Best Star Wars Trilogy Re-recording Orchestra

[Ricard 2,242]

There you have some of the most popular orchestras that have re-recorded music from the first Star Wars Trilogy (all three scores). You can name any other orchestra not on the list.

[Beowulf 4]

I've got to go with the Skywalker Symphony recording on this one.

Simply put, it has the best sound quality, best playmanship-quality, and perfectly paced tempis.

[mahler3 478]

Being a huge Gerhardt & National Phil fan there is no argument in my honest opinion.

Honorable mention must go to the Skywalker Symphony recording as it was the first non-soundtrack Williams cd I purchased. I remember being so excited as it was the first time he had devoted a complete cd to the trilogy, and also the first time I saw a picture of the maestro.

-The only other score I remember the Skywalker Symphony doing was Alan Silvestri's 'Soapdish', ultimately they were just a session orchestra i suppose. Anyone know of any others?

[Justin 2]

I acctually haven't heard any of them except for the Skywalker Symphony and NPO. NPO is better.

Justin -Interested in hearing the other recordings

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

National Philharmonic Orchestra is my pick. Boston Pops would be close second. Never heard the Utah one (what recording is meant here?), however the least of all I like Cincinnati Pops. But I credit Erich Kunzel for that, not the ensemble alone.

[IrishCal24 0]

NPO is the overall best and recieved my vote, however, the Skywalker Symphony's recording of the Imperial Marck beats them all as far as individual pieces go.

[Hlao-roo 389]

I've got to go with the Skywalker Symphony recording on this one.

Simply put, it has the best sound quality, best playmanship-quality, and perfectly paced tempis.

Ha-ha! "Perfectly paced tempis"? Are you kidding me?

But I agree with IrishCal24 that the SSO's "Imperial March," with its beefed-up percussion (yay for timpani), is the best of them all.

[Romão 2,274]

I'm familiar only with the re-recordings of the Skywalker Symphony, which I quite enjoy.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

MECO

I really love their/his stuff. I love my litte 33rpm copy, play it all the time.

Gerhardt's stuff is great to.

[scissorhands 16]

Varujan Kojian & Utah Symphony

and

Zubin Mehta & L.A. Philarmonic

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Zubin Mahta is a music snob, and has show his contempt towards John a time or too. I remember an interview back in late 77 where he basically said that Star Wars was a good score, not great, and was basically forgettable.

And how many composistions have you actually sold Zubin.

[Lurker 5]

The Gerhardt recordings are the absolute best, rivaling the originals in many ways (and sometimes surpassing them). Top notch sound quality on all of them, too. Easily better than any of the original film recordings in terms of sonics. His Empire Strikes Back album rates as one of my very favorite records.

I'd put Kojian's recording a very close second. Wonderful sound and top notch playing, they just didn't record enough. Gerhardt got us 3 albums, one per film, while Kojian only did one album, and side one (boy am I dating myself) has music from Star Wars and Empire while side two is all Jedi music. The great thing about the album at the time is that it had unreleased music from Jedi on it. Still a great recording and highly recommended.

The Boston Pops recordings are very well done. Nothing spectacular, but you can't go wrong with them. There is a very nice album out from Phillips that collects all of Williams' re-recordings of Star Wars music with them. Unlike the Gerhardt and Kojian albums though, these are all concert versions of the music.

Erich Kunzels recordings are great for showing off your stereo system. Watch out for the bass drum in "The Imperial March". It could destroy your stereo system. The performances are very good too, but it's really the sound quality that stands out about his releases.

The Skywalker Symphony album should only be bought as a last resort. Tired, dull, boring performances, saved only by Shawn Murphy's recording. This album gets the least amount of play in my stereo system.

Honorable mention must go to the Skywalker Symphony recording as it was the first non-soundtrack Williams cd I purchased.

That doesn't make any sense.

The only other score I remember the Skywalker Symphony doing was Alan Silvestri's 'Soapdish'

Also Silvestri's score to Predator 2.

Neil

[Erik Woods 555]

-The only other score I remember the Skywalker Symphony doing was Alan Silvestri's 'Soapdish', ultimately they were just a session orchestra i suppose. Anyone know of any others?

Alan Silvestri - Predator 2, Soap Dish and Richocet

David Michael Frank - Cosmic Voyage

That's all I know.

-Erik-

[Ricard 2,242]

MECO

I really love their/his stuff.  I love my litte 33rpm copy, play it all the time.

I also love MECO (and MECO loves this site ), but I didn't put it on the list since it's not an actual "orchestra".

Ricard - Who purchased his first MECO recording over 25 years ago.

[Beowulf 4]

Ha-ha!  "Perfectly paced tempis"?  Are you kidding me?

Nope. I'm not kidding you.

Besides, I think the maestro would know what tempos he wants his own pieces to be.

[Ricard 2,242]

Zubin Mehta & L.A. Philarmonic

I love it too, but they only recorded the first Star Wars score. Hence they're not part of the poll.

[Ricard 2,242]

The Gerhardt recordings are the absolute best, rivaling the originals in many ways (and sometimes surpassing them).  Top notch sound quality on all of them, too.  Easily better than any of the original film recordings in terms of sonics.  His Empire Strikes Back album rates as one of my very favorite records.

I'd put Kojian's recording a very close second.  Wonderful sound and top notch playing, they just didn't record enough.  Gerhardt got us 3 albums, one per film, while Kojian only did one album, and side one (boy am I dating myself) has music from Star Wars and Empire while side two is all Jedi music.  The great thing about the album at the time is that it had unreleased music from Jedi on it.  Still a great recording and highly recommended.

The Boston Pops recordings are very well done.  Nothing spectacular, but you can't go wrong with them.  There is a very nice album out from Phillips that collects all of Williams' re-recordings of Star Wars music with them.  Unlike the Gerhardt and Kojian albums though, these are all concert versions of the music.

Erich Kunzels recordings are great for showing off your stereo system.  Watch out for the bass drum in "The Imperial March".  It could destroy your stereo system.  The performances are very good too, but it's really the sound quality that stands out about his releases.

The Skywalker Symphony album should only be bought as a last resort.  Tired, dull, boring performances, saved only by Shawn Murphy's recording.  This album gets the least amount of play in my stereo system.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Besides, I think the maestro would know what tempos he wants his own pieces to be.

Why do you say that?

[Eplicon 53]

The Skywalker Symphony performance is akin to Herrmann's re-recording of Psycho. I think I had that disc all but one week when it came out before unloading it to a used CD store. I found the selections to be less than inspiring since this was at a time when just the Polydor CDs were available, and the Gerhardt stuff was just being put out on disc, too.

Lucas's idea of putting together a world class symphony didn't work, as many of them apparently didn't seem accustomed doing the kind of "pick-up" work done by Hollywood musicians. And maybe that's why the playing is so darn slow. Then again, Williams might have been sleepwalking through the sessions over having to record the same Star Wars music again for the umpteenth time.

Gerhardt's version of the trilogy is still my favorite.

[Beowulf 4]

I still like the tempos of the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra.

Maybe slower is better.

[Lurker 5]

I still like the tempos of the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra.  

Maybe slower is better.  

Do yourself a favor, and get the Kojian album on Varese. You'll never go back to that Skywalker Symphony snoozefest again.

And to be totally unbiased, this thread caused me to listen to the Skywalker album again, to see if I'm missing something. I'm not. It's just so damn slow and dull. There is no comparison between Williams' "Here They Come!" and Kojian's which is exciting and powerful while the other is limp and uninspired.

Neil

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

Are the Geradlt versions that good?

He did the three movies and the CDs have the same music as the Anthology (except the alternates disc)?

Post the covers for it, please i may serarch for them ( i have seen some here)

[Lurker 5]

And yes, they are that good.

Neil

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

BUt the first includes Close encounters...

I'll may bet the ROJ one since i want to have the ewok celebration. wich version has it? It includes lepti nek?

[Lurker 5]

BUt the first includes Close encounters...

Ummmmmmm, yes it does. So? It's a wonderful 21 minute suite that has never been recorded again.

I'll may bet the ROJ one since i want to have the ewok celebration. wich version has it? It includes lepti nek?

It's an orchestral version of the original 1983 version. Mercifully, there is no re-recording of "Lapti Nek".

Neil

[JoeinAR 1,949]

if there was going to be a re-recording for Lapti-Nek and Jedi Rocks, and you could only make one go away which would you make go away.

At least Lapti-Nek is JW.

[Beowulf 4]

Do yourself a favor, and get the Kojian album on Varese.

Thanks Neil, i'll check it out.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

Are there concet suites from themes like Han and the Princess and other leitmotifs out there?

[Eplicon 53]

Gerhardt is an excellent conductor when it comes to film music; even Williams was a fan of his when he recorded Williams' own music! I dare say Gerhardt gives Williams a run for the money in the conducting department, as he brought out quite a bit of great performances from the NPO.

[Ricard 2,242]

Are there concet suites from themes like Han and the Princess and other leitmotifs out there?

All the concert suites are available on the Gerhardt recordings, including Han Solo and the Princess. That particular concert arrangement has only been recorded by Gerhardt with the NPO, Paul Bateman with the City of Prague, and Roy Budd with the LSO.

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

Can't decide between the NPO and the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. I think the Skywalker recording is excellent, and the tempi are perfectly valid (except for a really lame Here They Come). Is slower better? Sometimes it is, sometimes not. In this case (and many others), slower is good as well. The pacing of the Imperial March is simply perfect, and I love the slower Asteroid Field. The album's one problem is Shawn Murphy. It sounds quite good on an expensive stereo system when you turn up the volume a lot, but otherwise, half the instruments are hardly audible. It took me years to even notice there's a piano on the CD.

Marian - who has yet to get the Kojian recording.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

COuld anybody post the concert version and in that CD is each?

Thanks 8O

Luke, who is wondering how they will sound. /are they willams' composed (i mean the changes) or it's Geraldt's hand?

[scissorhands 16]

to compose the changes = to arrange

I might buy the Return of the Jedi (Gerhardt) one, though I saw it in one shop quite cheap (11 €).

The ESB one is very expensive though (in that shop): 21 €!!!! :wow: 8O -aaaah, paso!, hehe-

s-hands, who would like to hear a CD like those ones for the new Episodes of the saga (a Qui-Gon's theme's concert arrangement, etc.)

[Romão 2,274]

s-hands, who would like to hear a CD like those ones for the new Episodes of the saga (a Qui-Gon's theme's concert arrangement, etc.)

or the Trade Federation March.

[scissorhands 16]

Or Augie's Municipal Band sung by adult chorus

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

Or Augie's Municipal Band sung by adult chorus  

Wouldnt that be the Emperor's theme?

[King Mark 3,625]

I think all the re-recordings have some pieces better than other,except the Prague orchestra which never has the best recording of anything.Here's what I remember are my favourites.

Skywalker Orchestra:

Imperial March

Princess Leia's Theme

Little People Work

Throne Room and Finale

Bpops:

Yoda's Theme

Gerheardt:

Han Solo and the Princess

Ewok Celebration

Utah:

Darth Vader's Death

Zubin Metah:

The Last Battle

...

Parade of the Ewoks:They all sound the same to me.

Asteroid Field,Main Title Suite,Fight with the Tie Fighters:OSTs by far the best.

K.M.

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

I like the different take on the Asteroid Field on the Skywalker recording, to me it's as valid as the OST version.

BTW, thinking about the Gerhardt ESB, I decided to vote for the Skywalker orchestra - the NPO have some real problems in that score.

Schindler's List

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Problems???

Please specify, i think it's a brilliantly performed recording that is at certain points superiour to the OST recording. (the last minute of the End Credits truly soars.)

The Skywalker version is very dissapointing, it's not that the tempo's are slower (the Gerhardt recording have slower tempo's too) but the music just...seems to drag.

The sound is good, the performance really isn't.

Stefancos- who definatly voted for the Gerhardt releases.

[Lurker 5]

Problems???

Please specify,

Some people seem to have issues with this recording. I know you, Ricard, Melange and I do not. We all love this album. I tend to listen to it more than any other Star Wars record (with the possible exception of the 2 disc SE of Star Wars).

Neil

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

I'm afraid the Hoth Battle on the Gerhardt album nearly sounds like some City of Prague recording to me. Yes, the Skywalker tempos are slow, but I think they don't drag.

Anyway, Gerhardt has Han Solo and the Princess, so he's still a must-have.

[Justin 2]

NPO ESB recording is great. However in 2 or 3 tracks the brass is terribly high pitched I can hardly listen to it. Battle in the Snow is a good recording right up to a point and the brass just squeaks. However their Asteroid Field performance is second to none.

Skywalker Symphony isn't too good an album. The tempos do seem off to me. However The Imperial March is the best rendition of the concert version. Including the OST!

Utah recording is great all around I just got this and it might even be my overall favorite re-recording. I would have loved to have 3CD's of this stuff.

The RSNO NEEDS to do a recording of it.

Justin -Who knows Neil or Melange won't agree with a lot of the above post.

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

The RSNO NEEDS to do a recording of it.

The one point where I'm uneasy about the RSNO is difficult brass writing. I'm not sure if they could handle the Star Wars scores too well.

[Ricard 2,242]

Some people seem to have issues with this recording.

Indeed.

http://jwfan.net/modules.php?op=modload&na...ighlight=#35128

[Justin 2]

The one point where I'm uneasy about the RSNO is difficult brass writing. I'm not sure if they could handle the Star Wars scores too well.

They sure as heck handled Superman.

Justin -Who thinks that re-recording is easily the best he's ever heard.

[Lurker 5]

They sure as heck handled Superman.

As long as you don't listen to "Chasing Rockets".

Neil

[Marian Schedenig 8,174]

Okay, I don't have their Superman yet.

Marian - who wants it. And Jaws too.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

I am also going with the Skywalker Symphony as well. Johnny really lead the orchestra VERY well with this one. He succeeded on such a great level some of the tracks rival the LSO.

They performers also came through great as well.

[Lurker 5]

I am also going with the Skywalker Symphony as well. Johnny really lead the orchestra VERY well with this one. He succeeded on such a great level some of the tracks rival the LSO.  

They performers also came through great as well.

I just must be deaf. Here I was thinking I know Star Wars music and how its supposed to sound, and dammit I can't find anything of merit in that Skywalker recording. I'm surprised it has as many votes as it does. Of course I also wonder how many here have heard all of the recordings in the poll.

Neil

[Guest]

Are there concet suites from themes like Han and the Princess and other leitmotifs out there?

All the concert suites are available on the Gerhardt recordings, including Han Solo and the Princess. That particular concert arrangement has only been recorded by Gerhardt with the NPO, Paul Bateman with the City of Prague, and Roy Budd with the LSO.

Roy Budd and the LSO???? What CD is this on??? Is it as good as the Gerhardt version????

Thanks

By the way I love the expanded Throne Room and Finale on the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra, I prefer it to the OST!! Really I do!!