Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen
Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen
To mark the latest release in the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth, Matthew Sweet looks at music for films set in prehistoric times, or that feature dinosaurs in a modern setting.
Matthew Sweet talks to film editor, sound designer and director Walter Murch about working on Apocalypse Now, the Godfather films, The Conversation, Barton Fink and Return to Oz
Matthew Sweet is on the hunt for mythical creatures on the big screen. Tune in to escape reality, as we explore film music that transports you to fantastical worlds; from Middle-earth with Howard Shore’s beloved music for The Hobbit, to ancient Greece with Leonard Rosenthal's epic score for Clash of the Titans. Our final destination is the Isle of Berk, the Viking setting of How To Train Your Dragon - the live action remake, scored by John Powell, is released in cinemas this week.
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Matthew Sweet looks at unusual instruments used in film scores such as the Cristal Baschet which is a favourite of Cliff Martinez in scores such as Drive.
He considers the use of unusual technology such as the Blaster Beam used by Jerry Goldsmith in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He traces the development of electronics in film music, from 'electronic tonalities' in Forbidden Planet, to the Moog synthesiser in A Clockwork Orange, and the later use of the Chamberlin by Jon Brion in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
We hear unusual instruments in the scores of blockbusters such as Casino Royale (David Arnold), Sherlock Holmes and Dune (Hans Zimmer). And Matthew's Classic Score of the Week, Spellbound by Miklós Rózsa, features the Theremin.
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Matthew Sweet dials in, with a playlist of film music inspired by a phone call.
Hold the line for classics including Scream, The Conversation and Dial M for Murder. Also featuring Bear McCreary’s score for our featured new release, Drop.
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Matthew Sweet is joined by multiple award-winning composer A.R. Rahman to explore his extraordinary career in film music, including his best-known score - Slumdog Millionaire. In an exclusive interview, we hear about his relationship with his father, R.K. Sekher who was also a film music composer. A.R. Rahman tells Matthew about his early success in the Indian film industry, and why he decided to remain in the industry rather than become a rock musician. And we hear about his work in Hollywood on the comedy Couples Retreat.
A.R. Rahman talks about recently turning his hand to directing with Le Musk, a Virtual Reality film he wrote, scored and co-produced that even uses specially created smells to evoke memories in the viewer. And we hear about his new appointment as Honorary President of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
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Matthew Sweet celebrates the life and work of Studio Ghibli composer, Joe Hisaishi. Tune in for some of his most beloved music, with classic soundtracks including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Joe Hisaishi will make his BBC Proms debut this year, performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema.”
This special episode of Sound of Cinema features an exclusive interview with the legendary film composer and record producer, Hans Zimmer.
Hosted by Matthew Sweet, this programme dives into the growth of live film music, exploring how scores are reworked for the concert platform.
With a catalogue of iconic soundtracks including Pirates of the Caribbean, Inception, and The Dark Knight, Hans Zimmer is a household name. Tune in to find out how he got started in the music industry, where his inspiration comes from and how he prepares for a live performance.
Sharing the stage in this episode is Debbie Wiseman, the award winning composer behind the music of Wolf Hall, and Bear McCreary, a composer who is celebrated for his work on Battlestar Galactica, God of War and more.
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Evil penguins, chickens on the run and the mischievous sheep of Mossy Bottom Farm. Enter the unique musical world of Aardman Animations as Matthew Sweet celebrates the studio's iconic film scores with the release of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
Matthew visits the Aardman Animation studios in Bristol to meet archivist Tom Vincent, where he encounters uniquely Aardman props, puppets and scores - even a real-life Were-Rabbit.
Matthew also speaks to those involved in Vengeance Most Fowl at work in Abbey Road studios in London: filmmaker, animator and creator of Wallace & Gromit, Nick Park and the film's composers Julian Nott and Lorne Balfe.
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Matthew Sweet bangs the drum for the inventive ways films use percussion. There's Tan Dun's taiko masterclass of a score in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the delicate and lyrical marimba in American Beauty, John Williams' ritualistic drums in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Justin Hurwitz's obsessive kit in Whiplash.
To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema".
Matthew Sweet celebrates the centenary of legendary film composer Ron Goodwin - famous for his scores for Where Eagles Dare, 633 Squadron, The Battle of Britain and the Miss Marple films. However, Goodwin's scores are far more varied than military marches, with his music for Hitchcock's Frenzy and the first-ever score for brass band, Escape from the Dark.
Matthew also speaks to Helen, the step-daughter of Ron Goodwin, who shares her memories of growing up with an in-demand composer.
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Matthew Sweet celebrates the film highlights of the year with a focus on the recently announced 2025 Bafta winners.
He speaks exclusively with the winner of the Best Original Score - composer Daniel Blumberg, for the film The Brutalist - who tells Matthew about how he travelled to an Italian quarry to record some of the music, and what it was like to actually win the Bafta itself.
There's music from Conclave, The Brutalist and The Wild Robot, plus even some Zoe Saldana and a hint of Trent Reznor's alarm clock....and even a musical jump-scare from Nosferatu....
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Matthew Sweet speaks to actor and director Jesse Eisenberg about using Chopin's music in his latest film "A Real Pain" - the story of two cousins touring Poland to honour their grandmother. Matthew also explores the wider impact Polish music and musicians have had on the world of film music - from Bronislaw Kaper's music for the 1954 monster classic "Them!" to Wojciech Kilar's award-winning scores for "The Pianist" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula".
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Matthew Sweet talks to composer Debbie Wiseman about using period music in films. For the TV series Wolf Hall, Debbie wrote original music in a period style, films like Farinelli and Death In Venice use classical music and for the series Bridgerton Kris Bowers created a hybrid of period-sounding music with hip-hop beats. Matthew asks how the search for authenticity enhances the viewer's experience, and when does it become a distraction?
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With the Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie in cinemas, Matthew Sweet speaks to Maria director Pablo Larrain. The talk about working with Angelina Jolie, being a frustrated musician himself and how Pablo uses music in his films. Pablo also reveals the secrets of bringing Maria Callas alive through Angelina's singing.
Matthew also explores how films have turned to their natural predecessor, opera, for inspiration. Puccini's Madame Butterfly proves a Fatal Attraction for Michael Douglas, Bernard Herrmann writes his own aria for Citizen Kane, and the Habanera from Bizet's Carmen gives depth and poignancy to widower Carl's pottering in Up!
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Defying the convention of massive orchestral scores, Matthew Sweet looks at films that embrace the intimacy of chamber music including: the Syrian-inspired strings of Nainita Desai's For Sama score, The Third Man's iconic 1949 zither melody composed by Anton Karas, Clint Mansell's agonising quartet from Requiem for a Dream, and a surprising period drama score written for a trio by John Williams.
To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema".
From the driving energy of North By Northwest to the iconic string stabs of Psycho, music is an integral part of what makes Alfred Hitchcock's films stand out. Matthew Sweet finds out what makes them so good and looks at times when Hitchcock and his composers disagreed.
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As part of Radio 3's European Road Trip, Matthew Sweet explores some of the best soundtracks in German cinema.
To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema".
What is the sound of Papal Rome? Matthew Sweet explores the music of films set in and influenced by the Vatican. From Morricone's melancholy oboe in The Mission to Hans Zimmer's massed choirs and menacing strings in Angels & Demons. Nino Rota's score for The Godfather Part III exquisitely demonstrates both the pageantry of the Catholic Church and Michael Corleone's personal feelings of guilt in the film. Meanwhile, the solo guitar highlights the intimacy between the two protagonists in Bryce Dessner's score for the gripping biographical drama The Two Popes, highlighting the intimacy between the popes of the film's title.
The Vatican has even issued a list of films it deems important so we'll hear the music that they're recommending, such as On The Waterfront, The Lavender Hill Mob and The Wizard of Oz.
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Presenter Matthew Sweet cosies up with the soundtracks of films that bring comfort to those dark, wintry nights…
From the life-affirming joy of Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbour Totoro to the 80s cinema thrills of Raiders of the Lost Ark, he uncovers why film scores don't necessarily need to be twee to warm our hearts…
To listen on most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema".