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"To be called human... is an
insult."
|
For over thirty years, the phenomenon of Star Trek has captured
the hearts of countless people world-wide, tackling social and
ideological issues while also presenting an entertaining and optimistic
vision of the future. No less diverse is the music of Star Trek.
From the very first notes composed by Alexander Courage to the most
recent ones, composed by a new generation of composers and heard in films
and on television, Star Trek's scores have taken us on a long and
continuing journey of melodic excitement.
So much musical material has been produced for the Star Trek
television series and films that one should dare not attempt to cover it
in a single month. So Filmtracks devotes both April and May, 1999, to a
double-Theme of the Month. For April, Filmtracks will review and compare
all of the Star Trek feature film scores, and for May, reviews of
Star Trek television score releases will be added. During both
months, visitors can vote for their favorite two Star Trek film
scores, favorite television show music, as well as who should compose the
next Star Trek film. Visitor feedback can be submitted for
publishing as well.
The vast majority of Star Trek music, both from the films and
television, has been released by Neil Norman and Mark Banning and their
GNP Crescendo Records label. For
good prices and availability on a wide variety of Star Trek scores
and music from other science fiction shows and films, be sure to visit
their online catalog.
The Filmtracks ranking of the Star Trek film scores:
|
| 1999 Re-Release |
|
| 1986 Release |
Goldsmith's score is a classic masterpiece, and certainly the best score
of 1979 (although the Academy chose Delerue's A Little Romance
over it). Following the birth of the Star Wars phenomenon, and the
rough production schedule of Star Trek: The Motion Picture,
Goldsmith had the enormous task of creating a Star Trek motif that
could be easily distinguished from that of the already popular Star
Wars. It is difficult to believe that Goldsmith initially struggled
over a main theme for this film, especially since it has become the
staple of Star Trek films and TV shows to follow. Having heard
this theme so many times since, the true wonder and enjoyment of this
score are all the secondary themes. No Trek score since has been so
richly endowed with such great secondary themes and cues.
The theme for Ilia is perhaps one of the most under-appreciated in the
entire Trek series. The suite at the opening, which you can listen to a
portion of below, is sensitive and romantic in a lush and hugely
orchestral fashion never achieved again in Trek music. It is woven deeply
into this score, with one final grand performance in "Vejur Speaks" near
the end of the film. Star Trek: The Motion Picture mirrored the
end credit suite format established by John Williams for Star Wars
by bracketing Ilia's theme with performances of the main theme --a format
that would become all too familiar for sci-fi movie fans in the decades
to come. The unique style of Star Trek: The Motion Picture can be
attributed to Craig Huxdley's invention of the huge, metallic "Blaster
Beam" instrument. The Blaster Beam makes its first appearance during the
Klingon sequence and is an extremely effective futuristic signal for the
returning Voyager spacecraft... not to mention the fact that it sounds
just plain cool. The Beam returned briefly in a bit of James Horner's
Trek scores, but hasn't been heard in the recent ones --a complete shame.
Meanwhile, though, the Klingon sequence mentioned above also was the
blueprint for Klingon music to come (and eventually adopted as "Worf's
Theme"), and the music over the destruction of the Klingon cruisers is
among my favorites to date.
The Wrath of Khan:
"They did not want the kind of score they had gotten before. They did not
want a
John Williams score, per se. They wanted something different... more
modern. [Director Nicholas Meyer] wanted something very sea-farring,
something that gave the feeling of
space as an ocean, and I tried to achieve that withour getting to literal
about it."
"At first I was not going to [use the opening fanfare from the original
television show], but then as I started writing the music I figured out a
way to incorporate part of the fanfare into the music, and it works very
well. I felt it was very important to Star Trek to somehow tie in the
characters and the ship that everybody knew. The audience seems to like
it. When they first hear the music they start applauding!"
The Search for Spock:
"[The Wrath of Khan] was two years ago for me. I was twenty-seven and a
half when I wrote Star Trek II and now I'm thirty. So a lot of musical
time has gone by for me and I just think that the score for Star Trek III
is just so much vastly better than Star Trek II. It's just a much more
interesting score and, for me, a much more beautiful and emotional score
than Star Trek II." "I like scoring special effects because I think they're so exciting to watch. The music is very hard pressed to keep up with the visuals and that is what's so challenging... to write something musically that is just as terrific on the ears as the visuals are on the eyes. When the Enterprise takes off from the drydock, maneuvers or goes into warp speed, it's wonderful to be able to write this big, sweeping theme for that kind of thing because it's so romantic. In a way, this huge beautiful ship on the high seas... I mean, that's what it basically is. And I try to take those opportunities when I can." |
|
| The Wrath of Khan |
|
| The Search for Spock |
As Horner states, when Nicholas Meyer assigned him the task of scoring
the much-anticipated first sequel to the highly successful Star Trek:
The Motion Picture, the goal was to make a more conventional,
sea-faring adventure score. Horner did not use the array of electronic
accompaniment that Goldsmith employed in the original (outside of the
occasional blaster beam); however, he did continue the use of Courage's
television theme. The breakthrough score in Horner's career, Wrath of
Khan contains many "Hornerisms" that would repeat throughout his
career (most notably, the fanfare ending that is identical to that of
Rocketeer and others...).
The score for Wrath of Khan was recorded with a 94-piece
orchestra, and yet its sound is consistently shallow and restricted.
Horner's heavy emphasis on shrill brass doesn't help the situation any,
creating a tinny atmosphere for many of the cues. In many respects, this
atmosphere accompanies the film very well --it had, especially in the
visuals, a less than perfect, but well choreographed touch-- but at the
same time, it has caused me to seek more recent, digital recordings of
the main themes from Wrath of Khan. Thematically speaking,
Wrath of Khan is a better score than the original, creating layers
of themes that culminate in the awesome and inspiring finale cue (as the
Genesis Planet is revealed to contain the torpedo coffin of Spock).
The epic grandeur of Wrath of Khan places it in the top three
Trek scores. It is also a definitive score in Horner's career. The
GNP Crescendo release includes Spock's "Space, the final frontier..."
dialogue between the epilogue and end credits, and Nimoy's voice is mixed
in at a whimsical and haunting level. It's a nice touch to end a very
good score. Ultimately, though, the music works marvels in the film that
its harsh sound cannot sometimes achieve alone. ****
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock:
James Horner, 1984
Horner's score for The Search for Spock is a major curiosity for
me. He tried a more mature approach for this sequel, and although it
sounds better as a whole, it doesn't achieve the same playfulness or awe
of his original. While certain areas of The Search for Spock were
more impressive than Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock
has more sections of boring or unlistenable material. The score is stale
--no dominating new themes were introduced, nor were the original themes
significantly altered.
The Klingon theme employed by Horner is an embarrassment to the series,
and lightyears behind Goldsmith's equivilent. Horner's Klingon theme,
unlike Goldsmith's, fails to capture both the barbaric AND honorable side
of the Klingon Empire --Horner's score has no honorable class, leaving it
as a collection of horribly skewed percussion and brass. This music
causes harm to the scene in which the U.S.S. Grissom is destroyed by the
first ever appearance by a bird of prey. Also lackluster are some of the
prolonged performances of Spock's theme, particularly in the middle
section of the album.
On the bright side, Horner makes much better use of Courage's original
theme in The Search for Spock. Aside from the increased number of
incorporations in this scores, Horner also utilizes, for the only time,
an entire sequence from Courage's theme (instead of just the regular
fanfare that we hear all of the time). The GNP Crescendo release of
The Search for Spock doesn't include any dialogue, but to the
horror of many Horner fans, includes an absolutely unnecessary
techno/pop version of the theme at the very end. It is a most unfortunate
end to an otherwise average album. **
The Voyage Home:
"[The script required] the original theme of Star Trek in the main title,
which I didn't like. I did an arrangement of that and Leonard Nimoy said,
'From now on you do your own music, anything you want that fits the
film.' So I did the end title, which was very big, but was not based on
the Star Trek theme, it was my own theme. One of the parts of it was this
fugue based on the whale. I thought the whale was so noble that I decided
to do a baroque kind of thing on it to celebrate the living of the whale.
When we heard all the music, Leonard Nimoy said, 'You know, I must say, I
really like your music so much better than the theme, let's have another
session and let's re-do the main title and do your own music.'" |
|
| The Voyage Home |
A major deviation from the scores that came before and after, Rosenman's
The Voyage Home is marginally effective in the film, and
intolerable on CD. How this score was nominated for an Academy Award is
beyond me --it was a freakish nomination given the fact that almost any
true Trek score fan would rather see any of the other Trek scores
nominated for an Oscar. I respect the decision to score the fourth film
differently; it was, after all, a comical relief from the heavy drama of
the previous films (and Horner scores). But that doesn't take into the
account that Rosenman's music, even within these parameters, lacks any
resemblence to the Trek series, and would be an unpleasant listening
experience no matter what film it was attached to.
And the point about "lacking that Trek spirit" is crucial. Rosenman's
music is fluffy, bouncy, and orchestrally uninteresting. Alexander
Courage's theme is used twice (briefly), and none of the previous
emotions are stated --even in the scenes that take place in the future.
The orchestra is weak, and Rosenman's main theme could be temped into a
cutesy Barney flick with great effectiveness. The worst atrocity of the
entire Trek series' scores was committed by Rosenman in his use of "The
Yellowjackets" for the 80's pop culture jazz rhythms. Come on, folks...
this just doesn't mesh with a Klingon bird of prey --no matter the time
period.
The music performed by "The Yellowjackets" accounts for ten minutes on an
album that is only 35 minutes in total length. Rosenman's action
sequences are flat, and his use of a Russian tempo in the Chekov track is
ridiculous. In the film, the comedy of the script helped mask the music.
As a matter of fact, I can't remember the music much in the film at all
(instead I remember all of the squealing whale calls). On the album, it
cannot compare to any of the other Trek scores. Thankfully, a call
to Goldsmith rectified the situation thereafter. *
|
| The Final Frontier |
This is perhaps
the most underrated of the Star Trek scores --perhaps because the film
was such a huge failure. Goldsmith brought back to life his original
Star Trek: The Motion Picture theme, which had earned him an
Academy Award nomination in 1979 and an Emmy in 1987 (for the TNG TV
show). Along with it, he brings the Klingon theme from the opening battle
sequence of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He adds a new theme,
too, which is performed in concerts from the track "A Busy Man."
Despite the film --and I know it's hard to seperate them-- the score is
really very enjoying. It has some moments of pure Goldsmith fun....
heavy, sweeping brass, eclectic percussion for those nasty Klingons,
synthesized goodies now and then, and an enchanting strings theme that
works wonders even in the film. The action sequences are just as good
here as they are in, say, Total Recall. The four note theme that
encompasses the score (and which is heard many times in Star Trek:
First Contact as well) becomes a bit tiresome, however, the main Star
Trek theme, the Alexander Courage one, and the Klingon theme are used
sparingly and well. Disregard the song at the end (it appeared during the
first attack scene) --this CD came out back when it was just becoming
popular and profitable to throw a song on at the end of soundtracks.
|
| The Undiscovered Country |
In what is by far the darkest Star Trek score in the original
series,
Cliff Eidelman has created a hidden masterpiece. I believe this to be
the most
underrated of the Star Trek scores (and movies), and I rank it
best of the series, just ahead of Goldsmith's Final Frontier. From
the very
opening of the film, the music is accompanied by a mysterious male
chorus. As it continues throughout the film, it adds depth to the
"mystery" aspect of the film. The deeply looming and urgent six-note
theme
representing the Bird of Prey that can launch torpedoes while cloacked
contributes greatly to this. It's very effective because whenever those
six notes begin their cycle, you know that Klingons are lurking about.
When the Enterprise clears its moorings, the sound is lush and melodic
(as it usually is during the "clear all moorings"scenes in the series).
The escape from the Kligon prison world is scored well dramatically --the
music swells thematically during every "helicopter" shot of the
landscape.
The battle sequence near the end of the picture, as the Enterprise and
Excelsior destroy Chang's Bird of Prey, is continuously impressive.
Perhaps the best cue of the film occurs when Kirk clenches his fist and
says "fire!" (don't we all love that?) and the Bird of Prey is blown to
bits (too bad that same footage was manipulated a little and used again
in Star Trek: Generations). The "End Credits" reflect all the
major
themes in the film and blend nicely in between them. I recommend this
score to all. It deserves better recognition in the history of Star
Trek music.
Interestingly, when Nicholas Meyer returned to direct The Undiscovered
Country (recall: he directed The Wrath of Khan), he
desperately wanted to score the film with Gustav Holst's "The Planets"
suite. The
license fee (re-use fee), though, was extraordinary and he settled upon
newcomer Cliff Eidelman. Oddly, it was Meyer who gave an unknown composer
named James Horner a Star Trek assignment ten years earlier...
|
| Generations |
Sandwiched in between Star Trek VI and First Contact, this
score has become lost in the transitory phase between the original series
films and the next generation films. It was the first (and last, to date)
attempt by the producers of the films to use a composer of the television
series instead of a traditional hollywood composer. The result is a score
that has all the elements of a Trek score --the big orchestra, Alexander
Courage's television theme, and a full chorus-- yet at the same time,
McCarthy's music cannot disconnect itself from its roots in television.
The scores written so quickly for the television episodes are held back
by a number of "rules" set upon them by the producers of the shows
(including such things as thematic limitation and an emphasis on ambience
instead of sharp individual cues). The music for Star Trek:
Generations sounds like an expanded television score rather than an
individual motion picture score that stands among the others in the
series.
The reasons behind this feeling are curious. After all, McCarthy did
indeed expand the orchestra to 95 members and added a chorus for
Generations. The best way I can describe this score is with the
words "subtle" and "ambient." The music for the opening titles is
non-existent, and although I appreciate the attempt of a new scoring
approach for the series, I'm afraid that I --as well as many other Trek
fans-- are too accustomed to the opening fanfares that have blessed the
other Trek scores. The end of the main titles, however, represents one of
the two great highlights of this score. As the bottle smashes on the
newly commissioned Enterprise-B, McCarthy provides one of the most
rousing versions of Courage's original Star Trek TV theme. The
second grand moment for McCarthy comes during the finale when the
Federation saucer ships (for lack of a better name) warp off into the
distance.
Jerry Goldsmith & Joel Goldsmith, 1996
It took a long time for GNP Crescendo to get this CD on the
shelves; it was much anticipated because of the giant success of the film
(and the music in the film), as well as the interactive CD status of the
release. The music by Jerry and Joel Goldsmith is excellent, however, the
release is sub-standard at best.
The music works well in the film, and it works equally well on the CD.
After experimenting with a few other composers for previous Star
Trek films, veteran Jerry Goldsmith brings his stylish Star
Trek themes back to the series. The First Contact theme is
dramatic and dark in parts, something new for the series, and requested
by director Jonathan Frakes. Its use in the finale --when Vulcans land on
Earth-- is fabulous. The use of the Klingon theme for Worf's appearances
on screen are a special little treat for Star Trek music
enthusiasts. The main theme from Star Trek: The Next Generation is
included in the end credits. Together, these themes, along with the dark
metalic cues for the Borg invaders, produce a very good score.
Continue reading the expanded
review of Star Trek: First Contact...
|
Jerry Goldsmith, 1998
This ninth installment
of the Star Trek series features yet another effort by master
composer Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith has become the most prolific composer
in the series, composing scores for Star Trek: The Motion Picture,
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: First Contact,
and themes for the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star
Trek: Voyager television series. Goldsmith utilizes his theme for
The Next Generation in the opening and closing titles of
Insurrection, as well as the theme from the original TV series
composed by Alexander Courage.
This CD release, produced by veteran Star Trek label GNP
Crescendo, is shorter than First Contact, and lacks the
enhanced-CD capabilities. It contains an original theme along more
romantic lines (to portray Picard's love interest in the film as well as
the landscape). It has no outstanding features, and fans of the series'
scores place it behind Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and as an
equal to First Contact.
Continue reading the expanded
review of Star Trek: Insurrection... |
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Page created 3/29/99, updated 3/5/00.
Version 2.0 (Filmtracks Publishing). Copyright © 1997-2000, Christian Clemmensen, except the
quotations of Horner and Rosenman, which are Copyright © CinemaScore and
Soundtrack! magazines, 1982-1995. All
rights reserved. "Real Audio" logo and .ra are Copyright © 1997,
Real Audio (www.realaudio.com).
"Academy Awards" and the Oscar statue are ® AMPAS, 1996.
