Alexandre Desplat

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Artist or Composer / Score name	Cover or sample	Contents (if available)*
Alexandre Desplat Elisas Theme Piano from The shape of water
Alexandre Desplat The Shape Of Water Main Theme
Alexandre Desplat – Lust Caution		Alexandre Desplat – Lust Caution
Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game
Alexandre Desplat – The Meadow New Moon Piano solo Sheet Music
Alexandre Desplat Almost A Kiss (From The Film New Moon)
Alexandre Desplat and Lang Lang Kitty,s Theme from The Painted Veil	Alexandre Desplat and Lang Lang Kitty,s Theme from The Painted Veil
Alexandre Desplat Brunos Theme From Suite Fran?aise
Alexandre Desplat Full Moon (From The Film New Moon)
Alexandre Desplat Little Women Music From The Motion Picture Piano Solo		Alexandre Desplat Little Women Music From The Motion Picture Piano Solo
Alexandre Desplat Love returns (The curious case of Benjamin Button OST)
Alexandre Desplat My Week With Marilyn – Marilyn’s Theme
Alexandre Desplat Nothing lasts (The curious case of Benjamin Button OST)
Alexandre Desplat Ost Godzilla Main Theme
Alexandre Desplat The Danish Girl Theme Piano Solo
Alexandre Desplat The Engagement (Birth) Sheet Music
Alexandre Desplat The Imitation Game
Alexandre Desplat The King Speech		Alexandre Desplat The King Speech
Alexandre Desplat The Power Plant from Godzilla
Alexandre Desplat The Queen People’s Princess	Alexandre Desplat The Queen People’s Princess
Alexandre Desplat The Shape Of Water Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack Piano Solo		Alexandre Desplat The Shape Of Water Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack Piano Solo
Alexandre Desplat The Wonder Of Life
Alexandre Desplat Wong Chia Chi Theme (Lust Caution) Sheet Music

Alexandre Desplat – New Moon (The Meadow)

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Biography

Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat, born on August 23, 1961, in Paris, France, is one of the most celebrated and prolific film composers of his generation. Renowned for his meticulous craftsmanship, evocative melodies, and sophisticated orchestration, he has become a favorite collaborator for many of world cinema’s most distinguished directors.

Early Life and Influences: Desplat’s musical journey was shaped early by his multicultural upbringing—his French father and Greek mother met in the United States, and he was exposed to a wide range of sounds, from French chanson and classical music to jazz and Brazilian rhythms. He began studying piano at age five, later learning trumpet and flute. He was deeply influenced by composers like Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Erik Satie on the classical side, and Nino Rota, Georges Delerue, and Bernard Herrmann in the world of film music.

Career Beginnings: He studied film scoring at the Conservatoire de Paris and began his career in the late 1980s and 1990s, composing for French and European cinema. His breakthrough to international recognition came with the haunting, minimalist score for “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” (2003), which earned him his first major awards and nominations.

Rise to Prominence: The mid-2000s established Desplat as a global force. His scores for “Birth” (2004) and, most significantly, the witty, intricate, and Oscar-nominated music for “The Queen” (2006), brought him to Hollywood’s forefront. He demonstrated an incredible versatility, moving seamlessly between intimate dramas and large-scale fantasies.

Signature Style: Desplat is known for his “less is more” philosophy, often using small ensembles or unique instrumental combinations to create a distinct color palette for each film. He frequently employs piano, harp, celesta, and woodwinds to create delicate, rhythmic textures. His music is characterized by intelligent use of motifs, complex but unobtrusive rhythms, and a capacity to enhance emotion without melodrama.

Acclaim and Legacy: With over 200 film and television credits, Desplat is a multi-award-winning composer. His two Academy Awards are for the enchanting, folk-inspired score for “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014) and the lush, magical music for “The Shape of Water” (2017). He has received numerous other Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy nominations.

He served as the President of the Jury for the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2019. Beyond film, he has also composed concert works, including a flute concerto for Emmanuel Pahud.

Desplat continues to be in high demand, known for his collaborative spirit, intellectual approach to storytelling, and the consistent elegance and emotional depth of his music.

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Major Works (A Selection)

Desplat’s filmography is vast. Here are some seminal scores that define his career:

Award-Winning & Breakthrough Scores:

• The Queen (2006): A restrained, respectful, yet subtly critical score using piano and strings to mirror the isolation and protocol of the British monarchy.
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014): A whirlwind of balalaikas, zithers, and choir, capturing the fictitious Eastern European setting with playful, folk-like themes. (Academy Award, BAFTA, Grammy).
• The Shape of Water (2017): A romantic, lyrical, and hauntingly beautiful score centered on a main piano theme, evoking the golden age of Hollywood romance and Cold War paranoia. (Academy Award, BAFTA, Grammy).

Fantasy and Blockbuster Franchises:

• The Harry Potter Series – “The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 & 2” (2010-2011): He took over the franchise, providing a darker, more mature, and emotionally complex soundscape for the finale.
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009): A departure from the first film, his score was melancholic, atmospheric, and driven by piano and strings.
• Godzilla (2014): A massive, powerful, and respectful homage to the original, using brass and percussion to convey the monster’s immense scale and destructive power.
• The French Dispatch (2021) & Asteroid City (2023): Continued his celebrated collaboration with Wes Anderson, featuring his signature meticulous, quirky, and highly detailed style.

Intimate Dramas and Thrillers:

• The Girl with the Pearl Earring (2003): A minimalist masterpiece, using silence and sparse orchestration to mirror the painting’s luminous stillness.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): A melancholic, clockwork-like score that mirrors the film’s themes of time and reverse aging.
• The Imitation Game (2014): A pulsating, rhythmic, and intellectually driven score that mirrors Alan Turing’s mechanical genius and inner turmoil.
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013): An uplifting, expansive, and adventurous score that supports the film’s theme of daydreams becoming reality.

Notable Recent Works & Animation:

• Isle of Dogs (2018): Features taiko drums, Japanese percussion, and minimalist patterns to create a uniquely stylized sound for Wes Anderson’s stop-motion world.
• Little Women (2019): A beautifully intimate, piano and strings-driven score that is both classical and urgent, reflecting Jo March’s creative passion.
• The Lost Daughter (2021): A tense, unsettling score using low strings and repetitive figures to mirror the protagonist’s psychological unraveling.
• Pinocchio (2022) (Guillermo del Toro’s version): A dark, lyrical, and emotionally resonant score that won him a Grammy.

Alexandre Desplat’s work is a testament to the power of film music as a narrative force. His ability to invent a unique sonic world for each film, while maintaining an unmistakable personal signature, secures his place among the great composers in cinema history.

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