- Mini-Disc (12 April 1999)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Soundtrack
- Label: Sony
- ASIN: B00004WX37
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Mini-Disc | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 497,086 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The most eagerly anticipated movie of 1999, if not the decade, The Phantom Menace was also a mouth-watering prospect for soundtrack fans. Star Wars, after all, has become arguably the best-known and most influential movie score ever written, so a new instalment from John Williams, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, was always going to be a cause for celebration. And if the movie proved ultimately unable to live up to audience's almost impossibly high expectations, the music more than compensated. This is Williams at his expansive best. Always a supremely confident inhabitant of the Star Wars universe, the composer once again marshals the techniques of leitmotif and thematic transformation to depict the exotic landscapes of George Lucas's imagination; and here, 22 years after the original, his scoring exudes the maturity of a highly accomplished master of his craft. Take the centrally important "Anakin's Theme", for example, in which the seeds are sown for transformation into "The Imperial March" (Darth Vader's theme), or the Miklós Rózsa-esque march of "The Flag Parade" (the comparison with Ben-Hur is only fitting in context), or the magnificent choral set-piece, "Duel Of The Fates", in which a choir chanting a Sanskrit text (!) is propelled headlong over a driving ostinato rhythm. Original themes are used sparingly, but when the Force theme floats ethereally into "Watto's Deal" or the Emperor's sinister theme introduces "The Appearance Of Darth Maul", their impact is all the more telling for its subtlety. Throughout, the picturesque orchestration conjures vivid images--whether or not you are thinking of the movie--helped greatly by a magnificent performance from the LSO, whose excitement and sense of enjoyment in this music is tangible (the brass playing is, as ever with this team, a joy to behold). The recording at Abbey Road Studio No. 1 is also one of the most realistic ever captured on disc: listen through good speakers and it's like sitting in the studio itself. This 74-minute album assembled by the composer is intended to offer a musically coherent presentation: doubtless a complete version of this score will surface to satisfy collectors, but for now there's scarcely a better way to experience the magical fusion of music and cinema. --Mark Walker
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Audio CD
I love John Williams's music and this first Episode in the Saga is just as great as all the others! Contains some real classics ... the only shame is it's not in any chronolgical order with the film and it's a bit harder to remember where your favourite tracks are at!
Format:Audio CD
This is a great study of how soundtrack cues are selected for a typical album release.
To truly get 'into' the score I'd recommend the 2 disc complete recording which features every cue Williams wrote for the film presented in narrative order. However, this is a great place to start and presents the score in solidly crafted concert suites that entertain from start to finish.
Revisiting old themes and crafting impresssive new ones, Williams exceeded expectations and provided probably my favourite Staw Wars score of the lot. The rich tapestry of colour and shade within the orchestration is a pure treat, as one would come to expect from such a composer, made even more apparent now by the total neglect of such colour by modern composers and their 'one sound fits all' approach.
Crank up the volume and be transported - this is sci-fi music at its best.
To truly get 'into' the score I'd recommend the 2 disc complete recording which features every cue Williams wrote for the film presented in narrative order. However, this is a great place to start and presents the score in solidly crafted concert suites that entertain from start to finish.
Revisiting old themes and crafting impresssive new ones, Williams exceeded expectations and provided probably my favourite Staw Wars score of the lot. The rich tapestry of colour and shade within the orchestration is a pure treat, as one would come to expect from such a composer, made even more apparent now by the total neglect of such colour by modern composers and their 'one sound fits all' approach.
Crank up the volume and be transported - this is sci-fi music at its best.
Format:Audio CD
Yet another great score from John Williams. Worthy of serious consideration if you like the music from the other Star Wars films, or if you are just a fan of his work.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great soundtrack
I love Star Wars, and I love this soundtrack! This CD will give you a load of good memories when listening to it. That's all I need to say!
Published 15 months ago by Louis
Brilliant
Listening to this album will help you to understand The Force and improve your Jedi skills...
Published on 14 Jan 2010 by Mr Ledger
Great Purchase
CD was better than described. Fast shipping. Would order from here againStar Wars, The Phantom Menace
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Darina O'hanlon
Absolutley Wonderful
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace.
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to... Read more
Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was the first of the "New Movies" that George Lucas has done, and he has brought back to... Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2004 by "taylorswede"
John Williams picks up where he left off...
The rousing, and epics scores of the original trilogy, are the best part of the stories, if not the whole series of movies. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2004 by "taylorswede"
Worth it for 'Duel of the Fates'
John Williams music is always good and his Star Wars related themes are particularly wonderful. This CD provides pretty much everything that you'd expect, so does not really... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2003 by Mr Gary E Whorwood
Wow!
Absolutely loved it!Im 15,female and this is my favourite album.I was always a Star Wars fan but this soundtrack surpasses the previous three. Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2000
The force is strong with this one..
John Williams has exceeded himself once again and even after all this time he still hasn't lost his touch. Read more
Published on 19 Oct 2000
A phantom menace
Another John Williams soundtrack, it has much to commend it. Being a new earlier era in the Star Wars film means that this mostly new themes and includes many tracks where you are... Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2000
John Williams has done it again !
When George Lucas asked John Williams to compose the music for "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom menace", he made the a bl***y good desicion. Read more
Published on 7 Dec 1999
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