How Succession's Composer Created the Theme Song | Vanity Fair
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2024
- Composer and pianist Nicholas Britell takes us through his composition of the Emmy-winning main title and score of HBO's 'Succession.' With an unconventional family came unconventional scales and a strange combination of sounds. To craft a melancholic classical theme layered with hip-hop influence, Britell envisioned the music the Roy family might imagine for themselves.
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I wonder if actors realize how important this is. This song literally puts my brain in Succession mode. And during the show, the haunting, foolish, blooperesque with dire consequences…. It’s just awesome.
Completely agree.
@@ActorsWithIssuespodcast idk the acting is pitch perfect to me
totally true
Yes, we are aware, we watch movies, same as you, we know what an effect music can have on an audience
@@MrDukeSilverr thanks
I decided to give this show a shot because I heard the theme first. Such a great show.
"You can't make a tomlette without breaking a few greggs" sent 67 times
My favourite line said to a character wearing shoes with no socks. 'Loving the ankle cleavage'. Genius.
hey hey hey !
Same :p
Me too!!
"You should swallow something" - no line ever can top this line
This theme song is PERFECT. It gets me so pumped for the show every episode. Never fast-forward. The visuals in the intro are also incredible.
Almost identical to Stevie Wonders 1976 Pastime Paradise, later sample (almost in its entirety) by Coolio. ua-cam.com/video/b0S4SiLxt1s/v-deo.html
Same. One of the few intros I don't skip, it really gets me into the gravitas and weight of the show.
The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Band and Succession. I have never skipped the intros.
Total masterpiece!
My wife gets annoyed because I let the intro play out every single time 😆
It's such a treat to hear someone talk about their passion
always.
He might be too passionate
@@ericthegeneric1611 Is there anything wrong with that?
I guess it is beyond that. He tries to explain himself in a humble way the code of his Music. He is a code breaker & code writer .
Usually after an episode or two of a series, I fast forward past the opening theme and credits, but NEVER on Succession! I never tire of the complexity and strange beauty of this music.
Reminds me of the Sopranos, draws you into the story , focuses the mind
I was just saying the exact same thing to my husband. I NEVER skip the intro with this show!
Same here. I cannot wait to hear it again
This and bojack horseman
It's one of the few show themes that actually sets you in the right state of mind for the episode. So good.
I always think of this score as being representative of the Roy family. The big, powerful, lumbering Logan is the low chords, and the high piano melody is his children flitting and tumbling around him, always slightly out of tune and out of time with his plodding, inevitable movements.
Fantastic expression! So well said
I thought the exact same thing. You've said it perfectly.
wow
Spot on.
Oh wow that’s brilliant
Probably the most distinctive theme ever. Unforgettable and brilliant.
GoT
Twin Peaks and the White Lotus
The Simpsons? The Flinstones? I mean if we're talking "distinctive", these are strong contenders
Sopranos literally no one will forget
Agreed.
The 4 seasons are the 4 movements of a symphony? I'm again blown away by the thought, talent, and diligence that goes into this show. No wonder it felt like season 4 is hitting a similar note to season 1! This is incredible.
Yes!!!
Moonlight, The King AND Succession!? What a resume - this guys' a musical genius!
And If Beale Street Could Talk which was amazing
And The big Short.. Underrated score aswell.
ceeoreo top 3 of 2018 no question
Honored to watch
@Darshan Shetty Battle of the Sexes is excellent too
The way this music hits at the end of season 3 is incredible. Ends the scene perfectly.
I cannot wait for an official release. I'm gonna have that on loop
Wait, season 3 is over? Noooooooooo 😭
@@brujomenor ITS OFFICIALLY OVER
The twist at the end...I just sat in silence to process what I’d just seen while the choir played out.
@@vishalbirje5575!SPOILERS AHEAD! When the crescendo happens in the score as Tom puts his hand on Shiv's back is amazing. That whole scene unraveling the betrayal had me on the edge of my seat!
This theme song is so hauntingly soft, sad and lonely with the dissonant notes, but also feels beautiful and rich at the same time because of the classical music chords. You almost want to care for the broken characters but are simultaneously repulsed by them. It’s an amazing lead to the show!
The 808 bass mixed with the piano is perfect. It shows the classical luxurious nature of the family mixed with a modern approach to an evergrowing and progessive world. The hip hop percussion is a great compliment.
Was hoping he would touch on the 808s, definitely one of the more interesting facets of the theme for me
Yes! And one of the main underlying plot of the show that ultimately lead to the fate of Waystar.
I never even noticed it watching the show but it was so obvious once he pointed it out
This! Literally the first thing I noticed in the theme when I first started to watch this show. It’s so rare to use an 808 bass in a score like this. I think the only other composer I’ve heard use it in this way is Ludwig Goransson.
That intro for Succession is literally what made me try it out. I heard it and figured I should try the show. I never cared that much about a score before.
Coffee Nerd Me too! The way it sounded let me know that...this was probably a show that would have some very strange characters and very strange situations!
same
This is one of the best scores ever
Agreed!
the best
True!!!! I had never heard quite a score and musical composition like that!!!!! I was enamored besides the show and the acting and the rich dialogue that I even downloaded the song into my playlist!!!
Westworld too
I agree. It’s just amazing.
I didn't skip the intro one single time, what a wonderful piece. The more I listened to it the more I liked it.
Nicholas Britell sounds like an extremely intelligent composer. This combination of 1700s classical and urban music reminds me a lot of the vibe of Trip Hop à la Portishead, and also the kind of electro-tango vibe of Gotan Project or Bajofondo. Melancholy, or even possibly nostalgia about a long bygone era; the sound of weeping and the crumbling noise of an aging empire of fading power and wealth.
First time I heard it I totally thought I'd heard it or something close before on a Portishead, Tricky or other trip hop track.
Fck I'd so wish we were friends
You three should get together for coffee you have found each other👍
“Urban music”
have always loved Portishead and tricky but had never heard of the others. So I checked out Gotan Project and loving it. Thank you for sharing.
It's incredible how this guy interprets music according to different environments, emotions and sensations. Truly amazing gift he has.
Unbelievable
That is all pretty standard music theory. Not to say this guy is not talented or creative but he did not invent any of these idea nor are they new at all.
@@brandonwalker5011 we know: anyone who listens to movies OST knows. But the way he does it stands out. Even the main theme sounds so oddly captivating or captivatingly odd that you don't know what to make of it. Also He has an interesting way of explaining his creative process. I watched Hans Zimmer's session and it did not produce the same effect within me, although as you must know HZ is the OST God
Yes, and Mozart was really gifted too. 😁
ua-cam.com/video/mGJqyr53yTQ/v-deo.html
@@brandonwalker5011
Yes, indeed.
ua-cam.com/video/mGJqyr53yTQ/v-deo.html
The score perfectly gives the feeling of tension within the granduers of the Roy family, nd the fusion of hip hop with classical music gives me the chills.
NIRANJAN JOSE It lets u know that something is brewing in the background. Almost like a warning or something lol
Well said!
Have you listened to Pusha T's take on this? I feel like his lyrics captured the essence of the show perfectly and just in general elevated the already epic score
And yet it has a tacky, shrill, desperate quality of fake grandeur created by the synthesized, slightly out-of-tune instruments, heightened by the emptiness of the texture (extreme highs and lows, with nothing in the midrange). I mentioned this to NB when I heard him speak, and he said this is precisely the effect he was going for.
L to the OG
I must say hbo originals have always had superb composers, cristobal tapia de veer the composer for the white lotus for example made such an iconic score
Yes! I was looking for a White Lotus comment! Great music in both seasons
@@rosev1 HBO has always perfected their scores, this is one of the reasons i never miss a show they make.
I watched the opening to the show every single time because I love this score so much. My favorite part is when the kids are on the elephant.
Omg yes! I found that the brash way the dissonance of the keys are hit and the percussion comes back in are perfect with the bouncing of the kids on the elephant! Utter perfection!
I've watched every episode, and I've never once hit "Skip Intro" because I love love love this theme and all the imagery behind it, the mood swings, the power. One of the best in television history.
So true, it sets the mood perfectly.
Same, I watch every second of the intro and credits
Same
I have it as my ringtone now!!
I never skip the intro! But sometimes hubby tries to - I go Nope- leave it on
I did not understand a single thing this man was trying to explain, but I could feel everything he was saying.
Same here - HA! 😆
So I am not alone. And yet I looked at - and listened to - the whole interview.
Watching video: "This guy is incredible." Looking at his background and finding out he was a currency trader at a hedge fund before scoring movies and TV: "This guy is a genius."
True! In a weird way just like Paul Gauguin who was initially a Broker turned artist who never unfortunately saw how big he would become as one of the most influential post modern post impressionist artist of all time.❤
We never know were our abilities and exploration of those can lead us. Love that. Genius indeed
Weird way of saying born on third.
Wow. Really? He's brillant.
@@m.h.lockesteppe9834 the cackle i just let out! 🤣
YOUR STUPID
The fact that this type of composition really isn't used in music these days and this guy has us addicted 🤌
Please keep making videos like this with film composers! These videos are so valuable and helpful!
yes yes yes!
Agree!!!
Helpful for what?
@@abdullahbhinder9023
Helpful to fellow composers? Or people who are interested in starting music composition?
What do you think?
Yeah, fascinating!
The show is basically modern Shakespeare.
can't help but agree to it
Very King Lear...
Hear! Hear!
True, A tier comedy and A tier drama.
They make quite a few direct references to Shakespeare in the show so you know the writers were drawing inspiration
I personally don’t think anyone could have done better than Nicholas Britell in composing the music for the Roy family. What an absolute genius
Beethoven might disagree 😂
@@xararogers3186 he's dead though so he probably doesn't lol
@@xararogers3186 theres dozens of variations of the main theme so you cant just say it's a rip off
@@0pine0no. The melody is a Beethoven melody and he never mentions it lol
20 years ago at university I wrote my final year paper on the music in film affected the perceptions of character and mood. The music in succession has re-ignited the interest again in film and tv scores.
This score is a fkng masterpiece. The show is sheer perfection and the score seamlessly tells the story of the Roy family and the tragedy of their lives. Brilliant.
What you said 👆
Aaaaand now I wanna re-watch the entire series
Is it good? Been thinking about giving it a watch.
@@thechris312 it is. one of my fav shows this year
Vera Litens I’ve had it on repeat since the finale. I just reincorporated curb your enthusiasm into the mix until billions comes back. Succession/Curb for a bit.
@@thechris312 it's the best show on television
I'm 3 episodes in and it just seems like whiney rich people with zero redeeming qualities.
He explained it perfectly. I initially skipped the intro for the first few episodes because of how unharmonious and long the intro was. But then I listened to it after I got the vibe of the show and it epitomized the show absolutely perfectly. The feeling of sophistication and grandiosity, while also demonstrating that something is clearly off with everything. It is perfect.
The score variations for the different seasons/episodes are pure genius, nothing else. It's so brilliantly composed. The dissonance and drama in the music heighten expectations and always fit the story. I hope he "scores" some musical award for it. I JUST LOVE IT!
it won an emmy! :D
It's very rare that everything in a show comes together so perfectly. The writing, the acting, the casting, the music. It's all perfection. Great insight to how it all comes together here
Try watching the incredible movie "Perfume, the story of a murderer" if you want everything you've mentioned in one hit. You wont regret it!
Yes!
I never thought about how that bass in the theme song was related to the type of music that Kendall listens to (rap). Also it was very clever how the 2nd season score changed through the different dynamic that the family and characters had.
That 808
I caught the reference right away aa his introduction is of him listening to rap. The bass is the icing on the cake. It wouldn’t be the same without it
I absolutely felt the relationship, as this them song always makes me think of Coolio's Gangster's Paradise. I'm just waiting for someone to put two and two together on this and that song.
Just binge-watched all of them, and you can hear the score evolve throughout the seasons. It's like the music budget went up after season 1, giving Britell more time to layer in new instruments and moods into the structure of the theme.
I never ever skip the theme song. It’s chilling yet compelling.
This man is a genius. Best tv show theme I've heard in a long time.
He doesn’t need to explain it, it’s just the perfect theme for this amazing show, but he can actually break it down so impressively, it’s like a beautiful maths equation. Every note and beat means something. What a legend.
It’s the most beautiful music I’ve heard in years! I am 76 my daughter is 41….we are both completely enthralled with this amazing score!😊
Fascinating. It's impossible to watch and listen to the opening without wondering who created that brilliant piece. I hope Nicholas Britell won a gazillion awards for it.
look up Daniel Barenboim playing Beethoven"s Pathetique Sonata No. 8 Op. 13. go to 8:21 and slow it down to half speed.
@@winstonsmith8236 OMG
I respect this guy so much. He’s had the perfect slow rise of a film composer. Really looking forward to the next few decades to come
Nicholas Britell - it just sounds right.
This was my most listened to song of 2019 :o
He was my top artist!
Same here !
According to Spotify, same. Great taste in music! ;)
Same
Same
One of the greatest TV themes ever composed. It would not be the same masterpiece without it. I am just blown away by the genius it takes to come up with something like this.
The music for this show is so both understated and yet instantly recognizable. I would love to hear this guy again after the final episode, going through the four movements. Or maybe he could do the whole thing as an actual symphony. Of course, I'd want the actual opening theme song as the climax of the final movement, although maybe it could start the first and then a recapitulation at the climax of the fourth movement? Anyway, a girl can dream....
So perfect. I never skip the intro because it IS part of the show! Fantastic score!
Exactly! The same.
The music in 'Succession' is simply magnificent. It's some of the most grand, exquisite and befitting music I've heard in a long time. Every time I hear this theme score, I literally get goosebumps :)
Absolute genius. The way this music fits with and emphasises the show is astonishing.
I am completely enthralled by Succession! Each actor gives award winning performances but now after watching the above video by this beautiful pianist and composer...it was Nicholas's opening composition that reeled me in and Succession is a must watch for me!
You won't regret it!
The theme is a masterpiece . Stunningly illustrative of the show's themes.
it's because it's Beethoven's piece
@@nejuw {{Citation needed}}
@@Permaclok crazy but slow down to 50% speed around the 7 min 30 sec mark of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata 1st movement. Its wiiiiild.
@@nejuw yes!
look up Daniel Barenboim playing Beethoven"s Pathetique Sonata No. 8 Op. 13. go to 8:21 and slow it down to half speed.
This dude needs his own Masterclass!
Hands down this is one of the best scores I've heard. A true masterpiece!
The world needs more of this type of music.
The score is killer af . The use of the theme repeatedly keeps you engaged and surprised at the same time .
Ok, fine, I'll rewatch succession for the music for the second time.
BB. L
I can't gush enough about this music. The lumbering bass evoking the giant footsteps of the financial titans that rule our world, which is then cut through with the flippant, trilling melody. The discord that exemplifies the incompatibility of business with family life. Completely apt and an utter earworm.
My daydreaming goes hard for this score. Its so hauntingly beautiful. Never skipped it.
The entire score absolutely SLAPS
This guy and Djawadi are the best in the biz in my opinion, but I am also a huge sucker for awesome piano skills.
You forgot Max Richter. Max Richter is unforgettable.
What about Hans zimmer?
@@TheRock-zf3jp no doubt he's in the discussion.
@@SCharlesDennicon funny that you bring up Richter because the Succession score reminds me a lot of The Leftovers haha.
@@TheRock-zf3jp Hans is overrated, dude recycles his own music too much. There was a point in time though when he was the best in the business.
I love, love, love this score. It compels me to watch the opening and closing credits every show. It enhances each scene more than any other score I can remember. If it was expanded into a symphony, I would travel to see it performed. This music has inspired me to pick up a midi keyboard and take up piano.
Unbelievable! When he says "dissonance" it really captures the dysfunctional nature of the Roy family and dynasty. Such a great match of composer and "concept." This is why this show works so seamlessly- no detail missed, no unintentional anything!
Kendall might not have gotten that Vanity Fair interview but at least this guy did.
This is one the best things I've ever watched on UA-cam. So articulate and educational and watching him actually play the notes is electrifying. It's a fantastic score and deeply enriches the show.
I fell in love with playing the piano through rap music. This score has a lot of urban themed + classical. I just love it. The Alchemist, a producer, uses lots of flats and minors and I love his production.
Brilliant score. Brilliant musician.
Reminds me of parts of “The Hours” score by Phillip Glass.
The percussion is also terrific.
This score is sweeping, epic, dramatic and the only score which I don't skip when binging episodes on HBO. Love it!
The main score is really New York City. It’s classic America, it’s American Hip Hop, it’s nostalgia, it’s dynamic but also somber. Dramatic and whimsical at the same time. Very poetic. A bipolar tune with few short transitions of sanity.
It’s really interesting to see what different people associate the theme with. I’m British and the piano sections of the theme inside the episodes remind me of affluent houses in rural England, or somewhere colonial in the New England countryside. Appropriate as the Roys are of British descent.
Basically the death of American idealism and old American values in general. Seen althroughout the show as a general theme (like tech companies constantly being a problem, the cruise ship issue, or Connors ambitions of presidency)
@@wildercerrate7295 American idealism never died, the facade just got pulled down.
It reminds me of old school gangsters , mob members
New York City? Classic america?
Classicals history is extremely European haha
It's not often that EVERYTHING comes together so seamlessly and beautifully for a TV show . The score absolutely reflects the arch of the show and every character perfectly . There is not one bad actor in that cast. Also, each episode is better than the last. The show is just like a crescendo, as is the score.
He was still in his 30s when he composed this theme song! Always good to see new young generation of composers getting into industry.
This guy is a musical genius basically. I'm obsessed with the entire soundtrack
quietastronaut he’s pretty young too, he was college friends with Natalie Portman
He copied Beethoven
@@aspannas Who didn't
@@quietastronaut plenty of composers
@@aspannas score is great still
*_this theme is my ringtone and many ppl have asked what song is that_*
How do you make this your ringtone?
Same! Such an epic soundtrack and ringtone too
Same
My ringtone too!
Ceeyou Again good idea
First time I saw the show the theme hit and it was like the best Wu-Tang beat that never was. Then all the variations that pop up through the show and how it evolves with the seasons is even more impressive.
Absolute genius! The description of how the score is relative to how the Roys see themselves is so spot on! They see themselves as an old monarchy in a modern world. The score literally transcends this show to another magical level! I love it!
Possibly one of the best music of any show! Brilliant, rich, melodious, artistic, meaningful.
It’s kinda weird that no one has mention Beethoven’s Pathetique. It’s not just similar, it’s nearly identical. It’s a beautiful adaptation but it’s an adaptation. He doesn’t even mention it which is odd to me.
Was looking for this comment. I was waiting for him to call it out as well.
I know nothing about classical music, but initially thought this was an existing classical piece.
what part?
It was clearly an inspiration for Britell, thanks for noticing!
someone made this slowed down midi mock-up☝️ almost identical, just a few octave displacements 😂
Absolutely satisfying and complicated piece of music that never gets old. Like a good story one anticipates the next turn. Brilliant!
Nicholas Britell is a genius. We just finished the last episode of S2 and I'm mostly sad to not hear the theme song again.....that's why I'm here now. Can't wait for season 3.
Same!!
The music variations within the episodes keep getting better. The music is incredible. The show is the best thing on TV.
One of the greatest UA-cam videos I’ve ever seen
Genius unlocked. It's so fascinating to see how composers go about the process of finding that symphony for the visual.
The theme is so brilliant and the first time I watched the show, I was listening to the opening credits thinking “this is upsetting and unsettling. Why?” But hearing that he built that into the music intentionally, it’s so smart.
He's so talented! If I could play the piano like him I would never stop. Not to mention he's also insanely creative. This and Moonlight's score are incredible
You may never be able to compose like him, but you could certainly play like this. None of these pieces are particularly advanced. If you have no experience but put in the time and consistent daily practice, you could play anything in this video within a few months.
He can only play like this because he didn’t stop
Britell was actually considering a career as a concert pianist earlier in life.
its amazing how all this little details hes mentioning can be felt in the show, its not just chit chatting you can obviously feel it in the show. to me this the best storytelling through music i have ever had the pleasure to pay attention to
I will NEVER skip the intro for this show.
Same here. And I usually snip intros … but this one is just too beautiful in a dark way.
After listening to Moonlight’s soundtrack, especially The Middle of the World (which may be one of the most incredibly beautiful songs in any score ever), I was not surprised that he was responsible for this score, which is equally incredible.
Oh man at 11:43 he stops right before my favourite part of his whole suite. There's a really epic & majestic breakdown that only rarely shows up in the show, but gives me chills every time!
Which track on the soundtrack is it?
@@DPMusicStudio I believe it’s Season 1’s End Title Theme (piano and cello variation)
This music is really a masterpiece. I get goosebumps every time I hear it. Every single time!
Beethoven would appreciate your remarks
@@dankelly7712 😄
The musical motifs for me really help me enjoy the show and enhance the developments the characters face throughout.
Sometimes I have to skip through the opening credits because it plays in my head all night when I'm trying to sleep otherwise. Genius and beautiful!
bits of Chopin..dark and ominous...along with driving a driving melody..dissonances.. .what a genius this composer is! This is positively gripping.
Chopin, I thought the same!
For me it's rather Erik Satie
As far as a theme, this is one of the best and most indicative pieces of music in television history. Bravo sir. Your score sets the tone and creates the base for the story.
For all their brilliance, These are the types of things you don’t get when reading Shakespeare.
It's illegal to skip this intro
This is the best score for an opening of a show. Every time I listen to this I feel like I could be as powerful as the Roy family
I love this score! The piano part is clearly inspired by Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata first movement bars 103 to 111. Check it out.
Actually it’s the recap at bar 267. Same key and all - c minor
@@johnmorris8799 yup! The muscle memory in my fingers turns on every time this theme song plays. 🤣🤣
Others say Standchen by Schubert.
@@johnmorris8799 thankyou! It's been driving me mad what the theme reminded me of!
I had to listen to Beethoven Pathetique Sonata! (Thanks for that!!). And yes, spot on! And I love this score too!!
The music is the rug that ties the room together.
It’s top notch and it matches the emotions and events of the show so well. And the different themes you come up with to fit different situations in the show - very well done.
TBH, the main title theme knocks on the door on me and it always gives me goosebumps while listening to it.
Tell me I am not the only one who feels that way 🙋♀💛👏
The only show I've watched for years where I never ever skip the theme. It's sets up every episode so well! A true modern classic.
It always sounds like someone’s being chased. It’s perfect. They’re all being chased. By someone. Something. Past. Present. So perfect.
Well said. I think it also feels ominous and sorrowful, which I think adds to your comment about someone being chased; there’s always anguish.
It makes me feel like a Who Done It kind of theme.
Well said.
I appreciate how well the music complements the show - it’s such an integral part, honestly. It has a Pavlovian effect on viewers for sure.
Gifted. I am awestruck. Not having any noticeable talents myself, I like to say, "There are those who create and those who appreciate." I appreciate the composition and process and feel quite moved.
So this guy was able to use a single music tone or theme as a base, then let it proliferate masterfully into different variations of chords splits though still faithfully closely related in resonance, to suit the environments, characters' nature and depth, to capture events' nuances and moods in different movie scenes, for 3 seasons. Mind-blowing.
Moreover he has an interesting way of explaining his creative process. I watched Hans Zimmer's Vanity Fair session and it did not produce the same effect within me, although HZ is the God per excellence of the movies OST universe.