Scoring Oppenheimer with Ludwig Göransson and Chris Fogel | Trailer

Full video available exclusively on Oscar-winning composer, Ludwig Göransson, makes his Mix With The Masters debut alongside engineer and long-term collaborator, Chris Fogel. Together they dive deep into the composition, recording and mixing of this iconic soundtrack, with a focus on the groundbreaking musical cue “Can You Hear The Music” Ludwig offers his personal connection to the story of Oppenheimer. Drawing inspiration from mathematics, he breaks down the composition process into its core molecular components. You will hear the original harmonic and timbral experiments that lit the fuse for the arrangement, and learn how the ideas were developed using metric modulation and innovative orchestration. The composer then puts theory into practice. After drafting the musical outlines in Ableton and Cubase, he set out to capture a human interpretation of the piece. This was an immense challenge that pushed the musicians to their limit, as they tried and failed to navigate the piece’s complex tempo changes. Ludwig eventually reveals the breakthrough that enabled the orchestra to achieve the impossible. The result is a virtuosic score that honors the accomplishments of the film’s titular character. With the composition and performances locked in place, Ludwig hands over to Chris Fogel to explore his unique engineering process. Chris walks through the tracking setup for each of the three ensembles recorded for the film. With reference to the original patch lists and recording chains, he describes how he captured each track with detail and precision. Transitioning into his mixing workflow, the engineer breaks down his masterful approach to balance, panning, saturation and reverb. Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s world-building, he explores the boundaries of distortion and reamping to create a singular space for the score to inhabit. This imaginative approach to tone shaping was favored by the director in particular, who supported the scoring team every step of the way.