So much of the Oscars conversation around A24‘s staggering The Brutalist (out in select theaters beginning December 20) has been whether it will be nominated for Best Picture. Based on the reviews, it seems a near lock. Brady Corbet’s nearly four-hour epic, about a Jewish architect (played by Adrien Brody) who survives the Holocaust and emigrates to the United States, has a 97 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been hailed as a “new great American masterpiece.” But don’t overlook the other categories The Brutalist might (and should!) be nominated in, including Best Original Score.
Composer Daniel Blumberg’s The Brutalist score is a towering achievement, and now you can hear it for yourself. Milan Records has shared the film’s three-part overture, “Overture (Ship),” “Overture (László),” and “Overture (Bus),” ahead of the full soundtrack being released on December 13.
“Brady and I wanted there to be continual music for the first 10 minutes of the film, and the entire opening sequence was actually shot and choreographed to the music using my initial demos,” Blumberg said in a statement. “The Overture introduces the main players who appear throughout the film – including pianists John Tilbury, Sophie Agnel and Simon Sieger; Axel Dörner on trumpet; Evan Parker on saxophone – and it also covers the full spectrum of sounds and dynamics, the cacophony of the brass, the repetition of the prepared piano, the more lyrical piano melodies, and the instrumental techniques that blur with the diegetic sound. With the Overture I wanted to create this extremely disorientating, sensory overload that immediately immerses you in the film.”
You can listen to the overture below, and watch The Brutalist trailer above.
The Brutalist (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is out 12/13 via Milan Records. You can find more information here.