Star Trek (Music From the Motion Picture)

The theme from the original Star Trek television series, which started airing in 1966, was written by the veteran orchestrator and composer Alexander Courage, and the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, and is as instantly identifiable as Spock’s pointy ears. The excellent composer Michael Giacchino provides the score here for yet another descendent of the much-loved sci-fi show: the 2009 feature, Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams. (The pair had previously collaborated on television and film projects including Alias, Lost, Mission: Impossible III, and Cloverfield.) From the soundtrack’s opening moments, Giacchino shows he’s a welcome addition to the roster of composers who have contributed to Star Trek’s musical legacy. The album begins with a French horn playing the new film’s main theme, moves on to the explosive “Nailin’ the Kelvin,” then settles into the serene, yet dramatic, “Labor of Love.” “Nero Death Experience” (Giacchino loves punning titles) effectively utilizes a large chorus, blasts of brass, and other elements, and “Ending Credits” nicely incorporates both the original TV theme and Giacchino’s musical material.