Jabba the Hutt (concert suite)
'"Jabba the Hutt" is a concert suite and a recurring musical theme of the Star Wars movies used to represent the character Jabba the Hutt. Composed by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, the theme first appeared in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. Since its introduction, the theme has been played in The Phantom Menace and post-1997 releases of A New Hope (tracked motivic material from Episode VI), as well as the video games Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided and Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.
Performed by solo tuba with pizzicato strings accompanying, the rolling, bulbous nature of both the music and the instrument fit well with the Hutt's personality. Only appearing briefly in Return of the Jedi, the version in the Phantom Menace is a fully orchestrated version of the solo, replete with brass fanfare to accompany Jabba's viewing of the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace.
The Jabba the Hutt Solo, as it has come to be known in tubist's circles, has gained wide acceptance and popularity in the tuba world. Williams fleshed out the solo, turning it into a frequently played "mini-concerto" of sorts. Originally played by the late great John Fletcher in Return of the Jedi, the expanded Jabba solo was largely popularized by Chester Schmitz of the Boston Pops.[source?]
External links
WDR Klassik on YouTube- Boston Pops on YouTube