Like the series itself, Djawadis song has a clear narrative structure—switching from the minor key to major, then back again, all in its first few bars. “My intention with that was right away you feel like, Oh, Im settling into the key of the piece is written in, but then, all of a sudden, there comes this change that you don't expect to,” he explained. “Any plot [on the show] could change on you at any time. Thats how Game of Thrones is, so I wanted to establish the surprise musically right away.”
The melody enters on the cello, followed by violin, strings, brass, and a celestial 20-person choir, recorded in Prague. Theres also, to the untrained ear, a rather mysterious sound: the twinge of a hammered dulcimer, a percussive, harp-like instrument. For Djawadi, ending the song on that note is the equivalent of a sonic cliffhanger.
Like many musicians, Djawadi has synesthesia, a condition that allows him to see music in colors. “When I arrange my piece, I just do it in color,” he explained. “Oh, I need a little bit more yellow here, or I need a little bit more green, or a darker green. Thats how it comes together.” For Djawadi, the Thrones theme song is a splash of fiery hues: yellow, orange, and red.
Nearly a decade later, the composer still recalls how it felt to play his final product for Benioff and Weiss for the first time.
“I actually remember turning around after I first played it for them, and Dan started whistling it, which I thought was super cool,” Djawadi said. “They would all just say, Yeah—thats Game of Thrones. It clicked right away.”
It also clicked perfectly with the title sequence: “The music just gave it this grandeur that wed been hoping for,” Wall said.
After the shows successful first season, Wall, Shintani, Feng, and Shaukat won the primetime Emmy for title design. Djawadi was snubbed, but was nominated later in 2014, and again in 2018. He won best music composition that year, for his work on the episode “The Dragon and the Wolf.”
Djawadi, Wall, and Shintani have all remained on the show throughout its tenure, adjusting as its gone from underdog series to cultural juggernaut. Security for each passing season, for example, has tightened to a breathtaking degree. In later seasons, Shintani said, Walls team often met in locked rooms with black-out windows.
“Nobody has access to the studio when I work on the show, so its under complete lockdown,” Djawadi said. “Im a true believer of keeping secrets . . .my wife, she doesnt even know. Usually in the past I wouldnt tell her whats happening in the show, but I would play her the music here and there. This time, Im not even playing her any music.”
Still, despite the massive ratings, the awards, and the legions of fans, both Shintani and WaRead More – Source
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