For over fifty years Alexander Courages’ Star Trek fanfare has been signaling the beginning of the next adventure in outer space exploration by the crew of the USS Enterprise. While many different and wonderful musical themes have been composed for Star Trek television series and films, Courages’ fanfare has remained a constant anchor. Usually heard before the theme, it appears in this context in the original series, TNG, and in six of the thirteen films. This brief moment before the theme reminds viewers they are about to embark into the unknown. They are reassured, however, by the fanfare that they are safe in the company of the seasoned crew of a federation starship. Sometimes the fanfare is presented as energetic, foreshadowing an intense and dangerous discovery (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Other times it is heard in a slower and dignified manner, indicating a deeper and more momentous idea (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: First Contact ) A closer look at Alexander Courages’ fanfare reveals a number of important overarching concepts that provide Star Trek with its solid foundation.
THE 4-NOTE LEITMOTIF
Often, just before the fanfare, a faint and delicate 4 note leitmotif is heard in conjunction with visions of the silent vastness of space. This is the first overarching concept. It is just as powerful as the fanfare itself and is the backdrop for all that is about to take place. It is a simple yet sublime metaphor for the four quadrants of the galaxy in which the Enterprise travels. It can be heard before the fanfare in Star Trek TOS, Star Trek TNG, and Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock.
When rearranged, a hint of a portion of the fanfare is discovered. Three of the four notes can be positioned a perfect fourth apart from one another, creating the most prominent structure of the fanfare.
THE FANFARE
Usually, a complete statement of the four-note quadrant leitmotif is heard before the fanfare begins, (especially true for TOS and TNG) signifying the Enterprises’ entrance into the undisturbed vastness of space. This signifies the second overarching concept of exploration and discovery, musically encapsulating the phrase, “to boldly go where no man has gone before”.
The fanfare, usually heard two times in succession, serves as a musical catapult into unexplored space. In the first fanfare statement, the catapult figure occurs twice. The rhythm of its first occurrence is a sling-shot effect of a dotted eighth-note, followed by a sixteenth note, which moves to a dotted quarter-note. Its second occurrence is heard as the last two notes of an eighth-note triplet landing on a quarter-note tied to a dotted eighth-note.
Melodically, these figures rise in perfect fourths, intensifying the drama. Notice that the second figure is transposed up a major second from the first figure, adding to the intensity.
The first figure begins on a downbeat, while the second figure begins in the middle of a triplet.
The final note of this figure lands on the downbeat of the third measure. The effect of this is bookended downbeats, giving a sense of completeness to the fanfare statement.
However, there are still two notes after that. Rhythmically, they possess the catapult quality already discussed. Melodically, these notes continue to rise. This rising further increases the drama. Instead of a perfect fourth, this time we see a major third. A completed fanfare statement may be analogous to a completed mission by the Enterprise crew. The rising major third may be analogous to the next mission.
The second statement of the fanfare begins on the same pitch as the last note of the rising major 3rd figure at the end of the first statement. The four-note quadrant leitmotif is also heard beginning on C sharp.
Although rhythmically augmented, the second fanfare statement possesses all the features of the first statement previously mentioned.
One final group of notes remains: the descending major thirds connecting the two figures. Upon acknowledging this, we see a simple pattern emerge:
Perhaps the descending major thirds represent the struggles of the mission. In any event, there exists a discernible pattern.
From a broader vantage point we see that the notes of the fanfare figure placed on downbeats reveal another rising figure.
This Straussian influence, probably not intentional, supports the rising drama.
While the Enterprise is on a mission of exploration, her crew and the organization to which they belong (the United Federation of Planets) is militaristic in its administration, using the system of Naval ranking. Perhaps then the fanfare should be thought of as a bugle call. It is often heard underscoring the entries of Captain’s logs, when the Enterprise is in view, and at other poingiant moments.
One of the most iconic sounds in television and film music, Alexander Courage has given us his bugle call. Upon its hearing, millions of fans assemble at tv and movie screens to accompany the Enterprise crew on another exciting adventure.
It is truly remarkable that such a small bit of music can be so malleable in an effort to support a myriad of dramatic moments.
Bravo Maestro Courage!