# Chernobyl composer Hildur Guðnadóttir interview



## timprebble

Highly reccomend Chernobyl - beautifully made mini series about such a dreadful subject...
with a beautifully restrained score & sound design (with field recordist Chris Watson)


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## givemenoughrope




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## robgb

She worked side by side with Jóhann Jóhannsson on most of his films.


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## timprebble

robgb said:


> She worked side by side with Jóhann Jóhannsson on most of his films.



thanks... her IMDB


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## NoamL

Amazing miniseries and the score perfectly matches the tension & dread of the show.


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## givemenoughrope

Oh, come on. I like the score (what I can hear anyway). Could have used more music than sound design but whatever.


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## marclawsonmusic

What a great score - perfectly minimal and ominous and subtle - works great with the visuals on this show. Even the synths, which are so cliche' these days, work great... you can almost feel the radiation flow through you when an edgy synth pulses on TV. Great stuff!


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> Oh, come on. I like the score (what I can hear anyway). Could have used more music than sound design but whatever.



Dont sweat it...
And its not like we dont hear enough about all the godawful maximilist 'epic' scores....

The key aspect I really appreciated of this score was that it wasn't sign posting, you felt the fear & the dread without having your intelligence insulted... Great to see a director who has enough confidence to not spoon feed the audience


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## givemenoughrope

I’m definitely no fan of modern epic but personally find over reliance of sound design kinda boring (unless it’s also used in a ‘thematic’ way, and maybe this is and I just didn’t catch it). I don’t like being hit over the head and being told how to feel (unless it calls for it) so I avoid those kinds of films/TV but I also miss motifs and sonorities that drive a narrative. I think those things can exist and be every bit as subtle as whats happening here. I’d be curious to know how much of the sounds recorded at the plant had been pitched and shaped spectrally. That sounds like a great approach for something really cool.

That interview deserved to be ‘Tapped’, cmon.


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> I’m definitely no fan of modern epic but personally find over reliance of sound design kinda boring (unless it’s also used in a ‘thematic’ way, and maybe this is and I just didn’t catch it). I don’t like being hit over the head and being told how to feel (unless it calls for it) so I avoid those kinds of films/TV but I also miss motifs and sonorities that drive a narrative. I think those things can exist and be every bit as subtle as whats happening here.
> 
> That interview deserved to be ‘Tapped’, cmon.



Fair enough re lack of motifs etc, that is your taste... Specifically this series, I wouldn't know who did what - apart from the composer there was a sound designer/effects editor on the series (Joe Beal) who would also I presume have inherited the recordings from Chris Watson, so where you may feel there is a lack of score or an over reliance on sound design may actually just be a final mix choice by the director and rerecording mixers. We will never know... I loved the part where she mentioned finding a melody in part of a door creak - I do this myself a lot, putting some takes from sound FX recording sessions aside because they contain naturally occurring interesting musical elements/rhythms etc... and are worth pursuing/developing

but sorry I have zero idea what you're getting at with the Spinal Tap ('tapped?') bizo...
Saw the film a few decades ago, remember something about their amps going up to 11
What are you on about exactly? You seem to be specifically inferring we all should be aware of some aspect of it...
but it seems it only bugs you... do you mean this somehow?

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Spinal Tapped


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## givemenoughrope

I’m not saying that approach would have worked here (or that it isn’t actually happening here and I just failed to hear it) just that I’d like to hear that as opposed the either/or of only ‘epic’ or ‘minimal’/sound design.

The vague answer ‘we were listening to the sound of the building’ reminded me of the ST clip but then again about 25% of life occurences can be found or referenced therein.


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## Dewdman42

incredible mini series. I love the score for it too. I think it conveys something inhumane...and out of human control...


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## FrontierSoundFX

Dewdman42 said:


> incredible mini series. I love the score for it too. I think it conveys something inhumane...and out of human control...



What a fantastic approach to the design though. There is a beauty in the sounds coming organically from the environment in which the events take place. This series has been real good about making my skin crawl every time someone finds out they have to go to the plant.


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## benatural

An amazing show and score, very cool to hear about the composer's process.


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## ionian

Wow...I've been watching this series and I didn't even realize there was a score! I mean I guess you can say it's successful because it never brings attention to itself. But if you would have asked me, I would have told you there was no score. 

The story is really engaging so I guess I'm more wrapped up in that and there's nothing probably really memorable about the score if it sounds more like sound design and omnisphere patches. 

That's still more preferable than a score that constantly distracts you by always saying, "look at me!"

I am looking forward to the series finale tomorrow and I'm not distracting myself trying to listen for a score. I'll go watch them again later and listen for it.


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## Guy Rowland

givemenoughrope said:


> I’m definitely no fan of modern epic but personally find over reliance of sound design kinda boring (unless it’s also used in a ‘thematic’ way, and maybe this is and I just didn’t catch it). I don’t like being hit over the head and being told how to feel (unless it calls for it) so I avoid those kinds of films/TV but I also miss motifs and sonorities that drive a narrative. I think those things can exist and be every bit as subtle as whats happening here. I’d be curious to know how much of the sounds recorded at the plant had been pitched and shaped spectrally. That sounds like a great approach for something really cool.
> 
> That interview deserved to be ‘Tapped’, cmon.



I think your user name comes into play here...

Chernobyl is now the best rated TV series of all time. That’s one thing, what is more surprising is that this is despite being extremely challenging material that is often very difficult to watch. This wasn’t an easy sell, nor a crowd-pleasing proposition. Collectively, the production achieved something really remarkable.

Several have mentioned the feeling of dread that permeates the show, and I’d have to agree with that. Of course that’s a cumulative thing - wring, acting, directing, cimeatogrsphy, production design and more. But central is the score, which is genuinely remarkable. To condense this down to the most misplaced of Spinal Tap references and a discussion of why sound design scores are boring and obvious... well by all means take all the rope you want.

The score will only make sense in context of the film, which is any score’s primary function of course. And those results are pretty extraordinary. Huge respect to Hildur.


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## FrontierSoundFX

Guy Rowland said:


> I think your user name comes into play here...
> 
> Chernobyl is now the best rated TV series of all time. That’s one thing, what is more surprising is that this is despite being extremely challenging material that is often very difficult to watch. This wasn’t an easy sell, nor a crowd-pleasing proposition. Collectively, the production achieved something really remarkable.
> 
> Several have mentioned the feeling of dread that permeates the show, and I’d have to agree with that. Of course that’s a cumulative thing - wring, acting, directing, cimeatogrsphy, production design and more. But central is the score, which is genuinely remarkable. To condense this down to the most misplaced of Spinal Tap references and a discussion of why sound design scores are boring and obvious... well by all means take all the rope you want.
> 
> The score will only make sense in context of the film, which is any score’s primary function of course. And those results are pretty extraordinary. Huge respect to Hildur.




I think it also gets a viewer boost because people are dying to watch something new with their HBO accounts in absence of Game of Thrones. They win on timing for sure.


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## givemenoughrope

Guy Rowland said:


> I think your user name comes into play here...
> 
> Chernobyl is now the best rated TV series of all time. That’s one thing, what is more surprising is that this is despite being extremely challenging material that is often very difficult to watch. This wasn’t an easy sell, nor a crowd-pleasing proposition. Collectively, the production achieved something really remarkable.
> 
> Several have mentioned the feeling of dread that permeates the show, and I’d have to agree with that. Of course that’s a cumulative thing - wring, acting, directing, cimeatogrsphy, production design and more. But central is the score, which is genuinely remarkable. To condense this down to the most misplaced of Spinal Tap references and a discussion of why sound design scores are boring and obvious... well by all means take all the rope you want.
> 
> The score will only make sense in context of the film, which is any score’s primary function of course. And those results are pretty extraordinary. Huge respect to Hildur.



Right. Ok. For the last time:


The score isn't central to anything here. I can barely hear it and I'm listening, wife begging me to turn it down. Its greatest strength is that there is rarely any actual music here. What is central to the feeling of dread is that this is not The Walking Dead (a goofy premise and show all around) but something that actually happened recently (and is still a mess just watch the drone footage of the area from the last couple years), has happened since to a lesser degree (Fukushima) and almost happened plenty of times (Three Mile Island, etc.) and could easily happen again (earthquake creates tidal wave, people fly plane into, Homer falls asleep, etc.) To say, "We recorded the building" just sounds ridiculous even for a puff piece or interview. I guess I forgot that everything is great and above criticism. (Funny that's what caused the meltdown...)


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## Guy Rowland

Have some more rope, Rope!

You could very easily make an entirely superfluous and rote mini series on Chernobyl. Regardless of what a major historical event it was, good drama is very much not guaranteed (did anyone see Pearl Harbor?). If you can't appreciate the writing, acting, production design (which by the way has been singled out by Russians for praise), directing, sound design, cinematography and - here it is - score, then I genuinely feel sorry for you. Every element of this production exceeds expectation, typically by some margin.

Incidentally I'm daring to hope the exact same team can next make Fukushima. The human story there is equally jaw-dropping.


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## givemenoughrope

Guy, if I didn’t enjoy the show I would have turned it off and moved on to Deadwood or whatever is in the queue. No doubt it is fantastic, doesn’t pull punches or insult the intelligence of the viewer like most tv. So, no need to feel sorry for me (read:condescend). Feel sorry for those puppies instead. Thanks for your help though!


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## Guy Rowland

I'm glad to hear it, Rope. But your manner on the thread so far gave little indication of this, indeed suggesting that just because it was a major historical event that gave it superiority as drama, as if the craft were superfluous.

And I do think you did Hildur a serious mis-service with your snarky Spinal Tap reference, which is what irritated me in the first place. Although you can't apparently hear the score, most of us can, loud and clear. Funnily enough, a director friend brought it up today, saying he thought the score was exceptional. He didn't know how it was created (as I didn't until this morning), he was just responding to the finished product in how it supported the drama. In the end, that's what counts of course.

Could she have done as good a job with Omnisphere? She could probably have turned in a perfectly serviceable score in truth. But what sets Chernobyl apart from "serviceable" is that it feels as if every department did not settle for serviceable. The sound palette is unique, and while of course its a stretch to say that it couldn't have been unique recorded in a different way, to me it is entirely of a piece with what we are seeing, and it might be a little fanciful to say that is total co-incidence.

Final point as I've ground my axe for quite long enough I'm sure we all agree - Hildur comes across as entirely the opposite from the pompous un-self-aware Nigel Tufnel. Indeed she laughs at the notion that this level of immersion is normal or desirable.


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## Consona

The show is great.

The music fits the mood perfectly. Could there be some paranoid Herrmann Twilight Zone masterfully done orchestral music?.. Maaaybeee... But... this way, it feels really coherent and suitable so, even though I'm fed up with like every thing nowadays being sound-designy rather than Bernard-Herrmanny, I don't have any problem with the score. Quite the contrary, it's done well.

The moment I have a problem with this approach is when you have a huge fantasy battle in Game of Thrones and all you hear is one ever-repeating low synth pattern and some muted pads here and there for half an hour.

Like a month ago I was watching Refn's Neon Demon, Martinez' score was electronic, yet really really nice. And he's working with Refn on a TV series, can't wait. I'm glad not all electronic stuff we hear is this trendy minimalism, hope some more structured and interesting things will return to the scores. The Chernobyl soundtrack is fitting, as is something like The Orville music taking us back to the Goldsmith/Horner days!!! So glad someone can still compose music like that!


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## givemenoughrope

Guy Rowland said:


> I'm glad to hear it, Rope. But your manner on the thread so far gave little indication of this,


The thread is about an interview regarding the score, not the show.



Guy Rowland said:


> indeed suggesting that just because it was a major historical event that gave it superiority as drama, as if the craft were superfluous.


It being major historical event DOES give it a major leg up as a drama. The craft is completely separate from this. (What is it about modern discourse (read:arguing on the internet) that prevents multiple things from being true at the same time?)



Guy Rowland said:


> And I do think you did Hildur a serious mis-service with your snarky Spinal Tap reference, which is what irritated me in the first place.


You placed the snark there. You found something you really enjoy and someone making light of the way a string of words comes off offended you. Why? I see people make jokes about the Rite of Spring all the time.



Guy Rowland said:


> Although you can't apparently hear the score, most of us can, loud and clear.


Oh, I can hear it. I guess I meant I keep waiting for there to be more, I dunno, notes? Or for something to repeat? 



Guy Rowland said:


> Funnily enough, a director friend brought it up today, saying he thought the score was exceptional.


Well that settles that then. Right, they are probably responding to the approach. Fine, whatever. I would agree.



Guy Rowland said:


> He didn't know how it was created (as I didn't until this morning), he was just responding to the finished product in how it supported the drama. In the end, that's what counts of course.
> 
> Could she have done as good a job with Omnisphere? She could probably have turned in a perfectly serviceable score in truth. But what sets Chernobyl apart from "serviceable" is that it feels as if every department did not settle for serviceable. The sound palette is unique, and while of course its a stretch to say that it couldn't have been unique recorded in a different way, to me it is entirely of a piece with what we are seeing, and it might be a little fanciful to say that is total co-incidence.


No argument there. Record the room you film in and things will probably match up in some way. Boot up Omnisphere and it'll sound like you did.



Guy Rowland said:


> Final point as I've ground my axe for quite long enough I'm sure we all agree - Hildur comes across as entirely the opposite from the pompous un-self-aware Nigel Tufnel. Indeed she laughs at the notion that this level of immersion is normal or desirable.


Again, no argument really. But the interviewer asks more than once 'what does that mean?' and she just repeats the same thing. It just strikes me as composer puff piece-y talk which is full of made-up, fanciful talk to dazzle people who think music is nothing but unapproachable magic from Hogwarts. Again, it's as if multiple things can't be true at the same time in 2019. And I forgot that most, if not all, interviews are really just commercials. Fine.


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## NoamL

givemenoughrope said:


> Could have used more music than sound design.



I read a review somewhere that really summed up this show: "In a typical horror movie the characters see the threat and get scared because it's going to kill them. In this TV show the characters see the threat and realize they're already dead."

There is some nice "Scandi noir" scoring in this show with acoustic instruments but it's for the emotional scenes with the survivors and relatives. The horror aspect of the scoring is almost like sounds emerging from the environment... which is exactly what the threat is.

My only concern with this show, as someone who's very pro-nuclear, is that this miniseries encourages people to exaggerate the threat. I've seen a lot of online comments about how every character on the show is dead, etc. When in reality the guy who held the door open & immediately started bleeding actually lived despite being horribly burned from radioactive dust. Dyatlov (the main "villain" of the show I guess) received an LD50 dose and survived. The show doesn't do a very good job of explaining fission products and the different types of radiation, which can have as different penetrative effects as a paintball vs a bullet.

While many/most of the characters on the show did die of acute radiation syndrome which is one of THE most horrible ways to die ever, the show doesn't contextualize the deaths very well either. There will be hundreds of thousands of excess deaths worldwide this year alone, from respiratory diseases caused by burning coal for electricity. When you look at "deaths per lightbulb," the US nuclear industry is safer than US solar and US wind because of fewer (zero) installation/maintenance casualties. All three are far and away better than oil or natural gas, both of which are much better than coal. Yet it seems like the US modern left doesn't acknowledge these nuances. The division they see is between "fossil fuels" and "green energy." This division erases the difference between coal and LNG, and it also leaves nuclear out in the cold as being neither "fossil fuel" nor supposedly qualifying as "green."


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## Dewdman42

For sure they over dramatized numerous times the magnitude of the disaster, for better or worse. FWIW, I am not in favor of nuclear power and haven't been since decades. The consequences of accidents are far too catastrophic for the short term benefit of lighting our TV's. You can debate all day long about whether coal and C02 is destroying our planet, there are people on both sides of that argument and fair enough, but you cannot argue that an earthquake or tsunami or some other user-error causing a nuclear reactor to leak its guts into world will absolutely with a certainty do damage which will not repair itself for centuries or more. No thanks.. I welcome this overly dramatized dooms day mini series because I see Nuclear power as severely stupid and arrogant for mankind to pursue.


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## Whatisvalis

Loved the score - my absolute favorite type of soundtrack.


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## Guy Rowland

Rope - absolutely my last comment as personal back and forths are very dull, but I'd have cut you a lot more slack on nuance and multiple things being true had you not dismissed the entire thing initially with the Tap gag. Putting this very bluntly, given her achievement in what is currently the best rated TV show of all time, it felt like a really shitty thing to do.

NoamL - yes, I was a bit concerned about this, but I guess (at least thus far) wider contextualisation hasn't really been possible. It's totally focused on the incident and aftermath. Maybe there's just a little scope for this in Ep 5?

Tangential thought - I remember after Fukushima the German government rolled back its nuclear power plans massively. This seemed the most anti-science reaction possible... Fukushima happened because of a TSUNAMI. Is this an issue in Germany?!!!


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## Dewdman42

It doesn't matter that it was a TSUNAMI. Unforseen things can happen. Do you really want to scar the face of the earth with thousands of years of nuclear fallout because some accident happens that nobody thought would happen? The consequences are far too great.


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## NoamL

You could use the same argument to ban airplanes. All it takes is one pilot with undiagnosed mental illness -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EgyptAir_Flight_990

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SilkAir_Flight_185

and you have a certainty that 180 or 220 people will die. Wouldn't it be safer if everyone drove cars? The answer in deaths-per-mile turns out to be no. Disasters come packaged with an exaggerating glamour. Nobody's going to make an episode of _Mayday_ about 220 car crashes.


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## Dewdman42

no. An airplane crash will not scar the face of the earth for thousands of years. I'm not even talking about the tragedy of hundreds or thousands of people dying a grissly death as was the case in Chernobyl, but there is no mans land now where humans can't live to this day...and they had to seal up the site in a large concrete coffin to hold in the poison for who knows how long. We are messing with a force of the universe that we probably only understand a fraction of, and certainly the consequences of radioactive material getting out due to unforeseen circumstances is always there...with very long term destruction.

I will be in favor of nuclear power only when they can do it from outer space.


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## Guy Rowland

I knew I should have steered clear of tangents, so final small font comment from me on this new derailment. Fukushima's disaster only happened because of a tsunami. As far as anyone knows, it is a safe system outside that specific extreme circumstance. No German reactors are at threat from a tsunami, nor earthquake.

I think I better exit this thread before I kick anything else off. In on-topic summary:

1. Chernobyl TV series is outstanding.
2. Its score is outstanding.
3. See (1) and (2).


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## NoamL

The argument that's most convincing to me is the bicycle. The bicycle was invented in the West yet there will be 20 million bikes sold in the US next year and 60 million in China. Whatever future the West creates, the rest of the world will adopt. That puts an incumbent responsibility on us. I'm not denying the rest of the world agency or saying they are doomed to follow our technological development exactly. There's lots of places in the world where people have smartphones that have never owned a landline for instance. And China is doing its own nuclear research now. But, as the rest of the world rises to the same standard of living, if the only way to get there is coal then they'll do it and no amount of Kyotos and Copenhagens will stop them. Whereas if the US and/or China innovates to 5th gen nuclear (not to say that 4th gen isn't good enough already) then the rest of the world will have clean, safe energy to adopt and it will also be massive boon to whichever economy develops and patents the tech.

edit: that's the last derailment from me too


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## Whatisvalis

There's an off topics forum for this talk - please don't derail the thread.


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## NoamL

@Guy Rowland I think the series creator mentioned that the final episode will actually show the doomed "safety test" and how it led to the accident. It airs tonight.


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## givemenoughrope

Guy Rowland said:


> Rope - absolutely my last comment as personal back and forths are very dull, but I'd have cut you a lot more slack on nuance and multiple things being true had you not dismissed the entire thing initially with the Tap gag. Putting this very bluntly, given her achievement in what is currently the best rated TV show of all time, it felt like a really shitty thing to do.



Yea, no. Not liking things or aspects of things is a thing (thing) that people do. It's not shitty. And ok, what achievement exactly? (Not that scoring a tv series isn't hard work and a major achievement. It absolutely is.) The series and all of the writing, production, sound design etc work for me despite the lack of music. But I think that most Scandi/drone scores are limp blob of sound and the height of scoring pretentiousness in many cases. To me this is just one more important story and well-crafted drama that is done a disservice. It's crazy how no one is allowed anything but the 'correct' opinion these days without being questioned ethically.


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> most Scandi/drone scores are limp blob of sound and the height of scoring pretentiousness in many cases..



OK we all get your take on how things should be.
So can you please finish sharing your judgements and gross generalisations now thanks.
Its ok you dont like things, perhaps just move on & focus on what you do like.


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## givemenoughrope

timprebble said:


> OK we all get your take on how things should be.
> So can you please finish sharing your judgements and gross generalisations now thanks.
> Its ok you dont like things, perhaps just move on & focus on what you do like.



I like you, Tim. And Chernobyl...the tv series, not the famous disaster in the 80's. And strawberries. And scores that move the narrative and give even something small to take away. Thanks for your time.


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## handz

There is any music? All I can remember is sound design (used all the time even in the situations where it is quite out of place IMO )


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## handz

Guy Rowland said:


> I think your user name comes into play here...
> 
> Chernobyl is now the best rated TV series of all time. That’s one thing, what is more surprising is that this is despite being extremely challenging material that is often very difficult to watch. This wasn’t an easy sell, nor a crowd-pleasing proposition. Collectively, the production achieved something really remarkable.



This is just proof of how weird time this is. It is a good series, but so good, before ppl even saw it whole? Sheep mentality is strong here. After the first episode it already had insane ratings, sorry, but even with its qualities, it is not as good to be judged like this right away.


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## timprebble

A film that I think is an interesting reference for minimalist score is No Country For Old Men.
I read some people think that it has no score, but it actually has about 20 minutes of score - it is just mixed very quietly. (I wanted to know so I exported the soundtrack from the DVD and crawled through it. At times where I thought there was maybe a quiet drone there was actually an orchestral cue, but playing very quietly.) I personally thought that film worked incredibly well with a minimalist score approach, but it was interesting to discover that there may well have been a full score available in the mix because it means the end result is not arrived at by some whim or high concept.

That may have been the case with Chernobyl, we will never know.
But what we do know is that it is the director who makes the call on how much score is commissioned for a show, and then it is collaboration in the final mix that determines how much of that score we the audience end up hearing.


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## givemenoughrope

Totally agree. NCFOM is one of my all-time favorites and the fact that one of my favorite composers (CB) had almost no music in it doesn't make it any less so. The fact that it is a successful mainstream film is nothing short of miraculous imo. I think there is a difference between minimal music (minimalist?) and minimal use of music though.


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## timprebble

handz said:


> This is just proof of how weird time this is. It is a good series, but so good, before ppl even saw it whole? Sheep mentality is strong here. After the first episode it already had insane ratings, sorry, but even with its qualities, it is not as good to be judged like this right away.



Really? You can't work out whether you like a series until you have watched every episode? That seems quite odd. I knew I loved Breaking Bad from the first episode. I didn't need to watch the entire series to make that decision. The ideas behind it, the writing, the casting, the characters, the story are all apparent from the first episode.

Chernobyl for me intrigued from the first episode... 

ps ratings happen after people watch it, not before. So not sure how something rating well is the reason people can watch it 'as sheep' before its received any ratings????


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> I think there is a difference between minimal music (minimalist?) and minimal use of music though.



I think they are part of the same conversation though. 
And I think it is an interesting conversation...

The two composers who opened my mind to minimalism are Arvo Part, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Sakamotos score for the film Tony Takitani is incredible, emotionally deep & complex... AND very minimalist. (The Revenant is good but less minimalist to my ears) While Arvo Part hasn't written for picture, his music has been used in a number of films and what he can say with a few notes is more powerful than the maximilism of some epic scores...

I guess my point is, like all music there are good examples & bad examples of every style, genre and approach.


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## givemenoughrope

I agree. He's not referred to as a minimalist but couldn't John Carpenter be considered one? And when's effective I can't imagine anything else..


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> I agree. He's not referred to as a minimalist but couldn't John Carpenter be considered one? And when's effective I can't imagine anything else..




Funny story, many years ago when American Beauty was released I visited a friends house who is a very experienced film composer & who has a classical background, and when I started raving about Thomas Newmans score for American Beauty she stopped me, dug through her CD collection, and put an Arvo Part CD on... ah! Whether Newman deliberately referenced Part or not, it was very apparent as a precedent.... And OMG how many times have those AB cues been used as temp music in films!!


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## timprebble

Score available here:
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4836364


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## marclawsonmusic

timprebble said:


> Score available here:
> https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4836364



I am curious to hear what the actual 'score' sounds like. Because I also didn't hear a lot of music... but I still felt that the musical underpinnings of the show were very effective. Someone else on this thread mentioned the idea of feeling unsettled the entire time... and I think the soundtrack did that - even if it was synth pulses or drones or other FX devices. 

Whatever it was, it worked for me. I was completely drawn in to the _story_, like when I saw Interstellar in the theatre for the first time... With Chernobyl, I just got sucked into the story, which is the whole point of this scoring shit in the first place! Great work.


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## Dr.Quest

handz said:


> This is just proof of how weird time this is. It is a good series, but so good, before ppl even saw it whole? Sheep mentality is strong here. After the first episode it already had insane ratings, sorry, but even with its qualities, it is not as good to be judged like this right away.


This makes no sense. You can of course judge it as you watch. You can see the quality right away! If it's rating high before it's over it means lots of people are watching. It's that simple. If they lose numbers before it ends then they haven't maintained it but I can't see people dropping out before watching it to the end.


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## whiskers

timprebble said:


> A film that I think is an interesting reference for minimalist score is No Country For Old Men.
> I read some people think that it has no score, but it actually has about 20 minutes of score - it is just mixed very quietly. (I wanted to know so I exported the soundtrack from the DVD and crawled through it. At times where I thought there was maybe a quiet drone there was actually an orchestral cue, but playing very quietly.) I personally thought that film worked incredibly well with a minimalist score approach, but it was interesting to discover that there may well have been a full score available in the mix because it means the end result is not arrived at by some whim or high concept.
> 
> That may have been the case with Chernobyl, we will never know.
> But what we do know is that it is the director who makes the call on how much score is commissioned for a show, and then it is collaboration in the final mix that determines how much of that score we the audience end up hearing.


huh. I just saw that the other day and thought "I don't think there's any score here." Then I saw the credits to Carter Burwell.


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## Denkii

givemenoughrope said:


> Right. Ok. For the last time:



I had the same problem with your user name a while ago and since it's reoccurring it's telling that your behavior can play a role of why people read it like that. That and your name is an e short which makes it even more ambivalent


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## givemenoughrope

Thanks, dad

I enjoyed the last episode immensely. Nothing like a courtroom drama. Nice choir piece at the end.


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## reutunes

If anyone wants evidence of how far Chernobyl-mania has spread, here’s a recently released radioactive piano library sampled in the exclusion zone!

https://vi-control.net/community/th...anos-from-the-chernobyl-exclusion-zone.82711/


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## handz

Dr.Quest said:


> This makes no sense. You can of course judge it as you watch. You can see the quality right away! If it's rating high before it's over it means lots of people are watching. It's that simple. If they lose numbers before it ends then they haven't maintained it but I can't see people dropping out before watching it to the end.


Sorry but no, you cant. Remember lost? How awesome it was and then ended like absolute trash? This wasn't the case as the "Script" was already known, but for me, it was just a good dramatization of a historical event ( with overly dramatic sound design plying all the time) not much added value.


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## handz

timprebble said:


> Really? You can't work out whether you like a series until you have watched every episode? That seems quite odd. I knew I loved Breaking Bad from the first episode. I didn't need to watch the entire series to make that decision. The ideas behind it, the writing, the casting, the characters, the story are all apparent from the first episode.
> 
> Chernobyl for me intrigued from the first episode...
> 
> ps ratings happen after people watch it, not before. So not sure how something rating well is the reason people can watch it 'as sheep' before its received any ratings????



"I knew I loved Breaking Bad from the first episode. I didn't need to watch the entire series to make that decision."

This makes no sense, absolutely. There were so many series I never finished watching even I liked the first episodes, they just became boring and lame (and same count for many movies, which had great intro part and then it was weak) . Judging from the first episode is really not even close to being objective.


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## Whatisvalis

handz said:


> "I knew I loved Breaking Bad from the first episode. I didn't need to watch the entire series to make that decision."
> 
> This makes no sense, absolutely. There were so many series I never finished watching even I liked the first episodes, they just became boring and lame (and same count for many movies, which had great intro part and then it was weak) . Judging from the first episode is really not even close to being objective.



I think you are missing the fact you can love something stylistically, even if the execution fails later on. Some stuff just resonates.


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## timprebble

handz said:


> "I knew I loved Breaking Bad from the first episode. I didn't need to watch the entire series to make that decision."
> 
> There were so many series I never finished watching even I liked the first episodes, they just became boring and lame (and same count for many movies, which had great intro part and then it was weak) . Judging from the first episode is really not even close to being objective.




Maybe your judgement is off?
Perhaps you need to invest more time in developing and trusting your instincts?

But it also makes me wonder how it is you could ever decide to work on projects, _that haven't even been made yet?_
Its our job to assess the worth of a project based on incomplete information - often just from a script and some meetings...
To experience a single completed episode of a new series tells you a LOT more than that.


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## j_kranz

Awesome series and awesome score... interesting that a lot of folks thought there was no score, I thought it was almost wall to wall (maybe I was listening close as its the kind of stuff I dig). Great stuff, hope to hear more from her!


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## Dr.Quest

handz said:


> Sorry but no, you cant. Remember lost? How awesome it was and then ended like absolute trash? This wasn't the case as the "Script" was already known, but for me, it was just a good dramatization of a historical event ( with overly dramatic sound design plying all the time) not much added value.


You just argued against yourself here. You can indeed judge as it goes and as you watch it. Again, if it falls down that does not discount the wonder of season one. Lost had very high production values with a great cast and wonderful music. Chernobyl has as high or more except we kind of know the ending here. I get it that you don't like Chernobyl but it is good televison. I would love to have my name attached to a project of this caliber.


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## VinRice

Holy crap. What a piece of TV. Binge-watched last night. I knew the story of course but not quite the extent of the sacrifices they had to make. Meticulously researched. A prime example of what happens when objective truth is sacrificed on the alter of political 'faith'. The score was perfect for the subject matter and modulated precisely with on-screen action. Much harder to pull off than it seems I imagine. There were definitely notes, just very long ones.


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## Dr.Quest

Another interesting sound interview.
https://www.asoundeffect.com/chernobyl-hbo-sound/


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## patrick76

timprebble said:


> Funny story, many years ago when American Beauty was released I visited a friends house who is a very experienced film composer & who has a classical background, and when I started raving about Thomas Newmans score for American Beauty she stopped me, dug through her CD collection, and put an Arvo Part CD on... ah! Whether Newman deliberately referenced Part or not, it was very apparent as a precedent.... And OMG how many times have those AB cues been used as temp music in films!!


You've piqued my curiosity. Which Part piece are you referencing? I'm familiar with Part and Newman's American Beauty, but I don't recall the similarities. Thanks!


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## Dr.Quest

patrick76 said:


> You've piqued my curiosity. Which Part piece are you referencing? I'm familiar with Part and Newman's American Beauty, but I don't recall the similarities. Thanks!


Same here. I know much of Part's music and American Beauty. Which Part pieces in particular?


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## CT

timprebble said:


> While Arvo Part hasn't written for picture,



Actually, he has! I doubt any of us will ever hear it though. 

Since this thread already has hints of the Drama Zone, I just want to say that Game of Thrones' writers flushed themselves down the toilet by the end, and I haven't seen Chernobyl, but I'm bitter enough to enjoy that it's surpassed the former's ratings.


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## givemenoughrope

AP should write for picture so directors will stop needle-dropping or doing soundalikes of the same three or four pieces (Rescue Dawn, Place Beyond the Pines, Prisoners, etc.)

I listened to some of the score for Dunkirk in the car this morning and even the first minute ghosts the Elgar theme. When every scene is scored separately with nothing tying them together the musical part of the storytelling just feels kind of lost and rudderless. It's one element that keeps this from being a classic for me.


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## timprebble

patrick76 said:


> You've piqued my curiosity. Which Part piece are you referencing? I'm familiar with Part and Newman's American Beauty, but I don't recall the similarities. Thanks!




sorry - that conversation was 15+ years ago and back then I didnt know Arvo Parts music at all
When I get some free time I will have a hunt for it...

Ah a quick search found this, presume thats what she was referring to:

https://fauxmat.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/arvo-parts-fratres/


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## MarcusD

The series was absolutely brilliantly made and the score was spot on! Absolute fantastic job.

The show really tugged on a my heartstrings and stirred up some horrible memories. Especially the scene with fire-fighters... I've had radiotherapy treatment, it's really not nice. After 4 weeks the split skin and searing burns set in. When those guys looked into the core, they literally cooked from the inside out, instantly, but there would be a delay before a surge of pain hit. You don't feel it happening until your skin burns and splits. The pain must have been unimaginable pain. You continue to cook for days and weeks, the firefighters in the hospitle really got it bad.

What I liked about the show is the small details. Like when one of the firefighters could "taste" metal in the air, there's actually very small % of people who can "smell" the effects radation has on particles around. It's truely a disgusting smell, unfortunatly one of the ones who can "smell" it. If you've ever took a wiff of trioxygen, it's very similar.


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## patrick76

timprebble said:


> sorry - that conversation was 15+ years ago and back then I didnt know Arvo Parts music at all
> When I get some free time I will have a hunt for it...
> 
> Ah a quick search found this, presume thats what she was referring to:
> 
> https://fauxmat.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/arvo-parts-fratres/


Ah, thanks. I see, so specifically the bell like piano thing. I guess I wouldn't consider it to be a huge influence after listening to both the Part and Newman, but I can see how I might be wrong. Both are great composers anyway.


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## timprebble

patrick76 said:


> Both are great composers anyway.



They are indeed... To my ears the piano voicing and phrasing of the Newman cue is almost a sound-alike of the Part piece... But when I say "almost" can never actually know if it was a reference, an influence or just a coincidence.


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## kitekrazy

MarcusD said:


> The series was absolutely brilliantly made and the score was spot on! Absolute fantastic job.
> 
> The show really tugged on a my heartstrings and stirred up some horrible memories. Especially the scene with fire-fighters... I've had radiotherapy treatment, it's really not nice. After 4 weeks the split skin and searing burns set in. When those guys looked into the core, they literally cooked from the inside out, instantly, but there would be a delay before a surge of pain hit. You don't feel it happening until your skin burns and splits. The pain must have been unimaginable pain. You continue to cook for days and weeks, the firefighters in the hospitle really got it bad.
> 
> What I liked about the show is the small details. Like when one of the firefighters could "taste" metal in the air, there's actually very small % of people who can "smell" the effects radation has on particles around. It's truely a disgusting smell, unfortunatly one of the ones who can "smell" it. If you've ever took a wiff of trioxygen, it's very similar.



I'd love to see a documentary on how they filmed this. Some info here.
https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27699064/where-was-hbo-chernobyl-filmed/


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## Gerbil

Superb tv and perfect score to match. That bleak threnody at the end of the fourth episode is beautifully performed.


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## MarcusD

kitekrazy said:


> I'd love to see a documentary on how they filmed this. Some info here.
> https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27699064/where-was-hbo-chernobyl-filmed/



I would suspect they used a mix of drone footage and drone photography to capture scenes that are keyed. That way the actors would be safer and they would do the usual, stick a few green-screens up (in a similar looking location) then do the composites in post.

There are a few David Attenborough documentaries on Netflix called "Our Planet" one of the episodes had a segment about wildlife returning to Chernobyl. Lots of cool drone footage in that. No 8 headed deer though...


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## NoamL

Much of it was filmed at a different power plant in Lithuania.

Production design was amazing though:


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## Guy Rowland

I'm going through the podcast now - highly recommended. About 50 mins per ep, there's no flab - quite a lot of detail on their production methods, and the writing process. Most importantly, given the show's theme of the importance of truth, writer Craig Mazin is very keen to point out where any dramatic liberties have been taken (very few times), and lots of additional background information on what really happened.


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## Blake Ewing

Just finished it and this show is a stunning piece of art. The setting, writing, acting, cinematography and the score are just so brilliantly symbiotic. Even the custom font design makes it a total package in a rare way. I just can’t imagine it sounding any other way after watching, which I think is a real testament to how well the score fits the visual material et al.


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## n9n9n9

Givemeenoughrope: I watched the series and was obsessed with the score throughout. I found it to be audible and listenable (and really interesting.) Perhaps there was something up with your viewing conditions if you couldn't hear it.

That said! The soundtrack has been released to streaming services and it is an even better listen there. Chris Watson is a personal hero so it is amazing that he was involved. I've had it on while working quite a bit. I think that this is less an issue that "they recorded the building" than a belief in process art. Take environmental sounds and make them into the soundtrack for a series set in that environment... obsess about the look of every scene to make it authentic. Focus on the humanity of the performances such that you drop the fake accents because they get in the way. This was a work of singular focus on the portrayal of the reality of the event and the aftermath. A focus on process makes sense. You could say that a conventional score would be less appropriate because it instructs the viewer on what to feel -- the people on the ground in the series had no cue and their feelings were irrational and disrupted. Instead the score emphasizes the site, the inhumanity, the machines. It works for me -- especially since I found the soundtrack to be successful.

Also, there is a fair amount of conventional composition present: Vichnaya Pamat is a slavic choral piece, and is amazing.

Not sure what the emphasis is on a negative review. NBD who likes things, right? I do think it is weird to observe that it was barely there, though -- could it be that you're listening to the center or front stereo channels of a decoded 5.1? Point being that if you didn't hear it... that sounds like something was off.

Soundtrack reminds me of Zoviet France, which I love since I always thought that their kind of feel would make great music for picture. My 2 cents.


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## n9n9n9

Also -- Johan J's most successful score (and a solid case for how Process art works well for scores) might have been for Mother. He wrote for months and then advised the director to go without a score, which is what happened. The movie is striking for the absence, I think.


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## Soundhound

I've only seen the first three episodes, will finish over the next days. So far it's an incredible piece of film making, Jared Harris is absolutely brilliant, and the score is a large part of why it all works so well. It's unnerving, I think it would have been very different without it. 

There were a few times when the score and diegetic sound seemed to get a bit confused with each other (the scene that comes to mind is when the three guys have to go into the plant to open the valves to empty the water tanks under the plant) but for me it only served to heighten the mood. It's actually amazing that the overlap happened as little as it did. 

Bravo all around. 

For the record, I'm anti-nuke. It's far too dangerous. Every gvmt on the planet should be working night and day to switch to renewable energy. Should have been for decades now.


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## givemenoughrope

n9n9n9 said:


> Also -- Johan J's most successful score (and a solid case for how Process art works well for scores) might have been for Mother. He wrote for months and then advised the director to go without a score, which is what happened. The movie is striking for the absence, I think.



That whole Mother thing just seemed like the score didnt work and he flipped it into PR. The first headline about that that I saw looked like something out of The Onion.

And again, just not enough music for me. No motifs except whatever that scrapping sound was. I listened to it on Spotify a dozen times. I gave it a fair shake. Cool to hear what I believe to be Slate and Ash Auras in there though. Great library...the future really.

I’m watching Too Old To Die Young now and everything about it is incredible. No one except CM could do a score for a show (read:9 hour movie) like this. Or at least very few.


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> That whole Mother thing just seemed like the score didnt work and he flipped it into PR




Are you always so cynical?


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## givemenoughrope

I’m probably the last person to know the answer to that.


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## n9n9n9

Well, yeah -- CM is my all time favorite and TYTDO (like The Knick) is just beyond even his high standards. No argument there.


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## timprebble

givemenoughrope said:


> I’m probably the last person to know the answer to that.



Self awareness is a thing

Jóhann Jóhannsson work is brilliant and I would consider him someone of utmost integrity, illustrated by his life long work... How about having some respect for the recently departed?


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## givemenoughrope

thanks, dad

Complete self-awareness is a thing that no one has ever attained. So yea, it's a thing. 

Not sure what someone's unfortunate passing and the obvious equating of pr to bs have to do with one another. How about some respect for other points of view?


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## j_kranz

Hildur is scoring The Joker, can't wait to hear that one!


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## Consona

So have you heard the Joker soundtrack? This simplistic sound-designy scoring starts to irk me. Watching it I was wondering how would have someone like Herrmann scored it.


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## timprebble

Consona said:


> So have you heard the Joker soundtrack? This simplistic sound-designy scoring starts to irk me. Watching it I was wondering how would have someone like Herrmann scored it.



Not a film I would watch... it seems like an odd match, but given the budget for such films they could have *anyone* they like score the film (living at least), so it must come down to the directors intent... I sincerely doubt whoever directed the film loses any sleep over irking you.


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## Consona

For sure.


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## Uncle Peter

j_kranz said:


> Hildur is scoring The Joker, can't wait to hear that one!


I thought the score was fantastic. I saw Joker last night - aside from being a great film, the score was very refreshing and full of tension. There was one scene where I almost had to leave the theatre as the music was inducing such anxiety. Really, very well done to Hildur Gudnadottir


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## Daily Patcher

timprebble said:


> Not a film I would watch... it seems like an odd match, but given the budget for such films they could have *anyone* they like score the film (living at least), so it must come down to the directors intent... I sincerely doubt whoever directed the film loses any sleep over irking you.



Joker was given an extremely low budget in an attempt to prevent it from getting made. That's part of the reason it became the most profitable comic book movie ever. The team making that film likely had to pinch pennies at every turn (thankfully it doesn't show).



Consona said:


> So have you heard the Joker soundtrack? This simplistic sound-designy scoring starts to irk me. Watching it I was wondering how would have someone like Herrmann scored it.



IMO it worked extremely well and I had a hunch who had scored the film and was pleasantly surprised to confirm my suspicion after watching . Big props to Hildur on this one.


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## Olfirf

I neither have seen Joker nor Chernobyl, but I have just listened to a couple of tracks of both soundtracks. While I agree that a scores full achievements can only be measured along the film, you may at The same time listen to the soundtrack and see, if the music speaks to you in any musical way ... and there is nothing very musical that I could find in any of the tracks I listened to in both of these scores. It is full of interesting sound ideas, but music is not texture alone, but also melody, harmony, rhythm and counter point. In all of these aspects this music is quite empty, I find. Constant drones and sparse melodies that somehow seem to be written to not be melodic in any way.
No, I totally get where givemenougnrope is coming from. The series/the film may be very good and the music may even work well for the film (in trying very hard NOT to be music, but rather sound design). But I cannot imagine anyone to listen to this on its own without being forced to ...
I liked Johannsons Arrival, but this is nowhere as intriguing and interesting to me.


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## marclawsonmusic

Olfirf said:


> I neither have seen Joker nor Chernobyl, but I have just listened to a couple of tracks of both soundtracks. While I agree that a scores full achievements can only be measured along the film, you may at The same time listen to the soundtrack and see, if the music speaks to you in any musical way ... and there is nothing very musical that I could find in any of the tracks I listened to in both of these scores. It is full of interesting sound ideas, but music is not texture alone, but also melody, harmony, rhythm and counter point. In all of these aspects this music is quite empty, I find. Constant drones and sparse melodies that somehow seem to be written to not be melodic in any way.
> No, I totally get where givemenougnrope is coming from. The series/the film may be very good and the music may even work well for the film (in trying very hard NOT to be music, but rather sound design). But I cannot imagine anyone to listen to this on its own without being forced to ...
> I liked Johannsons Arrival, but this is nowhere as intriguing and interesting to me.



It take a special kind of jerk to not watch the film yet criticize the music. Bravo


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## Olfirf

It takes a special kind of jerk to call someone else a jerk instead of debating or even reading exactly his writing.
What I am saying is - there are two sides to film music. One being to supplement the film and the other as independent musical pieces. I said clearly, that these tracks may very well be working good in supporting those films and if by your definition that is everything there is, then you are missing a big point of music! In my mind, a truely great film music must always be a good music on its own. That is why there is nothing wrong about listening to it without having watched the picture (yet).


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## asherpope

Olfirf said:


> It takes a special kind of jerk to call someone else a jerk instead of debating or even reading exactly his writing.
> What I am saying is - there are two sides to film music. One being to supplement the film and the other as independent musical pieces. I said clearly, that these tracks may very well be working good in supporting those films and if by your definition that is everything there is, then you are missing a big point of music! In my mind, a truely great film music must always be a good music on its own. That is why there is nothing wrong about listening to it without having watched the picture (yet).


But what is 'good music' anyway? I don't think music has to be 'good' or even remotely enjoyable to be brilliant film music. I don't think many people particularly enjoy listening to Lygeti's Atmospheres but Kubrick used it perfectly in 2001


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## Olfirf

asherpope said:


> But what is 'good music' anyway? I don't think music has to be 'good' or even remotely enjoyable to be brilliant film music. I don't think many people particularly enjoy listening to Lygeti's Atmospheres but Kubrick used it perfectly in 2001


You are totally right that the question of what is good music is not a totally objective one. For example, I actually enjoy listening to Atmospheres. I just heard a live performance of Ramifications a couple of months ago visiting a concert. You might be totally bored by that and I do not judge you for it.
At the same time, there are also some objective criteria on what music is sophisticated and which is bland. You can analyse music and with enough experience on how masterworks are constructed, you get some kind of objective criteria talking about music. In the end, though, this kind of criticism on its own is not sufficient. But it is an important part to me.
What I said, I do not mean in terms of memorable melodic writing like for pop tunes or a tv shows theme tune. I am not saying I want to hear a catchy melody for Chernobyle. It could very well be unthematic in nature, similar to Arrival (a score, I find very good). It is just that I couldn’t hear any of that skilful, imaginative writing in there. All I can hear is skilful sound design with very boring writing.
All of this is - in the end subjective - which is why it totally bewilders me why you see people calling each other „stupid„ or “jerks“ in this forum just for expressing their view. This to me seems like a very bad intellectual climate - one that unfortunately represents the society we currently live in.


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## KallumS

I'm sorry but your opinion doesn't carry weight until you see the music in context with the images. With the way that the score has been constructed, the music and images are inseparable. This score is not something you can listen to on your phone while walking about, it is a container for the vibe and atmosphere of each scene.


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## Mucusman

I watched Chernobyl last week over two days. I remember consciously thinking at several points that there wasn't much of a traditional score, per se, to the film, BUT I realized that what was there perfectly suited the material. The drama is so gripping; the score never takes you out of the moment, nor falsely tries to whip up the action. I also humbly realized that I would _never _think to score a series like that. Now, learning that so much of the sound/score elements were recorded in a sister power plant to Chernobyl, my respect for the sound design/score team only increases.


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## HeliaVox

KallumS said:


> I'm sorry but your opinion doesn't carry weight until you see the music in context with the images. With the way that the score has been constructed, the music and images are inseparable. This score is not something you can listen to on your phone while walking about, it is a container for the vibe and atmosphere of each scene.



I agree. I bought the soundtrack and listening to it without the film to accompany it didn't have quite the same impact. However, I did appreciate being able to listen to the music w/o anything else so I could really appreciate the production values. And listening to the music after I watched the show still brought back those feelings I had when watching the series. I feel that this is a great example of both mediums (film + score) creating something greater than the sum of its parts. Kinda like (I'm gonna get blasted now) the last season of Bear's score for Battlestar Galactica.


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