Cinema Gala, Vol. 1: Star Wars / Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Comment: Having turned the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra into one of the world's best orchestras during his sixteen years as its Music Director from 1962 to 1978, some so-called "serious" music critics must have grumbled a bit when Zubin Mehta led the orchestra into the world of movie music with this 1977 recording of John Williams' music for STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

In fact, however, this was very much in keeping with Mehta's outlook on music of the past, present, and future. For instance, in his score to STAR WARS, Williams traces the influences of Elgar, Wagner, Mahler, and Bruckner (all of whom have been part of Mehta's core repertoire), particularly in the celebrated main title music and the Imperial Throne Room music at the film's conclusion. Coming on the heels of his classic score for JAWS, STAR WARS helped seal Williams' reputation as THE premiere Hollywood film composer of our time. And with the score for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (here combined into one full-length movement, performed without a break), Williams took inspiration from innovative 20th century composers like Debussy, Stravinsky, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Edgar Varese. Those composers too were a fixture of Mehta's Los Angeles Philharmonic programs, so doing epic film music wouldn't have been out of character for the conductor, and especially not for this orchestra.

This is an incredible recording; and it is available either in this particular form or on a 2-CD set that combines these two scores with earlier recordings by Mehta and the L.A.P.O. of Holst's "The Planets" and Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (the work immortalized in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY). A sonic feast to be had by all.

Comment: Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind classical suites. Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.