SACRED BONES & BACK LOT MUSIC RELEASES FOCUS FEATURES AND UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ NOSFERATU (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)

With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain’s most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack for Nosferatu features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. This orchestral richness brings a profound depth to the score. “From the get-go, it was important to me that I not just write something you’d solely think of as a ‘horror score’,” Carolan explains. “I wanted to really lean into the melancholy, tragic aspect of the tale, and even make room for something akin to romance, albeit a very warped kind of romanticism.”

The involvement of Letty Stott, who previously worked on The Northman, adds a unique texture to the soundtrack. Stott brought with her an array of obscure, ancient horns and pipes, enriching the sonic landscape with sounds that evoke the eerie world of Nosferatu. The score also features custom-built instruments, such as a toaca-like device constructed by percussionist Paul Clarvis, which was used to add authenticity to certain scenes. “Nosferatu being set in the 1800s meant I was able to rely a lot more on contemporary instrumentation,” Carolan notes, “but it was still important to make sure the score wasn’t overly contemporary sounding.” Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces to create was the deceptively simple music box that plays at the beginning of the film. Carolan recalls how he and Eggers struggled to settle on the right sound, with Eggers having a very specific idea in mind. This meticulous attention to detail is a hallmark of their collaborative process, one that can be described as almost telepathic.

Carolan’s inspirations for the score were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a deep connection to the music of the Ukrainian film The Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score’s otherworldly tone. Still, Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale’s melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism.

For Carolan, working with Eggers on Nosferatu was both a dream and a challenge. “Rob had been talking to me about wanting to make Nosferatu for a very long time, so to finally see that happen and to actually be a part of it was a dream. Initially a very daunting, slightly terrifying sort of dream, but a dream all the same.” The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan’s artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.