The Brutalist (Soundtrack) CD

Brady Corbet's latest film is brought to life by Daniel Blumberg's ambitious score, which perfectly complements its sweeping narrative and brutalist aesthetic. Blumberg, a British composer and musician, fuses large-scale brass orchestrations, intimate piano melodies and dynamic jazz elements. The film, which spans multiple decades and tells the story of Hungarian architect Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody) rebuilding his life in post-war America, is mirrored in the music's broad emotional scope. Blumberg worked with a diverse group of avant-garde musicians from across Europe, capturing their performances on location to maintain a raw, organic sound. Collaborators like Axel Dorner (trumpet), Evan Parker (saxophone) and Sophie Agnel (piano) inject the score with an improvisational quality that contrasts beautifully with the meticulously crafted film score. One of the most memorable moments comes during the jazz club scene, where a quartet of jazz musicians, including Pierre Borel and Simon Sieger, deliver an electrifying live performance. The score's most striking shift occurs in the film's 1980s-set Epilogue, where Blumberg teams up with Vince Clarke, transforming the main theme into a synth-driven anthem. The score's breadth, from intimate jazz to grand orchestration, makes it as integral to the film as the visuals themselves.