Which background music? (Synthesiser or full orchestra?)

[GalaxyX]

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that Synthesizers get a bad rap because of the 80's era hard on to use constant "Analog Subtractive Synthezisers" in practically everything (leading to the common "synth brass" type sounds typical of the era.

It's simply a case of overusing a good thing. Too much sugar eventually makes you feel sick to your stomach.

 

[number6]

^^That's exactly what dates TNG horribly. Someone should have taken the guy who thought using the D-50 bell sound was a good idea and had him drawn and quartered.

I don't think TDTESS is dated at all. It still stands as a period piece of the paranoia of mankind and the dangers of its potential for self destruction. The use of the theremin blended well with a concert band score, a staple of the sci-fi of that era. The story carries well beyond the choice of instrumentation.

Korg workstations sound digital as fuck. I'm glad Trek stayed away from that and stuck with an orchestral score, bland as it might be, and I am glad that they got away from the cheesey synth sounds which permeated the first couple of seasons. Don't get me wrong: I agree that all the music in modern Trek had all the personality of an air fern, but I blame the prevailing trend in the industry for more "wallpaper" television scores than any one person. Television scores for sci-fi and drama across the board are far less imaginative than they were a few decades ago.

 

[DizzyMan]

This thread is interesting. Thanks for all the replies.

When I originally wrote it, I was aware that there has always been a full orchestra used in all the seasons, but I was referring to the fact that you didn't hear it anywhere near as often. Consequentally, (to me) the episodes sounded a lot cheaper.

After reading all the support here for the early seasons, I've actually gone back and watched a few s2–3 episodes with this in mind.

I have changed my opinion somewhat. I do think the composition back then was used more boldly, and they went further with it then than any season has gone since. Certainly, there is a lot of emotion in some of those scores that is definitely lacking in the later seasons.

So I do have new-found respect for the early seasons' composition, and I would not be in favour of scrapping that music.

But, at the same time, I still find the choice of instrumentation a little weak and (IMHO) cheap at times. I can remember episodes where you have a big dramatic close-up of Picard's face as he realises something big has happened, and all you can hear is a weedy little synth chord. To me, when Picard gets worked up about something, it's time for brass and strings (with harp, timpani and snare drum thrown in for good measure.)

Let's just say then that there are certain cues that I would replace, but possibly there are fewer of them than I initially remembered.

I also seem to remember even the orchestral cues from season 1 being a lot more cheesy. Lots of woodwind, glockenspiel, pizzicato string and 'cute' touches.

But, I will concede that the music really wasn't that bad in the early seasons, and they sought out new chords and new melodies that no man, woman or child had ever found before. So respect to those composers.

And that Borg music, like, totally kicked ass! But I think the whole point of the Borg is that they are more like machines than people, hence a synthetic sound was always going to sound best.

While I'm in a thread about incidental music… dare I bring up the issue of Chacotay's bloody panflute music? Now that was generic! (IMHO)

 

[Jonesy]

RAMA said:

KJM said:
IMO, Encounter at Farpoint is the best example of background music excess. They even played the main theme during the saucer separation!

They were reproducing the overkill background music of TOS.....however, look on the good work of the first 2 seasons of STNG--after Encounter at Farpoint and some other early eps--they improved the level of the music excesses....and then when Berman became more of a force, they sadly did away with a regular bombastic movie sound, which most be regret to this day.

RAMA

I love music and I think that when it's placed effectively within a scene, all is well.

What I find really aggrevating about the first season is the overuse of the "bombastic" music. Every moment before a commercial break is played out by the music like it's a total nailbiter. Almost every scene that contains even a dribble (or really none at all) of drama is played the same way. That's part of what makes the first season frustrating (well, sometimes also funny since they happen so often) to watch.

I'm certainly glad that I am not part of the "most" that regret that change. I thought it was an excellent choice to tone down the music excesses and deliver them when appropriate to the scene. Of course, when the episodes actually became better in the second and third year, then they warranted that kind of music, but that's another discussion....