What are the best re-recordings of John Williams’ music by other conductors? Star Wars is famously one of the most re-recorded pieces of music in the world, yet there are so much more John Williams re-recordings by many top conductors which deserves a bit of recognition. Join The Legacy of John Williams Head Contributor Tim Burden in a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music—from the superb readings by Charles Gerhardt and Zubin Mehta to the recent vibrant recordings by Gustavo Dudamel, including some fun and unexpected oddities in-between.
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If you want to dig deeper on the subject, read the in-depth essay by Editor Maurizio Caschetto chronicling the history of John Williams’ re-recordings.
List of music tracks featured in the episode:
. “Finale” from the album The Empire Strikes Back – Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score (1980 – Chalfont SDG 313)
National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Gerhardt
. “Suite from The Reivers” and “To Thornfield from Jane Eyre” from the album The Prince And The Pauper and Other Film Music (1989 – Varèse Sarabande VSD-5207)
National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Gerhardt
. “Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Battle from Star Wars” from the album Zubin Mehta Conducts Suites from Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1978 – Decca/London ZM 1001)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale conducted by Zubin Mehta
. “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” from the album Pomp and Pizazz (1987 – Telarc CD-80122)
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel
. “Theme from The Lost World” from the album Erich Kunzel and Cincinnati Pops Perform a Salute to the Great Movie Scores from the Films of Steven Spielberg (1999 – Telarc CD-80495)
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel
. “Jaws (Main Title – Promenade – The Chase)”, “The Accidental Tourist (Love Theme)” and “The Mission (Theme for NBC News)” from the album The Best of John Williams (1989 – Naxos International 8.990001)
Philharmonic Rock Orchestra conducted by Richard Hayman
. “Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones Suite)” from the album Film Classics Vol. 1 (1993 – Windsong International KOR042
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Roy Budd
. “Superman” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” from the album Digital Hollywood – Memorable Film Scores (1988 – MCA Classics MCAD-25192)
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stanley Black
. “The Devil’s Dance (From The Witches of Eastwick)” from the album Journey to the Stars: A Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventure (1988 – Philips 446 403-2)
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by John Mauceri
. “Night Journeys (From Dracula) from the album Hollywood Nightmares (1994 – Philips 442 425-2)
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by John Mauceri
. “The Asteroid Field” and “Fight with the Fighters” from the album The Star Wars Trilogy (1984 – Varèse Sarabande 704.210)
Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by Varujan Kojan
. “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas (From the movie Home Alone 2)” from the album Holiday Pops (1998 – RCA Victor 09026 63252-2)
Boston Pops Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus conducted by Keith Lockhart
. “Reunion and Finale (From Sleepers)” and “Overture (From Goodbye Mr. Chips)” from the album Lights, Camera… Music! Six Decades of John Williams (2017 – BSO Classics 1704)
Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart
. “Chasing Rockets” from the album Superman – The Movie (1998 – Varèse Sarabande VSD2-5981)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by John Debney
. “March” and “Men of the Yorktown” from the album Midway (1998 – Varèse Sarabande VSD-5940)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Rick Wentworth
. “Main Title (From The Towering Inferno)” from the album The Towering Inferno and Other Disaster Classics (1999 – Varèse Sarabande VSD-5807)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Joel McNeely
. “The Landing” and “End Credits” from the album Amazing Stories (1999, Varèse Sarabande – VSD-5941)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Joel McNeely
. “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: Flying” from the album The High and the Migthy: A Century of Flight (2005 – Varèse Sarabande 302 066 704 2)
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Kaufman
. “Harry’s Wondrous World” from the album Celebrating John Williams (2019 – Deutsche Grammophon 483 6647)
Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
. “In Search of Unicorns (From Images)” from the album John Williams Reimagined (2024 – Warner Classics 5054197942334)
Simone Pedroni, piano; Sara Andon, flute; Cécilia Tsan, cello
. “Star Wars Main Title” from the album John Williams: A Life In Music (2018 – Decca 6738332)
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gavin Greenaway
The Legacy of John Williams 