# "Canadian musician takes on the Game of Thrones fake cello theme"



## Markus S (Feb 19, 2014)

http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/ ... nes-theme/

What do you think? Which version do you like better and why?


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## IFM (Feb 19, 2014)

When I heard the theme on HBO the first time I though "man you could have made it a bit more expressive". The real cello in this version I didn't like as much either as I felt it was over the top emotionally...like the cellist was trying to draw too much attention to himself. 

I'd like to hear this redone without with a real cello without so much drama.

Chris


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## Richard Wilkinson (Feb 19, 2014)

I thought the cello in the original was real? It's just the larger string sections which are fake.

The badly-recorded 'other' real cello doesn't sound great in the mix.

Seems based on a false premise.


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## Hannes_F (Feb 19, 2014)

What Chris says. The live (second) version lacks class.


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## Rctec (Feb 19, 2014)

Ramin did it with a real cello...Can't remember who, right now, but one thing we have at RCP is a grand choice of cellists.


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## Richard Wilkinson (Feb 19, 2014)

Rctec @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> Ramin did it with a real cello...Can't remember who, right now, but one thing we have at RCP is a grand choice of cellists.



Knew it. Annoying that so many people are jumping on the bandwagon agreeing with the person in the link though...


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## Markus S (Feb 19, 2014)

Haha, excellent, love it! I thought it was a real cello when I first heard it. Really surprised me when I learned it was supposed to be sampled. Then again, some stuff is so good these days you can get fooled. There seem to be quite a few live solo strings in the score anyway.


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## Markus S (Feb 19, 2014)

Dragonwind @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> When I heard the theme on HBO the first time I though "man you could have made it a bit more expressive". The real cello in this version I didn't like as much either as I felt it was over the top emotionally...like the cellist was trying to draw too much attention to himself.
> 
> I'd like to hear this redone without with a real cello without so much drama.
> 
> Chris



Agreed, it's over the top, the recording sounds a bit weird as well.


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## jcs88 (Feb 19, 2014)

I thought the original was a real cello? Pretty sure something with that budget would use a real player for the front and centre solo instrument. On a side note, I adore the string sound in the game of thrones soundtracks - especially season 2, which went with a dryer mix.

The 'real' version post is way over articulated.


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Feb 19, 2014)

Canadians will say anything to distract you. That way, they can take that last piece of bacon without you realizing, alleviating them from the constant-pressure of having to say, "Sorry".


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## Jem7 (Feb 19, 2014)

I was gonna write cello in original is real too but Hans already said before me


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## Christof (Feb 19, 2014)

The second version is played terribly.


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## dgburns (Feb 19, 2014)

Markus S @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/2014/02/18/a-canadian-musician-bemoans-the-lack-of-real-instruments-in-the-game-of-thrones-theme/
> 
> What do you think? Which version do you like better and why?



Giving us canucks a bad name methinks!

i always suspected it was a real cello.When i read that article,i thought it was a crass idea,personally.And i think while the new playing is OK,it doesn't sit inside the composition like the original does.It's actually kinda sad that this supposed violinist actually got it wrong.

just glad i didn't post anything in my FB page,where the thread came up.

on another note,Christof could've played a mean version on HIS cello.We might disagree on some things,but his cello playing is awesome,and nice tone too.


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## dgburns (Feb 19, 2014)

Ned Bouhalassa @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> Canadians will say anything to distract you. That way, they can take that last piece of bacon without you realizing, alleviating them from the constant-pressure of having to say, "Sorry".



er....sorry (munching on maple drenched bacon) o[])


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## iaink (Feb 19, 2014)

I had the impression it was a 'cello played in a way to make it sound like Viola da Gamba ... to fit the "period" (less vibrato, no portamento).

Anyway - it's hard to mistake the original recording for not having a live cellist (or maybe it's a viol?)

Hunt this person down and check to see if she's willing to apologize.


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## reddognoyz (Feb 19, 2014)

I think the cello performance was really excellent on the GOT thrones theme. It really matched emotionally with the series, I think an overdramatic performance would've weakened the impact. There is a sterness in the playing that I liked, and a rawness in the tone. Much like the series, stern and raw. I like the transition from the minor to the mixolydian(I think?) Anyway, it's jarring, and again feels like the world they so well created for that show.


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## givemenoughrope (Feb 19, 2014)

Never seen the show. I thought he used a Guitarviol…?


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## G.E. (Feb 19, 2014)

I think she made a fool out of herself...Made a remake with a real cello which sounds worse than a sample library.Then it turns out the cello in the theme was real after all...WOW !


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## pkm (Feb 19, 2014)

In the interview, she actually seems a bit reasonable, though the whole thing is based upon a false premise that the cello was fake to begin with.

Poor recording and questionable playing/taste aside, I think she brings up a good point that there could be more live players in TV music in general, especially on the bigger budget shows. 

I was involved with a show that had a roughly $4m/episode budget, and the composers were allotted $1000 per episode for live musicians, pending approval from the network, but the network never allowed a single session for the entire run of the show. 

Somewhere along the line, the suits figured out that the live musician budget is an easy one to cut without detracting from the show too much. Then, at the same time, the show is temped with big budget movie cues using live orchestra and people wonder why the composers' score didn't sound as good as the temp.

But hey, I just read that the entire (Oscar-nominated) makeup budget for Dallas Buyers Club was $250 from an estimated $5.5m budget, so we're not alone.


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## Markus S (Feb 20, 2014)

reddognoyz @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> I think the cello performance was really excellent on the GOT thrones theme. It really matched emotionally with the series, I think an overdramatic performance would've weakened the impact. There is a sterness in the playing that I liked, and a rawness in the tone. Much like the series, stern and raw. I like the transition from the minor to the mixolydian(I think?) Anyway, it's jarring, and again feels like the world they so well created for that show.



Totally share this feeling.


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## Markus S (Feb 20, 2014)

pkm @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> In the interview, she actually seems a bit reasonable, though the whole thing is based upon a false premise that the cello was fake to begin with.
> 
> Poor recording and questionable playing/taste aside, I think she brings up a good point that there could be more live players in TV music in general, especially on the bigger budget shows.
> 
> ...



True, theoretically it's a valid discussion. TV scores use so much sampling that a film that uses samples immediately sounds "TV series" and not feature film.


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## Markus S (Feb 20, 2014)

G.E. @ Wed Feb 19 said:


> I think she made a fool out of herself...Made a remake with a real cello which sounds worse than a sample library.Then it turns out the cello in the theme was real after all...WOW !



Yeah well, best web campaign ever I guess..


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## jhtakalo (Mar 22, 2014)

Not sure if anyone noticed, but the so called 'original' version in that article is not actually the original version.


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