Ludwig Göransson takes a deep dive into the music of OPPENHEIMER

The Academy Award winning Swedish composer, who gave us amazing scores for (amongst other things) BLACK PANTHER, THE MANDALORIAN and VENOM, has written a unique, memorable score for Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, OPPENHEIMER.
And along with Ludwig we delve into his unique thought process on the score - talking about creating the sound of a nuclear bomb through music, about replacing Hans Zimmer as Nolan's composer of choice, about using both organic and electronic music to get us into the head of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and MUCH more...

[@shawman5676]

Ludwig should win the academy award for this. Brilliant stuff for sure.

[@MoovyTV]

Really looking (or hearing?) forward to see (hear?) what next year's composers category is gonna feature. But yeah, probably the best score we've heard so far this year!

[@AAMPictures]

@@MoovyTVIt’s one of the best scores I’ve ever heard.

[@HarrisaSports]

Nolan, Cilian, RDJ and Ludwig should all win Oscars. I hope so at least

[@anthonygonzalezzzzz]

Might need to face off with Zimmer

[@ezramotz1995]

Daniel Pemberton may just end up gettin a nomination and (IMO) being a formidable, worthy contender for the win for Best Score for his work on “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse”

[@caleblim6890]

The score kicking in the very moment after Ken Branagh’s Bohr asks Oppenheimer “can you hear the music?” was a brilliant moment! So early on but you can feel the wonder and be transported higher.

[@xavzyn]

one of my favorite scenes!! one of the few extended scenes shot fully in imax 70mm

[@elcabronculero3]

When I watched it for the first time I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. I will love this movie forever.

[@lynncampbell962]

I have probably listen to that track 100 times. It is phenomenal.

[@JDdr86]

Did someone else cry during that scene?, I was sobbing out of sublime wonder!.

[@hayleenicole9326]

For real, that piece has been on repeat ever since I saw the film

[@josephwinnard6666]

One of my favorite parts of the score is when Oppenheimer first opens his class with just the one student - you hear a solo violin. As another joins you hear two, then three, then it continues to build ultimately with a whole accompaniment of violins. Tremendous use of sound and score to underline the storytelling!!!!

[@MoovyTV]

Nicely spotted! Definitely an ingenious way to support the storytelling through music!

[@JustinGone]

Saw Oppenheimer in IMAX 70 mm and the music 10 minutes leading up to the blast was horrifying. It felt like I was watching a horror movie. Bone chilling.

[@StonedNoob]

wow 70mm with IMAX must be crazy. I don't have IMAX with 70mm in my country. Just IMAX and just 70mm.

[@drakemordred2982]

It was pretty lame

[@JustinGone]

@@drakemordred2982 your mom’s thoughts when she had you

[@drakemordred2982]

@@JustinGone the guy that thought a boring movie was bone chilling makes mom jokes, what a shock.

[@JustinGone]

@@drakemordred2982 having a rapper in your username… sad

[@onsentd]

Props to the interviewer for asking some good questions.

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much, glad to hear it! :-)

[@BrianbebeGaming]

The most impactful moment in the film as far as music goes is when Kitty refuses to shake one of Oppenheimers former colleagues hand. The way the violins shift are an amazing touch to the scene

[@GeneralKenobi69420]

I got major Inception vibes from that scene

[@SomeDudeFromHeaven]

I always see it as if they had an affair lmao.

[@edd4816]

That was Edward Teller, which makes it even more poignant imo since he was the main driving force behind the development of the H bomb, something that Oppenheimer sought quite hard to limit post-1945

[@DesignedbyKirk]

Looking forward to seeing Ludwig up on stage at the Oscars next year

[@g.o.9513]

Do we vote or something cause damn that was amazing?

[@kurtsiecolferites2160]

I can’t get enough of this score. Ludwig has created something truly epic. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here!

[@MoovyTV]

And HEAR where he goes from here! :-D

[@shrithikkothari8220]

This man is a [musical] genius.

[@MoovyTV]

Absolutely!

[@kanthanesankandiah760]

This is the way.

[@rahularavindakshan5962]

Can I just say this was one of the most intelligent interviews I have watched in a while. An absolute joy!

[@MoovyTV]

Wow, that’s very kind of you to say! Thank you, and thanks for watching - hopefully we can deliver more great composer interviews in the near future!

[@MaximumCrash]

Could not agree more, this is the level of interviewing we need more of.

[@MoovyTV]

@@MaximumCrash thank you!!

[@beauaramis]

For real. That was top tier interviewing.

[@MoovyTV]

@@beauaramis thank you so much! We’ll proceed in the same vein!

[@JEBLego]

Pleaseeeee let this man win an Oscar for this!

[@westwebb]

He’s incredible. I’m obsessed with “Can you hear the music”. Probably my favorite score in recent memory other than “Time” by hans

[@chootsart]

Ludwig: how many scenes would you like the score to play in? Nolan: Yes

[@Whostopper]

His Wakanda Forever score should have been nominated for Oscar last year. He will win for Oppenheimer definitely. Probably one of the top 3 movie composers working today.

[@MoovyTV]

Totally agree! The title track for Wakanda Forever should’ve been enough to secure an Oscar nomination! Will be interesting to see how Ludwig fares next year!

[@Drdre11]

I timed the silence after the explosion. It was around 1min 40sec of just silence. Breathing of the characters. It was such an incredible moment where they were trying to have the audience fill in the sound in our own heads. I loved it.

[@MoovyTV]

So did we! Thanks for the stopwatch insight!

[@couchbuddha]

"You wouldn't be able to fully appreciate the beauty of music, without having experienced the terrifying emptiness of silence/intervals". That's from an ancient text Oppenheimer held close to his heart.

[@MoovyTV]

Wow, powerful quote - thanks for sharing!

[@couchbuddha]

@@MoovyTV Cheers. Thanks for the video. Really enjoyed it

[@MoovyTV]

@@couchbuddha thank you! 🤗

[@orionv75]

Thanks for this. I’ve been listening to this soundtrack every day since seeing the film day 1. It’s an exceptional score, melancholic, frightening, tender, covers so much. Hard to pick a fav track but if I had to pick one, the beauty of Groves it would have to be. It’s an amazing film, but without this score, it would be truly half a film.

[@MoovyTV]

Very well put! And great shout as well - we might pick Trinity as our favorite track, even though it’s purposefully somewhat uncomfortable and tense to listen to (and thus a perfect fit for the scene), but it’s just so irresistibly creative and beautiful, and the way it shifts after the explosion… wow.

[@monkboy4628]

ha ive been listening to it the same like every day

[@DawphinOfficial]

love this! i love "Destroyer of Worlds", and how Goransson used the violin as a "threatless" instrument. fav part of the movie, gave me chills!

[@BelleVegasBoy]

Fretless* Captions wrong lol

[@MoovyTV]

Sorry about the captions gaffe :-D Even though it still feels to us that "threatless" works, because Oppenheimer has developed a very much threatening weapon, and yet the music characterizing its chief inventor is soulful and non-threatening in its natural state. Regardless, thank you for the lovely comment, and we got chills in the cinema too!

[@DawphinOfficial]

oh hah that's funny, I misheard. still fits i guess!

[@la95921]

Me too. Absolutely agree with every word you have said.

[@ploopplaap3436]

Thanks for this! I love movie scores and I’m always happy to hear the composers talking about their work!

[@MoovyTV]

You're welcome - glad to hear that you enjoyed our talk! :-D

[@VidaDw]

The music is so haunting. I saw it a week ago, and still haunting me now. It's spectacular.

[@MoovyTV]

Haunting is a great word for it!

[@CVsnaredevil]

I enjoyed the soundtrack. Heard influences of Johnny Greenwood, Phillip Glass and Hans Zimmer. Really looking forward to hearing Ludwig’s future work.

[@MoovyTV]

Yeah, we definitely sensed a bit of Glass in some of the rhythmical strings pieces. As well as hints of the deadly departed Johánn Johánnsson, by the way.

[@petergivenbless900]

I would add John Adams to the list of influences (despite the fact he composed the opera 'Dr. Atomic', which covers the same story!).

[@benjamingallaway8687]

correction at 3:06 I think the caption should say "a fretless" instead of " a threatless" the violin is fretless (no designation on the neck between notes) which is what makes it able to seamlessly move between the tones that Goransson talks about.

[@alexb6648]

The music for Oppenheimer it's just out of this world !

[@LorencCala]

7:21 My peak of immersion in this movie was the silence. I cannot explain if the prior violins made the trick of silence to hit much harder in my brain.

[@MoovyTV]

Yeah, that worked so incredibly well.

[@mohammedadham2791]

Violin for Oppenheimer Organ for interstellar Cello for Joker !!💥💥

[@MoovyTV]

Can't wait to hear what's next? A banjo for Bond when Nolan finally directs one? :-D

[@TechRock2020]

For me, this gave me the feeling I got from watching early 2000s space documentaries, mixed with the emotional tug and pull of modern movie scores. Its just an amazing feeling of mixed emotions. Superb OST.

[@MoovyTV]

Great description - which reminds us, In the Shadow of the Moon had a wonderful score, as well as Brian Zeno’s music for For All Mankind, of course!

[@TechRock2020]

@@MoovyTV I will definitely have to check out those scores!

[@labrosg1161]

Ludwig made me fall in love with the use of electronic music combined with instrumental music. I always pay a lot of attention into a movie's music because, as he said, music is like its own character in it. I never thought that I'd love a soundtrack that contained so much electronic music, until I witnessed his work in Tenet. His work in Oppenheimer was flawless and I can't wait to see what he does in the future!

[@joekuvorkian]

The amount of people I know that thought it was a Hans Zimmer score tells you exactly how talented this man is and how good the score was

[@valeaves]

It felt Hans Zimmer-y because of Dune for me. Idk, both scores feel so visceral, they kinda creep into your body.

[@BreMue]

I have been playing the hell out of this soundtrack its so good, didnt realize this is the same guy who did the mandalorian & TBOBF themes and black panther, also very memorable

[@MoovyTV]

Yeah, he already has such an amazing and varied career. He also won the Grammy for “This is America” (and has even more experience in the world of popular music)

[@sophielouise5966]

The score is amazing, i still get goosebumps just hearing the music!

[@MoovyTV]

Us too!

[@alabhyajindal]

He seems like such a great person! Loved the score and love this interview!!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much! He was indeed great to talk to - so generous with his time and clearly passionate about seriously discussing his amazing work.

[@xavzyn]

the music that slowly kicks in right after the detonation showcasing the fire was bone chilling and still gives me goosebumps thinking abt it…

[@MoovyTV]

Yeah, our goosebumps are gonna require surgery to remove! :-D

[@WhosJohn]

'Can you hear the music' is one of the greatest pieces in modern composition. I think one of the most important pieces of movie music since inception. Really solidified his place in history with that one. The entire score is incredible. Very cool to think he still has a long career (hopefully) ahead.

[@samf.s.7731]

His score is actually pretty great for this film. I love that since the actors are on strike, Nolan and Goransson are promoting the movie. 😂😂😂

[@Itsrainingcatsyall]

It works out because I love hearing everything about his process

[@samf.s.7731]

@@Itsrainingcatsyall apparently the cinematographer also has interviews out there in the wild! This is the oddest promotional tour for a film I'd had to see and simultaneously one of the best ones. 🤣👏

[@Nimajneb42069]

I’ve seen multiple round tables with actors in this movie? Maybe they were pre shot before the strike , but those interviews are all over KZbin.

[@tennisCharlzz]

Johan asks such perceptive and thoughtful questions showing how engaged he was with both the movie, but also its music. Very impressive as an interviewer.

[@MoovyTV]

That's very nice of you to say. Thank you for the comliment! - kind regards from Johan

[@emberdrops3892]

Great interview :D The interviewer posed some really interesting and open questions and Göransson gave us some great insights into this amazing soundtrack

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much! ☺

[@louispacetime1576]

Amazing interview! Ludwig has never missed!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you for the nice comment!

[@HEAVYHEARTSMUSIC]

Incredible interview, excellent questions with insight, truly well done

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so, so much!

[@norman6328]

Great interview, hopefully we get the see him talk about the Can You Hear The Music scene, which is by far my favorite scene

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you! And yeah, we’ve been listening to that track on loop for a while! :D

[@pisonic]

"This is the way" The Mandalorian theme and then comes Oppenheimer. My personal favorite is Can You Hear The Music and Oppenheimer

[@dr.dragan19]

Incredible piece of work. Favourites: Track 1 Fission - The particle-like oscillating synth stabs antagonised by the swirling violin truly complement the excitement and fear of uncharted waters in theoretical physics (the snake under the stone) Track 7 Groves - Hitler invading Poland and the involvement of the establishment in scientific endeavour. The grim inevitability of what needs to be done. No time for moral scruples Track 15 Ground Zero - stand behind your science. Theory into practice, point of no return. Truly into the abyss, pulsating fear Track 16 Trinity - that ascent/descent at 4:02, complete and utter pandemonium. All bets are off Track 23 Destroyer of Worlds - last dose of the violin hook whilst Einstein dispels the unfortunate truth, wherein the purity and their love of science is disparaged by the artificial foundations in which it is conducted Absolute GOLD

[@MoovyTV]

Great descriptions! We're very fond of all of those tracks for similar reasons :-)

[@treynitza2849]

Great questions man, you really interested him I could tell. Thanks so much for letting us see this

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! 🙏

[@tulyar57]

This is an extraordinary film score. Watching the movie it felt to me to be as paradoxical as its subject matter (particle physics). Other than 'Trinity' (the desert nuclear test sequence) the music managed to be both invisible and all-encompassing at the same time. Exceptional!

[@MoovyTV]

Such a great way to describe it - agreed!

[@paupautube1]

The fact that he seems so humble and down to earth makes me to admire him even more such a talent!

[@user-zx8zn8ok7i]

Ludwig has been by far my most favorite musical composer since I heard his work on tenet. Highly recommend listening to all of his work.

[@dotpngpic]

Best work of the year so far.

[@kvol1668]

I've never heard of this dude before, but he made one of the best damn soundtracks I've ever heard. That bass rumble was so stressful to listen to, but then when the scratches are added on my nerves were really riled, and then that ticking metallic sound had me about jumping out of my seat. Even though I knew the outcome of the test, they really sold me on the terror of it. GG. Have all the awards!

[@moeezS]

It's the best score I've heard from a film this year. Really tapped into how emotional a Nolan film can be, and this was his best since Inception.

[@Thebearmre7]

The score was a masterpiece. Give him all the awards.

[@kazuha3863]

Oppenheimer's whole score has been haunting me ever since I've watched the movie. Each and every instrument portrayed his feelings or the environment around him so well! I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed but there was a part where the violin was played to make it sound like a siren or maybe the sound you hear when a bomb drops. Truly sent goosebumps up my skin!

[@rguprod]

At the end, when you know what is said, the music evolves so smoothly, and the tensions are definitely rising the best

[@samfletcher9093]

Goes without saying that Ludwig is an absolute genius. Absolutely love his work and this score in particular was pretty much perfect.

[@kronowski]

Anyone else feel like the “ground zero” piece with the metallic sounds and nuclear radiation scratches sounds like the score of Metroid Prime when you get near phazon radiation in the mines?? Such a cool part of the score

[@MoovyTV]

Wow, that's a deep cut, but we love those :-D Do you have a link? Which reminds us... damn, there are many great game scores. Michael Land's "The Dig" springs to mind. If we ever interview Steven Spielberg, we'll have to ask him about it!

[@kronowski]

@@MoovyTV yes please!!! So many good game scores out there, especially these days that the major games are being scored by top film scorers too!!

[@MoovyTV]

@@kronowski Agreed! So great to see (and hear!) so many game companies dedicate so many ressources to proper game scores. Bear McCreary FTW!

[@fcp1955]

Una entrevista FANTASTICA!! Gracias!

[@MoovyTV]

De nada! Gracias por ver :-D

[@marcobakkenhoven9317]

Great editing of the interview, with the musical pieces at the right moment!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much, that's definitely what we were aiming for!

[@KurtKress]

Great interview with great questions I couldn’t stop watching good job mate!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much - so glad you enjoyed it!

[@MegaDoomcat]

Seriously, now with a little bit of time I truly think this is an instant classic score and they'll be talking about both the detonation scene and Ludwig's beautiful theme long after I'm dead. 10/10 in creativity, presence, grace and perfect for this film.

[@JeremyBraunsMusic]

Thank you for this!

[@MoovyTV]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@carsonthomas5717]

You ask such great questions and you can tell how much he appreciates and engages because of it, well done fun watch!!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you for those very nice words! Glad you enjoyed watching our chat! 🤗

[@ChezzyKnytt]

Excellent interview!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you!!

[@eggydrums]

Nothing but respect for Ludwig. Certainly one of the most forward thinking movie composers working today.

[@user-uc2qf5sm3x]

This is driving me crazy and I have *got* to know. In the song "Can You Hear The Music," the parts where the music swells and the brass comes in... it sounds and feels like it's written in tritone, or the Devil's Interval. It would make sense because the tritone creates a feeling of "being left unfinished, as though there is a forgotten, final note." Some famous tritone songs you might recognize include ones like the "Unsolved Mysteries" theme. Can any of you music creatives confirm this???? I have been thinking about this for weeks! This IS truly one of the best films ever made. One of the best music scores as well.

[@wesleyfinck]

Thanks for this! I’ve been waiting to hear from Ludwig about this amazing score. Did anyone else notice musical elements very similar to Tenet’s score? Especially in Gravity Swallows Light, Theorists, and The Trial. Would have been cool to hear Ludwig’s thoughts on that!

[@MoovyTV]

You’re welcome! And hey - maybe we’ll get to ask about that next time :D

[@postdata69]

Loved the interview, there is just too much passion from both

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you! Glad you felt that!

[@ItachisOnly1]

Fantastic interview. The host asked such well-thought-out questions.

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you!

[@andrewbrown2477]

Great job with the questions man, top interview

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much! :D

[@asutoshrath8890]

this is such a good interview!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you for the kind words, they're appreciated!

[@bhaveshmistry3255]

Extraordinary work! 🙌🙌❤️❤️❤️

[@MoovyTV]

Us or Ludwig? We appreciate the positive feedback either way! :-D

[@adityashrivastava2891]

thank you for this

[@MoovyTV]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@davidmaldonadocastillejos3179]

Great interview!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you, David!

[@slalissg3813]

The questions you asked really went in depth and explored Göransson's mind perfectly. You did a really great job!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you for such kind words! Hope to provide even more in-depth composer interviews in the future! :)

[@datdudeinred]

The bass shook the entire huge ass dome theater. The score throughout the movie was tenet & interstellar level great. He definitely deserves oscars.

[@marcusschmaling9]

Great interview and movie thx!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you!

[@r3molina]

Great interview! Ludwig is such a nice guy ❤

[@MoovyTV]

Thanks! :D And we wholeheartedly agree!

[@iluvcatslol5714]

Masterpiece work from him!

[@davidcampos3891]

I love this man, a total inspiration for me

[@urania.pianist]

At the moment when the atomic bomb is activated and everything is silent, I could hear my heart beating super fast, for me that was part of the soundtrack :D

[@MoovyTV]

That's a really nice way to think of it - making the audience part of the orchestra! :-D

[@daiujin]

he's a musical genius, he for sure should win an award for this film

[@Moonie-hr9th]

Good questions that the host offered!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much! :-D Glad you enjoyed the interview!

[@jayadevchallapally7239]

Excellent questions, loved watching that.

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much, we appreciate the kind words!

[@marshmelows]

Ludwig really pushes the boundaries, holding the light to the new sounds

[@dzzzzzt]

I'm deeply happy for Ludwig. Ever since I heard his work in the Mandalorian and Tenet I've been amazed at his ability to create emotion. There's something specific about this approach that I cannot explain but that I love tremendously. It almost like there's music but there's also sound that directly touches you on a deeper level. I wish him the best and may he create many more exciting projects!

[@MoovyTV]

A wonderful toast to Ludwig, we share the salute!

[@ByakuyaKB]

That ground zero track leading up to the trinity track for the climax of the testing really is a spectacular, immersing experience, even down to the silence! Only wish I had heard it in a Dolby theater. My favorite part of the movie

[@kejarebi]

Really great questions, now I know things I never thought I wanted to know.

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you so much!

[@someshittomakeyouhappy]

Not that i doubted the soundtrack would be good but man ludwig really did a great job soaking up and summarizing the emotions of Oppenheimer throughout the movie. The whole soundtrack felt like a great mix of anxiety and tension while also creating a background level of peace or acceptance with the horrid situation oppenheimer found himself in. Ludwig and the orchestra did such an excellent job telling the oppenheimer story through audio im doubtful anyone could have done better.

[@mchlnhs]

great questions!

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you! :-D Hopefully we'll get to pose some more to Ludwig soon!

[@israelRaizer]

I was hoping they would talk about that stomping sound, it felt so powerful

[@MoovyTV]

That was literally going to be my next question if time hadn’t run out! :D maybe next time!

[@israelRaizer]

@@MoovyTV Yeah, maybe. Keep up the good work!

[@hothotheat3000]

The interviewer is so delightful and cheery, oh my God. What a doll!

[@MoovyTV]

Haha! Thank you for such a wonderful compliment :-D

[@Howard_T_Duck]

I saw Oppenheimer late and in a regular movie theater. I knew it would be better in IMAX but I didn’t have the time or money. The sound of the movie still boomed but I could tell that it could boom louder it’s like the theater’s speakers couldn’t manifest the true immersive sound of the movie trying to get out.

[@manofteel4040]

The IMAX sound was terrifying

[@user-mg5er7um2c]

Inspiring

[@thehazerecords]

Been watching Ludwig grow since his production on Childish Gambino’s earlier albums, always showed promise.

[@brunocbeyer]

simply genius

[@jakebaker1051]

Watching this guy go from Gambino beats to film scores has been incredible

[@irecordwithaphone1856]

Great questions

[@MoovyTV]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@TravyBallerton]

This guys mind is brilliant

[@MoovyTV]

Agreed!

[@lattiure]

Great insights on this masterpiece, it became my 2nd top favorite only after interstellar. I think its a jump from tenet in depth and details od emotions. Cannot wait for whatever is next.

[@pandakso3365]

My ears are charged!

[@ColinShuran]

His music fits the movie so well.

[@MoovyTV]

100%!

[@ianlopez2850]

The music around the atomic bomb detonation both before and after really remind me of Mozart’s Requiem.