Tyrol Theme
By: Bear McCreary
Date: December 8, 2006
Source: Bear McCreary’s BSG Blog (The Themes of Battlestar Galactica, Part III)
Note: This is a snippet from BEAR McCREARY’s blog where he mentions AARON DOUGLAS / CHIEF TYROL. To read the full blog entry, click HERE.
TYROL THEME
I wrote this as a love theme for Tyrol and Sharon’s secret rendezvous in Litmus. Their scenes were the perfect place to plant the seeds for a beautiful, lush love theme which could be developed as their relationship continued. This simple tune, (in Lydian mode for you music nerds like me), was performed on an alto flute, using its bottom register for the characteristic, dark tone a regular flute can not achieve.
I really liked this theme but, because I don’t read the scripts in advance, I didn’t realize that this was virtually the end of their screen time for the rest of the season! Their few remaining scenes together had no need for music, especially a lyrical love theme like this. So, it went away for a long time.
To my pleasant surprise, it resurfaced a full season later for the finale of season two, Lay Down Your Burdens, Pt II. Tyrol had mysteriously beaten his friend Cally within an inch of her life and went to her hospital bed to apologize. The producers wanted to suggest a genuine tenderness between the two of them, despite the obvious strain on their relationship. I was even asked at the spotting session: “Do you have some kind of love theme for Tyrol?”
So, this tune came back! And has since been used throughout season three as a theme for Tyrol and Cally.
EPISODE APPEARANCES: Litmus, Lay Down Your Burdens Pt II, Occupation, Precipice
ALBUM APPEARANCES: none
USELESS FACT: This melody is one of only two themes on the show consistently performed on a classical, orchestral instrument.