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Finale - Game of Thrones Season 1

All rights (legal and intellectual) belong to Ramin Djawadi

This song plays in the last scene of Season 1 of Game of Thrones. Daenerys has just walked into the funeral pyre holding Khal Drogo's body and Mirri Maz Duur. The scene features an opening of Jorah Mormont walking through the dirt toward the ashes of the pyre. It pans to Daenerys curled in on herself covered in soot, naked, and unhurt. When she rises, her three newborn dragons climb up and around her. We see a sweeping scene of her khalasar's reactions, Jorah, and Daenerys and her dragons before leading into the credits.

Personal Analysis

This song's ingenuity stems from its brilliant gradient of thematic choices and polyrhythmic feel. This song encapsulates the emotion of the moment, Daenerys's season arc, and the overall Game of Thrones story.

The songs carries a light 3/4 feel throughout the theme in which Djawadi switches emphasis between the eighth note and quarter note depending on the feeling Djawadi strove to convey. In other words, sometimes the song felt like it moved in 3/4, other times it felt like it moved in 6/8, and other times it felt like both. I found this mostly derived from how Djawadi voiced the melody and counter melod(ies) at any given time. Daenerys's theme feels polyrhythmic because the melody is smooth and legato in feel but it is underscored by the intensity and syncopated articulation of the masterful percussion. The percussion creates a lulling melody that holds an intensity and flame not yet seen on Game of Thrones thus far.

Finally, Daenerys's arc in this season culminates with a theme that represents the depths and layers to the development of her character. The theme embodies elements of magic and prowess. Daenerys's theme is zealous, grand, and refined.

The song features three main builds -- with the last being the final climax featuring the most layered instrumentation and rhythmic complexity.

1st Climactic Build (00:37 - 00:48)

The song opens with a general stillness and strained anticipation.

The initial ametric feeling in the beginning gains stability with the subtle and delicate hinting of Daenerys's theme.

The low resonant tone and drawn out flourishes from the cello add to a sparse introduction in Dm. However, Djawadi uses the parallel major to unnerve the audience. When the violin enters, it plays octaves above the cello and layers in an eerie version of Daenerys's theme. This upper register leans into the major 7th of Amaj, G#. This creates a feeling of ominous hollowness until Daenerys's full theme surges, bringing depth, fullness, and resolution to the piece.

The transition into this first climactic moment features an ascending melody that leads into a succinct, strong down beat of an epic lullaby. The mix of Armenian and Indonesian drums offers a more textured percussion experience compared to many Hollywood cinematic scores. The voice of the percussionists shines, providing a daring sort of energy that incites anticipation and an edge of tenacity as we hear Daenerys's theme flourish for the first time in the series.

2nd Climactic Build (00:48 - 01:10)

This section features a brisk 3/4 as the driving pulse of this section to allow audiences to savor this theme and the bask in the glory of Daenerys's miraculous triumph.

It features an eighth note lick which outlines a triad by starting at the root and third, quickly visiting the fifth, and returns to the third. This pattern changes with the chord progression bringing us through Fmaj and Bbmaj until the theme begins to swell. It finally crests with a sonorous moment from the ensemble and chorale back into Dm.

We revel in the strength, the passion, and the wonder of the moment.

3rd Climactic Build (1:50 - 2:01)

This 8 measure reprise of the Main Theme eventually returns to a 6/8 feel compared to a 3/4, and it slowly becomes more fluid. This fosters an elegant tone compared to that of the feverish melody and instrumentation featured in the middle section of the theme.

It features an impactful running eighth note lick in which the percussion emphasizes each quarter note beat giving the moment a triplet feel. Simultaneously, ascending eighth note run layered over top gives the lick a duplet feel, which when compounded with the percussion adds to the intensity and anticipation of the song's zenith.

With this last climactic build, Djawadi creates a satisfyingly powerful, delicate, and triumphant return to our true story: a Song of Ice and Fire.

Score

Intensity: 4 Melancholia: 1 Timbre Complexity: 4 Goosebumps: 5 Build: 5 Personal Nostalgia: 2

*look up interviews with Ramin Djawadi or other blogs for different perspectives **or don't, i'm not your mother

[melomane-musings]

Game of Thrones, Ramin Djawadi

A general overview of Ramin Djawadi's masterpiece of a score quickly devolves into a love letter!

The Game of Thrones score is the next evolutionary step in Zimmer’s program of prestige enormity and super-macho delicacy, the soaring soulfulness of peak John Williams married to the thunderous menace of Djawadi’s beloved Metallica.

Rob Harvilla succinctly encapsulates how I would describe Djawadi's messianic score. Djawadi rejuvenates what it means to have story-enhancing scores. He underscores into the particularities of narratives. Rather than reflect a singular cinematic environment and story arc, Djawadi spins a web of interconnected themes and motifs to elevate all characters' voices. He composes themes for characters, houses, groups, locations and more ... the delicately deadly Arya Stark theme, the dauntless Greyjoy score, the horribly ominous Chaos is a Ladder, the desolate iciness, enormity, and power of the Wall and all its Northern inhabitants. What dedication from this artist to color each and every character/scene with the nuance it demands.

Much of this intentionality manifests in Djawadi's exceptional instrumentation. He implements instruments to bolster the experience and tone of the score and scene overall. Djawadi employs a strong string core -- leaning heavily on cello and violin -- while also pulling in the Armenian duduk, Indonesian drums, glass harmonica (absolutely transforming the timbre of each theme!!).

Most notably to me, is Djawadi's use of human voice. He wields the choir to emulate the significance and influence of a Greek chorus. The choir reminds listeners of ethical implications and ultimately, the People. Sometimes it manifests magnificently as a liberated people in Mhysa, though other times its featured as a ghoulish cautionary tale to not forget the lives lost to the God of Death in Winter is Here.

Among his other achievements, Djawadi writes a masterclass of manipulating keys and diatonic modes. He uses major keys to unnerve listeners and highlight pre-established tones. He makes minor keys sound triumphant and beautiful while also carrying lament and severity.

I came across a DirectTV Insider article that provides the perfect example in that of the Main Theme: "While the theme is set in a minor key, the opening bars offer a brief dalliance to a parallel major key before slipping back as the melody begins. That musical glimmer of hope actually tells you a lot about the show: just when you think you’re safe, you’re back in the realm of betrayal, poison, and undead hordes." If while listening to his work you think you noticed something unique, you did. You are correct. Ramin Djawadi put it their for your pleasure.

Overall, Djawadi proves a paragon of cinematic scoring. Djawadi's score proves evocative not merely due to its technical victories but due to his intentionality and piercing desire to waken us as an audience. He yearns for his music to fortify our emotional connection to the scene, the story, and the humanity of a Song of Ice & Fire.

If Djawadi is celebrated until the end of time, it will still not be enough.

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I put that last sentence into an AI thing to see how it would make it more romantic sounding and this is what I got:

When eons wane and cease to chart their course, And Djawadi's name resounds through timeless air, Yet even then, emboldened by love's force, The praise shall fall short, unable to compare.

"I like it !" (said like Joey in Friends Season 6 Ep. 9 after he eats Rachels trifle)

xx

[melomane-musings]

About Me

Hi everyone, glad you're here.

I made this blog mostly for myself and to share with loved ones, so if you've come across this and need it, here is some context about my love for cinematic music:

I have been playing the alto and soprano sax for 13 years across genres of groups in varying sizes (ensemble -> quartet)

I came from a heavily musical family who taught me how to sing for the skill in itself and because we spent our most meaningful time together singing and performing

I heavily considered becoming a music educator who performs in ensembles outside of school -> I took AP Music Theory in highschool and participated in multiple ensembles through highschool and college

Rather than music as an academic passion though, I realized music was a microcosm of my bigger passion: storytelling. The value in human experience is incalculable. Storytelling empowers humanity to share their voice and experiences. It is truly our most valuable currency: our selves, our identity, our history.

I yearn to revel in the deep emotional narratives within all media: music, film, television, books, creative art.

Cinematic music proves to blend as many of these forms of media into one auditory experience. The songs carry the weight, the depth, the nuance, the magic, of the overall story seen on screen. It shapes your experience of narratives entirely with its physiologically evocative effects.

I am closest to peace when I listen to music, for it allows me to feel.

I put together a spreadsheet with a rating system I made up in an attempt to capture my thoughts and feelings about this music. I didn't particularly feel satisfied by how quantitative it became, which brought me to this blog. I'll include the quantified ratings though, because sometimes it's fun. So, wanted you to know what it meant -- I'll link it to the pinned post.

xx

[melomane-musings]

Cinematic Contents

About Me

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Game of Thrones - Ramin Djwadi

Season 1

Finale

Harry Potter

Pirates of the Carribbean

Other Films

Other Shows

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Rating Metric

Cinematic Rating Metric Spreadsheet