British composer and artist Daniel Blumberg has won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his soundtrack to The Brutalist. At the awards ceremony, Blumberg cited the many creative musicians who he worked with on the score, as well as London venue Café OTO.
“The sounds you hear on The Brutalist are made by a group of hard-working, radical musicians who’ve been making uncompromising music for many years,” Blumberg said in his speech. “I’m accepting this award on behalf of them too.”
Blumberg’s score includes performances by pianist John Tilbury, saxophonist Evan Parker, percussionist Steve Noble, the latter whom Blumberg called “one of the best drummers in the world.” All are long-standing luminaries of the UK free improvisation scene.
Brady Corbet’s feature depicts Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth, played by Adrian Brody, who also won Best Actor. In the film’s opening sequence, Tóth emerges from the hold of an ocean liner in the United States, to a soundtrack of squalling brass and prepared piano.
Blumberg’s use of the prepared piano evokes the sound of the film’s era, with John Cage pioneering use of the technique in the 1940s. Blumberg also sees some parallels with the architectural aspects of the film. “You’re wedging screws into the strings of the piano, and the hammers hit those strings, so it’s like a cartoon of construction. Hammers and screws making music!”
Formerly the frontman of indie act Yuck, Blumberg made reference to the London venue Café OTO in his speech, as well as to press afterwards. Many of the musicians involved in the score have been regular performers at the venue, which is at the heart of London’s experimental and free improvisation scene.
Blumberg’s past soundtrack work include scores to Peter Strickland’s short film GUO4, with saxophonist Seymour Wright, and the score to Mona Fastvold’s 2020 period drama The World to Come.
The Brutalist soundtrack is available on streaming platforms and on CD and double vinyl from Milan Records.
The Oscars recognised a musical subject in the award for Documentary Short, given to The Only Girl in the Orchestra. The documentary depicts the life of double bassist Orin O’Brien, the first woman full-time member of the New York Philharmonic, joining the orchestra in 1966.
Directed by Orin’s niece Molly O’Brien, and executive produced by Errol Morris, the documentary is released by Netflix.
