Listen to those three notes. Just three. They’re distorted, metallic, and they feel like they’re vibrating inside your teeth. That’s the "harmonium" sound from the 2022 Netflix adaptation, and honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing pieces of film scoring in recent memory. Some people hated it. They thought it sounded like a dying tractor or a modern horror movie trailer, arguing it didn't belong in a period piece about 1917. But if you look at the history of all quiet on the western front music, you realize that this sonic aggression is exactly the point. It isn't supposed to be a sweeping, patriotic orchestral swell because there is nothing "classic" or "heroic" about the industrial slaughter of the Great War.
Volker Bertelmann—better known as Hauschka—is the guy behind that specific, jarring score. He won an Oscar for it, which says a lot about how much the industry valued his departure from the norm. He didn't use a massive brass section or a lush string ensemble to make you cry. Instead, he used a century-old harmonium that he found in his grandmother’s house. He manipulated the sound, fed it through amplifiers, and turned it into a mechanical snarl. It’s the sound of a machine. That’s the crux of it. The music isn't a melody; it's an environment.
The Sound of Industrial Death
We usually expect war movies to sound like Saving Private Ryan. You know the vibe: John Williams, soaring trumpets, a sense of noble sacrifice. But Edward Berger, the director of the 2022 film, specifically told Bertelmann he didn't want any of that "bullshit" (his words, basically). He wanted the music to be a character that hunts the protagonists.
The harmonium is a reed instrument. It breathes. By distorting that breath, Bertelmann created a sonic parallel to the gas masks and the labored breathing of Paul Bäumer. It’s claustrophobic. When those three loud, low notes hit—often referred to as the "war motif"—they function like a siren. It’s a literal warning. It signals that the industrial machine of war is about to chew up another batch of eighteen-year-olds.
It’s interesting to compare this to the 1979 TV movie version. That score, by Lalo Schifrin, is much more traditional. It’s effective, sure, but it feels like a movie. It maintains a distance between the viewer and the carnage. The 2022 all quiet on the western front music does the opposite; it closes the gap. It makes you feel like you're trapped in a trench with a hunk of vibrating iron.
Breaking the Period Piece Rules
Why does the music sound so modern? That’s the big question fans keep asking. The movie is set in the 1910s, but the score feels like industrial techno or dark ambient.
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Bertelmann’s choice to use "prepared piano" techniques is the secret sauce here. He’s famous for putting weird objects—bottles, nails, leather strips—inside a piano to change how the strings vibrate. In this score, he’s doing something similar with the harmonium and the percussion. The snare drums aren't crisp and military. They’re muffled and chaotic.
The music reflects the loss of individuality. In the book by Erich Maria Remarque, the soldiers become "human animals." They lose their names, their futures, and their humanity. A beautiful violin solo would give them too much dignity in a world that is stripping it away. By using mechanical, ugly sounds, the score honors the grim reality of the source material better than a pretty melody ever could.
Comparisons Across Versions
The original 1930 film, directed by Lewis Milestone, is a different beast entirely. It’s famous for its lack of a traditional underscore. Back then, the technology was limited, but the choice was also stylistic. Milestone wanted the sound of the front—the whistles, the shells, the screaming—to be the only "music" the audience heard. It was revolutionary.
- 1930 Version: Minimalist. Silence is used to emphasize the shock of death. The only "music" is often diegetic—soldiers singing or a distant harmonica.
- 1979 Version: Orchestral. Lalo Schifrin uses more conventional tropes to signal emotion. It's sad, but it’s "Hollywood sad."
- 2022 Version: Experimental. It uses the harmonium and distorted textures to create an atmosphere of dread.
There’s a specific scene in the 2022 film where Paul is in a crater with a French soldier he’s just stabbed. The music there isn't loud. It’s a high-pitched, whining string sound. It feels like tinnitus. It mimics the physiological response to trauma. You aren't just watching Paul's guilt; you’re hearing his nervous system shatter.
Why the "Three Notes" Work
Critics have joked that the main theme sounds like something from a Led Zeppelin track or a horror movie. Honestly? They aren't wrong. Those three descending notes are a power chord. But in the context of all quiet on the western front music, that power is oppressive.
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Bertelmann actually recorded the harmonium through a massive Marshall stack—the kind of amplifier rock stars use. This creates a feedback loop that sounds like a growl. It represents the "iron youth" being fed into the iron grinder of the Western Front. It’s loud. It’s intrusive. It’s supposed to make you want to turn the volume down, because the soldiers couldn't turn the war down.
The Nuance of the "Hektik"
Beyond the loud bangs, there’s a track on the score called "Remains" that is actually quite delicate. It uses a pulsing, heartbeat-like rhythm. This is where Bertelmann shows his range. Not everything is a jump scare. A lot of the score is about the long, boring stretches of waiting that define trench warfare.
The music captures the "hektik"—the frantic, pointless energy of a retreat or a futile charge. It’s repetitive. It loops. It suggests that these men are stuck in a cycle they can’t escape until they die.
Misconceptions About the Oscar Win
Some people felt the Oscar win for Best Original Score was a "legacy" pick or just because the movie was popular. That's a misunderstanding of what film scoring is supposed to do. A score isn't just a collection of nice tunes you can listen to while studying. Its primary job is to support the director's vision.
If Edward Berger wanted to show that war is a factory of death, Bertelmann provided the factory sounds. The score won because it was brave enough to be ugly. It didn't try to make the audience feel "better" about the tragedy. It refused to provide catharsis. In a world of "safe" orchestral scores, this was a middle finger to the status quo.
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Practical Insights for Listeners and Filmmakers
If you’re trying to understand why this music sticks in your head, look at the frequency. The low-end frequencies in the harmonium hits are designed to be felt as much as heard. It’s a physical experience.
For those interested in the technical side, Bertelmann used a "Snaps" technique where he’d literally snap parts of the instrument or use percussive hits on the wood of the harmonium to create the rhythm. It’s a DIY approach to a multi-million dollar production. It proves that you don't need a 100-piece orchestra to create a massive soundscape. You just need a clear concept and a weird old instrument.
When you revisit the film, or even just listen to the soundtrack on Spotify, pay attention to the silence. The music often cuts out abruptly. This "sonic vacuum" is just as intentional as the loud notes. It represents the suddenness of death. One minute there is noise, the next, nothing.
Next Steps for Exploring the Score
To truly appreciate the depth of the all quiet on the western front music, you should try a focused listening exercise.
- Listen to "Hindenburg" first. This track showcases the distorted harmonium at its most aggressive. Notice how it doesn't resolve. It just stops.
- Compare it to "Paul." This is the more melodic, piano-driven side of the score. It represents what’s left of the boy before he was sent to the front.
- Watch the 1930 film’s final scene. Experience the "music" of silence. It provides the perfect counterpoint to the 2022 version's wall of sound.
- Look up "Hauschka prepared piano" on YouTube. Seeing how Bertelmann actually manipulates instruments will give you a much better understanding of how he got those "alien" sounds for the movie.
The music of All Quiet on the Western Front isn't meant to be liked in the traditional sense. It’s meant to be endured. It’s a masterpiece of tension and a reminder that sound is often the most direct way to communicate the unspeakable.