Release Date:January 1, 1991 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days Shipping:Expedited shipping available Shipping:International shipping available
Tracks:
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Life Is A Dream (contains theme from Star Trek TV Series composed by Alexander Courage)
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The Meld
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Returning To Vulcan
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Battle In The Mutara Nebula
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Enterprise Clears Moorings
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Chekov's Run
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Ilia's Theme
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Without Help
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The Enterprise
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Prologue and Main Title (contains theme from Star Trek TV series composed by Alexander Courage)
a satisfying summation of the first five filmsJune 24, 2008 Stuart M. Paine(Arlington, VA USA) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
THE ASTRAL SYMPHONY is a worthy sampler of cues from the first five STAR TREK films, which as all good Trek music fans know, were scored by Goldsmith, Horner, Horner, Rosenman and Goldsmith. There are three selections from each one of those films on this disc. They are all very good, substantial selections - no trivial filler. The recordings are original soundtrack recordings - the real thing. When I got this CD a decade ago, I had only one other Trek disc (STAR TREK V), so this one got a lot of play and I mean a lot. It never disappointed then and still doesn't, even though I've collected many more Trek albums.
Jerry Goldsmith defined the STAR TREK sound in film. (Incidentally, he had been asked to do the original television program, but turned it down due to other commitments.) He and James Horner impress the most here, but then, the Trek films they scored were set for the most part in interstellar space and their music is fittingly expansive and open. Both composers were VERY good at this. One can hear "into distance" in their writing. Amazing. I don't know much film music better than the Goldsmith STAR TREK music, especially that for the first film. "The Enterprise" and "Ilia's Theme" are my favorites here. Horner's Prologue and Main Title from SEARCH FOR SPOCK (track 10) always gets me, too - such HUGE sound.
Rosenman is the odd man out here. Although he quotes Trek themes, his contributions for THE VOYAGE HOME feel distinctly different from Goldsmith's and Horner's earlier work. His music is also recorded much drier and, although good music, just doesn't soar as does that of the others. I don't know; maybe he was just furnishing the sound he and the film's director, Spock (I mean, Leonard Nimoy), felt most appropriate for this mostly Earth-bound adventure with marked comedic overtone. Of his cues, the highlights are "Chekov's Run", a sub-2:00 bit of mock-Rimsky-Korsakov, and "Hospital Chase", another bit of inanity, this one sounding all too much like a cross between Mancini and an Offenbach can-can.
There have been other Trek collections which include the later films and some of the television music, but this one has more of the music which established the film franchise sound. I would say that even if you have one of those (I do), THE ASTRAL SYMPHONY is still stronger overall.
Best from movie soundtracksJanuary 22, 2006 JC(MD USA) 2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Historic compilation of memorable music from the original soundtracks of all five Star trek movies to charge the senses and expand your listening pleasure.
