Kenneth Wannberg, a major influence on the shaping of John Williams’ classic film scores, has died at the age of 91.
In the capacity of Williams’ music editor, Wannberg was responsible for, among other things, selecting the best takes from the recording sessions of a particular cue and assembling them into a coherent whole. The main title to “Star Wars” was recorded five times for the original movie. Wannberg used the best three takes to produce the final version as heard in the film.
He was also responsible for the placement of streamers and punches on the work print of a film for the conductor (in this case, Williams), and for the assembly of the soundtrack album.
In the special editions of the original “Star Wars” trilogy and in the subsequent prequel trilogy, George Lucas had a tendency to ramp up Ben Burtt’s sound effects at the expense of Williams’ music. At a time when seemingly everyone had become a Lucas yes-man, Wannberg stepped up during the mixing of “Revenge of the Sith” to point out that the effects were too noisy. When Wannberg explained that the music was the “thread through the montage of cutting back and forth” in the climactic duel scene, and that it needs to “live a little,” Lucas considered his words and ultimately conceded. There weren’t very many people who would have stood up to Lucas at that point in his career.
Wannberg worked with Williams at least as far back as 1967, when Williams provided music for “Valley of the Dolls.” He also assisted him on the Reader’s Digest-produced screen musical “Tom Sawyer” (with songs by the Sherman Brothers). Most significantly, he was at the composer’s side all throughout his heroic hot streak of “Star Wars,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” He remained with Williams until his retirement, following work on “Revenge of the Sith,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and “Munich,” in 2005.
Williams, who dedicated to Wannberg a concert version of “Star of Bethlehem” (originally from Williams’ score to “Home Alone”), will turn 90 on February 8.
Wannberg was a composer himself, providing scores for “The Late Show,” with Art Carney and Lily Tomlin, “Losin’ It,” with Tom Cruise, and “The Philadelphia Experiment.”
R.I.P.
PHOTO: Wannberg (center), with John Williams and Steven Spielberg, backstage at a concert in Seattle in 2017
