One of my favourite soundtracks to a TV show is the American legal drama, The Good Wife. Composed by David Buckley, the score is predominantly comprised of classical & romantic styles of orchestral music. I don't know who made this decision - whether it was David, or the director/producers of the show - but it was truly a fantastic decision! This soundtrack stands out to me, not because I have a particular taste for this kind of music, but because of the way it impacts the way we interpret the events and characters on-screen.
It goes largely undetected by the general audience (including myself at first), but over time the classical music gives the show a sense of grandeur, making the drama seem all that more intense and that feeling you get from watching it quite distinguishable from the competition. The common use of strings and woodwinds throughout the score gives it warm & smooth tones respectively. I personally love the way these sound colours complement the yellow walls and warm hues of the Lockhart/Gardner offices. The strings are exercised to their full versatility, showing off a range of different playing techniques and articulations within just a few minutes of watching. Next to Julianna Margulies' performance in the lead role, these are the star of the show for me.
Another instrument of interest is the classical guitar used for playful effect or to add a lightness to the string section. The absence of brass assists the sense of delicacy often desired for all the shows subtle intricacies. When the horns do appear, like in "Partner Vote Sting", it comes in full force and sounds just as threatening an suspenseful as you would expect a mutiny among corporate leadership to feel.
As I said to my wife recently, this show is like sitting down to watch an opera in your own home.
The nitty-gritty of score analysis isn't something that I'm aiming to cover in these types of blogs. I am more-so wanting to simply provide some perspective on scores to popular shows and films which you may or may not have thought about before. For this one, it is the use of instrumentation and the genre of writing which caught my attention as it's not something you encounter too regularly. If you have any requests about TV show or movies that you would like to see covered in future blogs, write them in the comments and I'll certainly consider it!
In conclusion, the show is great, but the soundtrack truly gives The Good Wife it's unique identity that is loved by fans across the globe. To the men out there I'd say, don't be fooled by the title of this show. It's a legal drama in the same vein as Suits but with a little more class and a little less suspension of disbelief. 10/10 would recommend, and I'll be following David Buckley from now on to discover what other creative works he might inspire me with.
- Jordan Stevenson.
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