Return of the Jedi is the third Star Wars score from John Williams, and it transforms his overall musical approach to that of an operatic cycle. We look at how familiar themes from the first film are treated, and we explore and dissect some of the major new themes that greatly enrich the classic trilogy.
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Return of the Jedi: the Music (part I)

The Soundtrack Show is a look at film scores and soundtracks for some of the most popular movies, TV Shows, Video Games and Theater pieces of all time.

TV & Film

Music

Film History

Music History

Music production on a full season of Star Trek begins! Our first two composers get to work, as Alexander Courage and Fred Steiner start writing and recording music at a frantic pace. We'll hear the rest of Courage's work on season one, and listen to Steiner's amazing contributions to Star Trek's musical vocabulary. We also examine the critical role played by the music editors, as they work to establish and shape the music of season one.
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Star Trek the Original Series - the Music (Part III)

Before making it to air, Star Trek had not one, but two pilots scored by Alexander Courage. Once the first season finally went into production, it took five composers to pull it off. This episode explores the musical, financial and creative realities of 1960s television music production, as we discuss the scores for these two pilots, and the creation of some of the show's musical sound effects. We are also introduced to season one's other four composers.
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Star Trek the Original Series - the Music (Part II)

The history of television and the origins of Star Trek are explored through the life and career of composer/orchestrator Alexander Courage, television star Lucille Ball, and Desilu music director Wilbur Hatch. The main title melodies for Star Trek are analyzed and discussed, along with their place in the history of 20th Century television music.
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Star Trek the Original Series - the Music (Part I)

In our final episode on the music of E.T. we listen to the second half of the movie's incredible music, cue by cue. We also discuss the work of film editor Carol Littleton, and vocal sound designer Ben Burtt.
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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - the Music (Part III)

In Part II we take it from the top, and listen to how the film score for E.T. is constructed in the first half of the movie. We examine multiple themes, and discuss the movie's emotional honesty.
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Return of the Jedi: the Music (part I)

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