Warning: Default sort key "McCreary, Bear" overrides earlier default sort key "Bear".
A classically trained composer and multiple-award recipient, Bear McCreary is the mastermind behind the music of the Re-imagined Series.
McCreary's work is available in the Season 1, Season 2, Season 3 and Season 4 soundtracks to the hit SF series. Having composed music since he was just 6 years old, and being a graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music, McCreary has a knack for creating classical pieces, as well as quirky, off-beat melodies.
McCreary worked on the Miniseries as an additional composer with soundtrack composer Richard Gibbs, and collaborated with Gibbs on the soundtracks for season 1 episodes 2 & 3, "Water" & "Bastille Day," respectively. Gibbs opted not to commit to the regular series production, citing schedule conflicts and his desire to devote more time to scoring theatrical films. As a result, McCreary alone scored "33" (the first episode aired) and stayed on as soundtrack composer from then on.
The piano-playing character Slick in the Season 4 episode "Someone to Watch Over Me" was loosely based on McCreary.[1] He also made an uncredited appearance as a patron of Joe's bar in the episode "Deadlock."
McCreary has also scored SyFy's Eureka and FOX's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, based on the Terminator movies. In addition, he scored the prequel series Caprica and the following movie Blood and Chrome. When not working on television, McCreary also composes soundtracks for independent movies.
When McCreary composed the score for Blood and Chrome, he faced a unique creative challenge at the intersection of familiarity and innovation. The film's emphasis on action, adventure, and military themes meant he needed to honor the established musical universe of the Re-imagined Series while finding something new to say.[2]
For the first time in the Battlestar Galactica musical universe, McCreary introduced electronic synthesizers alongside the signature organic instrumentation. This represented a deliberate departure from his previous work on the Re-imagined Series and Caprica, where he had intentionally avoided synthetic sounds to maintain the dramatic, grounded tone. Blood & Chrome's more adventurous and fun approach gave him license to experiment with heavy synthesizer bass lines and electronic textures to energize the acoustic foundation.[2]
McCreary assembled an expanded team for Blood & Chrome, reuniting his core musicians from previous BSG projects while adding new collaborators:
- Mike Keneally - Legendary guitarist and keyboardist who provided heavy metal guitar work, including drop-tuned distortion down to low C
- Jonathan Snipes - Electronic musician who designed custom synthesizer patches
- Chris Bleth - Returning woodwind specialist who performed on duduk and bansuri
- MB Gordy - Taiko and percussion specialist from the original series
- Paul Cartwright - Electric violin virtuoso
- Steve Bartek - Electric guitar and electric sitar performer
- Brendan McCreary and Raya Yarbrough - Vocalists who contributed to the end credits song[2]
McCreary developed several new leitmotifs specifically for Blood & Chrome:
- Military Theme - Used to represent young Adama's developing relationships with fellow soldiers, particularly his bond with Coker, rather than the familial Adama Family Theme
- Becca Theme - A mysterious melody performed by piano, gamelan, vibraphone and rhodes to create a "shimmering, vibrating quality"
- Coker Theme - A beautiful six-note melody reserved for the character's emotional moments, played by solo bansuri with duduk accompaniment
- Destruction Theme - A mournful synthesizer melody inspired by Vangelis' Blade Runner, doubled with duduk to add human expression to the electronic sounds[2]
McCreary employed several unprecedented recording techniques for Blood & Chrome. During the orchestral sessions, he created a five-minute ambient string texture by assigning each orchestral section specific tremolo patterns on open strings (Ds and As) and conducting them in real-time while watching the film, shaping the sound dynamically with hand gestures rather than traditional notation. He also worked closely with mixer Steve Kaplan to blend the duduk performances inside synthesizer leads, creating an "oddly expressive" electronic sound enhanced by the subtle human elements of breath and finger movement.[2]
The film concludes with "Apocalypse: Blood & Chrome," an adaptation of music McCreary originally wrote for The Plan. This marked the first time in the BSG universe that he used English lyrics, written by Raya Yarbrough and performed by Brendan McCreary, blended with Mike Keneally's distorted guitars and Raya's ethereal vocal layers singing the traditional Gayatri Mantra.[2]
The nearly 100-minute score for "Daybreak, Part I" and "Daybreak, Part II" represents what McCreary described as potentially "The Battlestar Galactica Symphony." With all thematic material firmly established in previous episodes, McCreary took this opportunity to develop themes further than ever before, combining, fracturing, distorting, elongating, inverting and augmenting them in rewarding ways.[3]
Unlike his typical approach of scoring the most difficult scenes first, McCreary felt such intense creative pressure for the finale that he knew he had to change his method. He began with the very first cue and proceeded chronologically through the entire episode, completing the monumental task in a "blistering and virtually sleepless sixteen days." The process became so overwhelming that he made himself a checklist of every major theme he wanted to appear in the finale and marked them off as he wrote.[3]
When budget constraints threatened to limit the orchestral scope of the finale, McCreary and the producers took an unprecedented step. In a move that "basically never happens" in television production, they personally pooled their financial resources to fund the full orchestral score. Contributors included Ronald D. Moore, David Eick, Jane Espenson, Michael Taylor, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Todd Sharp, Paul M. Leonard, and McCreary himself.[3]
McCreary worked closely with the series' science advisor Kevin Grazier to create a mathematically valid method for deriving stellar navigation coordinates from the Final Four Theme. Using a diatonic scale system where each note corresponds to its scale degree (1 through 7), McCreary developed a system that someone with Kara Thrace's musical background would intuitively understand. The process became so complex that McCreary began to empathize with Kara as she struggled to crack the code in the music.[3]
In another unprecedented move for television scoring, McCreary requested that editors re-cut the coordinate derivation sequence to match his music rather than the other way around. Working directly with editor Andy Seklir and co-producer Paul Leonard, McCreary sat in the editing room and showed them exactly where he envisioned each musical note hitting, resulting in perfect synchronization between the music and Kara Thrace's finger movements on the keypad.[3]
According to McCreary, the Final Four Theme (which he initially called the "Flashback Theme" and later re-titled the "Earth Theme") was the only new melodic idea he wrote for "Daybreak." The rest of the massive score was comprised entirely of variations and developments of familiar themes with already established meaning, making it a true culmination of the series' musical journey.[3]
McCreary makes use of many recurring character or event leitmotifs in the series' soundtrack. See: Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)
This article documents the extensive series of blog posts written by Bear McCreary, the composer for the Re-imagined Series, providing behind-the-scenes details on the creation of the show's iconic score. For over a decade, McCreary maintained a detailed blog where he analyzed the score for nearly every episode and television movie, discussed the creation of soundtrack albums, and shared news about live performances and other related events. These posts offer an unparalleled look into the musical heart of Battlestar Galactica.
The entries are compiled here from McCreary's official website and are organized by topic.
Bear McCreary's Battlestar Galactica Blog Posts - Series Episodes
| Title
|
URL
|
Posting Date
|
Episode
|
Summary
|
| BG4: “Daybreak, Parts I & II”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 20, 2009
|
Daybreak, Parts I & II
|
This blog post discusses the music of the final episode of Battlestar Galactica. It delves into the creative process behind the score and the emotional journey of composing the music for the end of the series.
|
| BG4: “Daybreak” Pop-Quiz!
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 13, 2009
|
Daybreak
|
A fun pop-quiz about the music of the upcoming finale, "Daybreak". The author also mentions that the full blog post for the finale will be delayed.
|
| BG4: “Islanded in a Stream of Stars”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 7, 2009
|
Islanded in a Stream of Stars
|
This post covers the music of the penultimate episode, which serves as a transitional story setting up the series finale. The author also discusses the musical complexity of the previous episode, "Someone to Watch Over Me".
|
| BG4: “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Pt 3
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 27, 2009
|
Someone to Watch Over Me
|
The third part of a series of posts about the music of the episode "Someone to Watch Over Me". This episode is noted for its musical complexity and this post covers the post-production and scoring process.
|
| BG4: “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Pt 2
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 27, 2009
|
Someone to Watch Over Me
|
Part two of the series, detailing the on-set production, the specifics of the piano used as a prop and musical instrument, and how the actors prepared for their musical performances.
|
| BG4: “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Pt 1
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 27, 2009
|
Someone to Watch Over Me
|
The first of a three-part series on an episode the composer was deeply involved with, from script to final mix. It covers the origins of the story, focusing on Kara Thrace's relationship with her father and the integration of the song "All Along the Watchtower".
|
| BG4: “Deadlock” – Exclusive Final Five Interviews, Pt. 2
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 20, 2009
|
Deadlock
|
In honor of a Cylon-centric episode, this post features the second part of the Final Five interviews, with actor Michael Hogan discussing his character, Saul Tigh, and his reaction to the Cylon reveal.
|
| BG4: “No Exit” – Exclusive Final Five Interviews, Pt. 1
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 13, 2009
|
No Exit
|
This post features exclusive interviews with Final Five actors Michael Trucco (Anders), Aaron Douglas (Tyrol), and Rekha Sharma (Tory) about how the Cylon revelation affected their characters and their performances.
|
| BG4: “Blood on the Scales”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 6, 2009
|
Blood on the Scales
|
A discussion of the score for the conclusion of the mutiny arc. The music features prominent Japanese instrumentation (biwa, shamisen) and an operatic use of character themes to heighten the drama.
|
| BG4: “The Oath”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
January 30, 2009
|
The Oath
|
Details the score for the Gaeta/Zarek mutiny, introducing unique Japanese instruments like the biwa and shamisen to create a frantic, conspiratorial tone.
|
| BG4: “A Disquiet Follows My Soul”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
January 23, 2009
|
A Disquiet Follows My Soul
|
Discusses scoring the first episode after the WGA strike, which was also Ron Moore's directorial debut, and the creation of a new theme for Tom Zarek.
|
| BG4: “Sometimes a Great Notion”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
January 17, 2009
|
Sometimes a Great Notion
|
A look into scoring one of the series' darkest episodes, detailing the use of atonal writing and the creation of the grim "Earth Chord" to represent the devastating discovery.
|
| BG4: “Revelations”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 14, 2008
|
Revelations
|
A pivotal episode for the composer, discussing the creation of the "Diaspora Oratorio" and the first-time use of a full choir and brass section for the arrival at Earth.
|
| BG4: “The Hub”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 7, 2008
|
The Hub
|
Focuses on the battle to destroy the Cylon Resurrection Hub, the development of a theme for the Hub itself, and the long-awaited emotional reunion of Adama and Laura Roslin.
|
| BG4: “Sine Qua Non”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
May 30, 2008
|
Sine Qua Non
|
Details the creation of a new, mysterious theme for Romo Lampkin and the development of the Military Theme to underscore Adama's personal crisis.
|
| BG4: “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
May 16, 2008
|
Guess What's Coming to Dinner
|
An in-depth look at the creation of "Gaeta's Lament," an original song that serves as a narrative thread throughout the episode, from lyrics to final performance.
|
| BG4: “Faith”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
May 9, 2008
|
Faith
|
A melting pot of musical ideas, this post discusses the return of the Starbuck Destiny theme, Boomer's theme, and the Final Four theme to underscore the episode's complex plotlines.
|
| BG4: “The Road Less Traveled”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
May 3, 2008
|
The Road Less Traveled
|
Focuses on Kara's journey aboard the Demetrius and the musical interplay between her two main themes (the Starbuck Theme and the Destiny Theme) to represent her internal conflict.
|
| BG4: “Escape Velocity”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
April 25, 2008
|
Escape Velocity
|
A look at the more introspective, spiritual score for this episode, which further develops Tigh's theme and Baltar's new religious theme.
|
| BG4: “The Ties That Bind”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
April 19, 2008
|
The Ties That Bind
|
Discusses the creation of a new, tragic theme for Cally as her storyline reaches its dark and emotional conclusion.
|
| BG4: “Six Of One”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
April 12, 2008
|
Six of One
|
Details the first appearance of the "Final Four Theme" and how it was developed to represent the newly revealed Cylons.
|
| BG4: “He That Believeth in Me”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
April 5, 2008
|
He That Believeth in Me
|
The Season 4 premiere post, introducing two crucial new musical ideas: Kara's "Destiny Theme" and a spiritual theme for Gaius Baltar's new cult.
|
| BG3: “Crossroads, Part II”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 25, 2007
|
Crossroads, Part II
|
A deep dive into the creation of the iconic arrangement of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" used in the season 3 finale, detailing the creative process and musical choices.
|
| BG3: “Crossroads, Part I”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 18, 2007
|
Crossroads, Part I
|
Sets up the musical mystery of the Season 3 finale, introducing the strange, unheard music that begins to haunt four of the main characters.
|
| BG3: “Maelstrom”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 11, 2007
|
Maelstrom
|
A deep dive into Kara Thrace's character, using her theme to explore her troubled past, her relationship with her mother, and her ultimate fate in the episode.
|
| BG3: “Dirty Hands”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 25, 2007
|
Dirty Hands
|
Focuses on Chief Tyrol's theme and the use of music to represent the working-class struggle and labor disputes within the fleet.
|
| BG3: “A Day in the Life”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 18, 2007
|
A Day in the Life
|
Explores the music connecting two storylines: Adama's memories of his ex-wife and the life-threatening situation for Cally and Tyrol in an airlock.
|
| BG3: “The Woman King”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 11, 2007
|
The Woman King
|
A discussion about the music of the episode "The Woman King," focusing on the development and use of Helo's theme.
|
| BG3: “Takin’ a Break From All Your Worries”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
January 28, 2007
|
Takin' a Break From All Your Worries
|
The score for this episode centers on Baltar's interrogation, using his theme in a more tortured and fragmented way to reflect his mental state.
|
| BG3: “Rapture”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
January 21, 2007
|
Rapture
|
The music for this episode focuses on the mythology of the Temple of Five and D'Anna's profound and overwhelming visions.
|
| BG3: “The Eye of Jupiter”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
December 15, 2006
|
The Eye of Jupiter
|
Introduction of the mystical "Temple of Five" theme and the musical representation of the Cylon's search for the path to Earth.
|
| BG3: “Unfinished Business”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
December 1, 2006
|
Unfinished Business
|
A unique episode scored almost entirely with source music, featuring a big band arrangement for the flashbacks and aggressive, rhythmic music for the boxing match.
|
| BG3: “Hero”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
November 17, 2006
|
Hero
|
The score explores Adama's past and the introduction of a new character, Bulldog, with his own dedicated, heroic theme.
|
| BG3: “Torn”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
November 10, 2006
|
Torn
|
The music reflects the growing division between the human fleet and the Cylons aboard the basestar, particularly focusing on Baltar's internal conflict.
|
| BG3: “Exodus, Part II”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 20, 2006
|
Exodus, Part II
|
A massive action score for the liberation of New Caprica, one of the most complex and epic musical pieces of the entire series.
|
| BG3: “Exodus, Part I”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 13, 2006
|
Exodus, Part I
|
Builds the musical tension leading up to the large-scale battle for New Caprica, introducing new action motifs for the resistance.
|
| BG3: “Occupation” / “Precipice”
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 6, 2006
|
Occupation / Precipice
|
Discusses the score for the Season 3 premiere, establishing the dark, oppressive, and emotionally stark musical tone of the Cylon-occupied New Caprica.
|
Bear McCreary's Battlestar Galactica Blog Posts - Music & Events
| Title
|
URL
|
Posting Date
|
Topic
|
Summary
|
| So Say We All
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 2, 2021
|
Retrospective Book
|
Announcing the release of the book "So Say We All," a collection of the composer's complete blog series about scoring Battlestar Galactica.
|
| Holiday Gift Guide 2013
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
December 10, 2013
|
Merchandise
|
A holiday gift guide for fans, featuring various soundtrack albums including the Battlestar Galactica Solo Piano CD.
|
| “Prelude to War” For Accordion Orchestra
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
November 25, 2013
|
Concert Performance
|
Announcing a unique performance of "Prelude to War" by an accordion orchestra in Germany.
|
| Battlestar Galactica Solo Piano CD
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
September 23, 2011
|
Album Release
|
The official announcement and details for the "Music of Battlestar Galactica for Solo Piano" album release.
|
| BSG: The Plan/Razor CD Release Tues., Signing Sat.
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 22, 2010
|
Album Release
|
Details for the soundtrack release of "The Plan" and "Razor," including information about a CD signing event.
|
| Anthrax’s Scott Ian on New BSG: The Plan / Razor CD (UPDATED!)
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 17, 2010
|
Album Promotion
|
Features a guest blog and video from Scott Ian of Anthrax discussing his contribution to and thoughts on the "The Plan/Razor" soundtrack.
|
| BSG Music is Finally on iTunes!
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
July 21, 2009
|
Digital Release
|
Announcing that the soundtracks for all four seasons of Battlestar Galactica are available on iTunes for the first time.
|
| BG Season 4 CD Track List and Cover Art!
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 19, 2009
|
Album Release
|
The official reveal of the track list and cover art for the highly anticipated Season 4 soundtrack album.
|
| “Battlestar Galactica Symphony” World Premiere in Spain!
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 15, 2010
|
Concert Performance
|
Announcement of the world premiere of the "Battlestar Galactica Symphony" to be performed in Spain.
|
| Battlestar Galactica Season 3 Soundtrack Album
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 22, 2007
|
Album Release
|
The official announcement for the Season 3 soundtrack, including details about the tracklist and release date.
|
Bear McCreary's Battlestar Galactica Blog Posts - Other Events and Musings
| Title
|
URL
|
Posting Date
|
Topic
|
Summary
|
| Remembering Richard Hatch
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 8, 2017
|
Tribute
|
A heartfelt tribute to actor Richard Hatch, who played Tom Zarek in the new series and Captain Apollo in the original, following his passing.
|
| BSG Piano Book Fan Performances Awards
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 27, 2012
|
Fan Engagement
|
Announcing the winners of a fan contest for performances of music from the BSG Piano Songbook.
|
| EXCLUSIVE: BSG Piano Book Song List
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
June 22, 2011
|
Merchandise
|
The exclusive reveal of the full song list for the official "Music of Battlestar Galactica for Solo Piano" songbook.
|
| Themes of Battlestar Galactica, Pt V
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
March 4, 2007
|
Musical Analysis
|
The fifth part of a series breaking down the main musical themes of the show, focusing on the themes for Dualla, Cally, and the Roslin/Adama relationship.
|
| Themes of Battlestar Galactica, Pt IV
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
February 4, 2007
|
Musical Analysis
|
The fourth installment of the theme analysis series, this time covering the themes for Helo, the Final Five, and "Wander My Friends."
|
| Themes of Battlestar Galactica, Pt III
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
November 5, 2006
|
Musical Analysis
|
Part three of the series on the show's musical themes, focusing on the various themes associated with Kara "Starbuck" Thrace.
|
| Themes of Battlestar Galactica, Pt II
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 29, 2006
|
Musical Analysis
|
The second part of an in-depth look at the show's musical building blocks, this post covers the themes for Tigh, the Cylons, and Boomer.
|
| Instruments of Battlestar Galactica: Electric Violin
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 22, 2006
|
Musical Analysis
|
A detailed look at the use of the electric violin in the score, one of the key instruments that helped define the sound of the series.
|
| Instruments of Battlestar Galactica: Duduk
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 15, 2006
|
Musical Analysis
|
An exploration of the Armenian duduk, one of the most iconic and emotionally resonant instruments used in the Battlestar Galactica score.
|
| Themes of Battlestar Galactica, Pt I
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
October 8, 2006
|
Musical Analysis
|
The first in a multi-part series where the composer breaks down the primary musical themes of the show, starting with Adama's theme and Baltar's theme.
|
| Diving Into Season Three
|
Link (web.archive.org backup link)
|
September 29, 2006
|
Series Musings
|
A post looking forward to the start of Season 3, reflecting on the musical journey so far and teasing the new musical directions for the upcoming season.
|
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