Varèse Sarabande Records will release the Penny Dreadful – Original Television Series Soundtrack digitally and on CD August 19, 2014. The soundtrack features an original score composed by Abel Korzeniowski (W.E., A Single Man).
"I started looking for an expression of dark beauty, something that can be terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time—a poisonous infatuation," said Korzeniowski. "The most inspiring clue I got was John Logan's [writer, producer] description of the character of Vanessa as the Mother of Evil. Seeing her not as a victim, but as a creature of a complex dual nature, both good and evil, was a defining moment for the entire musical score."
Born in Krakow, Poland, Korzeniowski studied classical composition under Krzysztof Penderecki. Korzeniowski's scores have received tremendous critical enthusiasm and numerous awards, most notably, two Golden Globe nominations and three World Soundtrack Awards. This year, along with composer Rolfe Kent, Korzeniowski received the Elmer Berstein Award For Outstanding Contribution to Film Music in Córdoba, Spain.
Korzeniowski's lush, stirring, highly original music for Tom Ford's A Single Man starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, was greeted with immediate acclaim. The score caught the attention of Madonna, who invited him to create music for her feature film W.E.. Korzeniowski received Golden Globe nominations for his scores for both A Single Man, and for W.E.. In addition to his other film work, Mr. Korzeniowski has created musical identities for some of the world's most prestigious brands, including BMW - i Electric Vehicles and Tiffany & Co.
Penny Dreadful is a series on Showtime Television featuring some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together these classic horror origin stories into a new adult drama. The Penny Dreadful cast includes actors Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, and Eva Green.
"The musical themes of Penny Dreadful represent both different characters and abstract ideas," explained Korzeniowski. "One of the most unusual for a gothic horror story is a group of themes related to Victor Frankenstein's offspring—Proteus and the Creature. They are the paragons of the modern age, or as the Creature puts it, 'modernity personified.' Their music sounds more like an alternative/indie rock ballad than a classical score. The black-clad Creature, with his heavy make-up and pale skin, even looks like he could be in a band with Jack White."