The Explorers: A Century of Discovery (Lee Holdridge)

The Explorers: A Century of Discovery (Original Television Soundtrack) (1988)
Composed and conducted by Lee Holdridge

Normally one would think that documentaries would be the last place one would expect to see something along the lines of mostly film composers like Danny Elfman, Lee Holdridge, Bruce Broughton or Bruno Coulais would tackle. While the big nature documentaries such as Deep Blue have seen a big resurgence in big, epic orchestral scores to accent the actions onscreen like Deep Blue and the upcoming Earth, almost like a second narrator in form.

Back when National Geographic wasn’t big (or financially able) enough to host its own cable network, they were very prominent in beautifully-made and compelling documentaries from all sorts of topics -- mostly known for their documentaries on animal life in the Antarctica and Africa. In 1988, they decided to make a single documentary covering the essential discoveries during the past 100 years -- such as Alexander Bell and Jacques Cousteau -- and commissioned composer Lee Holdridge to compose the score.

With an expansive documentary covering many little facets, there wasn’t enough room for Holdridge to come up with a prominent set of themes, but to come up with different colors to accent the action on screen. There’s a wonderful, almost fanfaric theme presented in “Tease Intro; Tease Montage; National Geographic Specials Theme” and is briefly reprised at the final cue “Cosmic Wrap-Up; End Credits.” There’s also a wistful, beautiful theme for Alexander Bell led by flute in the second cue and is briefly reprised at the tail end of the third cue accompanied by piano in the third track.

What lacks in thematic reprisal (aside from the two above mentioned ideas plus a rearranged version of Elmer Bernstein’s main theme) and a singular vision is made up with the quality of music presented. Holdridge provides a range of music with many different ideas and moods throughout, and there’s a nice sense of cohesion so that the change of one tone to the other isn’t jarring. There’s an overlying sense that Holdridge is taking the listener on a musical journey through the century, with some beautiful electronic embellishments at the end of “The Johnsons in Africa; Beebe’s Diving Bell” giving a sense of mystery and otherworldliness. One standout cue, “Everest Ending,” is a broad expansive piece, first starting out almost timid with low strings and woodwinds and then expands into a triumphant orchestral statement -- all within the space of 45 seconds.

As with any other movie or TV special produced in the 1980s, there’s some prominent electronics incorporated throughout the score -- sometimes I feel like it’s there to mask the small orchestra size and other times to accent it. But there are sometimes where it calls attention to itself in the same way Vangelis’ electronic score did in Blade Runner, and not in a good way as it dates the music. Mostly though, the soundtrack is orchestral, and that’s where most of the good material resides throughout “The Explorers.”

Regardless, the soundtrack is a very solid entry in Holdridge’s resume, and even though it is sold out at Intrada, it can be found easily on other specialty online outlets. A nice soundtrack and Holdridge fans should not hesitate to pick this one up if they haven’t already, and a musical journey in every sense of the word.

Track Listing:
1. Tease Intro/Tease Montage/National Geographic Specials Theme (3:12)

2. Alexander Graham Bell (1:35)

3. Early Magazines/Action Photos & Color/North Pole With Peary... (9:50)

4. Joseph Rock in the Orient/The King Tut Excavation (4:29)

5. Antarctic Summer/Byrd Flies Over Pole (1:45)

6. The Johnsons in Africa/Bebee's Diving Bell (1:52)

7. Strange Undersea Life (0:40)

8. Ballooning Future/Ballooning Triumph (1:23)

9. Driving the Trans-Asiatic Expedition/Trans-Asiatic Compromise (1:34)

10. War-Time Yucatan Expedition (1:13)

11. Cousteau Accomplishments/Hillary on Everest (2:14)

12. Everest Ending (0:45)

13. Three Generations of Grosvenors as Head of NGS/Project Bebee Jeannie Clarke (2:13)

14. Ancient Shipwreck/Celebrating Archaeological Divers (1:24)

15. The Titanic (1:05)

16. Robot Explores Titanic/Tomb Probe (3:46)

17. Leakey/Leakey Successes/Misty Gorilla (4:25)

18. Helping Primitive Cultures/Wide River (3:05)

19. Cosmic Wrap-Up/End Credits (3:27)

Total Running Time: 50:38

Music composed and conducted by Lee Holdridge. Orchestrated by Ira Hearshen and Lee Holdridge. Album mastered and produced by Douglass Fake.