The Crown’s Royal Use of Classical Music

Four seasons in, and we still don’t have enough of the award-winning show, The Crown. The Netflix original show has garnered a huge audience of period and historical drama fans everywhere. However, they are not the only group of fans that the show has caught the attention of. Classical music fans have also jumped on this show due to its smooth blend of originally-written soundtrack music, early pop music, and as well-known classical pieces by famous musicians of history.

Narrative

 

Directed by Peter Morgan, this historical drama visual project portrays the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to the Queen’s reign into the 21^st century. The show covers several historic events during her reign, from Winston Churchill’s reassignment as prime minister, as well as Prince Charles’s marriage to Lady Diana Spencer. The first season premiered in November of 2016, and there are currently four seasons out on Netflix with a fifth planned for November 2022.

 

The Music 

The music plays an incredibly important role in heightening the drama, intensity, and majesty of the famous British throne. One listen to the soundtrack engulfs the listener in the extravagant and serious tone of the show. 

 

The main title for example, must be fit for a queen, which is why it was written by the legendary Hans Zimmer, known for his work on The Lion King (1994), The Dark Knight (2008), and Dune (2021), among many others. The rest of the soundtrack was predominantly written by Rupert Gregson-Williams, known for his work on Wonder Woman (2017), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), and Aquaman (2019).

 

While the original soundtrack for the show is incredible as it is, the show had to throw a curve ball at viewers by adding early pop songs into the mix. As time passes within the premise of the show, the music of that era is also featured. Most recently, the fourth season of the The Crown entered the new era of the 1980s, which was quickly told musically as well, as the show often featured music from the era; such as Elton John’s “Song for Guy”, David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”, and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”. However, even with this much mix of soundtrack and pop era music in the show, they also continued to use classical music during important milestones in the narrative, often complementing the others. 

 

 

Classical Pieces

 

One very notable piece used in a momentous occasion on The Crown, was Handel’s “Zadok the Priest”. The episode titled “Smoke and Mirrors” (S1, E5), circles around the historic moment of Elizabeth II’s Coronation Ceremony. Not only did the show do an amazing job in re-creating the moment, but they also did well in showing the importance of the occasion, and the emotions of Elizabeth and everyone watching. The show also showcased their accuracy in events through music, by highlighting the scene with George Frederic Handel’s “Zadok the Priest”. This piece is known as a British patriotic Anthem and was composed by Handel for the coronation of King George II in 1721. From then on, the piece has been used for every British monarch’s coronation.

 

Another stand-out moment, is during compilation-like edited scene of memories between Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in the episode “Matrimonium” (S2, E7). It was such a refreshing break from everything else happening around in the storyline, and this was shown through the music as well, by the use of Max Richter’s Recomposed version of “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. This modern twist of the piece, adds more character to the scene, giving the way their love was portrayed in an adventurous way.

 

One other piece that has been used more than once on the show already, is Mozart’s “Lacrimosa” from his Requiem. Fans of the show may recall that the piece was previously used when the deadly fog enveloped London in the 4^thepisode of season one. We then hear it again during the funeral scene of Philip’s sister in Darmstadt, who was suddenly killed in an airplane crash in the episode “Paterfamilias” (S2, E9). Not only is it a tragic and heart-wrenching scene, but also a dark one with Swastika flags everywhere and Nazi salutes being given as they walk down the narrow street for the funeral. The “Lacrimosa” already has a dark representation due to Mozart composing it a death anniversary, not to mention him not being able to finish it due to his untimely death. The Crown has used the piece to portray people in harsh or dire situations that are beyond their control, which only adds to the weight that the piece carries.

 

Analysis

 

Not only is the music capable of enhancing the scene, but the show itself is also capable of adding to the significance of said piece. The mix of classical, soundtrack and pop music in this show is used smoothly and beautifully, allowing the audience to become fully invested in the historical events of the show.