The Danish Girl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album composed by Alexandre Desplat for the 2015 film The Danish Girl. It was released by Decca Records on 27 November 2015, the same day as the filmâÂÂs theatrical release in the United States.
In preparation to score The Danish Girl, composer Alexandre Desplat was given the filmâÂÂs script and did his own research on Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Additionally, director Tom Hooper sent Desplat photos of Eddie Redmayne's transformation into Lili Elbe.
Finding the correct tone for his score proved to be challenging for Desplat. He didn't want the score to veer too dark or too simple; it had to be romantic, but also needed to convey something deeper than a simple love story in film. Desplat also didn't want to patronize or stereotype Lili Elbe with his score.
Desplat had a breakthrough when he realized that the score had to emulate Lili through the eyes of Gerda. Thus, Desplat scored a duet that gave both characters a voice. With the help of his wife and artistic director, violinist Dominique Lemonnier, Desplat veered away from his usual "restrained and fragileâ writing for strings, and instead captured a warmer sound that would emulate the love Gerda had for Lili.
As The Danish Girl had been invited to the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, the post-production process had to be expedited. The film was still being editedñ as Desplat wrote his score, and the score underwent several last-minute changes and adjustments during this time. The soundtrack was recorded one week before the film's premiere at AIR Studios, and it was mixed and mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
In 2016, the soundtrack was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the Satellite Award for Best Original Score.
Credits adapted from CD liner notes.
All tracks except Track 18
Track 18: Roses of Picardy