Game Of Thrones: Season 1 - Ramin Djawadi

[JNHFan2000 2,957]

I've been wanting to write more regularly and more seriously about music, films and series for a while now outside of posting in the threads. I've done this particular review/breakdown around march and thought about posting it finally. I've written the same sort of piece for seasons 2, 3 & 4 and want to finish the other seasons before started other stuff. I wrote about the music of Game Of Thrones because I wanted to start with something I knew really well.

Mind you, I don't have a degree in music or know a lot about orchestration. I know every instruments in a symphony orchestra and most of the time can pick out which one is playing. I can read notes and play a little piano myself. Other than that not musically literate. So some things might not be completely accurate in their discriptions. I'm still learning and would like some feedback about my writing.

Enjoy and season 2 will probably be posted somewhere at the end of the week or next week.

 

 

 

Throughout it’s 8 season run, Game Of Thrones has a lot of praise. Especially towards the writing, directing, movie level production and acting.

For me personally, a big part of why this show is so good has to do with it’s music, composed by German-Iranian composer Ramin Djawadi.

From the first episode to the last, Djawadi has used a specific sound that is immediately recognizable as part of Game Of Thrones. Djawadi chose to focuse on using strings (mostly cello), brass, drums, choir and distinctive solo instruments. Almost of of the music was recorded in Prague and performed by The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and choir.

 

Over the course of 8 seasons Djawadi has composed over 40 themes and motifs. Each theme represents\ing a character, a house, a group or a location. There are a few characters who get their own theme later in the series, next to being accompanied by the theme for their house. For example, characters like Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister.

 

The most famous and publicly recognizable theme from Game Of Thrones is it’s “Main Title”. The main title is used in every episode over the title sequence which shows the map of Westeros. The theme starts with drums and strings playing the underlying rhythm that continues throughout the entire track. The actual melody starts at 0:09 on cello and consists of 9 notes that are repeated multiple times. At  the 1-minute mark a new section is introduced which brings a sense of adventure. Throughout the track the string section grows bigger and bigger until a choir joins and the track finishes softly on dulcimer and kantale.

The melody and underlying rhythm are used multiple times thoughout the season. “Game Of Thrones” is a reprise of the theme used over the end credits in multiple episodes. ‘The Kingsroad’, “Jon’s Honor” and “Finale” use the rhythm to let the audience know that all of these different characters excist in the same world.

I feel Djawadi has created one of the best TV Main Titles. Almost everyone will recognize the theme, even if they haven't watchdc the series. It's incredible.

 

There are 8 other themes introduced in the first season. Starting with the theme for House Stark in “Goodbye Brother”. The melody is performed by a solo cello, which then is joined by the string section. The melody speaks to the love this family has but also to the heartbreak and sorrow it endures during the course of the series. The most heartbreaking performance of the theme comes in “Kill Them All” where Robb & Catelyn mourn Ned’s death.

Other statements of the theme come in a more dark/twisted way in “Winter Is Coming” and in “King In The North”, where it is more heroic.

 

The theme for House Baratheon is first heard in “The King’s Arrival”. It begins again on cello in a sort of dance like rhythm, which at 1:00 changes in a fanfare for drums, strings and horns. This is the only time until the first episode of Season 8 that this version of the theme is heard again.

After this the theme is heard much more downstated and is used more as a theme for The King/Queen and The Iron Throne in the series.

In “You’ll Be Queen One Day” it acts as a sort of love theme for Joffrey & Sansa. While in both “Black Of Hair” and “You Win Or You Die” there are small hints to the theme, playing second fiddle to the theme for Joffrey Baratheon. A set of dark bass notes repeated a couple of times.

 

The music focusing on Jon Snow’s storyline at The Wall contains a theme for The Night’s Watch. It is heard in full in “The Wall”. A dark and brooding theme, there aren't any big melodies, it’s more texture based. Therefor it’s not very pleasant to listen to, but it does fit well with the location.

It features prominently in “Nort Of The Wall”, the first scene of the series. In it’s second half the cue transitions is some quite abstract thriller/action music.

Further statements of the theme appear in “Jon’s Honor” and “The Night’s Watch”, where in both cues it is combined with the main theme.

 

Then there is the music focusing on Daenerys Targaryen, her brother Viserys and the Dothraki in the east. This music has it’s roots a bit more in world music. There is less orchesta and more specialty solo instruments like Taiko drums, the Duduk and choir.

 

“Love Is In The Eyes” presents the theme for Daenerys herself. In this cue it is still quite small and doesn’t have much power. When later in the season and the series she becomes more powerful her theme gets bigger. It is than mostly used together with the theme for the Dragons, which appears for the first time in “Finale”. This underscores the moment Daenerys rises out of the ashes of a fire with three newborn dragons beside her. The Dragons theme is anchored by a choir, grand, majestic and powerful.

Viserys gets his own theme in “A Golden Crown”. It’s a sort of snake like theme played on harp and string, which fits the character well.

The Dothraki music is more tribal. In “To Vaes Dothrak” their theme is heard on the Armenian Duduk. Although it’s heard multiple times in the season, it only appears once on the album. This theme also doesn’t appear again until the end of season 5 and on the album of season 7.

 

Lastly, there a few other tracks worth mentioning. “A Raven From Kingslanding”, “A Bird Without Feathers” and “Await The King’s Justice” have hints of a theme which will reveal itself fully in Season 3.

“The Pointy End” underscores the scene where Arya first learns swordfighting and which will expand in a theme for her in later seasons.

“Small Pack Of Wolves” is the only other action cue on the album. It’s full of aggresive drums and cello for the street fight between Ned & Jaime. Action music in not really where the first season is about. This is something that will change exponentially in the coming seasons. Especially season 6, 7 & 8 have a lot of action music.

 

 

This first season album showcases the thought Djawadi has put into creating the music for Game Of Thrones. There are 9 themes introduced in this first season, some of which will return quite a lot in the seasons to come, while others we won’t ever hear again. The whole score is quite downstated and light on action, which might throw some people off. I for one think it’s a wonderful start to a score that will grow, both in themes and in scope, in the coming seasons.

[Benhip 21]

Hi, this is very useful. I see you wrote something for the other seasons. Have you posted it or will you ?

[JNHFan2000 2,957]

I was plannimg to but unfortunately I haven't had the time to write.

I've been in an accident so I'm not able to sit behind a laptop/computer for a long time because of the injury.

I really want to continue it but it will take a bit longer than I want it to.