The Orchestral Arms Race of TV’S Sci-fi
Taking a cue from franchise giants, composers stay true to form and close to the source, and find bigger is better
SOME OF THE MOST COMPELLING MUSIC for television these days is being written for science-fiction and fantasy shows, where the sound palette ranges from orchestral arrangements to eerie vocals and synthesizers, and reflects a wide spectrums of styles.
Christopher Lennertz, who recorded a 53-piece orchestra in London’s Abbey Road for the Netflix reboot of “Lost in Space,” says the music he produced is “testosterone-driven when it needs to be, but it’s very poignant when it comes to the kids and the family. All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery” without a nod to Alexander Courage’s now-famous fanfare from the ‘60s series.
Russo was inspired by “Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic ideas about the future. His 64-piece L.A. orchestra (twice the size of Courage’s original band) was wholeheartedly endorsed by producer Alex Kurtzman — along with Russo’s themes for many of the main characters, the ship and the Klingons they meet.
“Music is another part of the screenwriting process in a way,” Kurtzman says. “Once you
embed a theme in the audience’s mind — a musical idea relating to characters or a location — whether they are totally conscious of those themes or not, it affects their emotional reaction to the storytelling.”
The season’s biggest, boldest sound may well have belonged to “The Orville,” creator-star Seth Macfarlane’s lighthearted homage to “Star Trek” on Fox. Composer Bruce Broughton (a 10-time Emmy winner) had 75 musicians for the pilot, while fellow composers (and previous Emmy winners themselves) John Debney and Joel Mcneely conducted L.A. orchestras averaging 70 to 85 members for the episodes that followed.