Can any music experts explain to me why the TNG theme is so good? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by maegul@lemmy.ml to c/startrek@startrek.website

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There's something about the TNG theme (played during the opening credits) that seems unique and special to my ear. But I don't know about music and orchestral production to make sense of it.

It sounds to me like the mix or maybe arrangement is somewhat unusual, even compared to other TNG era star trek themes. It seems to have a brightness and sheen to its tones that are almost synth like (??) But also the arrangement seems to hit some sweet sci-fi spot, like the way strings and trumpets with oboes/clarinets underneath (??) all mix together? Or is the chords that are played some where?

I don't know, but I've always thought it had a sheen and sparkle that almost sounds like star trek (or at least TNG star trek).

Anyone else notice something similar? Anyone know what's going on?

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[-] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 23 points 1 year ago

The fact that it was originally written for a theatrical film probably helps.

[-] maegul@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

~~Oh ... I don't know anything about that ... ?~~

TMP ... ah nearly forgot. Literally walked away from writing this post thinking "wait a minute ... I have heard it outside of TNG ...".

Yea, interesting, hadn't considered that. Thanks.

[-] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 3 points 1 year ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI9YYe-jgHI

[-] regeya@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah, basically they took the intro Dennis McCarthy wrote for TNG, and replaces his theme with the TMP theme

https://youtu.be/jzpeulsbv8o

[-] LanternEverywhere@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

OMG my brain hates it! I mean objectively i know it sounds great, but it's so wrong from what my brain expects that it makes me bleah!

[-] maegul@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

Watching that video it seems to me that there's something different in the mix that is part of what I'm talking about. I'm young enough to have seen TNG before TMP and I remember noticing this when I first watched TMP and heard the same theme. The sort of sheen that I'm talking about is more present in the TNG theme. I think the violins are EQd higher and are louder in the mix (??)

[-] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 5 points 1 year ago

I believe it's a re-arrangement and re-recording, yeah.

[-] kargarocP4@startrek.website 5 points 1 year ago

Re-arranged for a smaller orchestra, and more energetic (most noticeable in the percussion)

[-] maegul@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Ha ... yea I remembered after forgetting ... thanks!

[-] IanM32@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I think you can be forgiven for forgetting about TMP.

I know I try to.

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023

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