Ludwig Göransson recording the orchestra for Oppenheimer | Sneak Peek

Watch the full 71-min documentary on: mwtm.org/Itt102
In this sneak peek, Ludwig Göransson explores the recording process for his award-winning cue ‘Can You Hear The Music’. He reveals the innovative choices that helped the Hollywood Studio Orchestra to deliver a groundbreaking musical performance.
This 71-minute video documents the composition, recording and mixing of the award-winning film score for Oppenheimer. The Swedish composer breaks down his creative process and reveals the experiments that gave birth to the film’s iconic musical themes. Ludwig later hands over to his engineer Chris Fogel, who elaborates on how the score was recorded and mixed. He walks through the orchestral tracking setup and describes how he transformed the score into a unique sonic experience using balance, panning, saturation and reverb.

[@iamanactualcat]

The haphazard tempo stuff is so fun and crazy. I love that he's showing an unconventional way to work things with ultra-professional players

[@COMANAVAGO]

Jesus dude this is intense and brilliant, really a different level of musical understanding

[@ccwaggoner]

Very validating to hear that the first take was note-perfect after having to endure months of online discourse claiming this was "unplayable".

[@eponawarrior7492]

People did the same thing to opera singers with Fifth Element claiming it wasn't humanly possible. Technically difficult sure, but definitely not impossible. I think the average person doesn't realize how skilled pro classical musicians really can be.

[@ibanezman04]

Exactly!! Studio session players for film/tv have been playing to click tracks for decades, they can easily keep up with these kinds of tempo changes. Ludwig didn’t really do anything that radical here.

[@choppernick]

Incredible insight. It makes me quite stressed thinking about what his mind must have been going through at that time...toying with the idea that something you have slaved over might not work in real life. This at a time when you've got an orchestra ready to play, plus the full weight of a Christopher Nolan blockbuster breathing down your neck and all the pressure that comes with that. Still...he remained calm and worked with his team to find a solution to make the impossible possible - and what a fine moment of score it is. It really flies. Amazing and inspiring work.

[@chrisrodenmusic]

Absolutely incredible. Having that idea with the metronome and then having such good players at your disposal must be an incredible feeling!

[@nikhilaarons]

wow this is brilliant! the orchestra is amazing

[@ProducingWithChris]

I love seeing this problem solving evolve like that instead of them just giving up and saying let’s write something else, they said “we’re going to make this work”

[@woventalon5640]

Wow, so incredible! Can't wait to watch the full documentary. Thank you for creating this!

[@LightsOfSkadi]

Such an inspirational for me and my music!

[@WorldOfArtWorld]

Wow, great idea with the metronome in the end.

[@JoelCampbell-sb9ms]

This is nuts

[@AttilaHun-p9e]

This is ART....😎

[@Pax30001]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing. So if I'm correct by the final decision or conclusion on the piece, they had to use 16th notes throughout the piece and change the tempo at the times were it maybe needed to be faster and change it back were it needed to gradually become slow. And as he explained for the performers to successfully perform at the various changes of tempo in the music, specific click patterns were given to indicate a tempo change before the measure were the tempo actually changed. Cool seeing this video. Keep up the great work!

[@maximusaviationchannel]

Ludwig Von Beethoven ... "What is this click you speak of?"

[@kangag3]

Ironically, Beethoven was one of the first major composers to use the metronome...

[@kangag3]

As a player, I would have preferred a constant beat, and then write 5-tuplets, 6-tuplets, 7- tuplets etc. Hans Werner Henze did this in one of his symphonies and it achieves the same effect but without changing the actual tempo.

[@trippy127]

great work🥳

[@majoris3561]

the goat

[@kira.777]

What he did is make the impossible possible, no one has ever dared to do this, it's just magnificent. Kudos to the insanely talented orchestra.

[@ToxicTurtleIsMad]

No one ever dared to do a tempo change wow. You people are so stupid and mediocore

[@ibanezman04]

There are plenty of film scores that are this complex with tempo changes. It’s nothing that radical.

[@kira.777]

@ibanezman04 Oh I didn't know that, can you list some?

[@ibanezman04]

@@kira.777 The majority of John Williams’ work uses complex meters quite frequently and often changing between time signatures bar to bar very quickly. His scores for the Harry Potter films especially Azkaban are some of the most complex orchestrations ever put to film. Jerry Goldsmith is another great example especially his works in the 70s. Capricorn One, The Omen etc. Air Force One is another great score for rapidly changing Time signatures. The point is, since click tracks were invented the studio musicians have become well adept at keeping up with music that’s changes meter quickly. For example at 3:48-4:12 he talks about the engineer creating a click pre-roll. Which is common in most film scores these days. Certainly for action films.

[@ivemusic]

@@ibanezman04 Oh yes, wanted to mention Williams score for Azkaban. Listen to the score for the quidditch match. Unbelievable :D

[@janetbailey6727]

Incredible! can you guys please do a vid with him on his theme for the show "New Girl"?

[@HoneyNiagara]

👌🏻👌🏻

[@kokomanation]

I think 1/16 notes were a much better choice than triplets !!!

[@evelict2371]

After watching the movie I just fell in love with this soundtrack, it gives me some special extraterrestrial vibe

[@andtime4918]

What software is that?

[@danzellisdeman1]

remeber. This is the same guy who made rebone. Damn

[@CP-ok1gv]

Redbone you mean

[@evansnierenz]

Craziest clicktrack ever..

[@xeraph02]

Too complicated for me😅

[@mimosa-music]

Such a poor professional composer. He and his team were out of their depth.

[@albhem_eh]

Such heaping pos comment, much wow!

[@RadaSmada]

what are you talking about

[@HectorRodriguez-music]

Then try doing it yourself

[@IBHID]

Totally fair if you didn't like his score, but why do you feel he was out of his depth?

[@albhem_eh]

@@IBHID probably engagement farming and he's trolling hard lol! He couldn't exactly give a rational reason or so, just a shallow critic which makes it as useless as a flap of colon lmao

[@ashwinth_fredrick]

This piece of work worked for me 🪄