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‘The Violinist’ Composer Ricky Ho Took Two Months To Write The First Four Notes Of Central Sonata – Contenders L.A.
Ricky Ho spent two months refining the first four notes of “Sunset Sonata”, the central musical theme in animated film The Violinist. The piece links the story’s leads as they are separated, making its composition important to both the film’s emotional impact and its plot.
Ho co-composed the score with Isabel Latorre, and co-directors Ervin Han and Raúl García said scenes required them to know the sonata’s notes while it was being written. The film follows a violinist searching for her long-lost love after they are separated during the Second World War, amid the Japanese occupation of Singapore. Han and García described animation as well suited to the story’s emotional and visual scope, with García saying live action would be beyond the budget.
In short
- Ricky Ho spent two months shaping four opening notes.
- “Sunset Sonata” connects the film’s separated leads.
- The directors say animation suits the story’s scale and emotion.
Explained simply
The Violinist is an animated film set during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in the Second World War. It follows a violinist searching for the person she loves after they are separated.
The film’s central theme, “Sunset Sonata”, connects the two leads as their lives diverge. Composer Ricky Ho wrote the score with Isabel Latorre, while co-directors Ervin Han and Raúl García shaped the film’s story and visual style.
The music is part of how the film conveys the characters’ connection and the effect of their separation. Because scenes were planned around the sonata as it was being composed, the music also helped guide the animation.