The Empire Strikes Back: the Music Part I

The Soundtrack Show

iHeartPodcasts

Film History, Music History, Tv & Film, Music

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2019

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When approaching the film score to The Empire Strikes Back, the sequel to the unprecedented smash hit Star Wars just three years before, John Williams made it all look easy. It wasn't. The pressure was intense, and the timeline was challenging. We discuss the initial spotting session for Empire, as well as the new, central musical themes that emerge in this sequel... one that changed the Star Wars franchise, and its music, forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by ITVX.
0:03.0	Whatever is you're looking for from hard-hitting drama to side-splitting comedy, ITBX marks the spot.
0:11.0	There's so much to discover, like the Total Comedy Genius Show. the new relationship show, my mom, your dad, hosted by Devina McCall. Stream free with ITBX, the UK's
0:27.7	freshest streaming service. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. Our show is about to begin.
0:40.0	When approaching a sequel to Star Wars, John Williams was able to revisit and expand upon that galaxy far far away.
0:48.0	But scoring Empire Strikes Back couldn't have been as easy as he made it seem. This is the soundtrack show. Oh, The Empire strikes back, Strikes back.
1:24.0	Second of the Star Wars films on location in Norway.
1:47.0	With a budget of 1818 million and rising, the snow has to be real. It's a test of endurance for the cast, the crew and equipment.
1:59.0	The organization and the money behind a film of this scale are beyond most people's imaginaries.
2:06.0	There's explosions going on all around you, okay? Yet when the editing is finished, the pressure will focus on one man whose work can make
2:19.6	or mar the end result.
2:21.7	The composer, John Williams. Success can be terrifying.
2:27.0	Hello and welcome back to the soundtrack show. I'm your host David W Collins and this episode is kicking off our look at the musical score for Star Wars episode 5 the Empire Strikes Back.
2:40.0	A movie from 1980, executive produced by George Lucas, produced by Gary Kurtz,
2:45.6	directed by Ervin Kirschner with a score by John Williams.
2:50.0	John Williams by 1980 had been composing film and TV music for more than 20 years.
2:59.0	When Star Wars debuted in 1977, the soundtrack for Williams's score to Star Wars quickly became the best-selling
3:06.5	classical album of all time and was an essential major ingredient to the success of the film's tone.
3:15.0	Its feeling of swashbuckling adventure, and it gave that grandiose operatic treatment
3:20.9	to that galaxy far far away.
3:22.9	I'm sure the success of that was nice for John Williams.
3:26.2	I mean it earned him an Academy Award after all and his career really took off to even greater
	...

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