Anonymous (soundtrack) explained
Anonymous (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2011 film Anonymous directed by Roland Emmerich and featured musical score composed by Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser. The film score was released through Madison Gate Records on October 25, 2011.
Development
In October 2010, it was reported that Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser would score music for Anonymous; the duo would reportedly collaborate with Emmerich for the fourth time after The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 10,000 BC (2008) and 2012 (2009).[1] [2] As their previous collaborations involved on scoring action, science-fiction and disaster films, scoring Anonymous, which was a period drama was a "fascinating challenge" to them.[3] Wander would write the score first, while Kloser would provide feedback to the specific score and contribute various themes and motifs. He would then provide complete musical pieces before the film's post-production.
The finished score was recorded in Berlin and performed by the Berlin Film Orchestra; they used several unusual instruments such as the hurdy gurdy and a lithophone, and few stones that were found in Cumbria over 200 years ago were used in the musical score as "it gave this very interesting color and flavor to the music".
Release
Madison Gate Records released the 19-track score album on October 25, 2011.[4]
Critical reception
Thomas Glorieux of Maintitles.net described it as a "surprisingly soft score for a Roland Emmerich movie".[5] Filmtracks, however wrote, "Outside of these fleeting moments, however, Kloser and Wanker once again fail to yield convincingly emotional appeal in their effectively functional but sadly underachieving tone."[6] Robert Koehler of Variety called it as "an ordinary score by Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser isn’t up to the same standard."[7] A. O. Scott of The New York Times found it to be "underwhelming".[8]
The score was shortlisted as one among the 97 contenders for Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 84th Academy Awards.[9]
Notes and References
- Web site: 2010-10-25 . Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander to reunite with Roland Emmerich . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110923184604/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2010/10/31/kloser-and-wander-to-reunite-with-roland-emmerich/ . 2011-09-23 . 2024-08-17 . Film Music Reporter . en-US.
- Web site: 2011-04-14 . Thursday Trailer Face-Off! Anonymous vs. The Princess of Montpensier . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120728024647/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/thursday-trailer-face-off-anonymous-the-princess-of-montpensier . 2012-07-28 . 2024-08-17 . Interview Magazine . en-US.
- Web site: Blair . Iain . 2012-01-05 . Elizabethan notes culled from rubble . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210416212810/https://variety.com/2012/film/news/elizabethan-notes-culled-from-rubble-1118047860/ . 2021-04-16 . 2024-08-17 . Variety . en-US.
- Web site: 2011-10-25 . 'Anonymous' Soundtrack Details . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20111118005347/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2011/10/25/anonymous-soundtrack-details/ . 2011-11-18 . 2024-08-17 . Film Music Reporter . en-US.
- Web site: Glorieux . Thomas . Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser: Anonymous . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200207003617/https://www.maintitles.net/reviews/anonymous/ . 2020-02-07 . 2024-08-17 . maintitles.net.
- Web site: 2012-01-09 . Anonymous (Thomas Wanker/Harald Kloser) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120217200306/https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/anonymous.html . 2012-02-17 . 2024-08-17 . Filmtracks.com.
- Web site: Koehler . Robert . 2011-09-10 . Anonymous . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160320161147/https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/anonymous-1117946025/ . 2016-03-20 . 2024-08-17 . Variety . en-US.
- News: Scott . A. O. . 2011-10-27 . How Could a Commoner Write Such Great Plays? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20111105083656/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/movies/anonymous-by-roland-emmerich-review.html . 2011-11-05 . 2024-08-17 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
- Web site: Sartor . Ryan . December 23, 2011 . Thomas Newman & Alexandre Desplat Lead The Pack Of The 97 Scores In Contention For The Oscars . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230702165332/https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/thomas-newman-alexandre-desplat-lead-the-pack-of-the-97-scores-in-contention-for-the-oscars-254802/ . July 2, 2023 . June 20, 2024 . IndieWire . en-US.
