Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Remastered) John Williams

• 1 Main Title (The Story Continues) 05:10
• 2 Into the Trap 02:37
• 3 Luke and Leia 04:46
• 4 Parade of the Ewoks 03:25
• 5 Han Solo Returns (At the Court of Jabba the Hutt) 04:10
• 6 Lapti Nek (Jabba's Palace Band) 02:49
• 7 The Forest Battle 04:02
• 8 Rebel Briefing 02:23
• 9 The Emperor 02:44
• 10 The Return of the Jedi 05:03
• 11 Ewok Celebration and Finale 08:01
• Total Runtime 45:10

Info for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Remastered)

40th Anniversary-Edition: Walt Disney Records releases for the first time a 192kHz, 24bit edition of the remastered original motion picture soundtrack for Star Wars: "Return of the Jedi".

The "Return of the Jedi" score was recorded at the Abbey Road studios in January and February 1983 by the London Symphony Orchestra. The score won another Oscar nomination for John Williams. Because of the decrease of popularity for the vinyl format, Return of the Jedi, which has the longest score of the original trilogy, was only released on one LP instead of two like the scores for its predecessors, A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

"The original intent behind the release of the three Special Edition soundtracks was to place all of the available Star Wars music on the market and in the hands of fans. Though this collection includes new music from the Special Edition of the film -- previously unreleased music, a concert suite, and an alternate version of the music for the assault on Jabba the Hutt's sail barge -- it unfortunately doesn't include the original Sy Snootles track or the original Ewok celebration track. The music for Return of the Jedi is presented chronologically, with source music and alternate cues tucked away at the end of each disc, making those particular cuts easier to ignore (highly recommended in the case of the overbearing "Jedi Rocks," a new song composed for the Special Edition). Alas, ignoring John Williams' insipid, Yanni-like new addition to the score, "Victory Celebration," is only possible if you also manage to ignore the end title music. While the original celebration music, with its chorus line of demented Ewok voices, was no great joy, at least it had some interesting musical qualities. Despite its uninformative sleeve notes, this collection has a lot going for it. Musically, it sounds gorgeous; Williams turned in a score incorporating layer upon layer of thematic elements, risking a tendency toward composing music that was too ornate. Frills and trills abound, but Williams avoided allowing the score to be buried in them. Having the music assembled as a continuous master provides the listener with a more organic flow and a better listening experience overall, while the remixing and remastering have improved the sound and dynamic range enormously. Despite the missing music, this is definitely the version to have." (Steven McDonald, AMG)

Digitally remastered

John Williams
was born in 1932 in Long Island, New York, and later moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1948. He studied composition at UCLA. After serving in the Air Force, Williams returned to New York to study piano at the Juilliard School of Music. He worked as a jazz pianist for a time before moving back to Los Angeles to begin his career in the film studios.

Mr. Williams has composed the music for close to eighty films and has composed some of the most famous themes ever written for cinema. Some of these include Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET - the Extraterrestrial, Jurassic Park, the Star Wars Pre-episode and Trilogy, the Indiana Jones Trilogy, Home Alone, and Empire of the Sun. Receiving 45 Academy Award nominations, Williams has been awarded with five Oscars, seven British Academy Awards, twenty-one Grammies and four Golden Globes. He also has several gold and platinum recordings. His film score for Schindler's List earned him an Oscar and a Grammy. With 45 Academy Award nominations, John Williams has the most nominations of any person alive, and is tied for second ever after Walt Disney!

Mr. Williams was named the 19th conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1980, retiring in 1993. He has appeared as guest conductor with many major orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and has also written many concert pieces. His concert compositions include: Five Sacred Trees, a bassoon concerto premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1995, a cello concerto premiered in 1994 by Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and several concertos for flute, violin, clarinet, and tuba. His trumpet concerto premiered in 1996 with the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition, Mr. Williams composed the themes for the NBC News, the 1987 International Special Olympics, and the 1984, 1988, and 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

This album contains no booklet.