''Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' is the original soundtrack album to the 2017 film ''

Phantom Thread ''Phantom Thread'' is a 2017 American historical drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville. Set in 1950s London, it stars Day-Lewis as an haute couture dressmaker who ...

'', directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. The record consists of eighteen tracks from a film score written and composed by

Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores. Along with his elder brother, th ...

. Greenwood's score was released digitally by Nonesuch Records on 12 January 2018, with a CD edition later released on 9 February 2018 and a vinyl edition on 21 April 2018. In preparation for the score, Greenwood researched the musical trends of the 1950s, referencing Glenn Gould's Bach recordings and the work of

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...

. The score was recorded in London with a 60-piece orchestra, including the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

and the

London Contemporary Orchestra The London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO), founded in 2008 by Hugh Brunt and Robert Ames, is an ensemble of young musicians whose stated aim is "to explore and promote new music to an increasingly wide audience". LCO staged its inaugural season at ...

. It is Greenwood's fourth soundtrack for director Paul Thomas Anderson and appears across the majority of the film's 130-minute runtime. It was met with favourable reviews from critics, receiving nominations for the

Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by t ...

, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the

BAFTA Award for Best Original Music This is a list of winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Music, formerly known as the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, which is presented to film score, film composers, given out by the British Academy of Film and Televis ...

Background and recording

''Phantom Thread'' is a

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

set in 1950s London and is about the fictional couturier Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The soundtrack was composed by

and consists of piano and string sections. Director Paul Thomas Anderson initially asked Greenwood for an "English" sound, but they found the folk-influenced orchestral music typical of Britain in the 1950s to be too "twee" for a London fashion designer like Reynolds Woodcock. Greenwood specifically researched music that was written and recorded during the 1950s as well as the classical music which was popular with that generation. The works of

and Glenn Gould's Bach recordings were Greenwood's primary references. In particular, Anderson advised Greenwood to research Riddle's score for

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's ''

Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...

'' (1962) and his work with jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. Anderson also advised Greenwood to view

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

's 1949 film '' The Passionate Friends'', which was scored by Richard Addinsell. The music of jazz pianist

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

was also an inspiration for Greenwood. Greenwood's score was written during his travels for

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

's '' A Moon Shaped Pool'' tour, including in hotel rooms and dressing rooms. His recording process first involved recording demos through his iPhone and sending them to Anderson. The first two pieces he sent were deemed too dark by Anderson, who felt the music was "giving away what's going to happen" in the story. Anderson pushed Greenwood for a more romantic sound, and was interested in incorporating large string sections. Greenwood was inspired by the large, "over-the-top" romantic orchestra recordings of

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

composers Bach and Vivaldi from the 1960s and 1970s, including Riccardo Muti's 1977 recording of Vivaldi's "

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

". He was also inspired by string-heavy jazz records from the 1950s, including Ben Webster's ''

Music for Loving ''Music for Loving'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Ben Webster with tracks recorded in 1954 and released by Norgran in 1955. The album was reissued in 1957 by Verve as ''Sophisticated Lady''. In 1996 Verve released a double CD compiling ...

'' (1954). Greenwood envisioned what music the characters themselves would have listened to, and convinced Anderson that the character of Woodcock would intensely listen to Glenn Gould. Principally, Greenwood focused on composing "genuinely romantic music" that was sincere and not "pastiche" or "overly atonal/microtonal". At the same time, he worked to ensure the music was keeping with the 1950s while avoiding any sense of being "tongue-in-cheek" or "ironic", which Greenwood believed was antithetical to the character of Reynolds Woodcock. The piano served as the common ground between the contrasting romantic compositions for the film and the more formal music fitting for Reynolds Woodcock. Greenwood also received musical input from Day-Lewis, who discussed the music of Thomas Tallis. The album was recorded in London at RAK Studios and AIR Studios. It was recorded with the

, conducted by Robert Ziegler, and the

, conducted by Robert Ames. Greenwood also enlisted a string quartet, which appears on four of the album's tracks. At one point, Greenwood recorded with an orchestra of 60 strings, his largest to date. The score also features a cimbalom, which is used to characterise Alma, and is supposed to allude to her presumed origin from an Eastern European country. The album was mixed and mastered at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

. Ultimately, the soundtrack is featured prominently in the film, with nearly 90 minutes of music appearing during the film's 130-minute runtime. The film also features music selected by Anderson, namely classical pieces by

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

, Franz Schubert,

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...

and

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

Release and promotion

On 1 February 2017,

Focus Features Focus Features LLC is an American film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast as part of Universal Pictures, a division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Focus Features distributes independent and foreign films in th ...

officially announced that Greenwood was scoring Anderson's upcoming film. On 26 October 2017, Greenwood shared the sheet music for the film's title theme. The album details were announced on 21 December 2017, and "House of Woodcock" was released the same day. The album was released digitally on 12 January 2018, followed by a CD release on 9 February 2018 and a vinyl LP release on 21 April 2018 ( Record Store Day). The DVD and Blu-ray releases of ''Phantom Thread'' included early demos of Greenwood's score. The score was first performed on 31 January 2018 by the London Contemporary Orchestra during the film's preview screening at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...

in London. Anderson and Greenwood were in attendance and were interviewed by film critic

Mark Kermode Mark James Patrick Kermode (, ; ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter and podcaster. He is the chief film critic for ''The Observer'', contributes to the magazine ''Sight & Sound'', prese ...

. On 24 and 25 February 2018, the score was performed by the Wordless Music Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra at the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

Howard Gilman Opera House The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

in Brooklyn,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. On 2 March 2018, the score was again performed by the Wordless Music Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra at

The Theatre at Ace Hotel Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, originally built as the California Petroleum Corporation Building and later known as the Texaco Building, is a , 13-story highrise hotel and theater building located at 937 South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, ...

in Los Angeles, California, with Greenwood and Anderson in attendance.

Critical reception

''Phantom Thread'' has a score of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim," based on 9 reviews. Andrew Male of ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' gave the soundtrack a perfect score, calling it "an album that goes far beyond emulation or pastiche to capture the emotional heart of a strange and elusive film".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

of AllMusic called Greenwood's score "rich and gorgeous, elegant because of its exacting nature, an aesthetic that suits the film to a T." Michael Bonner of ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' gave the score an 8 out of 10 rating, writing that it complemented the film's 1950s London setting "with its own opulent old-world beauty." Charles Steinberg of '' Under the Radar'' praised the score's ability to "accompany the precise tone of every scene", "rising and falling with all of its subtleties and secrets" and concluded in saying that Greenwood "now feels essential" as a composer. Winston Cook-Wilson of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' wrote, "Greenwood's abilities have never served one of Anderson's films better, or proved so integral to its power." Richard Driver of '' PopMatters'' praised the album's sequencing and called it Greenwood's "strongest developed yet, delivering massive impact for the film". James Oldham of '' Q'' called it "uniformly deft, sumptuous and moving." Kevin Lozano of '' Pitchfork'' praised Greenwood's ambition and the score's "subtler" moments like "Never Cursed", but lamented that the score's "sumptuousness can be overbearing" and lacking in its sense of restraint. Zack Ruskin of '' Consequence of Sound'' praised Greenwood's orchestration for embodying the demeanour of Reynolds Woodcock, but criticised the score's tendency to "spill over and drown the sparse passages of unease that serve as ''Phantom Thread''s emotional center."

Lists

Accolades

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Musicians

– composition , orchestrations , piano *

Hugh Brunt Hugh Brunt is a British conductor. He shares with Robert Ames the positions of artistic director and principal conductor of the London Contemporary Orchestra. Career Brunt was a chorister at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and a music ...

– additional orchestration * Robert Ziegler – conductor , additional orchestration * Robert Ames – conductor * Katherine Tinker – piano , celeste * Daniel Pioro – violin , solo violin arrangement *

– performance *

– performance * Jonathan Morton – violin * Charlotte Bonneton – viola * Oliver Coates – cello * Eleanor Turner – harp

Technical

* Graeme Stewart – production , recording , mixing * John Barrett – mixing * Nick Wollage – recording * Fiona Cruickshank – recording * Rob Brinkmann – recording assistant * Ashley Andrew-Jones – recording assistant * Christian Wright – mastering

Design

* Laura Hynd – photography * Shin Katan – album artwork * Dustin Stanton – design

In popular culture

* "House of Woodcock" was chosen by figure skater Yuna Kim and used in her act at All That Skate 2018.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phantom Thread Jonny Greenwood albums 2018 soundtrack albums 2010s film soundtrack albums Nonesuch Records soundtracks Instrumental soundtracks Drama film soundtracks Classical music soundtracks Albums recorded at RAK Studios Albums recorded at AIR Studios