Mary Magdalene (2018)
Free download of this performance on SoundCloud.
Mary Magdalene is a 2018 film directed by Garth Davis. It stars Rooney Mara, and Joaquin Phoenix. This is one of Johann Johannsson's final film scores before his sudden death in 2018.
This film dispels the myth (by Pope Gregory in 591) that Mary of Magdala was a prostitute. In 1969 that designation was removed by Pope Paul the VI. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated the status of St. Mary Magdalene to “Apostle to the Apostles".
This film is partially based on the Gnostic Gospel of Mary Magdalene. These texts portray Mary Magdalene as Jesus's closest and most beloved disciple -- possibly the only one who truly understood his teachings at the time. Although the film uses extracanonical source material, Mary Magdalene is also praised for it's surprising faithfulness to the Biblical narrative.
The music by the late composer, Johann Johannsson is gorgeous. The film was also supplemented by music from Hildur Gudnadottir (Joker, Chernobyl) who had a close working relationship with Johannsson. Both composers are Icelandic.
[I'm so familiar with their individual work that I know exactly which pieces belong to whom. The melodic sections belong to Johann Johannsson -- and the dark, ambient soundscapes belong to Hildur Gudnadottir.]
I thought this revision of Mary Magdalene was beautiful, and it furthers the concept that Jesus of Nazareth was the first feminist. I'm generally fascinated with all things Jesus Christ: the man, the philosophy, the debates, and the tomb archeology. However, you might need to be a conscious Christian to actually enjoy this film. Most of the critic reviews are ambiguously poor: slow-moving, overwritten, lacks momentum, and solemn. I loved the film, but I'm invested as a musician, artist, and Christian.
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Gear used
For this piece, I used my Cordoba GK Studio guitar. It has a perfectly balanced tone, and is idea for recording.
I use a Zoom Q8 camera for video recording and audio interface. This camera is coupled with their SSH-6 mic for audio/video recording. Although the SSH-6 is a mid-side stereo mic, I get much better results setting the mic to full mono.
My video editing software is Wonershare Filmora. My audio software is Acoustica 7 Standard edition. I use Auphonic for my final master.
You can find a current list of my gear here.
My music
You can find my personal music on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, and all streaming services:
The Intellimusica Spotify Playlist: Ethereal & Cinematic Guitar
Deep cuts from artists like Gustavo Santaolalla, Hans Zimmer, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead – combine to create a heady flow of music for focus, meditation, and self-reflection. This is a Guitar focused (but not exclusive) playlist that elicits the emotional, captivating quality of modern film scores.
How to play Messiah / The Mustard Seed | fingerstyle guitar
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This is a mini medley combining the two main themes of Mary Magdalene; Messiah and The Mustard Seed. The guitar tab is beautifully written across two pages. Enjoy, the guitar tab is available below:
