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I was inclined during my years of not having these recordings to consider Fred Steiner the single, indispensable composer on The Original Series.
Having had this set for the better part of two years now, I've come back round to what should have been the obvious conclusion...
Alexander Courage, with the main theme, The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before stands as the composer who set the tone for the whole series, and Fred Steiner took over the lion's share of sustaining trailblazing composition on seasons one and two, yet...
Courage's outstanding work on season three's The Enterprise Incident and Plato's Stepchildren, together with his initial work on the series, give him the unquestioned title of The Composer Star Trek Wouldn't Be The Same Without, IMHO.
Nothing against Steiner, Kaplan, Fried, Duning, Fielder and Mullendore, et al. of course.
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B of a J - interesting that you should mention Alexander Courage as being the quintessential TREK composer, above Steiner and Fried. In a way I agree with you, in that he did the theme and "The Man Trap". That did kind of set the pace, but (as I said before - scroll back 15 pages) I always found the STAR TREK theme very odd and cumbersome. Like it was for a Desi Arnaz/ lLucille Ball show (oh, the irony) instead of for Gunsmoke in space (oh, the irony). But, as (I think) Jeff Bond - correction, it was Heath - said many moons ago, "and apart from anything else, we're kind of stuck with it".
But, as I mentioned pages ago (it seems years - Oh, it was), Alexander Courage's dramatic scoring is stunningly inventive. I watched "The Man Trap" again last night on DVD and found the electric violin very effective, similar to Van Cleave's THE SPACE CHILDREN. But it was pretty low-key for a show that needed to sell itself, and it didn't put its balls on the table flat-out. Ouch.
Yeah, B of a J, Alexander Courage's scores for "The Enterprise Incident" and "Plato's Stepchildren" are absolutely brilliant. They're as advanced as what Goldsmith and Rosenman were doing/ would do, but I have to disagree when you say that they are what "made" Trek sound like it did. Courage's scores are almost anomalies in the series. Fred Steiner and Gerald Fried are (for me) the ones who defined the Trek sound, even if my favourite scores might be from Courage, Fielding or Duning.
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Posted: |
Jun 5, 2015 - 6:50 PM
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By: |
Broughtfan
(Member)
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For me, Star Trek represents an incredible synergy of behind-the-scenes talent: Walter "Matt" Jefferies, Jerry Finnerman, Douglas Grindstaff, Jim Rugg, Fred Phillips, William Ware Theiss and, of course, ALL of the composers involved (including Wilbur Hatch) working at the peak of their abilities to create a truly unique entertainment. No other series of the period neither looks nor sounds like it (and, nearly fifty years later, it still looks impressive, sounds great on DVD). Truly amazing what Gene Roddenberry (and Lucy's little studio) succeeded in launching.
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B of a J - interesting that you should mention Alexander Courage as being the quintessential TREK composer, above Steiner and Fried. In a way I agree with you, in that he did the theme and "The Man Trap". That did kind of set the pace, but (as I said before - scroll back 15 pages) I always found the STAR TREK theme very odd and cumbersome. Like it was for a Desi Arnaz/ lLucille Ball show (oh, the irony) instead of for Gunsmoke in space (oh, the irony). But, as (I think) Jeff Bond said many moons ago, "and apart from anything else, we're kind of stuck with it".
But, as I mentioned pages ago (it seems years - Oh, it was), Alexander Courage's dramatic scoring is stunningly inventive. I watched "The Man Trap" again last night on DVD and found the electric violin very effective, similar to Van Cleave's THE SPACE CHILDREN. But it was pretty low-key for a show that needed to sell itself, and it didn't put its balls on the table flat-out. Ouch.
Yeah, B of a J, Alexander Courage's scores for "The Enterprise Incident" and "Plato's Stepchildren" are absolutely brilliant. They're as advanced as what Goldsmith and Rosenman were doing/ would do, but I have to disagree when you say that they are what "made" Trek sound like it did. Courage's scores are almost anomalies in the series. Fred Steiner and Gerald Fried are (for me) the ones who defined the Trek sound, even if my favourite scores might be from Courage, Fielding or Duning.
I agree with you about "The Man Trap" being low-key, but Courage's "The Cage" and "Where No Man" are as passionate and energetic as any of Gerald Fried's scores. "The Naked Time" is as emotionally expressive and melodic as the two Sol Kaplan scores.
If anything, I think "The Man Trap" is the least representative or "quintessential" Star Trek score. But "The Cage," "Where No Man," and "The Naked Time" are foundational scores that really did establish some things the other composers would often quote and interpolate.
So while I think the whole concept is iffy, if we had to pick one composer who set Star Trek on its musical path, it would be Alexander Courage. The others were just amazingly brilliant composers who left us a sublime and priceless symphonic legacy.
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Zap - I didn't mean to downplay Alexander Courage's importance, although it sounded that way. I said way back on this very thread that his scores are amazing, and I went on to wonder why it was he never really seemed to hit the big time as a composer, away from ST. You're right about "The Man Trap" - that's the one that came to mind when I posted, because I'd just watched it again on DVD. It is indeed a little bit at odds with the rest of the scores in the series, being so low-key and '50s SF. Courage's other scores are more vibrant. Great great stuff. But I still think that when people (me, of course) think of Star Trek music motifs, they'll sing a bit of Fried or Steiner rather than Courage - except for the theme. No big deal there, so it doesn't matter if I'm wrong.
I'd like to echo Broughtfan's comments about the show in general. Some (a lot of) '60s TV has kind of faded in its potency, and when seen today gives a pleasant feel of nostalgia but not much else. Revisiting Season 1 now of TOS, I'm amazed at how well it stands up in all departments. Acting chemistry, writing, music of course - even the dodgy special effects don't harm it in any way (I'm on the "untweaked" versions).
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Well, there are a good number of first season cues used in the 3rd season, and those got away without being redone. Just as an example, Where No Man Has Gone Before was used in The Lights of Zetar verbatim. So was The Doomsday Machine. Damned scofflaws.
But at least with WNMHGB they did make re-recordings, even if they didn't use them (or use them THERE at least). Where did they use DM?
Jeez, totally missed this a year and a half ago...
"The Lights of Zetar" comes to mind. It opens with "Condolences."
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For those with greater patience than mine: is there any one composer more featured than others in the series overall? Considering both original scores and the reuse of his material in other episodes? (Forgive me if this has already been discussed, no time to review this enormous thread.)
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Posted: |
Jun 7, 2015 - 12:52 PM
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By: |
Graham Watt
(Member)
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But I still think that when people (me, of course) think of Star Trek music motifs, they'll sing a bit of Fried or Steiner rather than Courage - except for the theme. No big deal there, so it doesn't matter if I'm wrong.
No offense intended (nor taken from your post), but why generalize even apologetically with "But I still think that when people think" etc etc? For me, Courage's cues are the most iconic, followed with Kaplan and Steiner equally. Others might put Gerald Fried's fight music as being the most identifiable. Before the Box release, I remember some guy claiming everyone's most sought after music was for "Elaan of Troyius."
Star Trek fans say the darndest things. 
And no offense taken here either, Last. Actually, the recent additions to this thread made me want to wade through the entire set from beginning to end once more. I hadn't done that for a while, but I found myself saying to myself (as I did when the Box first came out), "Ah, now wait - THAT'S the most iconic Star Trek moment!", at the start of nearly every cue.
So far I've replayed all the Courage material from Season One. I'll say again what I said years ago on this thread - What bloody great great music! I absolutely love those scores (as I do his darkly psychologicl scores for Season 3). Alexander Courage - brilliant composer.
/editado automáticamente desde satélite privado gswatt/ gswatt ha añadido------------
I forgot! Without going back to justifying the "No, That's the most quintessential bit", "I disagree, THAT'S the most emblematic bit!", etc, I will say that Courage's brilliant scores for the first season are less thematic, and less "adventurous" (in one sense of the word - in another sense they are "more adventurous", see?) than later scores, because the show itself changed. I was reminded of all that by re-Reading the early posts here by LK etc. So, I'm going back to saying that Courage's brilliant work is the "least" emblematic of the show, in the sense that if it were parodied (the underscore, not the Titles theme) on "The Simpsons", nobody would get the joke.
Now on "Charlie X" again, by Steiner. Good grief, that's fantastic music.
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Posted: |
Jun 7, 2015 - 6:45 PM
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By: |
Last Child
(Member)
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but I found myself saying to myself (as I did when the Box first came out), "Ah, now wait - THAT'S the most iconic Star Trek moment!", at the start of nearly every cue.
yes, I know what you mean. I have a "favorite" cue, but I love so much of Season One that it almost doesnt matter. Two cues stand out for me in how odd they are - Courage's plucking cue for the aliens in The Cage, and Steiner's cue for Ruk attacking - just plain weird, musically, when you experience them without the video.
So far I've replayed all the Courage material from Season One. I'll say again what I said years ago on this thread - What bloody great great music! I absolutely love those scores (as I do his darkly psychologicl scores for Season 3). Alexander Courage - brilliant composer.
Hmm. I was thinking his season three scores - "Enterprise Incident" and "Plato's Stepchildren" - were more action/adventure scores. At least "Enterprise Incident."
...So, I'm going back to saying that Courage's brilliant work is the "least" emblematic of the show, in the sense that if it were parodied (the underscore, not the Titles theme) on "The Simpsons", nobody would get the joke.
True, and now that I read back a few posts, I see I completely misunderstood your comment. I thought you were talking about personal enjoyment rather than the pop culture grasp of it (eg Amok Time fight music). Apparently the hoi polloi only remembers music that can be orally replicated with duhs and dums; the DRAGNET theme being the definitive example.
I havent been following this thread, but I imagine someone has come up with a Top Ten list of repeated music cues throughout the series? I know Courage's "Probing/Monster Illusion" was used at least three times just in "Private Little War."
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So, I'm going back to saying that Courage's brilliant work is the "least" emblematic of the show, in the sense that if it were parodied (the underscore, not the Titles theme) on "The Simpsons", nobody would get the joke.
I don't think that's true. Courage's fanfare and Captain's theme, which he himself used within his scores and library music, and most of the other Star Trek composers wove into their scores, are iconic. The general public would still "get" them today.
It's in the DNA of Star Trek music. You hear Courage throughout Kaplan's "The Doomsday Machine," in Duning's "Kirk's Philosophy" and his thrilling Finale to "The Empath," and many other places in TOS; in "The Best of Both Worlds Part 1" when Worf's boarding party first lay eyes on the captured Picard; you hear Courage in the movies...
"In every revolution, there's one man with a vision."
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Posted: |
Jun 8, 2015 - 6:47 AM
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By: |
Last Child
(Member)
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So, I'm going back to saying that Courage's brilliant work is the "least" emblematic of the show, in the sense that if it were parodied (the underscore, not the Titles theme) on "The Simpsons", nobody would get the joke.
I don't think that's true. Courage's fanfare and Captain's theme, which he himself used within his scores and library music, and most of the other Star Trek composers wove into their scores, are iconic. The general public would still "get" them today.
Graham included the fanfare:
"But I still think that when people (me, of course) think of Star Trek music motifs, they'll sing a bit of Fried or Steiner rather than Courage - except for the theme."
You hear Courage throughout...in "The Best of Both Worlds Part 1" when Worf's boarding party first lay eyes on the captured Picard, you hear Courage in the movies...
In the VHS era, I copied the episodes in SLP speed which occasionally gave music a warbly quality. In that scene, the "Captain" theme had the warble which "soured" the heroic quality, seemingly reflecting how compromised Picard was. I was disappointed later to find the music didnt have this ironic quality. Either way, the short musical reference stands out in that scene (for me).
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I’m moving again and into a much smaller place, so I’ve been paring down quite a bit. Most of my DVDs have gone into wallets and I’ve disposed of most of the cases (including my Star Trek movies and TV shows). Lot of stuff gone to used bookstores or hitting the trash bins.
I’m wrapping the TOS Box (and the six film scores) in tissue and packing it with bubble wrap. It’s going in the car with me rather than the moving van. My preciousssssss…
For the Courage vs. Everyone Else debate: Obviously it all started with Courage. The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before were important enough that they were still being used in the third season. I still think that it was Steiner who wrote the definitive Star Trek. But yes, he did it standing on Courage’s shoulders.
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Hedji: Has anyone else come up with other creative ways to incorporate the Library Cues?
Hedji, you've discovered the secret to organizing this collection for PC/mp3 player emplacement.
Just put the Mullendore library cues into their own album for Season One Library Cues, Do the same for Courage in his own Season Two Library Cues album and, voila, you are finished organizing this set!
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Yep. That's exactly what I've done.
I did at one point also add a playlist of just the re-recorded cues organized by season and conductor.
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Posted: |
Mar 9, 2019 - 10:04 AM
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By: |
Hedji
(Member)
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Just put the Mullendore library cues into their own album for Season One Library Cues, Do the same for Courage in his own Season Two Library Cues album and, voila, you are finished organizing this set!
Ah thank you! Those are GREAT ideas. Your suggestion puts the "unique" library tracks together on their own as an alternate program, which is appealing. So, we are talking cues like Sad and Thoughtful on Captains Theme, Fight on Captain's Theme, and Smooth Neutral Ship Theme.... I'm far from a TOS music scholar, but those were not original to any specific episode, correct? They're exclusive to the Library, and can be used to make a Library playlist an exciting listening experience.
I did at one point also add a playlist of just the re-recorded cues organized by season and conductor.
I'd lumped all of the re-recorded library tracks and alternates in with the original episode recordings, to make longer presentations of those episodes, but I'm thinking as a listening experience, that would be too much repetition for an episode like the Cage or Charlie X.
I know I'm stating the obvious, but... I can't thank enough the people who made this set possible. It's an absolute treasure... arguably the most important presentation of recorded film/tv music in history. Amazing that it even exists in this quality, and a gift that Just. Keeps. Giving. I've had it for years, and whenever I return to it, I learn more, appreciate more, and discover more to love.
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