Hugo (Original Score)

In 2011, versatile Canadian composer Howard Shore wrote music for two very dissimilar but widely acclaimed films: David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. The latter’s score was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Hugo, which is based on Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is about an orphan who secretly lives in the Paris train station Gare Montparnasse, where he maintains the clocks. The movie also pays homage to pioneering filmmaker Georges Méliès, who's portrayed in the story; the musical accompaniment used for “silent films” is one inspiration for this delightful score. Shore wrote for a six-piece group and large orchestra, and the music moves through many moods, ranging from the tense buildup of “Trains” to the gentle sway of “The Movies.” Lovely timbres abound, including the distinct tones of musette and Ondes martenot (a theremin-like instrument). “The Clocks” contrasts a machine-like pulse with orchestration that's tinged with melancholy. One key track, “Coeur Volant”—which spotlights the vocals of French singer Zaz (Isabelle Geffroy)—riffs on Hugo’s theme.