silkd6056-gameofthrones-coverSilva Screen, out now as download, out on CD March 24

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir serve up a seventy-minute summary of Ramin Djawadi’s scores from the first six seasons of Game of Thrones with a punchy new recording.

It can’t be a coincidence that Silva Screen’s new collection of Djawadi’s score tracks has been released at the same time the Game of Thrones Concert Experience is touring Northern America. The composer himself is conducting that live-action spectacular, condensing the music from sixty hours of content down to a single symphony, and that’s just what Silva have done here. As a selection, it’s a fine choice, including the obvious suspects of Main Theme and themes for the Lannisters (A Lannister Always Pays His Debts) and Daenerys (Mother of Dragons/ Khaleesi).

The near-ten minute cue from the opening of the Season Six finale – Light of the Seven – is a wonderful, ascending fusion of choral and big orchestral. It’s in these cues that the disc really takes flight, as the choir adds clout in Season Six closing track The Winds of Winter, and the guttural snarls and rasps in Son of the Harpy. Much has been made of the 80-piece symphony orchestra and choir employed for the recording, far exceeding the small string ensemble and bank of synths that the composer had at his disposal during the early seasons of the show, and on scale alone this recording certainly has big ambitions.

But, and this is always the reservation on these new recordings, it does sound different to the originals. If you already have the six volumes of original scores then this release offers an alternative take. Instead of slavishly following the originals, this version is happy to play slightly different tempos, emphasises different parts of the orchestra and brings in new refrains or phrases from elsewhere. It’s not right or wrong, it’s just different; it’s the City of Prague Philharmonic’s version.

Verdict: Purists will balk that liberties have been taken, whereas casual listeners may say: ‘I really can’t tell the difference.’ Whatever end of the spectrum you sit, this is an original, full-blooded hour-plus of Djawadi’s themes by way of full orchestra. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and if you want the originals, they’re still out there. 7/10

Nick Joy