Search - Alexander Courage :: Star Trek: Original Television Soundtrack (The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before)

This is the "ne plus ultra" for Trek fans everywhere.

07/02/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is it. The ne plus ultra. The Ur source. The Holy Grail of Trekdom.If not for the less-than-perfect (but still acceptable) recording quality, this album would rate a full five stars. (Presumably, this recording was copied directly from the original, optical soundtrack recordings.)I especially enjoy the pure, simple but sad and melancholy melodies Courage used in the score for "The Cage". Unclouded by dialog and special effects, the sublime oboe/clarinet duet in "Doctor Bartender" is seldom matched in any genre. Most fans will notice the original theme music in an early orchestration right off the bat. But only the astute will recognize the new, alternative theme written for "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Both scores, heard in their entirety, bring a new dimension to one's appreciation of the artistry of the old series. These are well thought out works that could be credibly played in a contemporary concert hall anywhere in America. In fact, I prefer them, clunky optical recording and all, to much of what passes for music in those concert halls today!Fans of the later Star Trek franchises might be lead to a new appreciation for the wind symphony (Courage primarily wrote for winds in these scores, augmented with electronic tonalities) and find it a refreshing alternative to the dreary sludge of contemporary television's synthesized anti-melodic schmaltz.All-in-all, this is a "must have" for the serious Star Trek fan and for lovers of good music everywhere."

A couple glaring problems

11/11/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Accolades aside for the music itself, there are two reasons to be miffed by this cd, though the problems stem from the original LP release: tape hiss and distortion (like someone blowing into the microphone) when the music peaks out. The cd insert (from the LP) mentions these problems, though of course they aren't apparent in the TV episodes...
Secondly, while "The Cage" seems complete (thankfully the music during warp-speed is omitted), "Where no man..." is not. The music to the climactic 5-10 minute battle between Kirk and Gary is omitted! The insert says the master tapes were unedited. Was it that LP's were limited to 45 minutes (the album runs 43 min)? Whatever the reason, it's a disappointing result.
While I'm glad for the music available and have gotten used to the problems, I wish they could have at least corrected the omission when they released the cd."

"Alexander Courage...one of the great pioneers in early TV"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 01/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alexander Courage was a pioneer in the scoring of early television beyond anyone's comprehension during that time...his creativity and music would have such an impact on future series and composers now coming into an age electronic wonders...not on the same scale as Bernard Herrmann, but very close to his edge of scoring...if you know what I mean.Not unlike Herrmann, Courage has a way with orchestration and arrangements...take for instance the cues on "THE CAGE", each a theme within a theme, never-ending and moving onto yet another segment as in "PIKE'S PUNISHMENT"...counterpoints blending within various themes transferring from one to the other...very much like Herrmann, a style that is very contagious...gotta love it.Another Cosmic event from Neil Norman(executive album producer) under his watchful eye we can depend on original releases for all early STAR TREK FANS, who have made collecting any and everything their favorite past time...thank you GNP/Crescendo for bringing a little ray of sunshine into our lives...keep up the good work!Total Time: 43:21 on 35 Tracks ~ GNP/Crescendo GNPD-8006 ~ (1985/1989)"