Originally published June 5, 2010. Updated, revised and republished May 29, 2025
Update: On this post I’ve changed it from its original “The Mind of the Composer” to the current title. I’ve realized that the old title was not clear or useful.
If you watched Battlestar Galactica, the revisioned series, and you love the music, then you really should take the time to dig into Bear McCreary’s blog as it represents a truly unique thing in music.
Bear takes time to go through and outline his thinking and the construction of his music in a very clear, succinct, and approachable way. You don’t have to be an expert in music theory or composition to understand it, though it helps if you can read music some. Check out his posting on themes of Battlestar Galactica as a start.
I’m a huge fan of Bear’s work on the series and taking the time to really dig into the soundtracks to a level of real depth, so I’m starting a read of the blogs from the beginning as part of that work.
Another great resource is the Battlestar Wiki, which has a lot of great information on the music including lyrics and information otherwise locked up in liner notes.
Take these two things together, and you’ve got a degree of access and information that’s truly revolutionary. It gives us the ability to dig into the music deeply and to hear from the composer what his intentions were and what the music was to him.
If you love music but haven’t watched Battlestar Galactica, well then, I’d argue you should. But that’s another posting.