Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)

While Battlestar Galactica uses a wide variety of ethnic instruments and styles to create a soundscape that is not usually found in television science fiction, it nonetheless makes use of various leitmotifes for characters and events.

Themes

Six theme

A simple 9-note motif composed by Richard Gibbs for the Miniseries, it is perhaps the most recognizable theme of the series, playing in nearly all scenes with Number Six and used as the "Prologue" of each episode. It is nearly always performed on a Balinese instrument called a gamelan.

• Note: It is used as virtual Baltar's theme in "Downloaded", but digitally reversed to signify the reversal of roles.

Boomer theme

Another very common theme, that plays in many scenes with Boomer, especially in Season 2. Initially created as a Helo/Boomer theme for "33" it quickly turned into Boomer's theme. Sometimes played with woodwinds of string orchestra, it is usually performed by gamalans and bells.

• Note: Bear McCreary also composed a percussion theme for "Water" (heard in the teaser), intended to give Galactica-Sharon and Caprica-Sharon different themes, but abandoned that idea.

Starbuck theme, triumph theme

This theme first appears in a track called "Starbuck on the Red Moon" in "You Can't Go Home Again", in the scene where she leaves the planet in the captured Raider, and in the same episode in "Forgiven" when Adama forgives her for the death of Zak. After that it makes many appearances in scenes with Starbuck, sometimes used a simple fanfare (Home, Part I), or in the background of other tracks, like "Flesh and Bone" or more subtle in the pounding "Prelude to War" in "Resurrection Ship, Part II".

It wasn't initially intended as a theme solely for Starbuck, but since she is the center of many of the show's heroic and triumphant moments, it became associated with her. However, it sometimes appears in scenes involving other characters, most notably Galactica's daring jump into New Caprica's atmosphere in "Exodus, Part II".

It has been performed by all major instruments of the show, but usually heard in duduk, vocals and strings.

Adama theme

Initially composed for "The Hand of God" it appears twice in this episode. Once as a quiet background piece when Lee talks with his father before the battle ("A Good Lighter") and as a rousing song at the end after the Cylons are defeated ("Wander my Friends").

After that it can be heard in many scenes involving a friendly moment between the two Adamas like Lee visiting his shot father in "Valley of Darkness", Lee being promoted to Pegasus's CO (The Captain's Hand), or the two parting before the Battle of New Caprica (Exodus, Part I)". It even appears as a general theme for family when Adama decides to "Reunite the Fleet" in "Home, Part I".

• Note: The Gaelic lyrics are printed in the Season 1 soundtrack.

Helo theme

Starting in "33" it can be heard several times in Season 1, but then disappeared for a long time once Helo returned to Galactica. It appears again in "A Measure of Salvation" and "The Woman King". On the Season 1 soundtrack it is included in the form of "Helo Chase".

• Note: The last two notes are the starting point of Baltar's theme.

Baltar theme

This is a very short and simple theme first appearing in "Six Degrees of Separation". In the albums it's included in "Baltar Speaks with Adama" (Season 1) and "Dark Unions" (Season 2). it is quoted in the piano basestar theme from "Torn".

Religious ceremony theme

This haunting piece is first in "Act of Contrition" during the funeral scene. When Laura Roslin's religious role became more prominent towards the end of Season 1, it became associated with her (for example in "The Hand of God"), but ultimately a different melody is used for that.

It can also be associated more closely with death as it is also used for Socinus's death in "Valley of Darkness" (originally only a temp track, it was retained) and Admiral Cain's funeral in "Resurrection Ship, Part II".

Roslin theme

Another mystical theme that replaced the original religious theme. It first appears in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I", during the discovery of the planet; a discovery which is directly linked to Roslin's path. Musically, it is a boy soprano singing in Latin ("ll of this has happened before, all of this will happen again. So say we all").

Since then it appears in many scenes featuring Roslin like her in the brig in "Fragged", dying in "Epiphanies", "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I" and "Exodus, Part I". It's most prominent used though, is in the opening montage of "Occupation", where it's set to new lyrics sung in Armenian, thus making it the only theme in the show to have two sets of lyrics.