The late Icelandic composer
Johann Johannsson was well known for film scores in which he got considerable emotional mileage out of repetitive, almost minimalistic gestures. The suites from
Sicario (by filmmaker
Denis Villeneuve) and
The Theory of Everything (about
Stephen Hawking) heard here were both nominated for Academy Awards in their full versions, and the latter took a Golden Globe for Best Original Score.
A Prayer to the Dynamo, however, is something else again, an independent orchestral work. Physical and online versions of the album apparently differ in their track sequencing, with this work coming first only in the physical albums. This is preferable, for it is quite an arresting and distinctive work. The title refers to a disused power station in Iceland where the composer recorded concrete sounds, incorporating them into the score as samples. This is one of few pieces
Johannsson wrote independently of a cinematic context, and it is receiving its world premiere recording here (it was performed by the
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, which commissioned it). The language is not distinct from that of the film scores, but the samples lend the music a mysterious and somewhat futurist sound. The "prayer" element of the title is entirely apropos. Conductor
Daniel Bjarnason and the
Iceland Symphony Orchestra offer the clean, somewhat mechanical sound the music requires, and it is well recorded in Reykjavik's Harpa Concert Hall. Strongly recommended to those interested in the potentialities of new film music, and really anyone will find this an interesting listen. The album made classical best-seller charts in the autumn of 2023. ~ James Manheim
