In order for the stain of corruption to stand out, musically and otherwise, it has to operate against a relatively clean background. And in “Yellowstone,” Tyler uses chromaticism to decorate the melody. At the end of the opening credits of “House of Cards,” you can hear it in the twang of the electric guitar.
The composers also make an effort to signal corruption through momentarily dissonant chords or notes. Both theme songs make heavy use of the lower strings of violas, cellos and double basses, which further darken the sonic palette. Their theme songs are symphonic, which befits the grandeur of the topic and obscene privilege of the characters tunes are carried in the deeper, lower range, rather than the more customary bright, high register. Yet they, unlike “Succession,” have, in my view, underwhelming scores. presidency, and “ Yellowstone,” which tells the story of a Montana landowning family’s mission to ward off developers, Indigenous leaders and environmental activists, also attempt to convey a grim mood and crookedness in their music.īoth shows have rightly garnered attention and praise. In his very 21st-century way, Britell festoons earnest Romantic music with details that gleefully desecrate it, bringing viewers right into the psychological dynamics of the show’s protagonists: a hunger for power, accompanied by levels of self-loathing that vacillate between comedy and tragedy.įor comparison, “ House of Cards,” which follows a crooked politician’s quest for the U.S. This adds bounce, and a smirk, to the romantic broodiness of the chords and melody. Lastly, Britell is a hip-hop beat maker and layers the theme song with a cheesy 1990s synthesizer beat. The effect is alarming – and oddly befitting of the topic of a corrupt media conglomerate. The rhythm is littered by small dissonant accents in the upper register of the piano that sound like a fun-house version of the “low battery” sound on a cellphone. Throughout the show, there are a lot of reality-show-style pans to the faces of characters saying things like “I am excited.” This is their music. Meanwhile, the melody, which is in a high register, awkwardly tries, but ultimately fails, to squirm its way to a brighter key. However, I’d say the theme song’s soundworld is closer to the opening dance of Sergei Prokofiev’s 1935 ballet “ Romeo and Juliet” or Sergei Rachmaninov’s famous 1892 piano prelude in C Sharp minor: big romantic pieces that swing between bass notes and thick block chords like the batter of a church bell.īut Britell then adds details that work in outlandish tension with the romantic musical language he’s adopted.įor example, the piano that plays the theme song is audibly out of tune. And the theme of “Succession” does draw from a couple of unmemorable bars from Beethoven’s “ Pathétique Sonata,” slowed down and with a few changed notes.
It is the composer’s skill in layering the strangeness into the music that makes the difference.īritell has described being inspired by European late-18th century music. But these days, anything sounding weird – an off-beat rhythm, an unexpected sound – can do the trick. Traditionally, this is done by adding chromaticism – the black keys of the piano keyboard – into the chords and melody, which produces a sense of darkening and dissonance. Most contemporary political dramas are about corruption, and music is great at progressively turning something seemingly wholesome into something sour. To me, the show’s clever sound design, combined with composer Nicholas Britell’s gleefully dark score, reflects a level of emotional sophistication that is unrivaled on television. I loved it because it rendered despicable people in power as human – funny, pathetic, capable of deep feeling – without once trying to redeem them.īut as a music historian, I will miss the series’ use of music and sound the most.Īs many critics have noticed, one of the series’ best elements is its soundtrack, which is as complex and propulsive as the drama it accompanies. The show tells the story of ailing media tycoon Logan Roy and his four horrid children who aim to inherit his empire. (THE CONVERSATION) HBO’s “ Succession” delivered its grand finale on – the climax of four award-packed seasons of searing put-downs, nihilistic humor and desperate power plays.
0 kommentar(er)
