who composed the new music for "Return of the Jedi Special Edition" ?

I was curious!

 

What do you mean, new music?

All the orchestral stuff was composed by John Williams. Jedi Rocks, on the other hand, was composed by Jerry Hey.

 

thanks

 

Yeah, according to the liner notes from the ROTJ CD from RCA Victor, here's what it says about "Jedi Rocks" and Victory Celebration":

Jedi Rocks
Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, London, England
October 20, 1996
Music Composed and Arranged by Jerry Hey

Victory Celebration
Recorded at EMI/Abbey Road Studios, London, England
November 26-27, 1996

 

Victory Celebration is totally awesome.

 

So it's official then: John Williams himself has never disappointed any Star Wars fans, hardcore OT fans or PT gushers alike!

 

Oh hardly. I think he's disappointed many a person on these boards. Some say the PT scores are crap.

Personally I think Luke and Leia is a really weak theme.

 

I like "Ewok Celebration" more. It's more upbeat and... uh... celebrative.

 

The ending of ROTJ doesn't only have to cap the film... it's the end of a SIX film saga. The Ewok Celebration and the scene we got in 1983 just doesn't do that. It's too tied only to ROTJ. The Empire has just been defeated and all we get is a few teddy bears dancing with our heroes? Wow how anticlimactic. Victory Celebration has the right emotional tone to musically end the entire Saga. It is emotional and powerful and poignant enough to be the ending of six films chronicling Anakin's tragic fall and redemption. The footage used actually makes the ending one that caps the whole saga by showing celebration around the galaxy.

 

Sure, the footage works, but what about the tune? To me, it doesn't seem... I don't know, epic enough to climax all that we've seen and experienced. And while I wouldn't trade or cheapen the Vader's armor burning scene and acompanying music, it seems to me that it would have been nice to get another reprise of the Force theme, or Luke's theme, or something extremely central to the musical history of the saga, instead of a new creation that stands well on it's own, but really doesn't tie into the saga music as a whole.

But that's just me.

 

i agree 100%.

the new end theme is a nice little tune, and perhaps more fitting to end "the saga" than the ewok celebration.
But i dont feel it is "epic" enough, nor inclusive enough of the major themes from the rest of the "saga's" music.

Its not a big deal, but if they are gonna change my "wub jub" for a saga ending, then they shouldve really made it more, shall i say grand...

jsut my opinion though...

 

I must say that "Victory Celebration" sounds okay on CD, but in the film, it's probably one of Williams' worst cues ever. It really sounds more fitting for a TV movie with its new-agey feel. "Ewok Celebration" was catchier and made me feel happy the Empire was defeated rather than "sad" and melancholy. If they were unhappy with it, they could have just re-recorded an expanded version to fit over the new scenes across the galaxy and then went straight to the Ewok chanting when we finally reach Endor. Nope, I have never liked it and never will.

 

I too prefer the Ewok Celebration. It feels more victorious and powerful to me. I especially think the lyrics are poinant.

 

Wow, really? I think it's one of the most powerful themes out of the Saga's original motion picture soundtracks, or UE recordings, or Complete Score recordings.

 

I agree. I've often heard criticisms about Luke and Leia, but I feel it's just as powerful and strong as the AOTC Love Theme, the Force Theme, and the Love Theme from ESB and ROTJ.

 

Well, I wouldn't go as extreme as saying it's stronger than the Force Theme and Love theme from TESB and ROTJ, but it's all a matter of opinion I guess, as you're entitled to your own, obviously.

 

I've never been a fan of Luke & Leia. It's a boring theme, IMO.

 

Agreed 100%ly! The original ending would never fit the ending of the complete saga. It was okay for the OT, but would be anticlimatic for the ending of the whole story.
The new music is my most favorite cue of all film soundtracks. The new cut, with all the new locations is just awesome. We see all the places we have been to. Just great.

 

Victory Celebration, if it were presented in the film as it is on the CD, would be fantastic. The second part, where the strings and the choir join in, needs to play while the camera pans across the galaxy. Instead, we get tribal drums, and the cue doesn't actually start until we're on Endor anyway. So, it's just bad editing, not bad composition, IMO.

 

Luke and Leia is one of the best themes in the saga and Lucas should be hanged for not including it in ROTS.



Alderaan is chilly
/LM

 

I think the individual themes for each twin work better....

 

I don't. The scene where Leia learns the truth in ROTJ would have a stronger emotional impact on us if we had heard that theme at the end of ROTS.



Music - it sounds
/LM

 

I think Luke and Leia is a theme that works for the twins who KNOW they are related. It's for them as brother and sister, not for them before then. Having a unique theme for them as brother and sister allows for musical illustration of their new relationship, as the love theme between Han and Leia does for their new relationship. Having the Luke and Leia theme in ROTS would be like having Han and Leia's love theme in ANH. It's premature.

 

I'm glad that "Luke And Leia" was not used in ROTS. Leia's Theme works so much better.

 

Good point about Han and Leia's theme.
The good thing about the end music in ROTS is that it ties the film together with ANH. They become one film, basically.
I guess I'll get used to how it is eventually. I was just disappointed because I had expected to hear that theme in ROTS. I still think it would have added to the atmosphere of the movie, though. It has a quality which I think would fit in nicely.



The atmosphere is beyond words
/LM