Originally released on May 21, 1980, *The Empire Strikes Back: Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score* featured a selection of John Williams' music from the film *Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back*, which premiered two days earlier. Performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Charles Gerhardt, the album was conceived as a supplement to the "official" film soundtrack. Reissued on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1980, the album comes in a gatefold sleeve with William Stout's famous original *Star Wars* artwork, photos of John Williams, as well as liner notes by author Ray Bradbury, composer and critic Christopher Palmer, and Maestro Williams himself.
It includes the concert suite written and adapted by Williams ("The Imperial March," "Han Solo and the Princess," "Yoda's Theme," "The Asteroid Field"), complemented by other excerpts from the film score, including the famous 20th Century Fox fanfare (by Alfred Newman), the film's main theme, "The Imperial Probe," and "Training of a Jedi." To avoid repeating familiar elements, Williams, conductor Charles Gerhardt, and producer George Korngold presented new arrangements and orchestrations for this new collection of pieces from one of the most iconic film scores.
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