The Childhood of a Leader (soundtrack)

Last updated

The Childhood of a Leader
Scott Walker - The Childhood of a Leader.png
Soundtrack album by
Scott Walker
Released19 August 2016
Recorded2013–2016
Genre Classical
Length30:16
Label 4AD
Producer
Scott Walker chronology
Soused
(2014)		The Childhood of a Leader
(2016)		 Vox Lux
(2018)

The Childhood of a Leader is the soundtrack to the 2015 film of the same name, featuring musical score composed by Scott Walker. It is his second score composed for a feature film after his debut composition for Pola X in 1999. The score album was released alongside the film on 19 August 2016, coinciding with the United Kingdom release, and was received with positive reviews.

Contents

Background and release

Walker was the earliest crew member to be brought on-board for the film. He agreed to be involved in the film after Corbet texted him during the film's development in mid-2013, albeit his involvement was confirmed in October 2014. [1] [2] Describing the score, Corbet said that "There's nobody that would have been the right combination of classical and totally punk other than Scott. That was a defining characteristic of what we set out to do." [3] Walker wrote the film's music based on the script and had recorded a 120-piece orchestra for the film's score. [4]

At the 2016 International Film Festival Rotterdam, where the film served as the closing film in the festival. Walker performed the film score live during the film's screening. [5] The soundtrack album was released by 4AD on 19 August 2016. [6] [7]

Critical reception

Winston Cook-Wilson of Pitchfork assigned a score of 7.9 (out of 10) and wrote "The Childhood of a Leader is a clear high water mark for Walker in terms of instrumental writing, but it is also, in many ways, an apt extension of textural ideas Walker has explored on his past two albums". [8] Writing for The Quietus, Euan Andrews described it as "an unexpectedly urgent addition to a master's late period canon". [9] In a three-star review Andy Gill of The Independent described it as "a premonitory sweep evoking both destiny and danger". [10]

Louis Pattison of Uncut gave four stars and wrote "You could hardly call Scott's score especially nuanced. But as a recreation of the sheer visceral horror of totalitarianism, a hideous spectacle of tyrannical power unchecked, it is difficult to fault." [11] Nick James Scavo of Tiny Mix Tapes also assigned four stars, saying "It's the power and presence of Walker's flawed, pseudo-totalist music that picks at this sore historical moment, speculating its resiliency, foretelling both childhood and fascism to be ghostly political precodes, a fierce explication of their overlap." [12] Alun Hamnett of Record Collector wrote "Despite its mere 30 minute length, The Childhood Of A Leader is a score that really takes it out of you." [13]

David Meller of MusicOMH wrote "Yet another reason why Walker's soundtrack is so affecting is because it echoes the times we currently live in. It's dogmatic, uncompromising and confrontational." [14] Ed Nash of The Line of Best Fit gave 8/10 and wrote "Scott Walker is more interested in moving forward than looking back and with the soundtrack to The Childhood of a Leader his music is as unique as ever." [15] Audrey Lockie of SLUG Magazine wrote "Scott Walker's music foreshadows tragedy, but never tells when (or if) this tragedy will occur. Often, it feels as if this music simply conjures up a maddening and endless sense of paranoia." [16] Adam Turner-Heffer of Drowned in Sound gave 7/10 and described it as "an impressive work but sans context, it largely will pass a casual listener by as merely a moody and atmospheric soundtrack without much for them to sink their teeth into." [17]

Walker's score received acclaim, as Gary Goldstein of Los Angeles Times said that it "impresses and fascinates". [18] Donald Clarke of The Irish Times called it "MVP" of the film, [19] while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described it as an "almost Herrmann-esque orchestral score from Scott Walker. The touch of suppressed psychopathic rage comes from his music." [20] Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com called Walker's "propulsive, clangorous score" as an "asset throughout the film". [21] Guy Lodge of Variety described it as "cacophonous". [22] Calling it as a "thundering" score, critic based at The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Scott Walker's music is always original, even if it tends to be used in an orgy of symphonic excess." [23] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club called Walker's score as "a work of dark, twisted genius, skin-crawling and bombastic in equal measure". [24] David Ehlrich of IndieWire listed the film's score as one among the best scores of the year and the decade. [25] [26]

Track listing

The Childhood of a Leader track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Orchestral Tuning Up"0:17
2."Opening"5:32
3."Dream Sequence"2:20
4."Village Walk"1:30
5."Run"0:49
6."Down the Stairs"0:32
7."Up the Stairs"1:07
8."The Letter"0:38
9."Versailles"1:24
10."Cutting Flowers"0:41
11."Boy, Mirror, Car Arriving"1:37
12."Third Tantrum"1:57
13."Printing Press"1:06
14."On the Way to the Meeting"1:05
15."The Meeting"3:36
16."Post Meeting"1:47
17."Finale"3:04
18."New Dawn (Synth Layout for Cut Scene)"1:15
Total length:27:37

Chart performance

Chart performance for The Childhood of a Leader
Chart (2012)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] 81
UK Albums (OCC) [28] 91
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [29] 19
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) [30] 3

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References

  1. ↑ Lindsay, Benjamin (22 July 2016). "The Makings of a Man". Interview Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "'Nymphomaniac' Star Stacy Martin Joins 'Childhood Of A Leader' With Robert Pattinson, Scott Walker To Score". IndieWire. 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Gibbs, Ed (16 August 2016). "Brady Corbet: 'I wanted to make a poetic film about politics'". Little White Lies. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  4. ↑ Winfrey, Graham (21 July 2016). "Brady Corbet On His Directorial Debut 'The Childhood of a Leader' and The Problem With Movies Today". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  5. ↑ Levine, Sydney (26 December 2015). "Brady Corbet's 'The Childhood of a Leader' to Close IFFR 2016". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "'The Childhood of a Leader' Soundtrack Announced". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Scott Walker: 'The Childhood Of A Leader'". 4AD. 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  8. ↑ Cook-Wilson, Winston (22 August 2016). "Scott Walker: The Childhood of a Leader OST". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  9. ↑ Quietus, The (8 October 2016). "Scott Walker — The Childhood Of A Leader". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  10. ↑ Gill, Andy (25 August 2016). "Album reviews: Scott Walker – The Childhood Of A Leader, De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody, The Veils – Total Depravity, and more". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  11. ↑ Pattison, Louis (5 September 2016). "Scott Walker – The Childhood Of A Leader OST". Uncut. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "Music Review: Scott Walker – The Childhood of a Leader". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  13. ↑ Hamnett, Alun (10 August 2016). "The Childhood Of A Leader | Scott Walker". Record Collector Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  14. ↑ Meller, David (22 August 2016). "Scott Walker – The Childhood Of A Leader (OST) | Album Reviews" . musicOMH. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Scott Walker's journey as a maverick musical genius continues to amaze". The Line of Best Fit. 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "Review: Scott Walker – The Childhood of a Leader OST". SLUG Magazine. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  17. ↑ "Album Review: Scott Walker – The Childhood of a Leader OST". Drowned In Sound. 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  18. ↑ Goldstein, Gary (22 July 2016). "'Childhood of a Leader' spins wintry tale around the formation of a fascist mind". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  19. ↑ Clarke, Donald (19 August 2016). "Childhood of a Leader review: a stunning high-art debut". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  20. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (17 August 2016). "The Childhood of a Leader review – stunning origins story for a future fascist". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  21. ↑ Cheshire, Godfrey (22 July 2016). "The Childhood of a Leader movie review (2016)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  22. ↑ Lodge, Guy (7 September 2015). "Venice Film Review: 'The Childhood of a Leader'". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  23. ↑ Staff, T. H. R. (4 September 2015). "'The Childhood of a Leader': Venice Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  24. ↑ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (21 July 2016). "Fascism is a brat in The Childhood Of A Leader". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  25. ↑ Nordine, Michael; Ehrlich, David; Erbland, Kate; O'Falt, Chris (26 July 2019). "The 20 Best Movie Scores of the Decade". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  26. ↑ Ehrlich, David (19 December 2016). "The 10 Best Movie Scores of 2016". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  27. ↑ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 – 26 August to 1 September". Official Charts Company . 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  28. ↑ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 – 26 August to 1 September". Official Charts Company . 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  29. ↑ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 – 26 August to 1 September". Official Charts Company . 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  30. ↑ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 – 26 August to 1 September". Official Charts Company . 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
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