Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

by John Williams

Overview

With the mixed reactions to the first two prequels in the trilogy, fans and critics alike have been waiting nearly a decade for the third and final installment to the Star Wars saga, the sixth overall in the series. For fans, it's a redemption for having to endure characters such as Jar Jar Binks and the acting of Jake Lloyd in order to watch Anakin Skywalker make the transition to one of the most important villains in all of storytelling: Darth Vader. For critics, it's the ultimate litmus test to see if George Lucas can truly develop and tell a story without leaning too heavily on special effects and the magic of digital wizardry. Throughout the nearly three decades the Star Wars universe has been in existence, the music has played an integral storytelling role equal to the special effects. Composer John Williams has created his own language along with Lucas' character development during the series, and as a result could have easily coasted through the final score. Instead, Williams has more than stepped up to the task, delivering a harrowing score that complements the transition of Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. Familiar motifs in the Star Wars universe -- motifs that are embedded in the consciousness of even the most casual of pop culture fans -- make their appearances here. Some, like "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)," make their full unabashed return in sweeping, dramatic glory; through subtle placement, half developed passages, and quiet motifs, they were only previously hinted at in the scores of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Making less prominent appearances are the anthems of the first two movies, "Duel of the Fates" and "Across the Stars," complementing the eventual transition to the classic trilogy just as much as the visual storytelling itself. Gone are the experimental passages and sequences that relied on heavy tribal and unconventional symphonic instruments, and in their place are long sweeping string passages and quiet, almost drone-like atmospheric moments similar to moments in Claude Debussy's symphonic works. Some passages are so effective in telegraphing their messages that it's possible to envision the events on the screen occurring by just closing one's eyes. But buyer beware: in keeping with tradition of the first two scores of the prequel trilogy, the track titles give away shades and sequences of the plot without deference to ambiguous language. Granted, it's not as bad as the track titles of the first two movies, but it's still easy to decipher the plot twists just by looking at the back cover. Revenge of the Sith holds a place on the mantle with some of the classic scores that made Williams a legendary film composer. It's also a fine closing masterpiece to a series of movies filled with some of the most important musical moments in modern cinematic history. [Also included is a 70-minute DVD examining the history and scores of Star Wars. Essentially footage and highlights from the six movies set to Williams' finest musical moments, this disc brilliantly highlights the relationship between the music and storytelling, and is a must-have for any die-hard fan of the series.] ~ Rob Theakston

Product Details

Release Date:	05/04/2018
Label:	Walt Disney
UPC:	0050087364250

Tracks

1. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Star Wars and Revenge of the Sith
2. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Anakin's Dream
3. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Battle of the Heroes
4. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Anakin's Betrayal
5. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~General Grievous
6. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Palpatine's Teachings
7. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Grievous and the Droids
8. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Padm¿¿'s Ruminations
9. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
10. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Anakin's Dark Deeds
11. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Enter Lord Vader
12. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~The Immolation Scene
13. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious
14. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~The Birth of the Twins and Padm¿¿'s Destiny
15. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith~A New Hope and End Credits

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Williams   Primary Artist,Conductor
London Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
London Voices   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Tippy Bushkin   Director
Terry Edwards   Director,Director

Technical Credits

John Williams   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
Harold Ladino   Design
Kevin Kurtz   Producer
Ian McDiarmid   Unknown Contributor Role
Meghan Foley   Design
Sam O'Kell   Assistant Engineer
Robert Houston   Assistant Engineer
Ramiro Belgardt   Music Editor
George Lucas   Liner Notes
Andrew Dudman   Assistant Engineer
Ken Wannberg   Supervising Music Editor
Shawn Murphy   Mixing,Engineer
Patricia Sullivan Fourstar   Mastering
Dave Forty   Assistant Engineer
Marc Stecker   Mastering
Kyle Ruddick   Graphic Design
Mark Graham   Music Librarian
Mike Nack   Mastering
Michelle Errante   Product Manager
David Hage   Music Librarian
Jamie Richardson   Writer,Producer
Jeremy Stuart   Editing
Marc Steckar   Mastering
Megan Foley   Design
Sean Evans   Design,Art Direction
John Williams & the Tick Tocks   Producer
Laura Kszan   Editorial Production
Howard Roffman   Executive Producer