Normally when a Star Trek movie or episode begins, you immediately hear a rendition of Alexander Courage's original fanfare, some other upbeat theme, or maybe even a Dianne Warren pop song. What you don't expect, is near total silence with an absence of thematic material.
That is exactly what Dennis McCarthy brought to the main title for the first TNG feature film. And I'll be honest: I was a bit disappointed back in 1994.
I think a lot of that has to do with my having grown up with TNG and always having that opening with the Courage fanfare and Jerry Goldsmith's iconic TMP theme. But to have the Paramount logo appear over dead silence and then just these weird, atonal strings playing over the starfield seemed off. These give way to a broad four-note motif that will be used throughout the movie as a sign of danger or Soran's scheming. The brass and string chord that plays over the film's title card feels almost more at home as part of a György Ligeti piece from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.
This then gives way to a wordless choir and repeats of the danger motif followed by tinkling piano and solo trumpet introducing what will become the film's main theme. In a way, these disparate moments feel almost taken from McCarthy's music sketchbook—ideas that he would later flesh out into full cues later in the film. I don't mean this as negative criticism, it's just a minimal approach that is unique to the music of Star Trek. It also perfectly matches the visuals of the mysterious object floating through space that we come to find out is a champagne bottle being used to christen the new Enterprise NCC-1701-B.
McCarthy does a superb job building up to the moment where the bottle shatters against the starship hull, with the orchestra at last erupting into a wonderful statement of the Alexander Courage fanfare.
While I may have been critical initially, over time, I have absolutely grown to love McCarthy's GENERATIONS score, and this opening cue is no exception.