The Chloé Zhao Hamnet soundtrack, composed by Max Richter, is now officially released, bringing fresh attention to the acclaimed feature film Hamnet. Chloé Zhao’s adaptation, which unfolds a story of love and loss that influenced Shakespeare’s Hamlet, stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal and has already garnered significant critical and audience acclaim, including wins at the Toronto International Film Festival and Critics Choice Awards.
Accolades for Both Film and Music
Hamnet has quickly established itself as a standout in recent cinema, earning nominations for major honors such as the Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards and making the shortlist for the Academy Awards shortly after its debut. The Toronto International Film Festival recognized the film with its People’s Choice Award, and leading actress Jessie Buckley was honored with the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress. In her praise for Richter’s musical achievement, Buckley remarked,
“He helped to transcend to another plane. And to be able to do that, whether you’re just listening to on your own or in a concert hall with a thousand people that you’ve never met and actually feel like you’re all going to someplace else, that is an extraordinary feeling.”
— Jessie Buckley, Actress.
Richter’s Method: Merging Elizabethan Sounds with Modern Sensibilities
Max Richter, one of the most influential composers of his generation, crafted the Hamnet soundtrack by rooting his approach in Elizabethan musical practices. As Richter explained,
“In composing the score for Hamnet, I decided to use the basic atoms of Elizabethan musical practice; the period instrumentation, grammar and sensibility of the time, but to apply these materials in a way that springs directly from the psychology of the story.”
— Max Richter, Composer. He began by sketching responses to the film’s central themes of familial love and loss even before filming started, and these early compositions were used by Chloé Zhao throughout production and editing.
Richter also developed a unique choral sound for Agnes, a prominent character in Hamnet, utilizing women’s voices in ways reminiscent of an Elizabethan composer and in modern interpretations to reflect psychological depth. The resulting film score blends traditional orchestration with modern electronic elements, showcasing Richter’s signature style that spans collaborations with directors such as Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, and Ari Folman. His music has attracted over three billion streams worldwide, and Hamnet joins more than 50 projects he has scored to date.
The Setting: Studio Richter Mahr and Creative Collaboration
Max Richter co-founded Studio Richter Mahr with visual artist Yulia Mahr, establishing an innovative workspace in a renovated Oxfordshire farmhouse. This creative hub is notable not only for its artistic output but also for its use of advanced solar and heat-pump technology, integrating sustainability into its foundation. Through this partnership, Richter and Mahr continue to develop musical and visual projects that push boundaries, with Hamnet standing as a recent high-profile example.
Hamnet’s Official Soundtrack: Track Listing
The soundtrack for Hamnet, which has captured audience attention across the globe, features a distinctive mix of orchestral and choral pieces. The official tracklist is as follows:
1. Of Agnes
2. Of Orpheus
3. See things that others don’t
4. Look at me
5. In all my philosophy
6. Of earth and heaven
7. An abysm of time
8. Of the heart
9. Of remembrance
10. Of the sky
11. I was the more deceived
12. Inward
13. Who are you looking for?
14. The great globe itself
15. Of a ghost
16. On The Nature Of Daylight
17. My Robin to the greenwood did go
18. Of the undiscovered country
Legacy and Anticipation for Film and Score
With Chloé Zhao directing and Max Richter composing, Hamnet’s creative team has shaped a film and soundtrack that honors Shakespearean legacy while offering a contemporary resonance. As recognition grows worldwide and audiences experience both cinema and score, the impact of Richter’s music—developed at Studio Richter Mahr with inspiration from figures like Agnes and Shakespeare—appears set to endure across stages, film screenings, and concert halls.
