A Score of Fire and Ice
Review by Richard Buxton
Due to a certain epic trilogy released in the first half of the last decade, the fantasy genre brings with it increasingly high musical expectations. Soaring themes of discovery, conflict and conquest are commonplace in a genre packed with memorable scores, and so it is understandable that a television series based on the critically acclaimed A SONG OF FIRE AND ICE novels will be expected to uphold such traditions.
From the opening moments of GAME OF THRONES pilot episode “Winter Is Coming”, all signs point to a series that has every intention of maintaining a faithful grip on the ambition held by author GEORGE R. R. Martin. The scale of spectacle that HBO has become renowned for is ever-present, giving the series that vital extra sheen of authenticity. The stellar cast lends itself well in creating a cast of compelling characters that inhabit the vast mythology on display in the Seven Kingdoms.
Seeing the likes of RAMIN DJAWADI in the role of composer should come as no surprise given his ever-growing experience in television scoring. His previous experience ranges from the gritty suspense of PRISON BREAK to the sci-fi drama of FLASH FORWARD. While both of these stand out as high-end productions for a composer, they offered little opportunity for DJAWADI to truly express himself and the universe of the shows. GAME OF THRONES is exactly that. A chance to be enveloped in a vast world of history, a chance that most composers surely dream of.
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