Anakin and Padme. Image : Lucasfilm

Whether or not you dug the Star Wars prequels, you have to admit the music was on point. “Duel of the Fates”? Incredible, classic stuff, integral to the series’ modern identity.


“Across the Stars,” too, better known as the love theme for Anakin and Padme, is also incredibly memorable, pulling all of the grandeur that John Williams’s music is known for together and melding it with a deep, galaxy-rending sense of longing.



As noted by the people over at John Williams Fan Network, a new arrangement of “Across the Stars” has recently been released, created by Williams himself for German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, to be released as part of a compilation of Williams songs reinterpreted for the musician next year. It’s a rich, yearning arrangement, both intimate and sweeping, hopeful and tragic.




It’s a beautiful arrangement, and Mutter is a superb violinist. It’s below, and I highly recommend it for some melancholy weekend listening .

Update: Seems Youtube pulled the above video, but here’s Mutter performing the new arrangment.