Composer: Bear McCreary.

Personnel: Bear McCreary (piano, harmonium); Bob Joyce, Raya Yarbrough, Alessandro Juliani, Cindy Bourquin, Christa Gates, Felice Hernandez, Aaron Roethe, Kandyse McClure, Kandyse McClure, Alessandro Juliani, Faith Rivera, Walt Harrah, Michael Geiger, Michael Lichtenauer, Bobbi Page, Gerald White (vocals); Ira Ingber, Steve Bartek (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Brandon Roberts, Brandon Roberts (acoustic guitar); Osamu Kitajima (biwa); Greg Walsh (shamisen); Paul Cartwright (violin, electric violin); Giovanna Clayton, Rudy Stein, Elizabeth Wright, Jennifer Kuhn, Dennis Karmazyn, Antony Cooke, Erika Duke-Kirkpartick, Paula Fehrenbach, Sarah O'Brien, Andrew Shulman, John Krovoza, Peggy Baldwin, Victor Lawrence, Christine Ermacoff, Steve Erdody, Jacob Szekely, Cameron Stone (violin, cello); Anna Stafford, Joel Pargman, Eun Mee Ahn, Lorenz Gamma, Serena McKinney, John Wittenberg, Cameron Patrick, Songa Lee, Nina Evtuhov, Katia Popov, Tamara L. Hatwan, Carolyn Osborne, Sharon Jackson, Searmi Park, Neil Samples, Henry Gronnier, Helen Nightengale, Gina Kronstadt, Vladimir Polimaditi, Erika Walczak, Sharon Jackson, Lisa M. Sutton, Robert Anderson , Erika Walczak, Kathleen Robertson, Carolyn Osborne, Gina Kronstadt, Norm Hughes, Vladimir Polimatidi, Julie Rogers, Kevin Connolly, Lisa Sutton, Benedikt Brydern, Roberto Cani, Julie Gigante, Peter Kent, Natalie Leggett, Phillipe Levy, Sara Parkins, Marina Manukian, Darius Campo, Josephina Vergara, Susan Chatman, Belinda Broughton, Norm Hughes, Robert Anderson, Kathleen Robertson, Tereza Stanislav (violin); Martin St. Pierre (erhu, tambour); Martin J. St. Pierre (erhu); Matt Funes, Shawn Mann, Tom Lea, Jessica van Velzen, Marda Todd, Robert Broph, Marda Todd, Miriam Mayer, Pamela Goldsmith, Robert Brophy, Pamela Goldsmith, David Stenske, David F. Walther, Victoria Miskolszy, Thomas Dienner, Briana Bandy, Andrew Duckles (viola); Paula Hochhalter, Maurice Grants, Jen Kuhn, Jacob Szekely, Paula J. Fehrenbach, Melissa "Missy" Hasin, Stephen Erdody (cello); Chris Bleth (bansuri, duduk, woodwinds); Eric Rigler (whistle, Uilleann pipe, woodwinds); Pedro Eustache (woodwinds); David Washburn (trumpet); Justin Hageman, Danielle Ondarza, Laura Griffiths, Laura Griffiths (French horn); Charlie Morallis, Charlie Morialias, Bruce Otto (trombone); Tim Emmons, Bart Samolis, Michael Valerio (bass instrument, double bass); Norm Ludwin (bass instrument); Norman Ludwin (double bass); John Avila (electric bass); Nate Wood (drums, drum set); Bruce Carver, Bruce Carver, M.B. Gordy (percussion); Loga Ramin Torkian.

Liner Note Authors: M.V. Gerhard; Alessandro Juliani; Matt Verboys; Kandyse McClure; Tahmoh Penikett; Richard Hutchins; Michael Trucco; Michael Rymer; Michael Hogan; Michael Baber; Mary McDonnell; Katee Sackhoff; Jamie Bamber; James Callis; Grace Park; David Weddle; Daniel Colman; Bradley Thompson; Aaron Douglas; Tahmoh Penikett; Daniel Colman; Kandyse McClure; Rekha Sharma; Michael Trucco; Michael Rymer; Jamie Bamber; James Callis; Mary McDonnell; Michael Nankin; Edward James Olmos; Alessandro Juliani; Richard Hatch; Michael Hogan; Katee Sackhoff; Grace Park; Michael Baber; David Weddle; Aaron Douglas; Edward James Olmos; Mark Sheppard; Ron Moore; Stu Phillips; Paul Leonard; Mark Sheppard; Bear McCreary; Steve Kaplan.

Director: Michael Rymer.

Photographers: Raya Yarbrough; Andrew Craig; Joe Stewart; Rudy Koppl; Dan Goldwasser; Dan Goldwasser; Rudy Koppl; Andrew Craig; Joe Stewart; Bear McCreary.

The second television series to be called BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ran on the Sci Fi (later renamed Syfy) Channel between 2004 and 2009, meaning that it was on the air significantly longer than the first series, which ran from 1978 to 1980. Throughout its tenure, composer Bear McCreary provided background music, and his efforts on behalf of the first three seasons have been captured on previous soundtrack albums by La-La Land Records. This final two-CD collection is drawn from the fourth season and the concluding mini-season (referred to in a press release as season 4.5), which was dubbed "Daybreak," with one disc devoted to each. Partly out of necessity, McCreary recast conventional notions of what constituted space music in his early work for the series. He didn't have the budget for an orchestra, so he decided that in his musical interpretation of the space-traveling future, the music would be a mixture of existing world music, much of it played on ethnic instruments. Also, he was especially fond of Japanese taiko drums, and his music proved percussion-heavy. By the third season, there seemed to be more money for the music, and McCreary began to mix in more familiar string orchestrations. That trend continues here, as the usual army of Hollywood violin, viola, and cello players makes itself felt in big orchestral cues. But McCreary has not given up on his ethnic favorites, especially on the first disc. Uilleann pipes give a Celtic sound to "Farewell Apollo," for example, with an Irish whistle producing a similar effect on "Grand Old Lady." "Cally Descends" and "Boomer Takes Hera" both draw on Indian music. For the "Daybreak" episodes, McCreary relies much more heavily on the strings, but they have to make room for his pounding drums. He does not use drums just to keep the beat or provide accents. If anything, the drums are the dominant musical element in his music.

The second television series to be called Battlestar Galactica ran on the Sci Fi (later renamed Syfy) Channel between 2004 and 2009, meaning that it was on the air significantly longer than the first series, which ran from 1978 to 1980. Throughout its tenure, composer Bear McCreary provided background music, and his efforts on behalf of the first three seasons have been captured on previous soundtrack albums by La-La Land Records. This final two-CD collection is drawn from the fourth season and the concluding mini-season (referred to in a press release as season 4.5), which was dubbed "Daybreak," with one disc devoted to each. Partly out of necessity, McCreary recast conventional notions of what constituted space music in his early work for the series. He didn't have the budget for an orchestra, so he decided that in his musical interpretation of the space-traveling future, the music would be a mixture of existing world music, much of it played on ethnic instruments. Also, he was especially fond of Japanese taiko drums, and his music proved percussion-heavy. By the third season, there seemed to be more money for the music, and McCreary began to mix in more familiar string orchestrations. That trend continues here, as the usual army of Hollywood violin, viola, and cello players makes itself felt in big orchestral cues. But McCreary has not given up on his ethnic favorites, especially on the first disc. Uilleann pipes give a Celtic sound to "Farewell Apollo," for example, with an Irish whistle producing a similar effect on "Grand Old Lady." "Cally Descends" and "Boomer Takes Hera" both draw on Indian music. For the "Daybreak" episodes, McCreary relies much more heavily on the strings, but they have to make room for his pounding drums. He does not use drums just to keep the beat or provide accents. If anything, the drums are the dominant musical element in his music. Any orchestra considering an evening of McCreary music in the future should be warned: expect to pay the timpani section extra, and have substitutes ready, just in case. ~ William Ruhlmann