Spend Some Time With The Score For ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’

The Oscars were last night, but we assume since you have any interest at all in the internet that you already knew that. The three-hour (plus) event was unlike any award show in recent memory, both in length and attention for film’s that embrace the power of music to move people as much as they do moving pictures. 

One of the biggest winners of the night was The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson’s latest coming of age tale. Composer Alexandre Desplat won his first Oscar ever for the film’s brilliant and thrilling score, which you can now stream below:

We obviously don’t have the pull to lock down a last minute interview with Desplat, but we felt it was important to share this film’s score with all of you today. Whether you have paid to journey to The Grand Budapest Hotel yourself, or you watched last night’s ceremony wondering who Wes Anderson was, there is something whimsical in this soundtrack everyone can appreciate. 

Many composers try to craft music to match exactly what is happening on screen, but Desplat has carved his own path by creating unique sonic landscapes that serve as compliments to what is happening on screen. It’s an approach the plays well with the often fairy tale like appearance of Anderson’s movies, tying everything together without ever seeming like something a major studio could (or would ever think to) produce.

You can see and hear examples of how his music compliments the scene rather than responding in any direct manner:

The music sets a tone of intrigue almost immediately, but it doesn’t spike or necessary react to the dialogue being delivered. When M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) cracks his joke, however, the music drops out. It returns along with intrigue, and you continue to be engaged without feeling lead to any false or overblown conclusions.

Whether you’re watching the film or just enjoying the soundtrack, there is an atmosphere of spontaneity to the entire proceeding that breathes a bit of life into every occasion. If the Monday grind gets you down, maybe this score will be the cure for the work day blues. 

James Shotwell