Star Trek: Insurrection is the musical score for the 1998 science fiction film of the same name. It is the fourth musical score for a Star Trek film composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, following The Motion Picture (1979), The Final Frontier (1989) and First Contact (1996). Insurrection is directed by Jonathan Frakes, based on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and is the ninth Star Trek film overall. The album was released through GNP Crescendo Records on December 22, 1998.
Contents
Composition and recording
Goldsmith continued using the march and Klingon themes written for The Motion Picture with new themes and variations. As with the predecessors, the main title opens with Alexander Courage's Star Trek: The Original Series fanfare, which introduces a six-note motif used in many of the film's action sequences. The Ba'ku are scored with a pastoral theme with the inclusion of repetitive harps, string sections and a woodwind solo, and the Ba'ku's ability to slow time was accompanied with a variation of this music.
Quick bursts of brass music accompanied the starship sequences, while scenes in which observers watching the Ba'ku were underscored with a spy theme which resembled his conspiracy theme from Capricorn One. The theme which uses piano, timpani percussions and brass, builds throughout the scene until it is interrupted by the action theme as Data opens fire. Goldsmith did not write a motif for the Son'a, but scored the action sequence without designating the Son'a as an antagonist, suggesting the film's revelation that the Son'a and Ba'ku are related. The film's climax is scored with the action theme, which is balanced with "sense of wonder" music similar to cues from The Motion Picture.
The score was recorded at the Paramount Scoring Stage in Paramount Pictures Studios at Hollywood, Los Angeles during October 19–23, 1998.
Complete score
In 2013, GNP Crescendo Records re-released the soundtrack for the film as an expanded collector's edition [GNPD 8082], featuring previously unreleased tracks by Goldsmith plus four bonus tracks.
Reception
Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks wrote "the crystal clear sound quality is the ultimate selling point, allowing you to hear the strengths of Goldsmith's last solid "Star Trek" score down to every last, wall-rattling detail." Craig Lysy of Movie Music UK wrote "Goldsmith demonstrates mastery of his craft by expertly attenuating his themes and music to support the film's imagery and narrative." Steven McDonald of AllMusic wrote "while Goldsmith doesn't turn in a disappointment here, this is overall a relatively minor score for him."
Personnel credits
Credits adapted from liner notes