Ramin Djawadi‘s composition for Game of Thrones, from the legendary opening theme to the rest, is an essential part of the franchise’s success. His confirmation in House of the Dragon was one of the most celebrated by fans. Nobody doubted what he would deliver.

It overcame.

Looking back and listening to each season of GOT up to season 1 of HOTD, which was only released after its conclusion, there is a clear – connected – and original path connecting the whole story.

In 2010, when Game of Thrones arrived on HBO, the main theme was immediately the most popular, generating covers and memes that contributed to its popularization. Basically, he worked with four themes (leimotifs): the Throne (opening), always in the background of political disputes; Winterfell, sad, introverted, and always applied to the Starks; the Lannisters, used for the song Rains of Castamere and the Daenerys Targaryen theme, romantic and grandiose. Throughout history, others have emerged, such as the love theme of Jon Snow and Daenerys (Truth), the Night King theme and the most beloved by fans, Light of the Seven, which became the theme of Cersei Lannister.

When the first episode of House of the Dragon dropped the credits and went straight to the plot, many were even more anxious. Only at the end of the episode came the new song, The Prince That Was Promised, with the piano intro and mixing the Night King theme and Daenerys and Game of Thrones notes.

The use of the traditional theme in the opening worked, but little by little we became familiar with the new themes and today I’m hoping for a change in the second phase, with the dramatic and beautiful melody of the theme we associate with the Targaryens now. If in the beginning we still heard notes from Daenerys, now we know that they are linked to flights and dragons and not so much to Rhaenyra.

The House of the Dragon soundtrack features 44 tracks and confirms Ramin Djawadi‘s artistic maturity in musical narrative. Even without the image, listening to the music transports us to Westeros and the feeling of each character through the melodies. Tragedy and sadness punctuate the themes, as does mystery. Rhaenyra’s theme has a chorus, a suspense that leaves us enchanted and bewitched by her. On its coronation track, The Crown of Jaeherys is one of the album’s highlights. In comparison, the Coronation theme, which was at the heart of Aegon II‘s rise, is darker, reminding us more of the threat of the Night Walkers and his unpreparedness to deal with the threat he is not even aware of.

Funeral At The Sea, like Lament, The Silent Sisters and Fate of the Kingdoms reflect the sadness of loss and the anxiety of a tenuous peace between relatives.

It’s worth listening to each one more than once. Ramin is once again to be congratulated!