Music of Battlestar Galactica (reimagining)

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The music of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica is a body of work largely credited to the composers Bear McCreary and Richard Gibbs. The music of Battlestar Galactica displays a wide variety of ethnic influences and intentionally tries not to conform to the "usual" style of a science fiction score.

Similar to the music of Star Wars as orchestrated by John Williams, the music of Battlestar Galactica makes use of the technique called "leitmotif". A leitmotif is a phrase or melodic cell that signifies a character, place, plot element, mood, idea, relationship or other specific part of the story. It is commonly used in modern film scoring as a device to mentally anchor certain parts of a film to the soundtrack. Of chief importance for a leitmotif is that it must be strong enough for a listener to latch onto while being flexible enough to undergo variation and development. However, the development of leitmotifs was not part of the composers' original plan:

"For a show that set out to avoid 'themes,' Battlestar Galactica has certainly ended up with quite a few."
— Bear McCreary [1]

Contents

[edit] Soundtrack releases

To date, four CDs of soundtrack music from Battlestar Galactica have been released for sale. All four albums have been released on the La-La Land Records label.

[edit] Miniseries soundtrack

The soundtrack for the 2003 Battlestar Galactica Miniseries was largely scored by Richard Gibbs. The total running time of the album is 1:08:16.

Many of the cues from the Miniseries soundtrack have been re-used as incidental or background music in the regular series beginning in 2004. For example, the track "Starbuck's Recon" plays over the final scene on Caprica in "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down".

  1. "Are You Alive? / Battlestar Galactica Main Title" [5:28]
  2. "Goodbye, Baby" [2:24]
  3. "Starbuck Buck Buck" [1:49]
  4. "To Kiss or Not to Kiss" [2:42]
  5. "Six Sex" [1:48]
  6. "Deep Sixed" [1:59]
  7. "The Day Comes" [1:08]
  8. "Counterattack" [2:40]
  9. "Cylons Fire" [1:34]
  10. "A Call to Arms" [1:03]
  11. "Apollo to the Rescue" [1:56]
  12. "Launch Vipers" [4:26]
  13. "Seal the Bulkheads" [2:10]
  14. "The Lottery Ticket" [3:06]
  15. "Eighty-Five Dead" [1:23]
  16. "Inbound" [1:23]
  17. "Apollo Is Gone / Starbuck Returns" [2:19]
  18. "The Storm and the Dead" [2:40]
  19. "Thousands Left Behind" [2:09]
  20. "Silica Pathways" [3:32]
  21. "Reunited" [1:56]
  22. "The Sense Of Six" [3:01]
  23. "Starbuck's Recon" [1:11]
  24. "Battle" [7:40]
  25. "Good Night" [2:38]
  26. "By Your Command" [1:56]


[edit] Season 1 soundtrack

Battlestar Galactica Season 1 soundtrack cover art
Battlestar Galactica Season 1 soundtrack cover art

Gibbs opted not to devote full time to the regular series' production, due to scheduling conflicts: he wished to devote more time to scoring theatrical films. As a result, Bear McCreary scored "33" (which was actually the first episode) and then stayed on as soundtrack composer for all subsequent episodes of the series. McCreary is credited as sole composer for 26 of the 30 tracks on the Season 1 soundtrack. The total running time of the album is 1:18:19.

Many of the leitmotifs of the show were introduced in this opus, including the Adama family theme, Boomer's theme, the Cylon theme and Starbuck's theme.

  1. "Prologue" [0:40]
  2. "Main Title (U.S. Theme)" [1:05]
  3. "Helo Chase" (from "33") [1:31]
  4. "The Olympic Carrier" (from "33") [5:48]
  5. "Helo Rescued" [1:02] (from "33")
  6. "A Good Lighter" (from "The Hand of God") [1:56]
  7. "The Thousandth Landing" (from "Act of Contrition") [3:08]
  8. "Two Funerals" (from "Act of Contrition") [3:26]
  9. "Starbuck Takes On All Eight" (from "Act of Contrition") [3:46]
  10. "Forgiven" (from "You Can't Go Home Again") [1:31]
  11. "The Card Game" (from "Act of Contrition") [3:04]
  12. "Starbuck On the Red Moon" (from "You Can't Go Home Again") [2:01]
  13. "Helo In the Warehouse" (from "Litmus") [2:02]
  14. "Baltar Speaks With Adama" (from "Six Degrees of Separation") [1:55]
  15. "Two Boomers" (from "Six Degrees of Separation") [1:48]
  16. "Battlestar Operatica" (from "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down") [2:36]
  17. "The Dinner Party" (from "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down") [3:14]
  18. "Battlestar Muzaktica" (from "Colonial Day") [1:43]
  19. "Baltar Panics" (from "Six Degrees of Separation") [1:46]
  20. "Boomer Flees" (from "Flesh and Bone") [1:17]
  21. "Flesh and Bone" (from "Flesh and Bone") [4:06]
  22. "Battle On the Asteroid" (from "The Hand of God") [6:53]
  23. "Wander My Friends" (from "The Hand of God") [2:58]
  24. "Passacaglia" (from "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I") [5:16]
  25. "Kobol's Last Gleaming" (from "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II") [2:49]
  26. "Destiny" (from "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II") [4:44]
  27. "The Shape of Things to Come" (from "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II") [2:56]
  28. "Bloodshed" (from "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II") [1:51]
  29. "Re-cap" [0:37]
  30. "Main Title (U.K. Theme)" [1:05]


[edit] Season 2 soundtrack

Battlestar Galactica Season 2 soundtrack cover art
Battlestar Galactica Season 2 soundtrack cover art

McCreary is again credited as the primary composer for the Season 2 soundtrack; Gibbs retains his credit for the series' main title music. The total running time of the album is 1:18:53.

In his sleeve notes for the album, McCreary singles out two pieces for particular attention: the re-arrangement of Stu Phillips and Glen A. Larson's original theme for Battlestar Galactica to become the "Colonial Anthem" as it appears in "Final Cut"; and the string quartet "A Promise to Return", dedicated to the recovery of the lead violinist, Ludvig Girdland, who was severely injured in a car crash a month after the recording.

The Season 2 soundtrack also featured the first statement of Tigh's theme (in track number 6, entitled "Martial Law") and the Roslin and Adama theme (in track number 13, entitled "Roslin and Adama").

  1. "Colonial Anthem" ("Theme from Battlestar Galactica") (from "Final Cut") [4:02]
  2. "Baltar's Dream" (from "Valley of Darkness") [2:45]
  3. "Escape from the Farm" (from "The Farm") [3:09]
  4. "A Promise to Return" (from "The Farm") [3:03], performed by the Supernova String Quartet
  5. "Allegro" (from "Home, Part 1") [4:59]
  6. "Martial Law" (from "Fragged") [1:51]
  7. "Standing in the Mud" (from "Black Market") [1:45]
  8. "Pegasus" (from "Pegasus") [2:46]
  9. "Lords of Kobol" (from "Pegasus") [2:50], featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
  10. "Something Dark is Coming" (from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1") [8:51]
  11. "Scar" (from "Scar") [2:26]
  12. "Epiphanies" (from "Epiphanies") [2:43]
  13. "Roslin and Adama" (from "Resurrection Ship, Parts 1 and 2") [2:49]
  14. "Gina Escapes" (from "Resurrection Ship, Part 2") [2:00]
  15. "Dark Unions" (from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2") [2:53]
  16. "The Cylon Prisoner" (from "Pegasus") [3:51], featuring Bt4, vocals
  17. "Prelude to War" (from "Pegasus" and "Resurrection Ship, Parts 1 and 2") [8:22]
  18. "Reuniting the Fleet" (from "Home, Parts 1 and 2") [2:45]
  19. "Roslin Confesses" (from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2") [2:09]
  20. "One Year Later" (from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2") [1:43]
  21. "Worthy of Survival" (from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2") [3:35]
  22. "Battlestar Galactica Main Title" [0:45], music by Richard Gibbs; engineered and mixed by Gordon Fordyce; featuring Michael Now and Caitanya Riggan, vocals
  23. "Black Market" (from "Black Market") [5:48], featuring Steve Bartek, guitar


[edit] Season 3 soundtrack

Battlestar Galactica Season 3 soundtrack cover art
Battlestar Galactica Season 3 soundtrack cover art

The official soundtrack for Battlestar Galactica's third season was released on 2007-10-23. Several previously established themes are re-visited: for example, the Adama family theme ("Admiral and Commander"), Starbuck's theme (in the cues taken from "Maelstrom") and the "Worthy of Survival" theme ("Gentle Execution"). "Wayward Soldier" and "Violence and Variations" develop the second season's use of strings, as exemplified by "Prelude to War". New thematic elements include Kat's theme ("Kat's Sacrifice") and the Apollo-Starbuck love theme ("Under the Wing").

  1. "A Distant Sadness" from "Occupation" [2:50], featuring Raya Yarbrough, vocals
  2. "Precipice" (from "Precipice") [4:52]
  3. "Admiral and Commander" (from "Exodus, Parts 1 and 2") [3:16]
  4. "Storming New Caprica" (from "Exodus, Part 2") [7:48]
  5. "Refugees Return" (from "Exodus, Part 2") [3:43]
  6. "Wayward Soldier" (from "Hero") [4:17]
  7. "Violence and Variations" (from "Unfinished Business") [7:42]
  8. "The Dance" (from "Unfinished Business") [2:33]
  9. "Adama Falls" (from "Unfinished Business") [1:46]
  10. "Under the Wing" (from "Maelstrom") [1:11]
  11. "Battlestar Sonatica" (from "Torn") [4:44], performed by Bear McCreary, piano
  12. "Fight Night" (from "Unfinished Business") [2:27]
  13. "Kat's Sacrifice" (from "The Passage") [2:46]
  14. "Someone to Trust" (from "Taking a Break from All Your Worries") [3:09]
  15. "The Temple of Five" (from "The Eye of Jupiter") [2:44]
  16. "Dirty Hands" (from "Dirty Hands") [3:32]
  17. "Gentle Execution" (from "Exodus, Part 2") [3:28]
  18. "Mandala in the Clouds" (from "Maelstrom") [5:53]
  19. "Deathbed and Maelstrom" (from "Maelstrom") [5:53]
  20. "Heeding the Call" (from "Crossroads, Part 2") [2:11]
  21. "All Along the Watchtower" (from "Crossroads, Part 2") [3:33], featuring Bt4, vocals; words and music by Bob Dylan; adapted, arranged, and produced by Bear McCreary


[edit] Main Title Music

To date, the main titles of Battlestar Galactica have been set to two distinct pieces of music. For the first season, a different cue was used in North America than for broadcasts taking place in other regions. The North American cue was a modification of the cue used for Zak Adama's funeral in "Act of Contrition", followed by a segment played on taiko drums that played over a montage of scenes from the upcoming episode. The "worldwide" cue followed the same structure, but with the funeral cue replaced by a rendition of the Gayatri mantra:

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tát savitúr váreniyaṃ
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

One possible translation of the Sanskrit into English reads:

O earth, atmosphere, heaven:
May we attain that excellent glory of Savitr the God:
So may he stimulate our prayers.

Since the second season, broadcasts of the show both within and outside North America have used the "worldwide" version of the main title cue.

[edit] Principal leitmotifs

[edit] Adama family theme

This theme, usually used for heartfelt moments involving William and/or Lee Adama, uses an uilleann pipe in a heavily Celtic style, with lyrics in Irish Gaelic. Performances range from a full choral arrangement ("The Hand of God", "Home, Part 1") to a more subtle performance on an Irish whistle ("Resistance"). In season 4 the theme is also played on Scottish smallpipes.

[edit] Apollo's theme

Lee "Apollo" Adama's theme is a slow, sad piece that is rarely heard on the show: McCreary attributes this to the inflexibility of Apollo's theme, as opposed to Starbuck's, which has spawned many variations. In its melancholy form, Apollo's theme underscored the destruction of the Olympic Carrier passenger liner in "33" and the revelations of Lee Adama's lost love on Caprica in "Black Market"; in a more positive mode, it plays as Apollo prepares to destroy the Cylon tylium mining facility in "The Hand of God". The theme returns in season three's "Taking a Break from All Your Worries", when it plays as a drunken Lee - torn between his wife Dualla and Starbuck - loses his wedding ring and frantically searches for it in one of Galactica's corridors.

  • Appearances: "33", "Act of Contrition", "The Hand of God", "Black Market", "Taking a Break from All Your Worries".

[edit] Cylon theme

The Cylon theme was first introduced when Karl "Helo" Agathon ran from the Cylon centurions in "33", then later throughout the first season as the Cylons pursued Helo and Sharon. Performed on taiko drums and augmented with metallic sounds (including pots, pans and toasters — "toaster" on the show being an epithet for "Cylon").

The theme became a general theme for the Cylons and Cylon Raiders in particular, a development that is highly prominent in "Scar".

[edit] Cylon Basestar theme

For the sequence of episodes dealing with Gaius Baltar's experiences on a Cylon Basestar, series creator Ronald D. Moore wished to use "unsettlingly familiar classical piano music": his initial idea was to use Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 ("Moonlight" Sonata). Bear McCreary then developed the theme for Baltar's experiences on the Basestar from this starting point, incorporating Baltar's theme into the piano performance.

[edit] Laura Roslin's theme

Laura Roslin's theme was first introduced in first season finale "Kobol's Last Gleaming" to help underscore the spiritual and mysterious discovery of Kobol. This rendition of the theme was accompanied with Latin lyrics sung by a boy soprano; the lyrics are comprised of two of the show's recurring verbal motifs, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again," and "So say we all."

Roslin's theme was set to lyrics a second time for the third season premiere "Occupation", this time in Armenian.

[edit] Lee and Kara's love theme

Introduced in season three's "Unfinished Business", this piece accompanies the tempestuous affair between pilots Lee Adama and Kara Thrace. A tender rendition of it can be heard in "Maelstrom" as Lee offers support to the increasingly unstable Kara and the two reflect sadly on their troubled relationship. In the third season soundtrack, it features in the tracks "Violence and Variations", where it is interwoven with the Opera House (Passacaglia) theme, and "Under the Wing."

  • Appearances: "Unfinished Business", "Maelstrom".

[edit] Number Six's theme

This simple 9-note motif was composed by Richard Gibbs for the Miniseries. The 9/8 figure is divided unevenly into a group of 3, followed by 3 groups of 2. It is almost always performed on a gamelan. The theme serves as a general theme for Number Six, in particular the copy that "haunts" Gaius Baltar, and plays over the prologue of each episode.

In "Downloaded", when Caprica-Six is similarly haunted by a vision of Gaius Baltar, Number Six's theme is featured, but it has been digitally reversed, signifying the turning of the tables. The reversed Number Six theme has been used for subsequent appearances of Caprica-Six's internal Baltar.

  • Appearances: each episode's prologue, numerous scenes featuring Number Six

[edit] Roslin and Adama theme

This theme is a simple waltz, inspired by traditional Celtic ballads, and serves as a "love theme" for Laura Roslin and William Adama. Originally composed for the gentle scenes in "Resurrection Ship, Parts 1 & 2", in which William Adama's caring for the dying President Roslin is most apparent, this theme becomes an obvious thematic marker for their subtle relationship. It plays again as Roslin decides to concede the presidential election to Doctor Gaius Baltar in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2".

[edit] Sharon's theme

Sharon's theme is sombre and introspective, representative of the inner conflict common to both principal copies of Number Eight (Sharon) featured in the series. This theme is occasionally played in ethnic woodwinds or by a string orchestra, but almost always performed by an ensemble of gamelans and bells.

  • Appearances: numerous scenes featuring Number Eight

[edit] The Shape of Things to Come theme

This theme, also referred to as the "Passacaglia" or Opera House theme, is one of the few recurring motifs in Battlestar Galactica — along with "Worthy of Survival" — not associated with a particular character or group of characters. Appearing in the first season soundtrack as "Passacaglia" after the Spanish and Italian musical form that it follows, the theme was first introduced over the opening montage of episode "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1". In "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2", it plays as Baltar has a vision amid the ruins of the Opera House on Kobol of that structure as it was during Kobol's glory days. He is informed by his internal Number Six that the mysterious infant he sees within — apparently Hera Agathon — is "the first of a new generation of God's children" and "the face of the shape of things to come." The theme also accompanies Number Three's visions of the Final Five set in the Opera House in "Hero", but its usage is not limited to the Opera House setting: in "Home, Part 2" and "Unfinished Business" it accompanies emotionally resonant scenes that concern the fate of characters or their relationships.

Each major variation of this theme is in a different meter: "Passacaglia" is in 3/4, "The Shape of Things to Come" is in 6/8 and "Allegro" is in 4/4.

  • Appearances: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Parts 1 and 2", "Scattered", "Home, Part 2", "Hero", "Unfinished Business", "Crossroads, Part 2"

[edit] Starbuck's themes

The character of Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace has acquired two distinct themes over the course of the series. The first theme was originally composed for "You Can't Go Home Again", as a triumphant cue for when Starbuck escapes from the red moon on which she was stranded, flying a captured Cylon Raider. It also scored the heart-felt finale when William Adama forgives her for the death of his younger son, Zak Adama.

"I never intended this simple theme to become a signature for Starbuck, but since it played both warm/bitter-sweet and triumphant/exciting in one episode it obviously had potential as a malleable thematic idea. In fact, in "Flesh and Bone", this theme was given a dark variation as Starbuck mercilessly tortured Leoben and her motives for doing so became questionable." — Bear McCreary

  • Appearances: "You Can't Go Home Again", "Flesh and Bone", numerous scenes featuring Kara Thrace

A second theme was introduced in the opening episodes of the third season to accompany the love-hate relationship between Leoben and Starbuck. The theme was further developed as a "destiny" cue in "Maelstrom", in which Starbuck, before her own apparent demise, appears to commune with Leoben and her deceased mother.

The cue is always performed on a Chinese erhu or zhonghu, a two-stringed instrument similar to a violin in timbre.

[edit] Tigh's theme

Tigh's theme is inspired by present-day military hymns, and, along with Kat's theme from "The Passage", represents almost the only use of orchestral brass in the entire score. McCreary "wanted to create a musical idea that would represent both [Tigh's] strength and loyalty, as well as his unpredictable and dangerous nature." Tigh's theme is first stated during Colonel Tigh's declaration of martial law in "Fragged"; it returns during the third season, playing as Tigh is released from prison and over other key character moments for Tigh.

[edit] Tyrol's theme

Tyrol's theme was first devised as a love theme for Tyrol and Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, but was shelved after its first use because the two characters ended their relationship immediately thereafter. It returned at the end of the second season as a love theme for Tyrol and Cally, and has served in that role ever since. The tune is written in Lydian mode and performed using the bottom register of an alto flute.

[edit] Worthy of Survival

The "Worthy of Survival" theme was developed as a melancholy variation of the "Prelude to War" cue used to score the combat scenes in "Pegasus" and "Resurrection Ship, Parts 1 and 2".

"While the accompanimental [sic] figures come from Prelude, the melody is wholly original to this theme. First stated on a lonely duduk, and then in octaves by the violins and violas, it is a melancholy and contemplative tune." — Bear McCreary

Taking its title from a line of dialogue in "Resurrection Ship, Part 2", the theme was intended to play as Starbuck prepares to assassinate Admiral Helena Cain, but only a small fragment was used in the final cut of the episode. McCreary re-worked the theme for the second season finale, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2", and a bolder statement of the theme played over the Cylons' occupation of New Caprica. "Worthy of Survival" returned in its most tragic and melancholy statement to date as the cue playing over Saul Tigh's uxoricide of Ellen Tigh.

  • Appearances: "Resurrection Ship, Part 2", "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2", "Exodus, Part 2"

[edit] Original series homage

During the museum dedication scene in the miniseries, the "Colonial Anthem" is played in the background. The anthem is actually the main theme music of the original Battlestar Galactica series. The anthem is heard again as background music in D'Anna Biers' documentary in the episode "Final Cut." The theme was used again in "Razor", in the flashback in which the young William Adama is fighting over the Cylon planet, although it is not the same rhythmic meter. The original Battlestar theme was composed by Stu Phillips.

[edit] Music not original to Battlestar Galactica

On occasion, Battlestar Galactica features music that was not composed specifically for the series.

[edit] Cavatina

The second-season episode "Scar" closes with Stanley Myers' classical guitar piece "Cavatina", most famous as the theme from the 1978 film The Deer Hunter.

[edit] Metamorphosis

The second-season episode "Valley of Darkness" features an arrangement of "Metamorphosis One" by Philip Glass. (Bear McCreary's website mistakenly credits the piece as being the very similar "Metamorphosis Five"; the two movements can be distinguished by the number of chords played before the melody begins.) The original recording may be found on Glass' 1989 album Solo Piano. The piece is played in Kara Thrace's apartment on Caprica (it is explained that her father is the fictional pianist) and plays over Lee Adama and Saul Tigh's conversation at William Adama's bedside at the end of the episode. It is one of the few pieces of music in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica that is both diegetic and extradiegetic.

[edit] All Along the Watchtower

A somewhat Indian-themed version of the 1967 Bob Dylan song "All Along the Watchtower" features prominently in the third season finale "Crossroads, Parts 1 and 2". McCreary's arrangement utilizes the electric sitar, harmonium, duduk, yayli tanbur, electric violin and zurna, and features McCreary's brother Brendan "Bt4" McCreary and former Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek.

The song haunts the characters Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol, Samuel Anders, and Tory Foster throughout the two parts of "Crossroads" and plays over the final scenes of "Crossroads, Part 2": like "Metamorphosis One", it is one of the few pieces of music in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica that is both diegetic and non-diegetic.

[edit] External links

[edit] References