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The Gold(smith) Standard

The Music of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE

I will be taking a look at each of the scores to the films in the Star Trek franchise. Here, I will talk a bit about the first film, which really set the template for what Trek film music would sound like for more than 35 years.

In 1979, Star Trek, a TV show that had been on the air only for three short seasons yet drew a fan base unequaled for its time through syndication, was reborn as a feature film. While the music written for the series by Alexander Courage, Gerald Fried, Fred Steiner, and others had often been memorable but not what I would call “cinematic.” To bring Trek to the big screen would require the skills of one of the biggest names in film music: Jerry Goldsmith.

goldsmithGoldsmith had previously worked with director Robert Wise on the film THE SAND PEBBLES (1966) and was known to science fiction fans as having composed the scores to two of the Planet of the Apes films. Also in 1979, he would score Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror film ALIEN. A decade earlier, Goldsmith had been producer Gene Roddenberry’s first choice to score the original Trek pilot, “The Cage,” but scheduling conflicts prevented that from happening.

Thus, the first Star Trek film would give Goldsmith a chance to finally make a mark on the series’s musical landscape, and the result is an absolute masterpiece and one of the best film scores ever composed.

The Thematic Identity of Star Trek

With his main theme to STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, Jerry Goldsmith provided THE musical signature of the Star Trek universe outside of the Alexander Courage fanfare. The main title theme for the film is now instantly recognizable, and in my humble opinion, goes down as one of the most important themes in film history. In 1987, its impact on Trek’s musical landscape was strengthened even more when Roddenberry chose it as the main title theme for the series’ return to the small screen in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

“Main Titles”

Note: despite its not including the famous Courage fanfare, I’ve always been a fan of the opening to the main titles. For most of the soundtrack releases, the snare riffs were toned down and this was unfortunately also done for the Director’s Edition DVD. The recent 3-CD release by La-La Land Records has restored the cue to its original presentation, which I greatly prefer.

What is ironic is that this famous theme was almost never written.

When Goldsmith first wrote the cue for the sequence where Admiral Kirk and Scotty travel to the Enterprise, it was very similar to the final version EXCEPT that it was lacking the signature theme. This is most evident during the sequence where Admiral Kirk and Scotty fly over to the Enterprise. As originally scored. there are hints of phrases that would develop into the famous theme, but the overall thematic structure is rather incomplete. When Robert Wise heard the initial cue, he had a hard time articulating what was bothering him until he simply said, “There’s no theme!” Upon hearing this, Goldsmith returned to the piano, eventually writing the melody that would come to help define the Star Trek sound.

Comparing excerpts of the two cues makes for an interesting exercise, as so much of the underlying music is consistent minus the theme:

Original Cue:

Final Cue (used in the film):

Of Blaster Beams and Klingons

blasterbeam
The Blaster Beam played with a bow and an artillery shell casing

While the new Star Trek Theme forms a strong backbone for the score, it is far from the only lasting impression that he made on the sonic landscape of Trek. One of the most iconic aspects of this score is Goldsmith’s use of the Blaster Beam, which was constructed by Craig Huxley. This percussion instrument provided the unusual sounds for the V’Ger cloud/probe and is composed of a long metal beam with wires/strings mounted above electric guitar pickups, producing a sound that is unique and instantly recognizable.

Excerpt from “The Force Field”

Although prominent use of the Blaster Beam is unique to THE MOTION PICTURE, James Horner would later feature it, albeit sparingly, in his subsequent Star Trek scores.

Another melody that would resurface over the years in subsequent Star Trek scores composed by Goldsmith is his theme for the Klingons, which appears in the opening sequence featuring three Klingon warships as they are the first to encounter V’Ger. The theme is noble, heroic, and feels slightly barbaric due to its unusual orchestration of double reeds (oboe, English horn, and bassoon) paired with a tenor saxophone played over plucked strings, percussion, and once again the Blaster Beam.

klingons

Excerpt from “Klingon Battle”

The opening sequence is the only time that this theme appears in the original film, despite the fact that it could serve as the main theme to many science fiction films. In that way, Goldsmith’s Klingon Theme is perhaps analogous to John Williams’ Planet Krypton Theme from SUPERMAN (1978). In both cases, you have two masters of their craft writing themes that appear only briefly in their respective films, but still make a strong and lasting impression.

The Human Adventure Is Just Beginning…

In all honesty, I could list every single cue from this film and have something positive to say about it. Jerry Goldsmith’s score to STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE is easily one of my favorite scores and permanently has a place on my “desert island” list of movie soundtracks. Although he would not return to the Trek universe until STAR TREK V (Dennis McCarthy would also adapt his theme from this film for “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in 1987), his work here certainly created the template for the films that would come in between.

Do you have a favorite cue/moment from the film that I didn’t touch on? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Comments

6 responses to “The Gold(smith) Standard”

  1. […] Much more interesting is the cue that follows Susan and Mark as they stumble upon the infamous Jefferson Institute. After the main theme returns, this time on low register clarinets, the strange, brutalist-style building comes into view accompanied by a swirl of piano and percussion that sounds reminiscent of Goldsmith’s PLANET OF THE APES (1968) score. After a (I can’t believe I’m going to say this) Herrmann-esque series of low clarinet chords, Susan approaches the building as thick string chords play a motif that is very much similar to what Goldsmith would write a year later in his superb score to STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979). […]

  2. […] STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE  […]

  3. […] STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE | STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN […]

  4. […] to say about Leonard Rosenmans score for STAR TREK IV, Goldsmiths music has always been how I define the sound of Star Trek […]

  5. […] meant that, aside from the original fanfare by Alexander Courage and the Jerry Goldsmith theme from STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, there isn’t a single sound or style for the franchise. Each composer, Giacchino included, was […]

  6. […] Klingon theme from STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE rightly gets a lot of attention and praise. Maybe because of that or because he would later re-use a […]

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