Star Trek, Space Soundtrack | poster

Star Trek It wasn’t the only story that changed science fiction, but for some it’s a school of thought, a narrative world that has nothing to envy in Tolkien’s imagination, it’s “science fiction” in its purest form. So it is clear that music should have been of fundamental importance from its first steps, on September 8, 1966 on NBC, when viewers heard, for the first time, that introduction that entered the legend: «Space: The Final Frontier. Here are the journeys of the starship Enterprise during its five-year mission to explore new worlds in search of other life forms and civilizations, going where no human has gone before.

leave Star Trek It was not among the simplest: very low budget, two pilots, Talos Zoo (the cage) And beyond the galaxy (Where no one has gone before), breathing down the neck of NBC who, from the outset, considered the series unadventurous and highly philosophical. Gene Roddenberry pitched his project to network television with the title A wagon train to the starsbased on the successful Western series, convoys to the westWith the first difficulties encountered: Star Trek Unconvincing, too cerebral and not so eventful in the first pilot episode with the great Jeffrey Hunter as grieving Captain Pike. Where no one has gone before Instead, he followed NBC’s pointers and the project was finally able to get off the ground, a series that progressed over time to the point where it defied taboos at the time like an interracial kiss in the episode humiliate by force majeure (1968). If Pike was very thoughtful, the new captain, James T. (Iberius) Kirk, was more direct, ostentatious, and amusing (so much so that John Rodriguez wrote an amusing article, Captain Kirk’s Guide to Women), so human that he is constantly at odds with sympathy with the series’ other cult character, the rationalistic Mr. Spock. Between cancellations and ever-increasing support from fans, the series has expanded over the years to include movies, TV series, books and video games, becoming proof that behind the rejected pilot there may be a misunderstanding of the artist’s genius.

Important

Star Trek As mentioned, it is not a silent universe but, in the same way as its characters, its music has become iconic, and fundamental in shaping the epic atmosphere and adventure of a complex and innovative narrative universe. The original TV series’ soundtrack is one that’s not easily forgotten: composed by Alexandre Courage, it’s such a classic, so recognizable from its introduction, trumpet solo followed by a chorus, that it’s become a catchphrase for the entire Trekkie universe.

The inspiration for the main part of the theme seems to have been Richard Whiting’s song Beyond the blue horizon for the movie Monte Carlo (1930) by Ernst Lubitsch. rejected pilot, the cage, used a different version of the melody than the one heard later in the classic series: the soprano voice of Lolly Jane Norman, accompanied by flute and organ on an orchestral arrangement, was in perfect harmony, without overwhelming the music. In Courage’s original idea, the singer’s pitches and different instruments were to be blended evenly to create a unique and striking vocal sound, a theme that grows emotionally. It was Gene Roddenberry who made the female voice prevail, to the point of relegating music to the background.

Disputes between author and author Star Trek But they didn’t stop there. In order to be credited as composing the theme song, Roddenberry provided along with the music some nonsensical lyrics that were never included. So the animated series, which many considered a fourth season, after the first cancellation of the series, abandoned the soundtrack of the original series due to legal disputes, in favor of a new theme credited to Yvette Blais and Jeff Michael, but actually written by composer Ray Ellis.

Science fiction writer David Jerrold, author of one of the most famous animated episodes, More tribes, more troublehe told the magazine starlog Background to the controversy: «When Courage provided the original music, Roddenberry added his own words without saying anything to anyone, thus depriving Courage of half of his rights. Courage never forgave Roddenberry and refused to give permission for the theme to be reused. That’s why new music has been written for the animated series and again for the movies.”

Gerald Fried is also a legendary musician, per an enthusiast, who died exactly in 2023 at the age of 95, a composer of cult TV music such as Gilligan’s IslandAnd Mission: ImpossibleAnd Flamingo RoadAnd Dynastyand along with the talented Quincy Jones the roots, a work that earned him an Emmy Award. The composer entered the hearts of the audience thanks to the episode Amok time (fencing) from the second season that pits Kirk and Spock against each other, during koon-ut-kal-if-fee (literally marriage or challenge), at the hands of the unloving T’Pring, who is betrothed to Vulcan. The uncompromising soundtrack features powerful tracks (ritual/ancient battle/The second croquet), able to portray the memorable “fight to the death”. in this book Star Trek music In 1999, Jeff Bond defined the music as “a pattern of kinetic pounding, sharp and ragged percussion of trumpet, flute, and woodwinds to accentuate brassy noise.” One of the episode’s strangest homages is undoubtedly the medieval fight sequence between Chip (Jim Carrey) and Stephen (Matthew Broderick) in Doubtful. Pain in the butt (1996) Where the main theme is Amok time While the heroes use the same Vulcan weapons from the TV series. On the other hand, director Ben Stiller has always been a fan of it Star Trek.

franchise

As the franchise has progressed, other notable soundtracks have been composed by great musicians like Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, and Michael Giacchino. The former composed the soundtrack to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, even getting an Academy Award nomination, and aiming to experiment. Indeed, thanks to this result, the Blaster Beam (an electric instrument composed of metal strings, which, played with a drum of the same material, generates a very unique sound effect) has become popular in film music. Master the role covered by the tool Klingon battle, almost ready to penetrate the symphonic and classical atmosphere that prevails in the first two tracks of the album, imposing itself through the strange and singular sounds of trumpets and mastodons. For Goldsmith this was a real challenge, one of the jobs the author will remember as among the most stressful.

James Horner, at only twenty-eight, composed the soundtrack for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Based on Star Trek III: The Search for Spockwith the delicate task of creating a less classical musical commentary and in line with the artist’s previous work for wolvin, the horror that reworked the werewolf myth. The result is a soundtrack capable of rethinking the classic theme of bravery in a more modern light, with an inventive, disturbing, and deeply exciting use of military drums, brass, and strings. A lesson in postmodern classics by Michael Giacchino Star Trekthe 2009 remake, would treasure, without quite having the same verve as Horner’s, in a soundtrack that would have seemed overlooked by any James Bond to be adapted into the world of Gene Roddenberry.
Over the years each incarnation Star Trekfrom the beloved next generation Even the less well-known video game market has sought new avenues of expression in music. This is the case of Kevin Manthey, composer Star Trek Onlinean unexpected result closer to funky overtones.

Experimenting, exploring, and going where no one has gone before has always been the main mission for the crew of the USS Enterprise and for every spectator who has set off on their many adventures.