Lead
Directed by Benjamin Leichtenstern (2018)
Alois is barely hanging on after the death of his wife. Only when he chases Frederick, a Prussian deserter, through the mountains does he gain new hope. The Prussian robbed the Bavarian of his savings because of his dream of emigrating. When Alois finally gets hold of the fugitive Friedrich, three bandits get in his way. This ultimately prompts the former enemies to stand together.
Film music in LEAD
In this Alpine Western, David Reichelt has chosen a purely acoustic instrumentation with bassoon, horns, guitar, bass, lots of percussion and four cellos. Because of the dense narrative structure, the music had to be thematically very clearly structured (The Bavarian, the Prussian, the deceased woman, the bandits, etc.).
Thinking about how best to reflect the harshness of the scenes in the film music in BLEI, the idea was born to work with four cellos playing quarters in unison (only downstroke) on the lowest side, doubled with double bass, fortissimo.
Western elements can be found in the film music in BLEI most in the three bandits, which also most closely resemble a typical Western. The main character, an anti-hero, is characterized by the bassoon, supported by the double bass (picked up on the highest string and pitched down two octaves).
The score in BLEI narrates the brutality of the world depicted in the film. Four cellos stroke the lowest string of their instrument with all their might. Modern compositional techniques and complex sound structures create a menacing music in which the plot can unfold. Typical western elements refer to the roots of the genre and round off the soundscape.
