Journey Through The Music Of 'Star Trek'

James Horner and the late Jerry Goldsmith may both be considered among the most acclaimed composers in cinema, but the two men share another thing in common. They’ve both written music for the Star Trek franchise. In fact, between the two of them, they have composed the scores for six films in the series.

Including the work of Horner and Goldsmith, “The Music of Star Trek” features 16 selections from the franchise, one for each “Star Trek” film and television series. Performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the album is essentially a musical journey through more than 40 years of one of popular culture’s most iconic mainstays.

What makes the album such an enjoyable listen is the variety of material included. Unlike the Star Wars series -– which relied solely on music by John Williams -– “Star Trek” has shifted composers several times throughout its long and storied history. It’s intriguing to hear how different composers have put their own spins on the franchises, each contributing a slightly different sound. From the now-campy vocalizations of the theme to the 1960s series to Michael Giacchino’s fresh take featured in this summer’s blockbuster reboot, “The Music of Star Trek” truly reflects how the franchise’s music has changed hands just as often as the casts of its television shows.

Nevertheless, despite their stylistic differences, the majority of the tracks pay homage to the most fundamental music of the franchise, namely Goldsmith’s thundering, heroic melody from 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and Alexander Courage’s original television theme. In this way, the series maintains a connection to its roots, keeping the core spirit of Gene Roddenberry’s original vision alive despite the changing times. Although they have expanded on the musical palette of the Star Trek universe, each new composer -– to his or her credit -– has had the foresight to realize that the Star Trek franchise isn’t going anywhere. As a listening experience and tribute to the longevity of the franchise, “The Music of Star Trek” is a perfect testament to that.

The world of Capt. James T. Kirk, Spock and the endless cast of characters that followed in their footsteps has captured the imagination in a way few entertainment properties ever has, and with director J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film likely to spawn a slew of sequels, an entirely new generation is discovering Star Trek for the first time.

More than ever, the door remains open for new composers to join the exclusive club that Courage and Goldsmith pioneered, just as the Enterprise had boldly gone where no one had gone before.

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6657