The Danish Girl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album composed by Alexandre Desplat for the 2015 film The Danish Girl. It was released by Decca Records on 27 November 2015, the same day as the film’s theatrical release in the United States.
Production
In preparation to score The Danish Girl, composer Alexandre Desplat was given the film’s script and did his own research on Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Additionally, director Tom Hooper sent Desplat photos of Eddie Redmayne's transformation into Lili Elbe.
Finding the correct tone for his score proved to be challenging for Desplat. He didn't want the score to veer too dark or too simple; it had to be romantic, but also needed to convey something deeper than a simple love story in film. Desplat also didn't want to patronize or stereotype Lili Elbe with his score.
Desplat had a breakthrough when he realized that the score had to emulate Lili through the eyes of Gerda. Thus, Desplat scored a duet that gave both characters a voice. With the help of his wife and artistic director, violinist Dominique Lemonnier, Desplat veered away from his usual "restrained and fragile” writing for strings, and instead captured a warmer sound that would emulate the love Gerda had for Lili.
As The Danish Girl had been invited to the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, the post-production process had to be expedited. The film was still being edited as Desplat wrote his score, and the score underwent several last-minute changes and adjustments during this time. The soundtrack was recorded one week before the film's premiere at AIR Studios, and it was mixed and mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
Legacy and accolades
In 2016, the soundtrack was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the Satellite Award for Best Original Score.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from CD liner notes. Soundtrack album produced by – Dominique Solrey Lemonnier and Alexandre Desplat Mastered by – Simon Gibson All tracks except Track 18
Composed by – Alexandre Desplat
Performed by – London Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra leader – Carmine Lauri
Piano – Dave Arch
Score producer – Dominique Solrey Lemonnier
Recorded by – Peter Cobbin
Mixed by – Peter Cobbin and Kirsty Whalley
Assistant engineers – Adam Miller, Laurence Anslow, and Toby Hulbert
Music editors – Lewis Morison, Michael Pärt, Rael Jones, and Peter Clarke
Orchestrations – Alexandre Desplat, Jean-Pascal Beintus, Sylvain Morizet, and Nicolas Charron CD sequencing and editing – Xavier Forcioli Executive in charge of music for Universal Pictures – Mike Knobloch Publisher – UPG Music Publishing (BMI)