Goldstein's Mysteries of Love

Roses are red, 

Violets are blue,

This Valentine’s Day,

We have a playlist for you.

Whether you’re soppy suitors at a luxury restaurant or flying solo with a microwaved meal-for-one, you can always count on one thing to stir the emotions on Valentine’s Day and it’s not chocolate-covered strawberries - it’s music!

Yes, the scent of a fancy perfume or the glimmer of candlelight can set a mood nicely, but it’s audio that has the most profound impact on a human emotional response - something that’s proven extensively by studies in neuroscience. And it’s amazing how powerful that effect can be. No wonder, then, that it’s repeatedly exploited in film and video - often without us even realising. 

Have you ever wondered why you started sobbing during a rom-com, or felt seduced by the swagger of an actor’s screen performance? It’s likely that sound and music played a big part in that - and it’s fascinating how it can be achieved despite so many variables. That’s why we’ve put together a playlist of some of our favourite film-scoring moments that demonstrate this musical magic for Valentine’s Day - to show how broad the spell can be.

Our mix goes from trumpeted jazz (‘Chinatown’) to plucked strings (‘In The Mood for Love’), by way of glittering synths (‘Body Double’) and even marimbas and steel drums (‘True Romance’). There's a dreamy combination of brass and strings in Nicholas Britell's 'Agape' (one of several pieces from 'If Beale Street Could Talk' that was named after the ancient Greek words for love), while A. R. Rahman utilises the hum of a female vocal alongside delicate guitar arpeggios in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Crooning saxophones and starry synth pads, meanwhile, drip with passion in Vangelis’ iconic ‘Blade Runner’ score.

Elsewhere, there’s a haunting euphoria in Mica Levi’s ‘Under The Skin’ and in Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruse’s ‘Blue Velvet’. Rachel Portman evokes wonder and curiosity through playful woodwind in ‘Chocolat’. Quincy Jones calls on the blues, gospel and jazz in Steven Spielberg’s African-American period drama ‘The Color Purple’. And Michael Giacchiano’s ‘Married Love’ marries brass with pianos - in a waltzing medley that spans a life-long romance in ‘Up’.

Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day - we hope you enjoy the music!

Goldstein x