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[edit]
Six theme[edit]
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 w:gamelan:gamelan.
- Note: It is used as virtual Baltar's theme in "Downloaded", but digitally reversed to signify the reversal of roles.
Boomer theme[edit]
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[edit]
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.