As part of Varieties Leopold Ross, composer of the “Shōgun” song “Behind the Song”, breaks down the series' main dramatic theme.
What started as a simple email from a friend he'd worked with in the past, asking Ross if he wanted to help work on the score for “Shōgun,” turned into a nearly two-year collaboration with composer Nick Choppa, his brother and composer Atticus Ross, and arranger and composer Taro Ishida.
A historical drama set in the early 17th century, based on James Clavell's novel of the same name, the series follows the journey of John Blackthorne, an English navigator who is shipwrecked in Japan and finds himself entangled in the country's complex political and cultural landscape. As he navigates this strange world, Blackthorne becomes embroiled in the power struggles between feudal lords, especially the ambitious daimyo, Lord Toranaga. The cast includes Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Toranaga, Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne, and Anna Sawai as Lady Mariko.
One of the first ideas for the theme was to have Chupa play the flute, as Justin Marks (co-creator of the theme and show producer) felt that this particular instrument was conjuring up the world. Once that basic principle was introduced, the next step was to build it from there.
“It became a case of building from here and turning this into a theme that embodied the world of ‘Shōgun’ and fit the kind of epic scale of the visuals,” Ross said.
After introducing the nose flute, Ross suggested adding a bamboo flute called the shakuhachi, known for its rich low register. But with the introduction of a third instrument, the hishiriki, composers were able to elevate the meaning and borrowing of their musical compositions.
“The hitchiriki is a very small, rough instrument, and it really became one of the signature sounds of the show because of the way it interacted with our processing. It was set in this indescribable world where it’s not ancient, it’s not modern, it’s not Eastern, it’s not Western; it’s just there between the lines,” he explained.
With all the instruments starting to swell, creating a dissonant sound, Ross needed a way to tie everything back together and bridge it with a gentler, softer tone.
Here came the role of Buddhist monks.
Ross and his crew were allowed to record the monks performing at a festival at their temple, and were able to use one of the phrases in the recording to “go from beauty to brutality.”
After seeing his completed work, Ross says, he remembers feeling “incredibly proud” of the series and his role in it.
“I was so proud to see the show again and connect with it on such a broad level. We thought it was going to be a niche piece of art, you know what? We didn’t expect it to turn into this monster,” he says. “It’s an honor to be involved in a project where the level of craftsmanship in the entire production is at such a high level, and we pushed it because we wanted to be at that level. It’s just a humbling and amazing feeling.”
Watch the full conversation above.
