Music of Caprica

For the music of Caprica, composer Bear McCreary strove to create a soundscape reminiscent of, but vastly different from that of its predecessor, calling it a "distant cousin" of Battlestar Galactica. The music includes the continued use of leitmotifes for characters, events and places - but with a decidedly more "western" feel; the distinctly ethnic instrumentation and percussion from Battlestar Galactica, while featured in Caprica, is heard in a diminished capacity.

Musical Direction

McCreary described his Caprica score as "surprisingly restrained and melodic" compared to "the percussive bombast and world-music influence" of his Battlestar Galactica compositions. This shift reflected the series' move away from the military overtones of its predecessor while still exploring similar themes of digital self-identity, religious zealotry, and corruption in power.

Compositional Philosophy

McCreary's approach for Caprica was designed to be "the polar opposite" of Battlestar Galactica. He explained that since the events take place in an entirely different environment—Caprica City as "a familiar society at its most decadent and opulent peak"—he needed to strip away the "urgent, tribal, primitive and mystical elements" that characterized the Battlestar Galactica soundtrack. Director Jeffrey Reiner described the setting to McCreary as a city that "on the outside was modern, structured, and efficient," but "on the inside, things were rotten."

To achieve this tonal shift, McCreary concluded that to make the Caprica score more "different," he had to make it more "normal." The result was an intimate, contemporary chamber orchestra, recorded at the Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage. While ethnic percussion and solos occasionally appear in the texture, the score is fundamentally orchestral in nature. McCreary's harmonic language for Caprica is "far more lyrical and rich than the simple drones and dissonant clusters that permeate the majority of Galactica."

Influence on Battlestar Galactica

The tight post-production schedule forced McCreary to begin writing music for the Battlestar Galactica finale "Daybreak" within days of finishing Caprica. He acknowledged that Caprica had "an undeniable influence" on his Battlestar finale score, explaining that he "couldn't get the lush harmonies out of his head" and applied the orchestral sensibilities from Caprica to "Daybreak," creating what he considered "the best score of my Battlestar career." The similarities in tone between Caprica and "Daybreak" are obvious, as both were written within the same five-week span.

Long-term Vision

McCreary developed an ambitious long-term musical plan for the series. Should Caprica have lasted three or four seasons, moving chronologically closer to the events of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries, his goal was for the score to "slowly devolve from the crisp, classical chamber orchestra" back to "the tribal percussion and ethnic soloists of Battlestar" over several seasons. If successful, "the last episode of Caprica may have had a soundtrack that sounds like the first episode of Galactica."

The series leaned away from the military focus of Battlestar Galactica but continued to explore themes that would eventually connect to its successor series. McCreary noted that these thematic connections, however, were not enough to retain a significant percentage of the BSG fan base, and the series struggled in its time slot.

Soundtrack Production

The release of a complete series soundtrack faced significant obstacles due to Caprica's abrupt cancellation. McCreary explained that the "sudden cardiac arrest of the show put my hopes for a full series soundtrack album in deep freeze." Corporate restructuring following NBC Universal's purchase further delayed the project, putting all non-essential projects on the back burner.

Despite these setbacks, persistent fan demand eventually led to the release of the Caprica Series Soundtrack through La-La Land Records. McCreary credited both continued fan pressure and album producer Ford Thaxton's efforts in securing studio approval for the release.

Recording Details

The pilot episode score was recorded at the Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage in January, with McCreary conducting the chamber orchestra. Director Jeffrey Reiner recalled: "Bear sent me very complete demos against picture that worked great, but it wasn't until I sat in the scoring stage at Warner Bros., and heard the maestro conduct his orchestra, that I was blown away."

Main Title Music

Beginning in the series' second episode, "Rebirth," a main title sequence is established utilizing a theme from the pilot episode - the Graystone Family Theme - as an overarching theme for Caprica as a whole. According to composer Bear McCreary:

"The title begins with a pounding percussion fill that introduces the Main Theme (technically the Graystone Theme), played by Chris Bleth on flute. The track builds in intensity, incorporating electric guitars and bass, played by Steve Bartek and Mike Valerio respectively. Towards the end, a distorted drum kit enters (played by Nate Wood) that gives the track a hard-rock feel, completely unique from anything we heard in the pilot. I wanted to give our delicate, plaintive melody a bad ass metal backbone, representative of the V-Clubs and cultural underbelly of Caprica City that the series depicts."

Character & Event Themes

Bear McCreary described the music of Caprica as featuring three spokes: music representing the Graystone Family, the Tauron elements of the series, and sequences taking place in the virtual world. However there are a litany of themes and motifs branching from those three spokes.

Thematic Development

McCreary clarified that the musical themes of Caprica begin tied to emotional arcs or narrative lines rather than individual characters, similar to his approach in Season One of Battlestar Galactica. The story focuses on two families, leading him to write two thematically meaningful melodies: the Graystone Theme and the Tauron Theme, held together with series of ostinatos thematically connected to each family.

Main Characters

Graystone Family Theme

Described as the de facto Caprica theme, the Graystone Family Theme was initially created to underscore scenes featuring the Graystones, but later evolved into the series main title. Executive producer David Eick later recalled in "The Music of Caprica" video blog that theme was a remarkable achievement as it was instantly recognizable and easily associated with Caprica.

McCreary described this melody as "the first thing I wrote when I began scoring the pilot" and felt that it "captures the complex characters and arcs in a single elegant melody." The theme first appears in the pilot immediately following the train explosion during the montage where the parents grieve the loss of their children. It appears in every episode of the series, generally played on flute or strings, underscoring scenes related to the Graystone Family and Graystone Industries, as well as Lacy Rand.

It notably appears in the series finale "Apotheosis," underscoring the U-87s battling STO terrorists in Atlas Arena. For that episode, McCreary described the piece, titled "Apotheosis," as an extension of the main title, combining strings, percussion and electric guitars. The Graystone Theme is also integral in the final moments of the series, played on string and accompanied by percussion in what McCreary described as a "soaring" final statement.

McCreary considered "Apotheosis" one of his favorite instrumental cues from the entire series, representing the final acts of the last episode. He intended it to "bring a sense of epic importance and closure, while simultaneously setting up the promise of further mysteries and adventure," not realizing at the time that he was scoring his final episode of Caprica ever.

In the episode, "End of Line," Daniel Graystone appears playing the Graystone Theme on the piano in his home lab.

Bear McCreary intended the Graystone Family Theme to be heard one last time in the pilot movie for Blood and Chrome, underscoring a scene between Graystone Industries scientist Becca Kelly and a young Ensign William Adama. The cue, however, was cut from the finished episode.

Graystone Family Ostinato

McCreary described the Graystone Ostinato as a "simple oscillating pattern...woven throughout the score, serving as the canvas upon which the longer melodies are painted." Usually appearing in the harp, piano and gamelan, at its simplest the ostinato is a minor third and major third, but McCreary discovered "an exciting way of harmonizing this simple figure, creating an infinitely more interesting harmony." This harmonic progression gives the pattern a "slippery, seductive quality" where "you can never quite tell where it's going emotionally."

This ostinato frequently underscored Zoe-A's conversations with Lacy Rand and Daniel. The ostinato was restated in the series finale in a more aggressive variation, heard in the climactic battle at Atlas Arena.

Daniel Graystone Ostinato

An ostinato representing Daniel Graystone also appears in the pilot episode and transitions to represent the character in the series proper. This repetitive figure signifies Daniel's "increasing obsession with Zoe" and represents his transformation "from grieving father to a crazy Dr. Frankenstein figure." Early in the film, it appears as a solo harp, but as Daniel becomes more ruthless in his pursuit of the secret of Zoe's avatar, the ostinato is handed over to the low strings for more energy.

This thematic idea reaches its peak when Daniel downloads Zoe-A into a memory stick and kicks Lacy out of his house—the turning point where he begins his transformation. McCreary needed "an aggressive, dissonant ostinato that could represent his growing madness." Usually played on harp, the ostinato was also accompanied by aggressive percussive elements in the pilot as well as in "Know Thy Enemy" and "Ghosts in the Machine."

Amanda Graystone Theme

A lesser used melody, the Amanda Graystone Theme notably appears during the Graystones' love scene during the pilot. McCreary described it as "a unique set of ascending scales, with the top note descending in each statement." More often than not, he used it as an ostinato underneath other themes, but featured it prominently in key scenes involving Amanda.

The most prominent appearance is at the beginning of the montage where Daniel and Amanda make love while Sam kills the defense minister, played as an English Horn solo by Galactica woodwind maestro Chris Bleth. It also accompanies Duram questioning Amanda at her office. A simple, ascending scale, the theme is also prominently featured in the Amanda-centered episode, "The Imperfections of Memory" in which it was adapted for her deceased brother Darius. Utilized as both a theme and in the form of an ostinato, the Darius melody is Amanda's theme played in reverse order.

Zoe Graystone Chords

While both the Graystone Theme and Ostinato are utilized to represent Zoe Graystone, a third musical idea is more specifically attached to the character. This progression of four chords is first heard when Lacy Rand discovers Zoe-A in the V-Club after the flesh and blood Zoe was killed. As the new relationship forms between the girls, this progression appears in the score.

The Zoe Chords make two other appearances in the pilot: when Daniel first embraces Zoe-A and when the U-87 with Zoe's data installed sputters to life before Daniel's eyes. Each of these scenes is related narratively as they are about people in Zoe's life coming to terms with her new state. This is technically not a theme in the traditional melodic sense, because it never appears with the same melody twice—each time this chord progression is used, it is in a different meter or with different melodic lines.

The progression first appears when Lacy Rand discovers the Zoe avatar in the virtual world and later recurs in "Rebirth" as Lacy embraces Zoe in her robotic form.

The chords are later heard prominently during Zoe's virtual dates with Philomon in the episodes "The Imperfections of Memory" (notably during the simulated Viper flight) and "End of Line." In the episode "Things We Lock Away" this motif is heard subtly mixed with repeating gamelan notes similar to those of the Six Theme from Battlestar Galactica, referencing Messenger Zoe's connection to "Head Six" from that series.

Tauron Theme

While neither Joseph Adama nor his brother Sam Adama receive specific themes or motifs, the second most prominent musical identity in Caprica is the Tauron Theme. With the themes for the Graystones given a more traditional Western sound, the Tauron Theme was created as a more ethnic and chaotic counterpoint mirroring the depiction of the Tauron home planet. Bear McCreary compared the Tauron themes to the Italian music from The Godfather.

This theme signifies Joseph's connection to the Tauron mob and his ancestral family lineage. Unlike the Graystone Theme, which feels very classically Western, the Tauron theme has a "distinctly ethnic, modal flavor." It is played either by Paul Cartwright on the acoustic fiddle, or by Chris Bleth on the Chinese membrane flute.

McCreary wanted it to capture the mood of Tauron the same way Nino Rota's Godfather theme evokes Italy. His task was "relatively easy because Tauron and its musical traditions are entirely fictional," so he could make Tauronese music sound like whatever he wanted. He drew his inspirations from Russian folk music, and asked Paul Cartwright to play in that style as opposed to the Scottish Fiddle feel he frequently evokes for "Roslin and Adama" on Battlestar.

The Tauron Theme is the only theme in Caprica to receive lyrics, heard in the episode "There is Another Sky" during the funeral for Tamara and Shannon Adama. Written by the episode's writer, Kath Lingenfelter, the lyrics for the Tauron Theme were sung in Ancient Greek:

Original English lyrics by Kath Lingenfelter:
These are the voices of those Who have passed over the river heard On the wind entwined with the Eternal and the everlasting These are the voices of those whom We have loved, who no more will suffer Who have returned to the mud This is the voice of the dead Entwined with the eternal and the everlasting

McCreary later created a version of the Tauron Theme specifically for the series soundtrack, featuring vocals by Raya Yarbrough, in addition to a piano sketch version that came from early in his creative process.

Tauron Ostinato

This accompanimental figure is connected with Joseph Adama's storyline and is first heard beneath his tale of arriving on Caprica for the first time. However, its most prominent appearance is during the montage when Sam kills the defense minister, underscoring Sam's ominous trek up the staircase and playing out through the whole sequence.

After the orchestral recording session, Jeff Reiner recalled: "The first piece I heard was the montage where Sam kills the Minister of Defense while Amanda and Daniel make love, not to mention, Joseph breaking down in tears because of guilt and the loss of his family. The score drove the scene, while evoking the intimacy of love, the rage of a gangland killing, and the struggle with ethnic identity. Try that at home!"

The Tauron Ostinato is later heard in a notably different form in "End of Line" in scenes in which Joseph Adama searches New Cap City for the Tamara avatar, played by electronic instruments.

Adama Family Theme

Initially composed for the Battlestar Galactica episode, "The Hand of God," the Adama Family Theme continued throughout that series as the defining musical identity for William Adama as well as Adama's relationship with his son, Lee "Apollo" Adama.

McCreary was given no creative direction from the producers whether or not to reference themes from Battlestar, but felt one moment was "too perfect to resist." When Joseph tells young Willy of his true last name and Tauron heritage, the strings swell with a subtle statement of "Wander My Friends"—the same theme McCreary first used in "Hand of God" when Adama and Lee discuss Joseph's lighter.

This scene gave McCreary chills when he finally saw it completed, and he hoped that hearing this melody would subconsciously make an audience that had seen Galactica remember Lee, Kara, Roslin and all the emotional experiences that "this little boy doesn't yet know he will see one day." McCreary stated that he tried to "avoid over-using the sole melody from BSG to carry over," utilizing it only in the pilot episode, the Tauron funeral scene in "There is Another Sky" and in a fragmented statement in "The Dirteaters," the Adama family is the only outright thematic link between Battlestar Galactica and Caprica.

Other Themes

Cylon Percussion

The other prominent musical link between Battlestar Galactica and Caprica is the varied use of percussive elements. There are two sequences in the pilot where the U-87 (the Cylon prototype) appears in testing procedures. Since the visual effects designers referenced the look of the Cylons from Galactica, McCreary followed their lead and allowed the music to clearly pay homage to Battlestar.

These sequences are the only scenes where McCreary brought in the full ethnic percussion ensemble he used for practically every cue in Galactica. Resident percussionist M.B. Gordy brought in all the taikos, frame drums, dumbeks, chang changs, tsuzumis and other instruments that give Galactica such a unique, percussive identity.

However, McCreary intentionally kept these cues relatively small. The train sequence and ending scene were scored almost entirely with small hand-percussion, such as shakers, claves and shime daiko. The big taiko drums were used very sparingly. For all the action cues in Caprica, he avoided the bagpipes, erhu, zhong hu, duduk, bansuri, shamisen, biwa, orchestra, vocals and rock band that combined into mega-action-cues for Galactica. After all, they were watching a prototype Cylon, so McCreary wanted the score to sound like prototype Battlestar music—more raw, edgy and unpolished.

While heard on a smaller scale than in Galactica, the percussion is frequently heard during scenes featuring the U-87 Cylon, such as the U-87 test scene in the pilot, various scenes featuring Zoe-R in "Rebirth" and "There is Another Sky," and Sam Adama's Cylon scene in "False Labor."

Though McCreary intended to keep the use of the percussive element so heavily used in Galactica to a minimum, as Caprica progressed, the identity increasingly asserted itself. By late series episodes like "Here Be Dragons" and "Apotheosis," the percussive and ethnic instrumentation was increased, most notably in the climactic Cylon battle at the series conclusion.

Clarice's Theme

A theme for Clarice Willow is heard beginning in "Rebirth" and is featured in all subsequent episodes to underscore the character's scenes, frequently played on flute or oboe. It later branches out to scenes featuring the STO even when Clarice is not present, such as the "secrets and mysteries" conversation between Mother and Diego and the virtual love scene Lacy Rand and Odin Sinclair share in "The Heavens Will Rise."

Tamara's Theme

While not established until her third appearance in "There is Another Sky," Tamara Adama receives a musical identity associated with her action in New Cap City, but also featuring a structure reminiscent of the Tauron Theme. Played on electric violin by Paul Cartwright and layered with distorted drum kit, electric guitars, bass and synthesizers, the identity is also heard in an English Horn solo, flutes and harp. According to McCreary: "The violin represents her Tauron heritage and connection to her father, because the acoustic violin always plays the Tauron Theme. However, running it through Paul's amp and distortion effects represents the change Tamara has undergone and her new surroundings in New Cap City." The theme appears in all episodes featuring Tamara in New Cap City, notably in "End of Line" and "Things We Lock Away," before being diminished by a secondary virtual world theme in "The Dirteaters" and "The Heavens Will Rise."

McCreary also considered "The Differently Sentient" one of his favorite instrumental cues from the entire series, representing the final acts of the last episode alongside "Apotheosis."

Vergis' Theme

Another Tauron sub-theme is that attached to the character Tomas Vergis which is first used in that character's debut, "Know Thy Enemy." Described by Bear McCreary as "simple and repetitive, evocative of a folk song" and played on Chinese membrane flute, the theme was intended to subtly reference Vergis' Tauron heritage while giving the antagonistic character an ominous musical identity, closely related in tone to Battlestar Galactica The theme would recur throughout the series, most notably during the character's final appearance in "Things We Lock Away."

Songs

Caprican National Anthem

For the second episode of the series, Bear McCreary created a recording of the Caprican national anthem, "Caprica Abides." Though only a small portion of that recording was used during that episode's scene at Atlas Arena, the entire song was later utilized at the arena in "Apotheosis."

"Caprica Abides" was a collaboration between McCreary and writer Jane Espenson, representing McCreary's approach to world-building through collaborative musical works. In "Rebirth," the anthem was sung by Mack "Mr. O Canada" Donnelly who frequently sang the Canadian National Anthem before Vancouver Canucks games. For the soundtrack version of the song, the vocals are performed by Steve Amerson.

Original lyrics by Jane Espenson:

Caprica let us celebrate Raise our hands despite the weight And all her joys we extol Caprica abides! Caprica let us persevere Blind ourselves to doubt and fear And to the burdens of the soul Caprica abides! Caprica the humble beast Nurtures more than she Who gave the twins their noble feast And saved them from the sea. Caprica let us tolerate Differences may separate, Yet form the bonds that make us whole. So say we all, So say we all, Caprica abides!

Tauron Gangster Rap

For a scene at the Ha'la'tha hangout in "Reins of a Waterfall" the producers initially intended use an "old-timey blues music, appropriate for the fedoras and suits on screen." Bear McCreary however felt the scene warranted a much more modern take, instead creating a song "electronic and contemporary but also be uniquely Tauron, called "Voices of the Dead." Performed by McCreary's brother Brendan McCreary, "Voices of the Dead" features lyrics sung in Ancient Greek and acoustic fiddle solos by Paul Cartwright.

This track was one of several source pieces McCreary produced to expand the audience's sense of the world, representing his approach of bringing in unique sounds to enhance the fictional universe.

Special Musical Works

Capricoperatica

Perhaps the most notable musical achievement of the series was "Capricoperatica," which McCreary described as "perhaps the most essential cut on the record." This lyrical work for voices and chamber orchestra featured lyrics written by novelist Laura Kalpakian (McCreary's mother) and was performed by soprano Elissa Johnston and tenor Alessandro Juliani, who also portrayed Felix Gaeta on Battlestar Galactica. The piece was heard in the episode "End of Line" and became a centerpiece of the series soundtrack.

Most of the major themes from the pilot can be heard in the pilot's end credit suite, released as part of the Caprica pilot soundtrack by La-La Land Records on June 16, 2009. The first sound is Paul Cartwright's solo fiddle playing the Tauron Theme, followed by the chamber orchestra with the Graystone Theme at 0:25. At 1:02, after the theme is fully stated, the low strings enter with an ominous version of the Graystone Ostinato. A harp begins the Tauron Ostinato at 1:22, and a solo flute introduces the Tauron Theme at 1:30, with the orchestra building cascading variations. At 2:44, the strings and bassoons burst into an energetic version of the Daniel Ostinato that gradually fades out.

Demo Tracks and Sketches

The Caprica series soundtrack marked only the second time McCreary allowed the release of his sketches and demos, following the three-CD set of Human Target. These included theme sketches for both the Main Series Theme and New Cap City, which allowed McCreary to develop ideas without the constraints of matching picture, exploring "mood, energy and melody" freely.

McCreary included these materials specifically to reward the vocal fan community that campaigned for the album's release, explaining: "Generally, no one but the executive producer or director ever hears these sketches, and sometimes even they never hear them. I included sketches on this Caprica record because I wanted to reward fans with something extra special for staying so vocal about this one and making it possible for the record to be released."

Behind the Scenes

Creative Collaboration

Director Jeffrey Reiner worked closely with McCreary throughout the pilot's production, providing creative direction about the tone and character motivations. Reiner told McCreary that the pilot was "filled with the emotions of loss and the struggles with guilt," and wanted the music to "drive the story in an unrelenting manner, but evoke the inner emotions of the characters without falling into schmaltz."

Rather than trying to compensate for the characters' emotional ambiguity, McCreary embraced it with the score. Daniel Graystone and Joseph Adama are restrained characters, even during family crises, keeping their emotions hidden from peers and visible only to those closest to them. McCreary strove to "reach beneath their muted exteriors and reveal the longing, brooding emotions within." Having taken his cue from the nuanced writing and acting performances, the score is "restrained and subtle, bittersweet and elegant," with sweeping emotional phrases reserved for only the most important moments.

Reiner later reflected: "It's always nerve-wracking engaging in a new relationship with composer, but Bear erased any doubt when we talked story. He liked the ideas that I approached him with, but most importantly he seemed to have a deep understanding of the characters' inner lives. He also has a great command of an orchestra and an instinct for using the right instruments."

After the scoring was completed, Reiner said: "Bear is a talented man with a strange name. I can't imagine the movie without his score."

Musical Personnel

Key musicians who contributed to the Caprica scores include:

• JoAnn Turovsky - harp on Caprica
• Chris Bleth - put down his duduks and bansuris to play mostly orchestral woodwinds on Caprica, including English Horn and Chinese membrane flute
• Paul Cartwright - acoustic fiddle for the Tauron Theme and electric violin for Tamara's Theme
• M.B. Gordy - nagado daiko and ethnic percussion for Cylon test scenes

See Also

• Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)
• Soundtrack (Caprica pilot)
• Soundtrack (Caprica series)

External Links

• Bear McCreary's website
• Bear McCreary's blog
• Bear McCreary's blog entry about the Caprica series soundtrack
• "The Themes of Caprica" - Bear McCreary's detailed analysis of the pilot's musical themes

References