Silva America releases the 2-CD set Space And Beyond, compiling new recordings of science fiction soundtrack highlights played by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, including previously unreleased music from the Star Trek franchise. 
From Silva Screen, the makers of The Cult Files and most of the really good Doctor Who soundtracks, comes this wonderful and inexpensive two-disc set of classic sci-fi movie and TV music. As was the case with the similar concept of The Cult Files discs, none of the pieces on Space And Beyond are the original recordings, but rather new digital recordings which were recorded to take advantage of Dolby Surround sound systems (but would also play normally on good old-fashioned stereo systems as well). Among the best recordings on the two discs are the finale from John Williams’ score to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, an undeservedly brief suite of the main theme and sole action cue from John Barry’s The Black Hole score (which has yet to occupy its own release), and others. The second disc is almost entirely devoted to Star Trek and Star Wars themes and suites, and here lies three of the best reasons to get this collection. Ron Jones’ “Tasha’s Farewell” from the Skin Of Evil episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Dennis McCarthy’s shorter cue “He’s Toast,” bemoaning the death of a fan favorite recurring character in the Life Support episode of Deep Space Nine are two pieces of music which have never before been released on CD, not even by GNP Crescendo (the usual clearinghouse for Star Trek music). And McCarthy’s concert arrangement of the Deep Space Nine theme is included, and in some ways I like it better than the actual arrangement used on the show itself – this is what the Deep Space Nine theme might sound like if the show were ever to grace the big screen. I highly recommend it.
Disc 1
- Introduction from Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss (1:52)
- SFX: Apollo 13 Launch (0:51)
- Apollo 13 Main Title by James Horner (2:59)
- The Right Stuff finale by Bill Conti (4:43)
- SFX: accelerated protein synthesis in alien organism (1:02)
- Species end title by Christopher Young (7:47)
- Lifeforce end title by Henry Mancini (4:04)
- SFX: Nostromo (1:00)
- Alien end title by Jerry Goldsmith (3:50)
- Capricorn One overture by Jerry Goldsmith (3:19)
- Cocoon theme by James Horner (7:25)
- SFX: event horizon (1:28)
- The Black Hole suite by John Barry (4:55)
- Han Solo and the Princess – from The Empire Strikes Back (4:11)
- Taarna’s Theme – from "Heavy Metal" (5:35)
- SFX: dogfight (1:31)
- Enemy Mine suite by Maurice Jarre (9:37)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – music by John Williams:- Conversation (0:54)
- Main Title / Finale / Resolution (7:21)
Disc 2
2001: A Space Odyssey – the unused music by Alex North:
- Prelude / The Dawn of Man (1:35)
- Space Station Docking (2:52)
- Star Wars main title by John Williams (5:27)
- SFX: warp speed (0:48)
Star Trek:- Star Trek TV theme by Alexander Courage (2:21)
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture end title by Jerry Goldsmith (3:58)
- SFX: away team (0:53)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – music by Dennis McCarthy:- Main theme – concert arrangement (3:55)
- He’s Toast – from the episode Life Support (3:40)
- SFX: the bridge (0:31)
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan overture by James Horner (5:52)
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home end title by Leonard Rosenman (3:33)
Star Trek: The Next Generation – music by Ron Jones:- Tasha’s Farewell – from the episode Skin of Evil (9:16)
- SFX: battle stations (0:33)
- Star Trek V: Final Frontier: Life is a Dream by Jerry Goldsmith (4:02)
- Star Trek: Voyager main title by Jerry Goldsmith (2:01)
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country end title by Cliff Eidelman (6:32)
- SFX: crash landing (0:49)
- Star Trek: Generations overture by Dennis McCarthy (4:39)
Released by: Silva Screen
Release date: 1997
Disc one total run time: 74:41
Disc two total run time: 64:14
1997 music review by Earl Green