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Composer Dennis McCarthy began his career
in television with "ENOS", a spin-off of "THE DUKES OF HAZZARD."
The series was short-lived and the musician's strike of 1981 sent him briefly
back to variety television. What began as a temporary solution to the strike
became a hit series, "THE BARBARA MANDRELL SHOW" for which he was
musical director for three seasons.
In the meantime, the strike over, he
scored a wide variety of episodic series and several films for television, one
of the most challenging being the six-hour mini-series "V: THE FINAL
BATTLE" followed by the weekly series "V." More recently he has
scored several episodes of the new "TWILIGHT ZONE",
"DYNASTY", "MacGYVER", "HOUSTON KNIGHTS", and the
television films "SAM HOUSTON: THE LEGEND OF TEXAS" and "SWORN TO
SILENCE."
"ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT", the
two-hour episode of "STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION", was scored for a
38-piece orchestra. There are frequent references to the original "STAR
TREK" theme by Alexander Courage. The opening theme combines Courage's
theme with one by Jerry Goldsmith from the first theatrical "STAR
TREK."
The highlight of this score is the moving
theme for the release of the giant jellyfish-like creature and its reunion with
its mate. It is certainly one of the most beautiful pieces ever written for
television.
Also included in this collection are three
pieces not heard in the final version of "ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT",
"Separation", "Splashing", and a theme the composer often
uses for the august Captain Picard.
In addition to this two-hour episode for
the series, Dennis McCarthy has scored eleven other episodes of "STAR TREK:
THE NEXT GENERATION", including "The Big Goodbye" episode that
won a Peabody award for the series.
Encounter at Farpoint
The new starship Enterprise and its crew set out "to boldly go where
no one has gone before." Their first mission is to explore the mystery
surrounding the creation of the Farpoint station located on planet Daneb IV.
While trying to negotiate a friendly agreement for the Starfleet to use this
energy powered base, Captain Picard and his crew are also on assignment to
discover why and how the Bandi inhabitants of Daneb built the station.
Traveling to Farpoint, the Enterprise has
an alarming encounter with a mysterious and powerful life form known as
"Q." Denouncing Starfleet as members of a Barbarian race,
"Q" puts Picard and his crew on trial for all previous crimes
committed by mankind.
The Captain delays the impending death
sentence by requesting an opportunity to prove the worthiness of humans. After
being introduced to his new first officer, Commander Riker, the two combined
their talents with the rest of the Enterprise staff to herocially overcome their
perilous predicament.
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