Unusual Instruments

Matthew Sweet looks at unusual instruments used in film scores such as the Cristal Baschet which is a favourite of Cliff Martinez in scores such as Drive. He considers the use of unusual technology such as the Blaster Beam used by Jerry Goldsmith in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He traces the development of electronics in film music, from 'electronic tonalities' in Forbidden Planet, to the Moog synthesiser in A Clockwork Orange, and the later use of the Chamberlin by Jon Brion in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. We hear unusual instruments in the scores of blockbusters such as Casino Royale (David Arnold), Sherlock Holmes and Dune (Hans Zimmer). And Matthew's Classic Score of the Week, Spellbound by Miklós Rózsa, features the Theremin. To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema.”

You can listen to Unusual Instruments online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Unusual Instruments is an episode from Sound of Cinema by BBC.

This episode is 15:15 long.

This episode was published on Jun 25, 2025.

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