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.
James Horner, who previously scored The Wrath of Khan (1982) and The Search for Spock (1984) declined to return for The Voyage Home. As a result, Nimoy turned to his friend Leonard Rosenman to score the film instead. [1] [2] : 119 Rosenman wrote an arrangement of Alexander Courage's Star Trek television theme as the title music for the film, but Nimoy requested an original composition. Hence, he wrote a six-note theme with variations set against a repetitive four-note brass motif, that borrowed content from Rosenman's "Frodo March" for The Lord of the Rings (1978). A cycle of fifths is heard for the second subject. The melody is played in the beginning of the film on Vulcan and the scenes of Taylor's search for Kirk to help find her whales. [2] : 119–20
Given the Earth-based setting of the filming, Rosenman was provided creative freedom to write a variety of music in different styles. Nimoy wanted the crew's introduction to the streets of San Francisco to be accompanied an instrumental piece which would be reminiscent of George Gershwin, but as Rosenman changed his mind, [2] : 131 the scene was scored by a contemporary jazz fusion piece by the band Yellowjackets. When Chekov flees detention aboard the aircraft carrier, Rosenman wrote a bright cue that incorporates classical Russian compositions. The music for the escape from the hospital was done in a baroque style. More familiar Rosenman compositions include the action music for the face off between the Bird-of-Prey and a whaling ship in open water, and the atmospheric music (reminiscent of the composer's work in Fantastic Voyage) during the probe's communication. After the probe leaves, a Vivaldiesque "whale fugue" begins. The first sighting of the Enterprise-A uses the Alexander Courage theme before the end titles. [2] : 120
The punk music during the bus scene was written by Kirk Thatcher who worked with the film's sound designer Mark Mangini and two other sound editors from punk bands to create their own music. [3] They would be credited as the fictional punk band "Edge of Etiquette" and wrote a song named "I Hate You" which contained few explicit lyrics. The song was recorded outside the sound studio in a single take using cheap microphones to create a distorted sound. [3] The song was not included in the original release, but featured along with the Intrada Records expanded edition. [4]
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | ||||
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Film score by | ||||
Released | 1986 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Film score | |||
Length | 36:16 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Producer | Leonard Rosenman | |||
Star Trek soundtracks chronology | ||||
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Leonard Rosenman chronology | ||||
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The original score album which consisted of 11 tracks with a runtime of 36 minutes was released through MCA Records. [5]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
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1. | "Main Title" | Leonard Rosenman | 2:39 |
2. | "The Whaler" | Rosenman | 2:00 |
3. | "Market Street" | Yellowjackets | 4:39 |
4. | "Crash-Whale Fugue" | Rosenman | 8:15 |
5. | "Ballad Of The Whale" | Yellowjackets | 5:03 |
6. | "Gillian Seeks Kirk" | Rosenman | 2:42 |
7. | "Chekov's Run" | Rosenman | 1:19 |
8. | "Time Travel" | Rosenman | 1:29 |
9. | "Hospital Chase" | Rosenman | 1:13 |
10. | "The Probe" | Rosenman | 1:17 |
11. | "Home Again/End Credits" | Rosenman | 5:40 |
Total length: | 36:16 |
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Expanded Edition) | |
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Film score by Leonard Rosenman | |
Released | December 13, 2011 |
Genre | Film score |
Length | 71:24 |
Label | Intrada |
Producer | Leonard Rosenman |
On December 13, 2011, Intrada Records issued an expanded edition that consisted of the complete score with outtakes and alternate cues that were not included in the final album. It also included the original song "I Hate You" composed for the film. [4]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
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1. | "Logo/Main Title" (contains theme from Star Trek by Alexander Courage) | Rosenman | 2:52 |
2. | "Starfleet Command/On Vulcan/Spock/Ten Seconds of Tension" | Rosenman | 1:40 |
3. | "The Probe" | Rosenman | 1:16 |
4. | "The Probe—Transition/The Take-Off/Menace of the Probe/Clouds and Water/Crew Stunne" | Rosenman | 3:08 |
5. | "Time Travel" | Rosenman | 1:28 |
6. | "Market Street" | Yellowjackets | 4:38 |
7. | "In San Francisco" | Rosenman | 2:01 |
8. | "Chekov's Run" | Rosenman | 1:21 |
9. | "Gillian Seeks Kirk" | Rosenman | 2:42 |
10. | "Hospital Chase" | Rosenman | 1:14 |
11. | "The Whaler" | Rosenman | 2:00 |
12. | "Crash/Whale Fugue" | Rosenman | 8:38 |
13. | "Kirk Freed" | Rosenman | 0:44 |
14. | "Home Again/End Credits" | Rosenman | 5:39 |
15. | "Ballad of the Whale" | Yellowjackets | 4:59 |
16. | "Main Title" (alternate) | Rosenman | 2:56 |
17. | "Time Travel" (alternate) | Rosenman | 1:29 |
18. | "Chekov's Run" (album ending) | Rosenman | 1:19 |
19. | "The Whaler" (alternate) | Rosenman | 2:05 |
20. | "Crash/Whale Fugue" (album track) | Rosenman | 8:15 |
21. | "Home Again/End Credits" (alternate) | Rosenman | 5:16 |
22. | "Main Title" (album track) | Rosenman | 2:40 |
23. | "Whale Fugue" (alternate) | Rosenman | 1:05 |
24. | "I Hate You" (contains explicit lyrics) |
| 1:59 |
Total length: | 71:24 |
James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "This is a fabulous album which affirms the music's right to be considered alongside the classic material which went before (and to a lesser extent after) it in the Star Trek series." [6] Craig Lysy of Movie Music UK called it as "a fun and enjoyable score". [7] Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks.com was critical of the score, calling it as "too short, too silly, too dated, and too incohesive to be considered a success in retrospect." [8] Steve Vivona of TrekMovie.com called it as "a buoyant, joyful soundtrack that perfectly matched the film's tonal shift from heavy and operatic to light and fun." [9]
At the 59th Academy Awards, Rosenman was nominated for Best Original Score for his work in the film. [10] [11] Rosenman became the second composer to receive an Oscar nomination for a Star Trek feature, after Jerry Goldsmith for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). [11]
Credits adapted from liner notes [12]
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Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. It acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it began.
Leonard Simon Nimoy was an American actor and director, famed for playing Spock in the Star Trek franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original Star Trek series in 1966, then Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 2009 Star Trek film, and Star Trek Into Darkness. Nimoy also directed films, including Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Three Men and a Baby (1987), and his career included roles in music videos and video games. In addition to acting and filmmaking, Nimoy was a photographer, author, singer, and songwriter.
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