Phantom Thread (soundtrack)

Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the original soundtrack album to the 2017 film Phantom Thread, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. The record consists of eighteen tracks from a film score written and composed by Jonny Greenwood. Greenwood's score was released digitally by Nonesuch Records on 12 January 2018, with a CD edition later released on 9 February 2018 and a vinyl edition on 21 April 2018. In preparation for the score, Greenwood researched the musical trends of the 1950s, referencing Glenn Gould's Bach recordings, the work of Nelson Riddle and the full string-section jazz arrangements of Ben Webster. The score was recorded in London with a 60-piece orchestra, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra. It is Greenwood's fourth soundtrack for director Paul Thomas Anderson and appears across the majority of the film's 130-minute runtime. It was met with favourable reviews from critics, receiving nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Music.[1]

Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Jonny Greenwood
Released12 January 2018 (digital)
9 February 2018 (CD)
21 April 2018 (vinyl)
StudioRAK Studios
(London, England)
AIR Studios
(London, England)
Genre
Length55:53
LabelNonesuch
ProducerGraeme Stewart
Jonny Greenwood chronology
Junun
(2015)		 Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2018)		 You Were Never Really Here
(2018)

Background and recording

Phantom Thread is a historical drama set in 1950s London and is about the fictional couturier Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis.[2] The soundtrack was composed by Jonny Greenwood and consists of piano and string sections. Director Paul Thomas Anderson initially asked Greenwood for an "English" sound, but they found the folk-influenced orchestral music typical of Britain in the 1950s to be too "twee" for a London fashion designer like Reynolds Woodcock. Greenwood specifically researched music that was written and recorded during the 1950s as well as the classical music which was popular with that generation. Nelson Riddle and Glenn Gould's Bach recordings were Greenwood's primary references.[3] In particular, Anderson advised Greenwood to research Riddle's score for Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962) and his work with jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. Anderson also advised Greenwood to view David Lean's 1949 film The Passionate Friends, which was scored by Richard Addinsell.[4] The music of jazz pianist Bill Evans was also an inspiration for Greenwood.[5][3]

Glenn Gould (left) and Nelson Riddle (right) were Greenwood's main references for the film's score.

Greenwood's score was written during his travels for Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool tour, including in hotel rooms and dressing rooms.[6][7] His recording process first involved recording demos through his iPhone and sending them to Anderson.[4][8] The first two pieces he sent were deemed too dark by Anderson, who felt the music was "giving away what's going to happen" in the story.[5] Anderson pushed Greenwood for a more romantic sound, and was interested in incorporating large string sections. Greenwood was inspired by the large, "over-the-top" romantic orchestra recordings of baroque composers Bach and Vivaldi from the 1960s and 1970s, including Riccardo Muti's 1977 recording of Vivaldi's "Gloria".[8][3] He was also inspired by string-heavy jazz records from the 1950s, including Ben Webster's Music for Loving (1954).[7][3] Greenwood envisioned what music the characters themselves would have listened to, and convinced Anderson that the character of Woodcock would intensely listen to Glenn Gould.[5][3] Principally, Greenwood focused on composing "genuinely romantic music" that was sincere and not "pastiche" or "overly atonal/microtonal".[5][3] At the same time, he worked to ensure the music was keeping with the 1950s while avoiding any sense of being "tongue-in-cheek" or "ironic", which Greenwood believed was antithetical to the character of Reynolds Woodcock.[4][7] The piano served as the common ground between the contrasting romantic compositions for the film and the more formal music fitting for Reynolds Woodcock.[3] Greenwood also received musical input from Day-Lewis, who discussed the music of Thomas Tallis.[5]

The album was recorded in London at RAK Studios and AIR Studios. It was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Robert Ziegler, and the London Contemporary Orchestra, conducted by Robert Ames.[9] Greenwood also enlisted a string quartet, which appears on four of the album's tracks.[3][9] At one point, Greenwood recorded with an orchestra of 60 strings, his largest to date.[10] The score also features a cimbalom, which is used to characterise Alma, and is supposed to allude to her presumed origin from an Eastern European country.[3] The album was mixed and mastered at Abbey Road Studios.[9] Ultimately, the soundtrack is featured prominently in the film, with nearly 90 minutes of music appearing during the film's 130-minute runtime.[3][11] The film also features music selected by Anderson, namely classical pieces by Claude Debussy, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Fauré and Hector Berlioz.[3][12]

Release and promotion

On 1 February 2017, Focus Features officially announced that Greenwood was scoring Anderson's upcoming film.[13][14] On 26 October 2017, Greenwood shared the sheet music for the film's title theme.[15] The album details were announced on 21 December 2017, and "House of Woodcock" was released the same day.[16][17] The album was released digitally on 12 January 2018, followed by a CD release on 9 February 2018 and a vinyl LP release on 21 April 2018 (Record Store Day).[18]

The DVD and Blu-ray releases of Phantom Thread included early demos of Greenwood's score.[19][20]

The score was first performed on 31 January 2018 by the London Contemporary Orchestra during the film's preview screening at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Anderson and Greenwood were in attendance and were interviewed by film critic Mark Kermode.[21][22][12] On 24 February and 25 February 2018, the score was performed by the Wordless Music Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York.[23][24] On 2 March 2018, the score was again performed by the Wordless Music Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California, with Greenwood and Anderson in attendance.[25][26]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[27]
Metacritic86/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[29]
Consequence of SoundB[30]
Drowned in Sound8/10[31]
The Independent[32]
Mojo[33]
Pitchfork7.5/10[34]
Q[35]
Uncut8/10[36]
Under the Radar8.5/10[37]

Phantom Thread has a score of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim," based on 9 reviews.[28] Andrew Male of Mojo gave the soundtrack a perfect score, calling it "an album that goes far beyond emulation or pastiche to capture the emotional heart of a strange and elusive film".[33] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called Greenwood's score "rich and gorgeous, elegant because of its exacting nature, an aesthetic that suits the film to a T."[29] Michael Bonner of Uncut gave the score an 8 out of 10 rating, writing that it complemented the film's 1950s London setting "with its own opulent old-world beauty."[36] Charles Steinberg of Under the Radar praised the score's ability to "accompany the precise tone of every scene", "rising and falling with all of its subtleties and secrets" and concluded in saying that Greenwood "now feels essential" as a composer.[37] Winston Cook-Wilson of Spin wrote, "Greenwood's abilities have never served one of Anderson’s films better, or proved so integral to its power."[38] Richard Driver of PopMatters praised the album's sequencing and called it Greenwood's "strongest developed yet, delivering massive impact for the film".[39] James Oldham of Q called it "uniformly deft, sumptuous and moving."[35]

Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork praised Greenwood's ambition and the score's "subtler" moments like "Never Cursed", but lamented that the score's "sumptuousness can be overbearing" and lacking in its sense of restraint.[34] Zack Ruskin of Consequence of Sound praised Greenwood's orchestration for embodying the demeanour of Reynolds Woodcock, but criticised the score's tendency to "spill over and drown the sparse passages of unease that serve as Phantom Thread's emotional center."[30]

Lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
Collider The 15 Best Film Scores of the Decade
5
[40]
Consequence of Sound Top 25 Film Scores of the 2010s
9
[41]
IndieWire The 20 Best Movie Scores of the Decade
1
[42]
The 25 Best Movie Scores of the 21st Century
11
[43]
Mojo The 10 Best Soundtracks of 2018
1
[44]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time
21
[45]
TheWrap 10 Best Film Scores of the 2010s
4
[46]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jonny Greenwood.

No.TitleLength
1."Phantom Thread I"3:36
2."The Hem"2:43
3."Sandalwood I"2:40
4."The Tailor of Fitzrovia"2:31
5."Alma"4:07
6."Boletus Felleus"3:13
7."Phantom Thread II"3:55
8."Catch Hold"2:15
9."Never Cursed"3:46
10."That's As May Be"1:27
11."Phantom Thread III"2:22
12."I'll Follow Tomorrow"1:22
13."House of Woodcock"3:53
14."Sandalwood II"3:43
15."Barbara Rose"4:40
16."Endless Superstition"3:05
17."Phantom Thread IV"2:59
18."For the Hungry Boy"3:36
Total length:55:53

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards March 4, 2018 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Nominated [47]
Austin Film Critics Association January 8, 2018 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Nominated [48]
Boston Society of Film Critics December 10, 2017 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Won [49]
British Academy Film Awards February 18, 2018 Best Film Music Jonny Greenwood Nominated [50]
Chicago Film Critics Association December 12, 2017 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Won [51]
[52]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 11, 2018 Best Score Jonny Greenwood Nominated [53]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 23, 2017 Best Score Jonny Greenwood Nominated [54]
[55]
Georgia Film Critics Association January 12, 2018 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Nominated [56]
Golden Globe Awards January 7, 2018 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Nominated [57]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association December 3, 2017 Best Music Jonny Greenwood Won [58]
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards December 10, 2017 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Won [59]
Seattle Film Critics Society December 18, 2017 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Won [60]
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 17, 2017 Best Original Score Jonny Greenwood Won [61]
[62]

References
  1. "Phantom Thread [Soundtrack]". Nonesuch Records. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  2. Fury, Alexander (28 November 2017). "A Film That Pays Homage to the Bygone Era of London Couture". T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  3. Burlingame, Jon (16 February 2018). "From Radiohead to the Oscar-Nominated 'Phantom Thread': Jonny Greenwood on His Musical Process". Variety. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. Wood, Mikael (22 February 2018). "Jonny Greenwood on the romance and sincerity of his score for 'Phantom Thread'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  5. Tommasini, Anthony (21 February 2018). "How Jonny Greenwood Wove the 'Phantom Thread' Score". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. Coyle, Jake (14 February 2018). "For Greenwood and Anderson, a crescendo in 'Phantom Thread'". Associated Press. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  7. Miller, Matt (16 January 2018). "Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood Might Finally Get the Oscar He Deserves". Esquire. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. Martin, Rachel; Pearson, Vince (26 February 2018). "Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood On The Music Of 'Phantom Thread'". Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  9. Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (liner notes). Jonny Greenwood. Nonesuch Records. 2018. 564777.CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. Burlingame, Jon (11 December 2017). "There Will Be Greenwood: The Radiohead Rocker on Scoring 'Phantom Thread'". Variety. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  11. Sharf, Zack (17 December 2017). "Jonny Greenwood's 'Phantom Thread' Original Score is Used in Nearly 70% of the Movie". IndieWire. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
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