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Chernobyl: Music from the Original TV Series

Chernobyl: Music from the Original TV Series is the soundtrack album to the historical drama miniseries Chernobyl, based on the aftermath of Chernobyl disaster that occurred during 1986. The musical score was composed by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, which was created using sound recordings from an actual nuclear power plant.[1][2] The score album features thirteen tracks, and was released under Deutsche Grammophon and WaterTower Music labels on May 31, 2019. A vinyl edition of the soundtrack was released by Decca Records on September 6, 2019.[3][4]

Chernobyl: Music from the Original TV Series
Soundtrack album by
Hildur Guðnadóttir
ReleasedMay 31, 2019 (2019-05-31)
RecordedAugust 2018 – March 2019
GenreDark ambient
Length38:37
Label
Producer
Hildur Guðnadóttir chronology
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
(2018) 		Chernobyl
(2019) 		Joker
(2019)

The score opened to positive reception, with listeners appreciating the soundscape, composition and live recording methods. The authentic approach to capture the sounds from a nuclear plant were highlighted and praised by critics.[1] It was named one of Guðnadóttir's best original score compositions, followed by Joker's soundtrack, which was released later that year. Guðnadóttir has received several awards and nominations for her work, including the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Development

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In August 2018, during filming of the series, Guðnadóttir and score producer Chris Watson, went to the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania (where the series was primarily shot) to record dark ambient sounds for the score.[5][6] Whilst recording in the nuclear facility, the music team wore hazmat suits as a safety measure. According to Guðnadóttir, she wanted the power plant—and the radiation—to be a voice in itself, and had "wanted to understand the feeling of what must have gone through people’s heads as they were trying to navigate through that disaster", resulting in a sound of "creeping death".[5]

Every single sound from the score was made from the recordings they captured on site. Instead of artificially creating the sounds using instruments and pre-recorded material, Guðnadóttir wanted to "observe the setting", hoping to experience from a listener's perspective what it's like to actually be inside of a power plant. She explained the same in her podcast interview, saying: "How does that sound? Like, [what] does a catastrophe really feel like and how does it sound [...] We associate certain sounds of a nuclear disaster and those emitters, but there are so many other sounds that are there that were just so interesting to observe."[1] She recorded the sounds of reactor halls, hallways, turbine saws, the hums of machinery, walls and the engine room door,[6] and started composition with the sounds she had collected. She also used reverb and her own recordings, to make it actually sound like "singing in the rooms of the nuclear power plant and not in her music studio".[citation needed] Deciding against writing theme music for the series, Guðnadóttir created an individual soundscape for each episode. The composition process took more than seven months.[6][7]

Reception

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Billboard's Ellen Emmerentze Jervell said of the soundtrack: "A simultaneously disturbing and melancholic soundtrack focused on sound-building rather than classic orchestration".[6] Praising it as a "smart and effective" soundtrack and "one of the best albums of 2019", Richie Corelli of Horror DNA wrote: "Hildur Guðnadóttir’s soundtrack is something that is sure to appeal to fans of horror music. The eeriness of the soundtrack, the anxiety-inducing push/pull between relaxing and restless, the bombastic builds, and the metallic timbres make this a tense, unnerving record."[8] Filmmakers Academy analysed the score for the series, writing: "This soundtrack is nothing short of a triumph of innovation, intellect, and ingenuity and its impact will likely last longer than any half-life".[9] In contrast, Jonathan Broxton was more critical of the series' music, calling it an "auditory nightmare".[10]

Track listing

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All tracks and written and composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, except where noted.

Chernobyl: Music from the Original TV Series[11]
No.TitleLength
1."The Door"2:43
2."Bridge of Death"4:44
3."Turbine Hall"2:36
4."Vichnaya Pamyat" (performed by Homin Lviv Municipal Choir)4:07
5."Pump Room"3:43
6."Clean Up"1:41
7."Dealing with Destruction"1:54
8."Waiting for the Engineer"1:31
9."Gallery"2:23
10."12 Hours Before"2:31
11."Corridors"3:13
12."Liður (Chernobyl Version)"2:48
13."Evacuation"4:43

Accolades

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Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
British Academy Television Craft Awards Best Original Music Hildur Guðnadóttir Won [12]
Grammy Awards Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Hildur Guðnadóttir Won [13]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score – TV Show/Limited Series Hildur Guðnadóttir Nominated [14]
International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for Television Hildur Guðnadóttir Won [15]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Hildur Guðnadóttir (for "Please Remain Calm") Won [16]

[17]

Royal Television Society Craft and Design Awards Music – Original Score Hildur Guðnadóttir Won [18]
Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards Outstanding Original Score for a Television or Streaming Production Hildur Guðnadóttir Won [19]
Televisual Bulldog Awards Best Music Chernobyl Won [20]
World Soundtrack Awards Television Composer of the Year Hildur Guðnadóttir Won [21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Shackleford, Tom (June 6, 2019). "Score For HBO's 'Chernobyl' Was Recorded Using Sounds From Inside A Nuclear Power Plant [Listen]". Live For Live Music. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "'Chernobyl' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "Chernobyl OST". Decca Records. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  4. ^ "Hildur Guðnadóttir crafts apocalyptic sonics in Chernobyl original score". The Vinyl Factory. January 7, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Joker and Chernobyl composer Hildur Guðnadóttir: 'I'm treasure hunting'". the Guardian. December 13, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Jervell, Ellen Emmerentze (August 15, 2019). "Icelandic Artist Drew Sounds From Power Plant to Compose 'Chernobyl' Soundtrack". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  7. ^ Moran, Robert (June 28, 2019). "Hildur Guðnadóttir's Chernobyl score has changed the face of TV music". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  8. ^ Corelli, Richie (October 28, 2019). "Chernobyl: Music from the HBO Miniseries". Horror DNA. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  9. ^ "What Makes Guðnadóttir's Chernobyl Soundtrack Better Than Her Golden Globe Winning Score for Joker? - Film Theories". Filmmakers Academy. January 6, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  10. ^ "CHERNOBYL – Hildur Guðnadóttir". MOVIE MUSIC UK. June 19, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  11. ^ "Chernobyl (Music from the Original TV Series) by Hildur Guðnadóttir". iTunes. May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  12. ^ Kanter, Jake (July 17, 2020). "BAFTA TV Craft Awards: 'Chernobyl' The Big Winner After Scooping Seven Prizes". Deadline. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  13. ^ "Grammy Awards Nominations: The Complete List". Variety. November 21, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  14. ^ "Hollywood Music In Media Awards Announces Nominees". SHOOTonline. November 4, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  15. ^ "IFMCA Awards Nominations 2019". Film Music Critics.org. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  16. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 22, 2019). "Emmys 2019: Game of Thrones Ties Record and Leads TV Pack; Fleabag, Chernobyl and Mrs. Maisel Win Big". TVLine. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  17. ^ Hill, Libby (September 14, 2019). "Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors". IndieWire. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  18. ^ "Nominations announced for the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2019". RTS. November 7, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  19. ^ Burlingame, Jon (January 8, 2020). "Women Win Big at Inaugural Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  20. ^ Creamer, Jon (September 25, 2020). "The Televisual Bulldog Awards: winner announced". Televisual.com. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  21. ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 18, 2019). "Nicholas Britell, 'Chernobyl' Composer, "Shallow" Among World Soundtrack Award Winners". Deadline. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
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