Although Ramin Djawadi has been on tour since February, it’ll be spring by the time the Game of Thrones composer brings his immersive multimedia experience behind the popular high-fantasy program to Vancouver. But, to twist the show’s ominously prescient early tagline, winter is still coming to Rogers Arena this April.
While Djawadi has been bouncing around North American stadiums to showcase the symphonic, strings-and-woodwinds-loaded score from the first six seasons of Game of Thrones, he’s showcasing the music using locally sourced choirs and orchestras. Hours of material has been cut from the stage show, but you can expect to hear the signature, moody march of the main titles, as well as the “Rains of Castamere,” a slaughter ballad summing up the infamously bloody Red Wedding scene from season three. He notes that a special version of the latter has been prepped just for the tour.
“It was quite tricky to put the set list together, because there’s so much music to choose from,” he tells Westender, on the line from a Charlotte, North Carolina, tour stop. “We let the story arc guide us a little bit. The idea was to have a nice story arc from season one to six, making sure that we highlight all the different families and the characters.”
Though Djawadi’s prolific career has had him score films like Iron Man, recent sci-fi seriesWestworld and war-themed video game Medal of Honor, he’s worked tightly with Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff since the show premiered in 2011. “They sent me the first two episodes of season one, which I watched and fell in love with immediately,” he says, adding that he composed the House Stark theme before being offered the main titles. Since then, he’s brought whimsical sounds to multiple scenes of sex, violence, magic and betrayal. Djawadi doesn’t root for any particular character, choosing to immerse himself in the drama all at once.
“My work process is that I always work on multiple pieces at the same time,” he continues. “Game of Thrones is the perfect playground for me, because I can work on the Lannister theme for one section, let it sit for a bit, move on to the Starks, and then come back. I don’t know if I really have a favourite. I just like the variety.”
In addition to the music, fans can expect a brand new visual experience. Without spoiling too much, set pieces and video projections will transport you to the forests of Westeros, where a solo violinist will be bowing beneath a Weirwood tree. Djawadi also talks up a wintry moment where a special-effects snowfall introduces a flautist and a vicious battle narrative. All told, he and various visual designers have spent the last three years putting together the eclectic concert.
While some have theorized that Game of Thrones' rustic plains and castle-set battlegrounds have an ages-old, medieval feel to them, Djawadi believes the show’s combination of political intrigue and saucy interpersonal dynamics keep it relevant for today’s audiences. “The whole politics that are involved with all the different families, it seems timeless. That's what's so special – that people can identify with it and it works in any setting. It makes it so contemporary.”
Djawadi’s Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience should be a treat for longtime followers of the program, but there's even more drama in store for fans once the tour wraps. It was recently announced that the show’s seventh season starts up on July 16. When pressed for spoilers, the composer explains he hasn’t even seen – let alone scored – the new episodes. While he’ll eventually get the inside scoop, he’s excited to see what’s next for revived character Jon Snow and all the rest. “You never know what’s going to happen next,” he says. “That's what’s so great.”
