Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is the 1984 science fiction film directed by Leonard Nimoy based on the television series Star Trek: The Original Series and the third film in the Star Trek franchise. The film score is composed by James Horner, that served as a continuation from the score of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) with few themes being reworked for this film.
James Horner returned to score The Search for Spock, fulfilling a promise he had made to the film's producer Harve Bennett on The Wrath of Khan. [1] Initially, Nimoy considered hiring his friend Leonard Rosenman to score the film, but he was persuaded that Horner's return would grant continuity between the two films. [2] Much like the film, Horner's music was a direct continuation of the score he wrote for the predecessor. When writing music for The Wrath of Khan, Horner was aware he would reuse certain cues for an impending sequel; two major themes he reworked were for Genesis and Spock. While the Genesis theme supplants the title music Horner wrote for The Wrath of Khan, the end credits were quoted "almost verbatim". [1]
In hours-long discussions with Bennett and Nimoy, Horner agreed with the director that the "romantic and more sensitive" cues were more important than the "bombastic" ones. [1] Horner had written Spock's theme to give the character more dimension: "By putting a theme over Spock, it warms him and he becomes three-dimensional rather than a collection of schticks," he said. [3] The theme was expanded in The Search for Spock to represent the ancient alien mysticism and culture of Spock and Vulcan. [1]
Among the new cues Horner wrote was a "percussive and atonal" theme for the Klingons which is represented heavily in the film. [1] Music author Jeff Bond described the cue as a compromise between music from Horner's earlier film Wolfen , Khan's motif from The Wrath of Khan, and Jerry Goldsmith's Klingon music from The Motion Picture. [4] Horner also adapted music from Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet for part of the Enterprise theft sequence and its destruction, while the scoring to Spock's resurrection on Vulcan was lifted from Horner's Brainstorm ending. [5]
The score was recorded for three days at the Record Plant studio in Los Angeles. [4] Like the predecessors, Horner incorporated the Star Trek theme in most of the cues including the main title and the final cues. [4]
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | ||||
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Film score by | ||||
Released | 1984 | |||
Studio | Record Plant, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Film score | |||
Length | 46:15 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | James Horner | |||
Star Trek soundtracks chronology | ||||
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James Horner chronology | ||||
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The Search for Spock's original score was released in LPs and cassettes through Capitol Records in the United States and EMI Records in the United Kingdom. [6] In early-1990s, the independent label GNP Crescendo Records acquired the licensing and distribution deal with Paramount to distribute Star Trek soundtracks in CDs which included The Search of Spock's soundtrack which released on January 21, 1992. [7] The soundtrack did not feature the complete score. Only nine tracks were included in the album which runs for 46 minutes. [6]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Prologue and Main Title" | 6:27 |
2. | "Klingons" | 5:55 |
3. | "Stealing the Enterprise" | 8:33 |
4. | "The Mind Meld" | 2:30 |
5. | "Bird of Prey Decloaks" | 3:37 |
6. | "Returning to Vulcan" | 4:49 |
7. | "The Katra Ritual" | 4:29 |
8. | "End Titles" | 6:12 |
9. | "The Search for Spock" | 3:43 |
Total length: | 46:15 |
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Expanded Edition) | |
---|---|
Film score by James Horner | |
Released | June 1, 2010 |
Genre | Film score |
Length | 116:26 |
Label | Retrograde |
Producer | James Horner |
On June 1, 2010, Film Score Monthly's Retrograde Records issued an expanded edition of the score in double album. [8] The first disc featured the complete score including outtakes and cues that were not in the original album, while the second disc consisted of the tracks featured in the 1984 original release. [8]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Prologue and Main Title" | 6:31 |
2. | "Klingons" | 5:59 |
3. | "Spock's Cabin" | 1:40 |
4. | "The Klingon's Plan" | 1:03 |
5. | "The Mind-Meld" | 2:32 |
6. | "Stealing the Enterprise" | 8:41 |
7. | "Grissom Destroyed" | 1:03 |
8. | "Sunset on Genesis" | 2:18 |
9. | "Spock Endures Pon Farr" | 3:04 |
10. | "Bird of Prey Decloacks" | 3:48 |
11. | "A Fighting Chance to Live" | 3:54 |
12. | "Genesis Destroyed" | 2:43 |
13. | "Returning to Vulcan" | 4:58 |
14. | "The Katra Ritual" | 4:31 |
15. | "End Titles" | 6:19 |
16. | "That Old Black Magic/Tangerine/I Remember You" | 10:32 |
Total length: | 69:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Prologue And Main Title" | 6:30 |
2. | "Klingons" | 5:58 |
3. | "Stealing The Enterprise" | 08:35 |
4. | "The Mind Meld" | 02:32 |
5. | "Bird Of Prey Decloaks" | 03:48 |
6. | "Returning To Vulcan" | 04:55 |
7. | "The Katra Ritual" | 04:31 |
8. | "End Title" | 06:19 |
9. | "The Search For Spock" | 03:42 |
Total length: | 46:50 |
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Expanded Edition) [Reissue] | |
---|---|
Film score by James Horner | |
Released | June 14, 2022 |
Genre | Film score |
Length | 115:47 |
Label | Intrada |
Producer | James Horner |
The album was reissued by Intrada Records on June 14, 2022, which consisted of the contents similar to the 2010 expanded edition, but with varied track lengths. [9]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Prologue and Main Title" | 6:30 |
2. | "Klingons" | 5:57 |
3. | "Spock's Cabin" | 1:40 |
4. | "The Klingon's Plan" | 1:01 |
5. | "The Mind-Meld" | 2:31 |
6. | "Stealing the Enterprise" | 8:39 |
7. | "Grissom Destroyed" | 1:02 |
8. | "Sunset on Genesis" | 2:17 |
9. | "Spock Endures Pon Farr" | 3:04 |
10. | "Bird of Prey Decloaks" | 3:47 |
11. | "A Fighting Chance to Live" | 3:52 |
12. | "Genesis Destroyed" | 2:42 |
13. | "Returning to Vulcan" | 4:56 |
14. | "The Katra Ritual" | 4:30 |
15. | "End Titles" | 6:13 |
16. | "That Old Black Magic/Tangerine/I Remember You (Bar Source)" | 10:32 |
Total length: | 69:13 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Prologue and Main Title" | 6:29 |
2. | "Klingons" | 5:56 |
3. | "Stealing the Enterprise" | 8:34 |
4. | "The Mind-Meld" | 2:31 |
5. | "Bird of Prey Decloaks" | 3:46 |
6. | "Returning to Vulcan" | 4:53 |
7. | "The Katra Ritual" | 4:30 |
8. | "End Titles" | 6:13 |
9. | "The Search for Spock (Theme From Star Trek III)" | 3:42 |
Total length: | 46:34 |
According to music critic Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks , the score for Search for Spock "is still not as strong as its predecessor by any means of comparison". [10] Craig Lysy of Movie Music UK called it as "an inspired score, which in scene after scene is perfectly attenuated to the film's narrative". [11] Dexter Palmer of Reactor called it as "James Horner’s score for Star Trek III reuses many of the themes he used in Star Trek II, but gentle, subtle tweaks to the orchestration invest them with a sense of sadness that fits the movie’s more subdued subject matter. The result is a score that has a wider, more comprehensive range of emotion, from the slightly toned-down reworking of Star Trek II’s main title music, to the Goldsmith-like, percussion-driven music associated with the Klingons, to the melancholic melodies that accompany Kirk and crew’s return to Vulcan." [12]
John Tenuto of TrekMovie.com wrote "Listening to the music isolated from special effects and dialog of the film plays the film itself, and all its emotion, in the imagination." [13] Jason Ankeny of AllMusic wrote "themes like "Klingons" and "Bird of Prey Decloaks" rank alongside Horner's most suspenseful and intense moments." [14] Joshua M. Patton of Comic Book Resources wrote "James Horner's score elevates each moment of the film with themes and motifs that immediately feel like classic Star Trek music fans have lived with all their lives." [15] Dusty Stowe of Screen Rant wrote "Horner's score for The Search For Spock is a considerable expansion of the themes he established in the previous film, with swirling strings and bombastic horns providing the soundtrack to Kirk's desperate attempt to save Spock. Late in the film, as a devastated Kirk watches the remains of the USS Enterprise burn up, Horner's score perfectly evokes the complex emotions Kirk is experiencing." [16]
Credits adapted from liner notes [17]
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Nicholas Meyer and based on the television series Star Trek. It is the second film in the Star Trek film series following Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and is a sequel to the television episode "Space Seed" (1967). The plot features Admiral James T. Kirk and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against the genetically engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh. When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. The film is the beginning of a three-film story arc that continues with the film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and concludes with the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek media franchise. They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and lack of emotion. Known for their pronounced eyebrows and pointed ears, they originate from the fictional planet Vulcan. In the Star Trek universe, they were the first extraterrestrial species to make contact with humans.
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Trek series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer and first officer and later as commanding officer of the vessel. Spock's mixed human–Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances. Along with Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, he is one of the three central characters in the original Star Trek series and its films. After retiring from active duty in Starfleet, Spock served as a Federation ambassador, and later became involved in the ill-fated attempt to save Romulus from a supernova, leading him to live out the rest of his life in a parallel universe.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film, the fourth installment in the Star Trek film franchise based on the television series Star Trek. The second film directed by Leonard Nimoy, it completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), and continued in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). Intent on returning home to Earth to face trial for their actions in the previous film, the former crew of the USS Enterprise finds the planet in grave danger from an alien probe attempting to contact now-extinct humpback whales. The crew travel to Earth's past to find whales who can answer the probe's call.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is a 1989 American science fiction film directed by William Shatner and based on the television series Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry. It is the fifth installment in the Star Trek film series, and takes place shortly after the events of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). Its plot follows the crew of the USS Enterprise-A as they confront renegade Vulcan Sybok, who is searching for God at the center of the galaxy.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is a 1991 American science fiction film directed by Nicholas Meyer, who also directed the second Star Trek film, The Wrath of Khan. It is the sixth feature film based on the 1966–1969 Star Trek television series. Taking place after the events of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, it is the final film featuring the entire main cast of the original television series. The destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis leads the Klingon Empire to pursue peace with their longtime adversary, the Federation; the crew of the Federation starship USS Enterprise must race against unseen conspirators with a militaristic agenda.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and produced by Harve Bennett, directed by Leonard Nimoy, and based on the television series Star Trek. It is the third film in the Star Trek franchise and is the second part of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and concludes with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). After the death of Spock (Nimoy), the crew of the USS Enterprise return to Earth. When James T. Kirk learns that Spock's spirit, or katra, is held in the mind of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Kirk and company steal the decommissioned USS Enterprise to return Spock's body to his homeworld. The crew must also contend with hostile Klingons, led by Kruge, who are bent on stealing the secrets of the powerful terraforming device, Genesis.
Harve Bennett was an American television and film producer and screenwriter.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Robert Wise. The Motion Picture is based on and stars the cast of the 1966–1969 television series Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, who serves as producer. In the film, set in the 2270s, a mysterious and powerful alien cloud known as V'Ger approaches Earth, destroying everything in its path. Admiral James T. Kirk assumes command of the recently refitted Starship Enterprise to lead it on a mission to determine V'Ger's origins and save the planet.
The Kobayashi Maru is a training exercise in the Star Trek franchise designed to test the character of Starfleet Academy cadets by placing them in a no-win scenario. The Kobayashi Maru test was first depicted in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and it has since been referred to and depicted in numerous other Star Trek media.
Saavik is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. She first appeared in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) played by Kirstie Alley. Robin Curtis took over the role for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
James Roy Horner was an American film composer. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside traditional orchestrations, and for his use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Star Trek: The Music is conducted by Erich Kunzel of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and hosted/narrated by John de Lancie and Robert Picardo.
Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the Star Trek franchise and the sequel to the 2009 film Star Trek, as the second in a rebooted film series. It features Chris Pine reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk, with Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Leonard Nimoy reprising their roles from the previous film. Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, and Peter Weller are also in the film's principal cast. It was Nimoy's last film appearance before his death in 2015. Set in the 23rd century, the film follows Kirk and the crew of USS Enterprise as they are sent to the Klingon homeworld seeking a former Starfleet member-turned-terrorist, John Harrison.
The development of Spock, a fictional character first introduced in the American science fiction television series Star Trek, began prior to the start of the series. The first known mention of Spock was in a discussion between Gene Roddenberry and Gary Lockwood, where the latter suggested Leonard Nimoy for the role. Roddenberry agreed with the suggestion, and Nimoy became the first choice actor for the part. However, Roddenberry was required to audition other actors for the role. It was offered to both DeForest Kelley and Martin Landau before Nimoy. Nimoy disliked the prosthetic ears he was required to wear, and there were concerns from the studio that they made him appear satanic. Roddenberry fought to keep the character in the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" after the rest of the main cast was dropped from the initial pilot, "The Cage".
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Nicholas Meyer, based on the television series Star Trek and is the second film in the Star Trek film series, following Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). The film is scored by James Horner, in his first major film score he composed in his career. He was selected after sorting numerous composers, in place of Jerry Goldsmith, who scored the predecessor and was not considered because of the film's reduced budget. Horner produced a modernistic sound over the John Williams style of epic orchestral film scores for the Star Wars films. According to of Comic Book Resources, his score for Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) served as the inspiration for Wrath of Khan.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 science fiction film directed by Leonard Nimoy based on the television series Star Trek: The Original Series and the fourth film in the Star Trek film series. The film is scored by Leonard Rosenman, who is the third Star Trek film composer after Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner. The score received an Academy Award nomination.