JohnWilliams was the go-to composer for the generation of Hollywood directors whocame of age in the ‘70s. His music for Jaws was my favorite, but he achievedthe greatest impact for his work on Star Wars. With the impending arrival thisDecember of Episode VII, all sorts of product relating to the earlier cycleswill be on the market.
Musically,the characteristic product of Skywalker nostalgia is the new recording by theCity of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Music from the Star Wars Saga. Thecollection includes signal compositions by Williams from all six films. Theorchestral settings are entirely appropriate for scores whose inspiration wasdrawn freely from symphonic and ballet music from the Romantic andImpressionistic eras—Holst to be sure, but also Debussy and the whole gang fromthe late 19th and early 20th centuries.
