Volker Bertelmann wins Academy Award for Best Original Score for All Quiet on the Western Front at 2023 Oscars

While Everything Everywhere All At Once swept the board for most of the major categories at this year’s Academy Awards, it was All Quiet on the Western Front that took home the Academy Award for Best Original Score.

The German film’s haunting score is written by Volker Bertelmann, a pianist and composer who often records under the name Hauschka. Best known for his works for prepared piano, Bertelmann has released solo and collaborative albums with the likes of violinist Hilary Hahn for Deutsche Grammophon. He has been nominated in this category at the Oscars just once before for his work on 2016’s Lion, a film based on the true story of an Indian man adopted by an Australian family, starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. He was nominated alongside his regular collaborator, Dustin O’Halloran. In more recent times, Bertelmann has also been celebrated and nominated for a BAFTA for his original music for the TV miniseries Patrick Melrose, based on the semi-autobiographical novels of Edward St Aubyn. His 2023 Oscar win for All Quiet on the Western Front comes after another victory at the 2023 BAFTAs, where he beat off competition from Justin Hurwitz (Babylon), Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Son Lux (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Alexandre Desplat (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio). 

The category of Best Original Score has long been dominated by men, with this year proving no different. The all-male shortlist of nominees included Justin Hurwitz (Babylon), Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Son Lux (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and John Williams (The Fabelmans). In Oscars history, just three female composers have taken home the Academy Award for Best Original Score, with a further five nominated. Hildur Gudnadottir won in 2019 for her score to Joker, Anne Dudley in 1997 for The Full Monty and Rachel Portman in 1996 for Emma. In the years Dudley and Portman won, however, the Best Original Score category was split between ‘Original Musical or Comedy Score’ and ‘Original Dramatic Score’. Both women won in the former, with men winning in the latter category both times.

The All Quiet on the Western Front score is typical of much of Bertelmann’s work in that it brings together minimalist textures and sound design to create atmosphere. The ominous three-note motif returns throughout the film, often to signal the imminent arrival of opposition as the German  prepare to face their enemy. The harmonium is used liberally throughout the score to produce the low bass sounds. Solo strings take over for the main themes. 

‘The soundtrack is very heroic because it has minimalistic elements that go straight to your heart,’ says Bertelmann. ‘It has the whole spectrum of darkness and brightness.’

The Academy Award for Best Original Song this year went to ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the Indian/Telegu action film RRR, written by MM Keeravani and Chandrabose.

All Quiet on the Western Front nabbed four Oscars