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?

  • Rhaedas
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    41 year ago

    It was received very poorly, even tainting reception of the show (which turned out to be appreciated and wanting more, long after it was gone). People just expected a classical sounding instrumental, and it hit wrong. They probably should have test marketed the idea and had some fallbacks. Still, I remember seeing the opening of the first episode and catching the frigate “Enterprize”, and thinking this was great regardless.

    • @AustNerevar
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      21 year ago

      IIRC, Faith of the Heart was heir fallback. They wanted Beautiful Day by U2, but couldn’t get the license.

      • Ragnell
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        1 year ago

        Beautiful Day would have been worse, I think.

        Mysterious Ways would have been interestingly ironic.

    • @[email protected]
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      21 year ago

      I thought it was weird at first, but actually liked it. I didn’t really get the hate - there’s plenty of shows I like a lot that I like the theme a lot less and especially today you can easily skip it.

      • maegul (he/they)OP
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        11 year ago

        Yea … me too and many others. It’s the proof that they missed the mark with the show’s presentation. Many thought it wasn’t actually Trek and something had gone wrong. I thought it was a cheap rip off. And sure, maybe we all had expectations we were too stubborn about, but by the same token, you have to meet your audience where they are. TNG, as I understand, was mindful that they had to get the older Trek fans, and Enterprise should have been mindful that they basically had to do the same and find the middle ground between everything being new and it still feeling like Trek.

        Literally starting off with that theme was the wrong move. It’s out of place, and for many of us, Country music is an awful cringey genre while classical/orchestral is far more universal. Stay with the orchestral theme and you would have us at least past the opening credits.

        • Alex
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          21 year ago

          @maegul It’s especially puzzling because they had a great theme song right in front of them - and they stuck it in the end credits!

          • maegul (he/they)OP
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            11 year ago

            Ha, yea it wasn’t bad. Not sure it would have worked well as an opening theme, but, clearly IMO better than what they went with.