2021
N/A
Rescoring
The composition process for this piece was unique as I started with a rough plan, and then recorded several takes of myself playing the piano with timpani beaters whilst watching the scene. The piano was on its side at the time, with the strings exposed and the dampeners off, which created a wonderful natural reverb that fit the eerie visuals perfectly. I recorded the piano with one stereo field microphone which resulted in a surprisingly high-definition recording, with a small amount of background noise that filled out the stereo-field. I also used various small segments of field recordings that I made to flavour the slow building piano while bridging the gap between sound effects and score, a technique used extensively by Tarkovsky's composer Eduard Artemyev. The distant, reverberating clarinet provided a totally different sound when overlayed with itself, at times indistinguishable from its classical context. I also played percussive rhythms on the shell of the piano in some takes to drive the action of the film and help retain audience interest during some of Tarkovsky’s longer takes. I spliced parts of several different takes together to achieve the most fitting soundscape, while avoiding any jarring transitions from one take to another.