The July 18th reveal of the 2013 Emmy Nominations answered two questions: are Netflix series going to be recognized alongside traditional TV fare and can a comedy be dramatic... The answer to both questions is a huge YES!
Arrested Development composer David Schwartz was nominated in the Outstanding Music Composition for A Series (Original Dramatic Score) category.
"I am honored to be nominated in this category, my co-nominees are incredibly talented," Schwartz said. "It's especially meaningful to be recognized by my peers in the Academy for Arrested Development. I am also fortunate to have a close working relationship with the show's brilliant creator, Mitchell Hurwitz. He allows me incredible freedom to take chances and push the musical envelope."
Composer David Schwartz (Deadwood, Northern Exposure, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson) made the journey from TV to Netflix, continuing on with the saga of the Bluths. His sojourn was rewarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Science with his third Emmy nomination.
Fans of Arrested Development are as gung-ho about the music as they are about the show. "The music for the series has always been eclectic. From the signature Tahitian ukulele cues to the ultra mock-serious orchestra cues I always strive to do something unique with the music," said Schwartz. "Often it's more about writing fun music... as opposed to funny music. And it's so important to match the comedic timing and pace of every scene."
Schwartz attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. David's first scoring job was the multi Emmy award winning hit, Northern Exposure. It earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition for its memorable theme song.
Over the last two decades, he has scored numerous shows, films and main title themes including: Deadwood (Emmy Nominated for Main Title Theme), Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, The Playboy Club, Reaper, Chaos, The Inbetweeners, Wolf Lake (Emmy Nominated for Main Title Theme), and the VH-1 hit, Two of Us, based on a fictional post-Beatles reunion of Lennon and McCartney.
"Season 4 was unusual in many ways. All fifteen episodes are interconnected. Different viewpoints of the same scene appear in multiple episodes. One goal was to be more thematic with the score and the characters. Longer episodes and scenes have allowed me to develop musical themes and ideas. Arrested can have a ton of music, sometimes 60 to 80 cues per episode! We work very hard. We also have a fantastic time as everyone on the show is fun to be with and hysterically funny too—possibly as much fun as watching it."
The entire fourth season of Arrested Development is available for streaming on Netflix.