Hey folks - the introduction to this review ended up being a little longer than I had anticipated. If you don’t have the time to wade through the whole article right now, I liked the score a lot - there’s ordering information for the CD towards the bottom of the article if you’re interested!
Glen here…
Seems like whenever a STAR TREK movie comes out, people immediately zone in on its score. More than visual effects or writers, folks seem to hold a fascinating pre-occupation with who is writing the music for the film - what tried and true TREK components will it utilize? Will it use new theme music or music we’ve heard before? The list goes on.
Why does this happen? I’m not sure, really. But I think it’s got something to do with the notion that composers Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner raised the limbo pole substantially with their (respective) scores for the first two STAR TREK movies. Each score is groundbreaking and legendary - hence any subsequent effort being subject to increased anticipation and scrutiny.
Accordingly, as soon as Jerry Goldsmith’s involvement with STAR TREK: INSURRECTION was announced, the hydra of questions and speculation raised its many heads.
Before answering some of these questions, I feel it’s important to briefly evaluate Mr. Goldsmith’s apparent commitment to continuity throughout his STAR TREK scores. While STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE has a very specific "feel" and "sound", the orchestrations and arrangements of Goldsmith’s latter TREK scores have a certain amount of similarity and consistency.
For example: the similar orchestrations of his closing theme music for STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER and STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT. Both utilize the basic STAR TREK theme music Goldsmith introduced in the first TREK feature, then segue into themes and melody lines organic to each particular film.
While this kind of logical and sensible arrangement has been used by other composers in the scoring of other film franchises (STAR WARS being one example), discussions with TREK fans, score fans, and previous "talkbacks" here at Aint It Cool News suggest that…for whatever reason…some listeners are not too thrilled with the same approach being adopted for STAR TREK films. They don’t seem to appreciate hearing the Goldsmith theme music presented, then intercut with new thematics from the current films. At first I was dumbfounded by this opinion, but after a bit of effort, I think I’ve formulated a hypothesis as to how it came to be.
Some have criticized Goldsmith’s use of his STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE theme music in THE NEXT GENERATION franchise - seeing this element as "cannibalistic", "lazy", and "unoriginal".
But…interestingly…these folks are not responding to the quality of his theme music for ST:TMP. Instead, they are reacting to its mere *presence*. They are objecting on a perception that Goldsmith using this theme is discontinuitous, and that THE NEXT GENERATION mythos deserved a separate theme of its own.
As I understand the situation, Mr. Goldsmith had little (if anything) to do with this decision making process - and shouldn’t be held accountable for this choice. Seems that… as the TNG series got closer to the airwaves…series composer Dennis McCarthy composed a new STAR TREK theme to be used over the series’ opening titles.
The Powers That Be (Roddenberry & Co.) decided McCarthy’s new theme didn’t capture the "feel" they were after. After some consideration, it was decided only Goldsmith’s theme from THE MOTION PICTURE had nailed the triumphant and bold atmosphere they were looking to establish for the new series. So it was chosen, so it was used. Mr. McCarthy’s unused TNG theme music can be heard on the ST:TNG soundtrack "Encounter at Farpoint", by the way.
As such, we have to assume that if Goldsmith’s theme music was looked upon as the "officially sanctioned" theme for the next wave of TREK adventures, subsequent TREK composers James Horner, Leonard Rosenman, and Cliff Eidelman were the discontinuitous parties - and Goldsmith is the only TREK scoremaster bringing consistency and thematic follow-through the overall landscape of STAR TREK film music. Mr. Goldsmith is simply (and appropriately) incorporating theme music chosen by The Powers That Be to represent the characters and adventures of Captain Picard and company.
Should a new theme for THE NEXT GENERATION be written? Personally, I rather like the idea of one theme encompassing the whole TREK mythos. One theme seems to nicely tie together the different Enterprises and her crews. It instills a comfortable sense of familiarity, establishing the notion that an Enterprise based STAR TREK - no matter who is in the Captain’s chair - is only one piece of a larger, inter-related tapestry. VOYAGER and DEEP SPACE NINE? Well, they *aren’t* set on the Enterprise. As such, the presence of different theme music is logical, and helps to establish each show’s different personalities.
Reversely, I suppose one could argue that each "generation" and incarnation is different, and should be clearly differentiated not only in appearance, but through music - whether set on the Enterprise or not. Geeky food for thought, I suppose - and a discussion for latter days.
I want to be perfectly clear: in saying this, I am not attempting to diminish the quality Horner, Rosenman, and Eidelman’s TREK music. Many of the scores are really quite nice (although I have some trouble wrapping my brain around the music in STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME). I’m simply suggesting that if fans are criticizing the lack of continuity in scores between the nine STAR TREK films to date, they ought not be criticizing Mr. Goldsmith - as he’s the one whose brought the *most* continuity to the varied and eclectic scores the TREK films have offered.
And…in an odd way…the presence of Goldsmith’s soaring TREK theme is perhaps the most notable reminder and remnant of Roddenberry’s original "vision" for what the TREK adventures should represent - as so many of his other ideas have gone different directions, or been altered or expanded upon by the folks inheriting Roddenberry’s legacy.
Which brings us to Goldsmith’s score for STAR TREK: INSURRECTION (yeah - I did take a long time getting here, sorry). INSURRECTION is the ninth STAR TREK movie, the fourth scored by Goldsmith.
I approached this score with enthusiasm, but a little bit of trepidation. Here at AICN…indeed, across the Internet…reports from early screenings of INSURRECTION aare rather negative. Usually when this happens, we find the composers working on said films overcompensating with their material - in an effort to inject the ailing projects with much needed adreniline. And sometimes, the results are bombastic and iffy at best.
But in Goldsmith’s INSURRECTION score, one will find an ethereal and elegant piece - sometimes dreamy and occasionally haunting. The opening titles feature Alexander Courage’s legendary fanfare - but it’s sedate and understated, moody. Then a segue into a bunch of Viking-like horn calls…introducing a six-note riff that is repeated through out the score. Then a segue into….a segue into…well, I was told not to use the term "happy plinky music", but for the life of me - I can’t conjure a better phrase.
The music beneath the opening titles of INSURRECTION lies somewhere between Goldsmith’s theme for POLTERGEIST and his "innocence" music for LEGEND in its sensibilities. This isn’t to say it’s derivative, just describing its orientation. The melody lines featured in BA’KU VILLAGE (track 1) evoke innocence and youthfulness - and unspoiled qualities which are quickly shattered by a percussive action motif. On first listen, I thought some of this "happy" music was a little too syrupy. But once I settled into the right frame of mind, the INSURRECTION theme became moving, bittersweet, and quite effective. There’s a "coming of age" quality to this theme - and in much of INSURRECTION’s score. A difficult and esoteric notion for a score to evoke, but I think it’s handled nicely here.
"New Sight" (track 5) is an effective and emotional selection, with rising and swelling strings recalling the closing moments of Horner’s powerful "Mind Meld" music in STAR TREK III.
"Not Functioning" (track 4) is a propulsive and exhilarating piece - listeners who enjoyed Goldsmith’s very cool "Open the Gates" track on STAR TREK V should have fun with this selection.
While still accessible and recognizable, I perceive that this score is a little more complex structurally than either FIRST CONTACT or TREK V. "The Riker Maneuver" (track 7) is a nice example of the *layered* nature of this score. There’s a main thrust of music, accompanied by an entire & continued subtext of electronic emphasis. To my ears, INSURRECTION’s score seems busier, more energized than Goldsmith’s last two STAR TREK outings.
"More energized" might also match-up with my interpretation that this score has genuine feeling and emotion behind it. I find a sense of vibrancy in INSURRECTION’s music, a feeling of conviction that weren’t as noticeably present in Goldsmith’s post ST:TMP TREK scores.
One of INSURRECTION’s shortcomings might be over-relying on similar motifs a bit too often. The above-mentioned "horn call" signature, although frequently re-orchestrated, insinuates itself into the proceedings a bit too often for my taste. And, occasionally, music for one sequence sounds perilously similar to music from a different sequence ("The Riker Manuever" -vs- "The Drones Attack" - vs- "Not Functioning" are by no means carbon copies, but share a similar texture). This latter criticism, however, may be an issue of track sequencing on the CD as opposed to a legitimate gripe. For all I know, the sequences are quite complementary - or even intertwined - in the film itself.
Fans of Goldsmith music will find a few pleasant tips of the hat to previous TREK scores, including a *brief* reprise of his Klingon theme from all of his previous TREK outings (it is used much more subtly and quickly here than FIRST CONTACT), a re-orchestrated performance of the STAR TREK theme music mentioned in the introduction to this review, and…whether deliberate or not…one of the "horn calls" (sorry, I can’t think of a better way to describe them) in "The Same Race" (track 8) strongly evokes a brief passage from the original TREK television series.
Much like the TREK franchise itself, Goldsmith’s score for INSURRECTION is an imperfect work. But as a whole, it very solid - with some genuinely magnificent moments spread throughout. It is one of Goldsmith’s more memorable scores of the last few years, and one of the most seductive scores of all STAR TREK films to date
There is some sketchy indication that Paramount is being *really* serious about INSURRECTION’s need to make a lot of money before another TREK film will be green lighted. If - by some unlikely and cruel twist of fate - this were to be the last TREK movie score ever to find its way into our CD players, this wouldn't be a bad one to go out on.
Not bad at all.
41 minutes and 29 seconds of music, Jerry Goldsmith’s score for STAR TREK: INSURRECTION will be hitting stores over the next few weeks.
As GNP / Crescendo (which is releasing the album) sometimes has a slow distribution dispersal, I suggest ordering it online through either SuperCollector (click here to jump to the SuperCollector web site - it’s really fast!), or directly from GNP / Crescendo itself (the Crescendo site can be accessed by clicking here) .
