One of the most memorable aspects of The Witcher universe that fans of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and video game series seem to be looking forward to in the upcoming Netflix series is the music. This doesn't just refer to the purportedly Slavic-influenced compositions that will accompany the series-- Geralt's story is told in some parts through the ballads of the bard, known as Jaskier in the upcoming series.
Two pieces, one musical composition titled "Geralt of Rivia" and a song performed by Jaskier (Joey Batey), titled "Toss a Coin To Your Witcher," were recently made available for audiences. The composers -- Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli -- stated that they did not look to the video games for inspiration. However, they are confident that gamers will appreciate how faithful the music is to the general spirit of Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy world.
Fans will be pleased to hear that the Slavic influences they were eager to hear are prominent in the composition, composed using a combination of violin, lute, erhu, breaths, xun, dulcimers, psaltery, harmoniums, drums and more, with Belousova providing vocals.
According to composer Belousova, "Geralt of Rivia" was created with the idea that "The audience needs to want to immediately embark on adventures with Geralt." For Jaskier's song, composer Ostinelli described it as being the kind of song one would hear at a tavern or bar.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, Freya Allan as Ciri and Joey Batey as Jaskier. The series will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 20.
(via IndieWire)