The soundtrack for Norwegian Wood, the new film based on Haruki Murakami’s bestselling novel, featuring a score by Jonny Greenwood, is out next week. Greenwood spoke with BBC 6 Music about finding inspiration for the score in Murakami's novel, his acclaimed score for There Will Be Blood, and future plans for Radiohead. MusicOMH says Greenwood's new score "shows how the string orchestra remains a descriptive force in the right hands." The Evening Standard says it "creates a powerful atmosphere" for the film.
The soundtrack for Norwegian Wood, director Tran Anh Hung’s film adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s bestselling novel, is out next week on Nonesuch, just days before the UK theatrical release of the film. The soundtrack features an instrumental score by Jonny Greenwood performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Emperor Quartet, as well as three tracks written and performed by CAN.
Greenwood spoke with BBC 6 Music's Matt Everitt about finding inspiration for the score in Murakami's novel. He also spoke with Everitt about his acclaimed score for Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 film There Will Be Blood, as well as future plans for Greenwood's band, Radiohead, which recently released a new album, The King of Limbs. You can listen to the segment at bbc.co.uk.
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MusicOMH gives the Norwegian Wood soundtrack three-and-a-half stars. "While the day job remains his role as guitarist with Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood's reputation as an expert orchestral craftsman continues to gather strength," writes reviewer Ben Hogwood.
Following his score for There Will Be Blood, Greenwood's latest "explores further the possibilities of writing for strings," says Hogwood. "Greenwood shows how the string orchestra remains a descriptive force in the right hands."
You can read the review at musicomh.com.
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The Evening Standard, in a larger look at recent filmic contributions from rock musicians, says "Greenwood creates a powerful atmosphere on his soundtrack to the film of Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood." Writer David Smyth describes Greenwood's There Will Be Blood soundtrack as the "deserving winner of the Evening Standard's Award for Best Film Score in 2008. It was orchestral yet modern, never reduced to the background mush so common with film strings and benefiting from extended periods of absence."
Read the article at thisislondon.co.uk.
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The Irish Independent describes Greenwood's latest work as an "evocative, and frequently plaintive score," saying that "as an advertisement for Greenwood's gifts, it's difficult to fault." Reviewer John Meagher also praises the There Will Be Blood score, placing it "among the most powerful of the past decade."
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To pick up a copy of the Norwegian Wood soundtrack, with high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s included and available for download on Tuesday, head to the Nonesuch Store now, where you'll also find the There Will Be Blood score, with three exclusive bonus tracks.
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