SANTAOLALLA The Last of Us / Daniil Trifonov | Deutsche Grammophon

Pianist Daniil Trifonov presents his own transcription of Gustavo Santaolalla’s theme from The Last of Us. In his version, he recasts the theme from the internationally successful video game franchise and its multi-award-winning TV adaptation for solo piano. Originally written for guitar, the piece takes on a distinctive new character in Trifonov’s transcription.     

The Argentinian composer and two-time Academy Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla created a highly recognizable theme defined by its haunting and melancholic character. For Trifonov, the atmosphere of the original was central. To evoke the guitar’s subtle tonalities, he also worked with the strings of the piano in shaping the transcription. The result is a piece that preserves the theme’s character while reimagining its minimalist tension for the piano.

With this single, Trifonov also offers a first glimpse of his forthcoming American Story project, whose second chapter, Mi Historia Americana, is due for release on 2 October.