The new STARZ series Black Sails, which premiered in January, is a “prequel” of sorts for the characters of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.  Created by Robert Levine (Human Target) and Jonathan Steinberg (Jericho, Human Target), the series joins Captain Flint and his group of pirates some 20 years before Stevenson’s story finds them in a Golden Age of piracy.  After crafting many futuristic scores, Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, DaVinci’s Demons) shifts a bit back to an earlier time for the music needed in this series.  As has been the case from previous releases on his own label, the present one presents an ample amount of music.

The opening theme is a rather unusual work starting with an electronic instrumental sound before period instruments, including an out-of-tune piano begin with punctuations that help set up the style a bit.  The music is a blend of very contemporary rock sounds with a period sea shanty of sorts, complete with hurdy-gurdy and a chorus.  The guitar edge may be a bit much though for those expecting a straight up historical drama though it does feel a bit grungier and guttural.  The primary theme has a sort of Scotch-Irish snap to it (as does a later idea in “All Saints”).  The latter approach is part of an overarching use of period instruments to create part of the historically accurate sounds of the music while couching this in an often more contemporary edginess.  There is a sense of “improvisation” in that every rhythm is not necessarily “exact” lending a sense that a track is but one moment captured when these “period” themes were captured.  (One might say that it is a distant cousing of Edmonson’s Firefly music at times, especially in “Captain Kidd”.)  A beautiful lyrical theme is heard in “L’Urcade Lima” that has interesting bends in pitch as it moves through textures of string quartet and more subtle drumming or solo ethnic instruments.  These unusual drumming ideas (heard in “The Banner of Captain Flint” best) feel like the sort of unusual instruments one might have on hand in the period and it does lend itself to some rather interesting music as thematic threads are cast over these sounds (“The Wrecks”).  The use of Renaissance-type music also informs some of the music here (full out in “The Parson’s Farewell”).  Another beautiful moment occurs with a breathy flute line in “A Nation of Thieves” where a lower drone provides a base over which other ideas come and go to expand the instrumental texture.  More exciting cues like “The Andromache” allow for further reminders of the primary theme and some interesting dramatic action music for contrast.  As is the case with his other releases, McCreary manages to create a good dramatic flow for the music presented that those catching the show will be able to connect perhaps to on-screen sequences.  Two of these longer, ten-minute (!), approaches are heard towards the end of the selections here with the at times melancholy “Fuenral at Sea” and “Pieces of Eight”.

In addition to an opening theme presentation, there are several other tracks that explore the material with a set of variations.  There is also a proper “Main Title” cue serving as the penultimate track here.  Black Sails is not your typical swashbuckling pirate score.  It tends to shift closer to a folk rock sound in some moments or more plain historic folk material (“Clamanda”) especially when quoting familiar tunes, especially “Wondrous Love” (which also shows up in “Captain Kidd” and elsewhere in the score).  “The Golden Vanity” finishes things off with a shanty song performed by Doug Lacy.  All of this said, Black Sails is an interesting score, one of McCreary’s many fine efforts and perhaps only suffers from too much of a good thing here.

Earlier this year, Bear McCreary released a collection of music from Da Vinci’s Demons.  The music from this TV series about the great Florentine Renaissance inventor/artist is a sort of fictional fantasy-adventure now entering its second season.  The download presentation was a bit of a preview featuring 26 tracks.  Portions of that original review have been included for this overview of the physical CD release.  There are 12 additional tracks added to this Sparks and Shadows release.

The present release is spread out over two discs with music organized across 8 episodes more clearly.  The main titles are fairly standard fare with an interesting sense of forward motion.  Episode 1, “The Hanged Man”, includes 10 selections from the episode and is the most substantial set of pieces collected from a single program next to those from Episode 7, “The Hierophant.”   The music blends both ancient and modern sounds quit intriguingly throughout the tracks presented here.   Disc one includes most of the music not available on the download edition.

“Assassination in Milan” features Gregorian Chant with a growing percussive sound.  The chant-material (appearing elsewhere in “Prayer to Saint Michael,” “Misereis Omnium”, and “Easter Mass”), helps provide the appropriate backdrop to the religious scenarios and sequences.  McCreary’s engaging primary thematic idea provides a good glue that helps hold the various underscoring moments together.  There is a rather beautiful flowing moment in “Starlings” that stands out amidst often melodramatic musical sequences.  “Flight of the Columbina” is an example of the way McCreary blends orchestral writing, period rhythms and instrumental sounds, with a more contemporary electronic drum idea.  It is what manages to provide the contemporary connection to the fantasy unfolding on screen and it is all quite well done.  “Lucrezia Donati” provides lyrical cello writing with strings that then shifts into a beautifully written presentation of this more love theme material for flute with harp.  “Secret Archives” lends some of the more mysterious moments to the score with electronic effects entering the texture briefly.  The electronics tend to be rather restrained in this otherwise orchestral score and when they appear they tend to float in and out of the material rather naturally.  McCreary, creates equally creepy music for “Vlad the Third” through some rather unique orchestral combinations.  These moments are also balanced with Renaissance-styles and instruments often in period dance forms (“Ben Venga Maggio,” “Cheval Toutes”).  Interesting blends of orchestral dramatic underscoring are also coupled with choral writing (though not necessarily chant) with some period instrumentation in a rather fascinating track, “Treasures of the Vatican” (and later in “Visions and Demons” and “The Astrolabe” with telling effect), that ends with a bit of Irish folk rock interspersed with dissonant string glides.

Da Vinci’s Demons is a chance for McCreary’s fans to hear his work in historical fantasy with flashes of period styles.  His fine thematic writing is on display throughout the ample amount of music included in the selections on this release.  For those who have the download, the CD set does allow for some additional musical material that will be welcome for the composer’s completists.  It is a well-produced collection of tracks all the same.