing order of the now six movements. To this he agreed with enthusiasm.

Mehta and Gerhardt "The Last Battle" are the same but Gerhardt's tempos quite different especially at the very end of the piece. It is original Williams composition.

SW Main Title and and the Arrival to Naboo (Coruscant) was not included in Conductor's Sheet Score edition of The Phantom Menace suite, so it is not an official part of the suite. Talgorn recording of this track is intolerable for me (second half) but performance of The Flag Parade and Adventures of Jar Jar are good.

thanks

[TownerFan 4,983]

Mehta and Gerhardt "The Last Battle" are the same but Gerhardt's tempos quite different especially at the very end of the piece. It is original Williams composition.

Actually, Gerhardt's version added a section (namely the wonderful woodwind/muted brass chase when the TIE Fighters blow up one of the pilots) that wasn't originally part of the Suite.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

hmm. it does not fit all in one CD..i need to make some culling :/

[Wojo 2,453]

WWCD?

Just speed some of the tracks up.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

No...i'm not succumbing to making PAL cds..

[benefactor 3]

Mehta and Gerhardt "The Last Battle" are the same but Gerhardt's tempos quite different especially at the very end of the piece. It is original Williams composition.

Actually, Gerhardt's version added a section (namely the wonderful woodwind/muted brass chase when the TIE Fighters blow up one of the pilots) that wasn't originally part of the Suite.

Yes! That's right. But may be Mehta version was shortened? I have conductor's score of The Battle and its identical to Gerhardt recording.

hmm. it does not fit all in one CD..i need to make some culling :/

No need to include SW Main title and the Arrival to Naboo (Coruscant) and ESB Finale

Jar Jar Adventures is a clear waste for me. Cantina Band are fun but interrups the flow of the symphonic score. Omit one or another and the rest should fit 90 min/800MB CD-R.

[fommes 153]

Hey Luke, just for reference, could you perhaps edit your first post to include the complete correct info?

[Wojo 2,453]

No...i'm not succumbing to making PAL cds..

I was thinking more along the lines of the Chipmunks.