Mahler, Gu¿¿nad¿¿ttir, Elgar: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture T¿¿r

by Sophie Kauer, Cate Blanchett, Hildur Gudjnadottir

Overview

Classical music has needed a bit of star power for a while now, and receiving it from Cate Blanchett in the 2022 film Tar is all to the good. The film is a psychological drama about the titular Lydia Tar, portrayed as the first female conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. She is also a composer. Tar (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture) will certainly serve viewers as a soundtrack album, but it is different enough from the usual such items that label Deutsche Grammophon bills it as a concept album related to the film rather than as a soundtrack. It does not match exactly what is heard in the film; of the music here by composer Hildur Gudjnadottir, most pieces do not actually appear. Instead, in the words of director Todd Field, "the tracks, like the film, are meant to invite the listener to experience the messiness involved in the making of music." The listener hears completed pieces, rehearsal segments, recording session excerpts, short comments from Gudjnadottir, and segments representing Tar's compositional process, including a field recording. There are four ensembles in all: the Dresden Philharmonic stands in for the Berlin Phil; the London Contemporary Orchestra plays the music by Gudjnadottir; the New Trombone Collective is heard in a popular song; and the London Symphony Orchestra, with new cellist Sophie Kauer, is heard in excerpts from a recording session for Elgar's Cello Concert in E minor, Op. 85. It is unlike anything else that has ever been attempted before; to a degree, the format is suggested by the musical content of the film, but Deutsche Grammophon deserves credit for responding creatively to that suggestion. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	10/21/2022
Label:	Deutsche Grammophon
UPC:	0028948634316

Tracks

1. For Petra (Vocal)
2. Mortar
3. Hildur Gu¿nadóttir speaking about the work "For Petra" (from the film Tár)~Introductory Words by Hildur Gu¿nadóttir
4. For Petra (Orchestral)
5. Hildur Gu¿nadóttir speaking about the work "For Petra" (from the film Tár)~Hildur's Impressions
6. T¿¿r~1. Largo
7. T¿¿r~2. Allegro
8. T¿¿r~3. Moderato
9. Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor~Rehearsal: 1. Trauermarsch & 2. St¿¿rmisch Bewegt
10. Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor~Rehearsal: 4. Adagietto
11. Recording session for Elgar's Cello Concerto (for the film Tár)~Introductory Words
12. Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85~4. Allegro / First Take [Excerpt]
13. Recording session for Elgar's Cello Concerto (for the film Tár)~Control-Room Talk
14. Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85~4. Allegro
15. Recording session for Elgar's Cello Concerto (for the film Tár)~Applause
16. Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85~1. Adagio - Moderato [Excerpt]
17. Here's That Rainy Day
18. Dialogue from the film T¿¿r~Lesson - Prelude in C major, BWV 846 (From The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I [Excerpt])
19. Dialogue from the film T¿¿r~Lydia T¿¿r Field Recording
20. Cura Mente

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sophie Kauer   Primary Artist,Cello
Cate Blanchett   Primary Artist,Piano,Conductor,Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
Hildur Gudjnadottir   Primary Artist,Vocals,Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
Elisa Vargas Fernandez   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra   Orchestra
London Contemporary Orchestra   Orchestra
Robert Ames   Conductor
London Symphony Orchestra   Orchestra
Martijn Sohier   Conductor
Soloists of the London Contemporary Orchestra   Ensemble
Natalie Murray Beale   Conductor
Zethphan Smith-Gneist   Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
New Trombone Collective   Ensemble
Al Kay   Trombone

Technical Credits

Job Maarse   Recording Producer
Harry George   Copyist
Steve Dierkens   Engineer
Rachel Smith   Producer
Eva Reisinger   Editing
Gerard McCann   Editing
Spoken Word   Composer
Christian Badzura   Executive Producer
Alex Wharton   Mastering
Lucy Bright   Music Supervisor
Florian Karg   Design,Packaging
Robert Ames   Orchestration,Arranger
Lauran Jurrius   Engineer
Lars Hoffmann   Production Manager
Nikki Walsh   Marketing,Soundtrack Coordination
Gustav Mahler   Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Edward Elgar   Composer
James Van Heusen   Composer
Hildur Gudjnadottir   Composer,Producer
Francesco Donadello   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Post Production
Johnny Burke   Composer
Michael Knobloch   Executive in Charge of Music
Jean-Marie Geijsen   Engineer
Matt Jones   Scoring Recordist
George Oulton   Scoring Recordist
Stephen Griffiths   Sound Design
Tanya Perara   Legal Advisor,Music Business Affairs
Hans-Christian Lohs   Product Manager
Sarah Hallbauer   Legal Advisor,Music Business Affairs
Natalie Hayden   Music Supervisor
Anush Alimirzaie   Executive Producer
Christina Gembaczka   Production Manager
Tom Ashpitel   Assistant Engineer
Samuel Schwenk   Assistant Engineer
Andreas Gembaczka   Engineer
Elisa Vargas Fernandez   Composer
John Kolesnikow   Design,Packaging
Jurgen Nab   Studio Manager
Reinis Bogats   Assistant Engineer
Roland Winke   Engineer
Todd Field   Liner Notes,Photography,Executive Producer
Wirre de Vries   Assistant Engineer
Zackiel Lewis-Griffiths   Engineer
Erdo Groot   Balance Engineer
Gordon Davidson   Engineer
Jonathan Allen   Mixing,Post Production
Joe Wyatt   Assistant Engineer