Как ОХ*ЕТЬ от музыки GOW?

Summary

The video explains how Bear McCreary and the God of War (2018) team redefined Kratos through music—especially by building character and narrative meaning from very small musical material, described as “three notes.”

It contrasts:

• The Greek trilogy: Latin choral epic rage
• The Nordic reboot: near-silence, colder restraint, and a more intimate “family” story

The video argues that the soundtrack functions like a third protagonist, evolving alongside Kratos, Atreus, Baldur, Freya, and even the nine realms.

Key narrative / creative claims

• Kratos’s new musical identity is shaped around a single low-register theme (male choir + deep instruments) conveying age, restraint, heaviness, and restrained emotion.
• The series’ music tells stories through silence, timbre choices, and language (Old Norse choral singing recorded in Iceland).
• Multiple character arcs are “scored” musically:
  • Atreus: initially denied a true theme—represented instead by fragile high strings that become fuller as he gains confidence.
  • Baldur: defined by fragmentation, cracked harmony, unstable rhythm, and instruments that generate tension.
  • Freya: shifts from warm refuge (harp/string lightness) to dark curse/threat as her motives deepen.
• The worlds themselves have distinct sonic palettes (e.g., Midgard grounded/low; Alfheim airy; Helheim harsh/suffocating), making geography audible.
• The climax is described as the merging of Kratos and Atreus’ core musical themes into a unified resolution.

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Artistic techniques / creative processes shown

Character/theme construction from minimal material

• Build Kratos’s identity from “three notes” that repeat/loop early demos into a guiding motif.
• Use low male choral power and very low strings (including “velancheli,” per subtitles) to convey physical “weight.”
• Transform the “Greek” motif’s emotional meaning:
  • slower, heavier, sadder—less triumphant or rage-driven.

Narrative via silence and negative space

• Deliberately reduce music during key moments:
  • “almost complete silence” in transitions,
  • restrained bass textures when Kratos enters/leaves spaces,
  • making room for emotional impact rather than pushing action forward.
• Music is described as “pressing from within,” not driving the scene from the outside.

Language, choir sourcing, and performance authenticity

• Replace Latin choral tradition with Old Norwegian / Old Norse singing (as referenced by subtitles).
• Record in Reykjavik, Iceland instead of London/Los Angeles to achieve the desired pronunciation and timbral character.
• Hire a local linguist to translate lyrics into the dead language.
• Layer multiple choirs for texture:
  • an Icelandic choir for harsh pronunciation texture,
  • London-recorded deep bass specialists for deeper resonance.

Folk/acoustic timbre as “place-making”

• Use period/folk instruments to create Nordic atmosphere instead of relying on modern synth textures:
  • Nyckelharpa for cold, creaky/icy ambient melodies (pressed with wooden keys).
  • Hardanger-style resonant string violin (“Harden Gerfelli” in subtitles) with sympathetic strings for built-in echo.
• Use historically skilled session players for authenticity of technique.

Emotional counterpoint through secondary themes

• Add an opposing “anchor” theme associated with love/lullaby (described in the subtitles as the “mother” motif).
• Convert an earlier sketch melody into a lullaby to reduce aggression and add calm.

Dynamic scoring tied to character development

• Atreus:
  • starts as light/fragile high notes with reduced bass support,
  • later gains fuller instrumentation and layering as confidence grows.
• Baldur:
  • scored as continuous instability:
    • harsh fractured layers,
    • shifting non-linear melodic construction,
    • emphasis on instruments like nyckelharpa and dulcimer for distorted tension.
• Freya:
  • gradual timbral “color change”:
    • warm refuge (Celtic harp + Renaissance strings),
    • then violins/violence and a final cold threat.

Sound-design for realms / world identity

Each realm has its own “sound imprint” and orchestration approach:

• Midgard: low-register Scandinavian foundation (saxophones, jouhikka, Norwegian fiddle) with sparse, deliberate silence.
• Alfheim: airy, high-frequency focus (violins, female choir, harps) with echo emphasis.
• Helheim: live instruments made to “suffer” (hum, moans), with low choir moaning rather than clear ancient-text singing.
• Jotunheim: a convergence where core themes merge for final-battle resolution.

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Contributors / creators mentioned (per subtitles)

• Bear McCreary
• Cory Barlog (game director)
• Peter Skatura (game music producer)
• Richard Gibbs (assistant / composer influence, via Battlestar Galactica context)
• Elmyr Berenyi / Elmyr Berenne (historical influence / composer mention)
• Eivor Palzdatir / Eivor Palzdatir (singer associated with the lullaby theme, per subtitles)
• Harden Gerfelli (Norwegian violinist, per subtitles)
• Additional highly specialized session soloists are mentioned indirectly (names not specified)

Note: Atreus, Kratos, Baldur, and Freya are discussed as story characters (not creators). The video references God of War (2018) as the project.