First Contact music cue

Just watching FC on AMC and wanted to get this off my chest. When Worf shows up on the Defiant, wouldn't it have been nice if we got a taste of the DS9 theme, transitioning to the TNG theme, instead of the Klingon music?


Yeah, Worf's a Klingon, but that's not 'Worf's theme' musically ever except maybe for first season TNG, if I'm not mistaken, and he and Defiant were DS9 staples at the time.

It would have been a nice thing for the fans, although I'm sure they would have paid roayalties to Dennis McCarthy instead of Jerry Goldsmith.

It just would have made more Trek sense to me.

 

No, it doesn't make any sense. Worf was not an original D.S.9. cast member, he was never a perminent member, and if it wasn't for the Defient, there would be nothing about D.S.9. in the film.

In fact, stuffing in the Klingon theme wasn't quite right either. Sure he's Klingon, but he's not just another random one -- he needed his own theme (did he ever get a re-occuring one on TNG?).

 

^There was always the first two notes of the Klingon theme" theme/motif that popped up in the Klingon-centric episodes of TNG... but I disagree with you about not using the DS9 theme. At the time it would have been wholly appropriate to do so. Worf was and had been a regular character on DS9 for over a year by the time First Contact premiered; further, the Defiant itself was a mainstay from that show as well.

Likely, Jerry Goldsmith didn't do it (if it had even occurred to him or been suggested) because the production would still have had to pay a nominal fee (and then royalties) to Dennis McCarthy for using his theme for DS9 in the film. Goldsmith lifting his own Klingon theme worked fine though.

 

Thanks doubleoh. My guess is that it never occured to anyone, and that Goldsmith saw 'klingon' on the sheet for that scene and went with his Klingon Theme.

It's always been jarring for me in FC, because I so associate that theme with TMP and 'bad guy Klingons' in general, not Worf in the slightest...

 

I would think that some of the decision would have had to do with what was going on in the flick at the time. THe Klingon music from TMP has an action-based rythm (or is it tempo? I don't know) which lent itself well to the action of the scene. The DS9 music was a softer, slower tune which would not have worked well in that situation, IMHO.
Agree or not, more important to the filmmakers than a nod to the fans would be how well the music helped to tell the story.

 

And even more important than that, is that they not spend money where they don't need to. Admittedly, Goldsmith took the 'easy' way out by just rehashing himself, but it's not undeniable that it likely would have cost the picture more to use McCarthy's theme for that one bit on top of having Goldsmith --and his son Joel-- score the rest of the picture.

 

i think the boring, ponderous ds9 music would've been really out o' place

 

Yep, I'm now guessing that. I would bet, and would guess that Mr. Goldsmith never knew, and was never told that the Klingon in that scene was on another Trek show at that time. Therin, I love your input as a fan, we both have an almost encylcopedic knowledge or Trek, so please feel free from convincing me otherwise.

 

Sorry Therin, I do want feedback. I just wasn't sure why you seemed to be upset about me guessing. I don't have any facts or articles to lead me to think otherwise about this music choice. I know it's a silly, nitpick, just thought that some might share my 'not liking' of the music choice for this cue.

I genuinely do like reading your posts and experiences, we are both part of Playtrek as well, and love that we can share Trek from around the globe!

Russell