David Bertok on Crafting the Sound of Emotion: ONE and Daughter of the Sun

PH: Your album ONE is a collection of scores that didn’t fit into other projects. What inspired you to revisit these pieces and compile them into a cohesive album?

David Bertok: The main impetus was receiving a grant from the German Performing Rights Organization GEMA, who represents me in Europe. This grant enabled me to record pieces that I always wanted to record and release music with a very much higher production value than with samples. It also inspired me to write some new music to round out the album. 

PH: The album was recorded in studios across Munich, Bratislava, and Redondo Beach. How did these diverse locations influence the recording process and the final sound of the album?

David Bertok: Each location had its distinctly different musicianship. The performers had different backgrounds. In Bratislava, I recorded with a bigger ensemble; they are well-versed in neo-classical music and cinematic music since they perform that all the time. They performed in the Slovak Radio Hall (Studio 2), which is one of my favorite places to record. The Munich ensemble and recording studios were a perfect fit for the smaller, chamber music-type pieces. In Redondo Beach, I recorded a wonderful classical vocalist named Emily Dyer, who had the distinct tone and vocal range I was looking for.

PH: You collaborated with 35 musicians to create eight pieces. Can you share some insights into the collaborative process and how it contributed to the album’s unique sound?

David Bertok: The biggest contribution was each player's individuality, be it regarding tone, phrasing, or simply the instrument they were playing. I loved how each piece became so much more nuanced and distinct with each player's interpretation of my composition. Then, specifically, on the solo piano trilogy (ENO-EON-NEO), I opted to have someone else perform them, even though I am a pianist and had initially recorded the pieces. I wanted to see what someone brings in and out of the pieces, sonically and energetically. I ended up hiring my piano teacher, who taught me when I was in high school - Jonas Kvarnström, who is a fantastic pianist. It was such a full-circle moment since he was the one encouraging me to pursue music and was somewhat of a mentor to me two decades ago. 

PH: "Fontana dell'Anima" features an intricate and polyphonic neoclassical style. How did you approach the challenge of highlighting the exceptional talents of the 21-string players in this piece?

David Bertok: Ahead of the recording session, when I was mapping out how much time to allocate for the recording of this piece, I consulted with my long-time collaborator Vladimir Martinka, who is the conductor and musician’s contractor in Bratislava. We both thought one hour of recording time would suffice. The ensemble ended up nailing the first several takes, and we had plenty of time to work on details and articulation and phrasing. I was glad to have ample time scheduled because, from the film music world, I am used to often needing to be pragmatic about recording time and, therefore, not always having enough leeway to go so deep into the details. Then again, film music is often less complex than a piece like “Fontana dell’Anima.” The polyphonic approach of the piece demanded quite a lot of the players, and we worked quite a bit on the dynamic intricacies and the phrasing of the pieces. It paid off in an unexpected way when the piece was nominated for a Hollywood Independent Music Award last month.

PH: The album emphasizes tonal music and uses real instruments without electronic elements or samples. What drove your decision to focus solely on real instruments, and how does this choice enhance the listening experience?

David Bertok: It was mostly motivated by the fact that I had the resources to record live instruments, which I always prefer. Many of these pieces only work with live instruments. What I mean by that is that the composition being great is one thing, but the performance of live players always elevates it into a different stratosphere - be it in terms of emotional depth, sonic attention to detail, or overall musical impact. I think in today’s world of so much music being released daily, it is refreshing - and pivotal from my perspective - to go beyond the easy but often cheap-sounding solution of samples. Especially with strings - nothing can replace the individuality and singularity of 21-string players performing and moving air. All the imperfections and the blend of the players and instruments make it impossible to recreate or replace with samples.

PH: Do you have a favorite piece from the album? If so, what makes it stand out to you personally?

David Bertok: It’s hard to pick one, but probably “Loondance.” It is an older piece and was one of the first pieces I composed when I started to use professional sample libraries. So this was a very welcome moment to have it realized with live players. It also has a special place in my heart since it was one of the pieces with which I applied for (and was accepted into) the USC film scoring program over 12 years ago. That was a turning point for my career as a film composer since everything else wouldn’t have been possible without it.

PH: You wrote the score for Daughter of the Sun before the film was done filming. How did using the script as a guide influence your compositional process?

David Bertok: It was a very interesting process, and the first time I had done this. Usually, as a film composer, you have visuals - even if it’s just a rough cut - to guide you. It can be the cinematographic style, the tone, the performances, or the pace of the edit. Director Ryan Ward wanted to try something different this time since it was the 5th film we worked on together (but the first feature). He had some references for me, one being a vintage/retro vibe since the film was going to have that look. But there is an otherworldly/supernatural element to the film; therefore, the scope and instrumentation needed to deliver that grand feel. 

PH: The score for Daughter of the Sun includes a real string orchestra, electronic elements, and processed instrumental performances. How did you achieve such sonic variety, and what was your approach to blending these different elements?

David Bertok: I knew from the beginning that I wanted to incorporate a live string orchestra for the grandeur and drama of the film, which we ended up recording with the FAMES orchestra in Skopje, Macedonia. There are also a lot of electronic sounds from a variety of synths and organic instruments. I played acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, tenor ukulele, and piano on the score. 

PH: Being involved in the editing process, how did you craft the music to align with the characters and cinematography?

David Bertok: Ryan wanted me to start composing so early to make the editing process easier for him so that he could edit with my original score rather than using temp music from a myriad of different sources. This gave us the advantage of having a more organic process. If it ended up being easier, I don’t know. But it certainly removed a long-lasting sonic search during the editing process since we had already “found” our sonic world in terms of instrumentation then and could now shape, enhance, expand, and sometimes reduce it.

PH: The film’s slow-paced cinematography, influenced by directors like Terrence Malick, created space for music. How did this pacing impact your approach to scoring, particularly in creating grand and reflective moments?

David Bertok: I had written several free form, free flowing pieces on the piano (some layered with dulcimer) that Ryan ended up using a lot for the slower, more reflective moments of the film that feature beautiful cinematography (the film was shot in Manitoba, Canada) with a sparse voice over of the protagonist. The goal was to marry the free flow of those visuals to an impromptu/improvisatory feel in the music. Of course, once we had the visuals, we went back and tweaked the score, sometimes slightly, sometimes a lot. But I believe that the music feels “freer” because it was not specifically written to a picture but rather to what I imagined the visuals would look like. I did have a lookbook and storyboard to guide me as well.

PH: The big twist at the film's end required a dramatic build in the score. Can you walk us through how you approached composing for this pivotal scene?

David Bertok: Ryan had this idea from the beginning that this moment at the end of the film should feel like a grand katharsis. He kept reminding me not to go overboard in scope and energy before that so that the moment would feel even bigger. Throughout the film, we tried to build a lot of anticipation. In the end, I kept building this last cue layer after layer but staying on the same root note. Then, finally, in the big moment, I changed the chord from minor to major, from low to high, but also by adding a super low grounded bass - which then feels like a big release. 

PH: What were some of the most memorable challenges you faced while scoring Daughter of the Sun, and how did you overcome them?

David Bertok: One challenge was to record some of the free-flowing pieces with string orchestra since the tempo map was all over the place - I had not recorded those pieces to a metronome. So I ended up beat-mapping them in Cubase and prayed that the orchestra wouldn’t be thrown off by the ebb and flow of the tempo. Luckily, they did a wonderful job. Another challenge was to keep hinting at what was going to happen without being on the nose. There is a big twist and reveal (that hardly anyone ever sees coming), and we wanted to not give it away but also subconsciously prepare the audience that, yes, there is indeed something big about to happen.

PH: How do you transition creatively between working on a neoclassical album like ONE and a film score like Daughter of the Sun? Do you find that your approach changes significantly?

David Bertok: You don’t usually have a choice or too much time to think about that since there is often overlap between projects, and in this case, both were very different. On Daughter of the Sun, I worked in several stages - at the script stage, during the first editing weeks and months, and then again after some reshoots. And then finally putting everything together to a locked cut (which almost doesn’t exist anymore) plus the incorporation of the live strings at the very end. There were pockets of time in between these stages where I could work on my album ONE and get into another headspace.

PH: With ONE being released in October and Daughter of the Sun completed, what other projects are you currently working on, and what can we expect to hear from you next?

David Bertok: I am working on Ryan’s next feature film, The Aquanaut and the Shipwreck - again, already to the script. I am also composing the score for the feature film documentary Loot about Cambodian Art, how it was looted for decades and ended up in big museums like The Met.

PH: What advice would you give to aspiring composers who want to break into both the album and film scoring industries?

David Bertok: More than ever, be yourself, be unique, be a human first and foremost. A lot of middle-down-the-road generic music might soon be replaced by artificial intelligence! Who knows. But it will never replace the human originality of intertwining ideas, merging them, having a unique blend of influences and a personal voice and aesthetic. The other tip for film composers that I have is: Be a great collaborator. Finally, sometimes great ideas come instantaneously, and sometimes we have to dig deep.

PH: How have these two projects contributed to your growth as a composer, and what new techniques or insights have you gained through these experiences?

David Bertok: Both projects certainly helped me showcase my aesthetic and individuality as a composer. In addition, both had me up against very different challenges that you don’t necessarily encounter every day as a film composer. They also reinforced my belief to always (if possible) seek out the uniqueness and imperfection but the brilliance of live players. Again, with AI looming over all our heads, what can be a better reflection of our humanness than humans performing music?