Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek: TMP/TNG theme

[Turd Ferguson]

When you hear this piece of music, with which do you associate? The theme to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which was also used in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, or the theme to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was also used in Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis? Do you associate it more with one than the other, or do you see them as equal themes to both crews?

Since I didn't get into TNG until later on, I associate it more with Captain Kirk's V'Ger and Sybok adventure more than I do Picard's shenanigans. What about you?

 

[Orac]

Each version is different. They all start differently; TMP has those two beats at the start, the TFF version starts with that electronic whine you hear in a lot of 1970's disco era TV themes and the TNG version starts the same as the Alexander Courage TOS theme. Actually TFF has that too but the electronic whine distinguishes it from the TNG version.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

Each version is different.

This was my thought too. Similar orchestration but the tempos and feels of both the film and TV versions are different enough to be noticeable.

Still sends a chill up my spine either way.

 

[fonzob1]

I never really liked Goldsmith's theme very much. I much prefer Cliff Eidelman's stuff and the score from NuStar Trek.

 

[martok2112]

I always associate it more with The Motion Picture. It is the full version of the theme, and there is just this "hall" sounding ambience to it that I've always loved. That ambience seems to have disappeared with film scores of recent years, (even in the reedited form of TFF and TNG's main theme)making them sound too....I dunno....sterile. There's a warmth to the hall ambience that I loved from scores back then: Alien and First Blood (both also scored by the late, great Goldsmith), The Black Hole score by John Barry. The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock by James Horner.

Cliff Eidelmann's score for The Undiscovered Country seems to have recaptured some of that old ambience.

 

[Tarheel]

I had the TMP soundtrack on cassette back in the mid-80s and practically burned it up with so many playbacks. However it later became more closely associated with TNG. Hearing it week after week for 7 years, then reruns and DVD, burned it into my head as the Ent-D theme.

All versions are great, but I would probably say I prefer the TFF version, just because I haven't heard it quite as many times as the TMP & TNG.

 

[arch101]

I believe Maestro Goldsmith wrote "The Enterprise" before he eventually used it's motif for the main theme. Therefore, I always thought of the theme as the Enterprise leitmotif and associate it with any Trek production featuring a starship Enterprise. (shame they didn't use it on "Enterprise")

 

[Cyke101]

I associate it much more with TNG, most likely because that's when I became a Trekkie. However, I much prefer the TMP version over any of his TNG versions (incl. the movies).

 

[The Wormhole]

All versions are great, but I would probably say I prefer the TFF version, just because I haven't heard it quite as many times as the TMP & TNG.

It is actually the TFF version of the theme that is played in the end credits to First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis.

 

[wildsulu]

Isn't the TNG theme a faster version, compared to the TMP theme?

 

[suarezguy]

Pretty equally TMP and TNG, very fitting for both.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I totally do not understand this option:

"Star Trek: TNG, First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis ONLY"

One of those is not like the others (the one boldfaced).

 

[RandyS]

Neither. That theme always made me think of 1890's Barbershop Quartet more than it did Star Trek. Or science fiction for that matter.

 

[bbailey861]

My very first impression, when reading the question, is to answer TMP and TNG equally. I know it is throughout, but as i said, that was my first thought.