Albert Nobbs (soundtrack)

Albert Nobbs (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2011 film Albert Nobbs directed by Rodrigo García, starring Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska and Aaron Johnson. The album, which released by Varèse Sarabande on 13 December 2011, featured score composed by Irish composer, arranger and conductor Brian Byrne, and an original song "Lay Your Head Down" written by Close and performed by Sinéad O'Connor.[1] The song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 69th Golden Globe Awards,[2][3] and won the 16th Satellite Awards in the same category. It was chosen as one of the 39 songs to be eligible for nominations at the Best Original Song at the 84th Academy Awards,[4][5] but failed to enter the final list of nominations. Byrne won the Best Original Score category at the 9th Irish Film & Television Awards.

Albert Nobbs (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Released13 December 2011
Recorded2011
Studio
GenreFilm score
Length43:42
LabelVarèse Sarabande
ProducerBrian Byrne
Brian Byrne chronology
The Good Doctor
(2011)
Albert Nobbs
(2011)
Hannah Cohen's Holy Communion
(2012)

Development

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Brian Byrne was hired to compose the musical score. Before writing the cues, he penned a waltz for dance scene at the hotel where Nobbs work. Close loved the music which Byrne had used it at several pieces in the score. After completing 80% of the film's music, he needed a tune for the end credits, which resulted him writing a song with makeshift lyrics cobbled from the lines in the screenplay and played it to Close and Garcia who felt that the lyrics were "terrible". Close, being a former ASCAP member, agreed to help him modifying and rewriting the lyrics. Sinéad O'Connor recorded the song, for which Byrne had to record her vocals in Bulgaria, following O'Connor's European tour.[6]

The song had to be derived from the themes of the musical score, which Byrne said "There's nothing throwaway in any of the music or the lyrics. You might listen to it and think, why is that fiddle there, or why is that piano there? The fiddle is there because it's the violin that was playing the first time we heard that piece of music in the film. The piano is there because I wanted to link the sound of the score, which has a lot of piano, with the song, so it doesn't sound like a tacked on song. It's an organic piece of music that comes out of the score and out of the emotions in the film."[6]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Lay Your Head Down" (lyrics written by Glenn Close; performed by Sinéad O'Connor)4:12
2."Albert Nobbs Opening Titles"5:15
3."Albert Counting Money"1:50
4."Joe Mackins Theme"0:34
5."Hubert In Albert's Bed"1:09
6."Joe Fixes The Boiler"1:09
7."Hubert Reveal"0:48
8."Beginning Of The Ball"1:26
9."Lay Your Head Down" (Instrumental)2:25
10."The Party Quadrille"2:03
11."Dr. Holloran Talks With Albert"2:17
12."Albert's Fantasy Store"1:29
13."Albert Goes To Hubert's House"0:43
14."Albert Tells His Story"1:37
15."Albert Shop Fantasy In Carriage"0:46
16."Helen And Albert In Café"1:20
17."Albert Counting His Money Again"1:14
18."The Fever"2:16
19."Helen Tells Joe"0:51
20."The Beach"1:35
21."Helen's Theme"2:11
22."Helen At Albert's Door"1:05
23."Dr. Holloran In Albert's Room"0:50
24."Mrs. Baker Finds The Book"0:33
25."Albert Nobbs Finale"4:04
Total length:43:42

Accolades

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Award Category Recipient Result
Golden Globe Awards[7][8] Best Original Song "Lay Your Head Down" by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society[9] Best Original Song "Lay Your Head Down" by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close Nominated
Irish Film & Television Academy[10][11] Best Original Score Brian Byrne Won
Satellite Awards[12][13] Best Original Song "Lay Your Head Down" by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close Won
World Soundtrack Awards[14][15] Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film Glenn Close, Brian Byrne and Sinéad O'Connor Won

Personnel

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Credits adapted from CD liner notes.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Sinead O'Connor Married - But No Honeymoon Yet". People. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Times, The New York (December 15, 2011). "List of Golden Globe Nominees and Winners". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  3. ^ Schneider, Marc (December 15, 2011). "Madonna, Trent Reznor, Sinéad O'Connor Among Musicians to Land Golden Globe Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Knegt, Peter (December 19, 2011). "Academy Announces 39 Songs Eligible For Oscar". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  5. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (December 20, 2011). "Oscar-Qualifying Songs Include Zooey Deschanel, Snub Madonna". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Pond, Steve (October 28, 2011). "And the Oscar for Best Song Goes to ... Glenn Close and Skype?! (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nominees for the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards". Washington Post. Associated Press. December 15, 2011. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Germain, David (December 15, 2011). "The Artist Leads 2011 Golden Globe Nominations With Six Bids". Time. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2012 – via Associated Press.
  9. ^ Marmaduke, Lauren (December 14, 2011). "The Houston Film Critics Society's Best (and Worst) of 2011". Art Attack. Houston Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  10. ^ "IFTA Announces Nominees for the 9th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards" Archived 2 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine. IFTA.ie. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  11. ^ "IFTA 2012 Winners Announced". Irish Film & Television Network. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  12. ^ Kilday, Gregg (December 2, 2011). "The Artist, War Horse Among Contenders Nominated for Satellite Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  13. ^ Knegt, Peter (December 19, 2011). "'Descendants,' 'Drive' Lead Satellite Award Winners". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "World Soundtrack Awards Announces 2012 Nominees". World Soundtrack Awards. World Soundtrack Academy. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  15. ^ "World Soundtrack Awards Nominees Announced". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "Albert Nobbs (CD)". Varèse Sarabande. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.