rescores

Rescores are revisions or replacements of the musical score for a work, most commonly for silent films but also applied to video games, television, theatre, or concert productions. A rescore may replace all musical content or only certain cues, with goals including restoring missing or damaged music, adapting the work for new audiences, setting a different tonal direction, or creating an immersive live performance. In practice, a rescore begins with research into the original work and its historical context, followed by composition, arrangement, and synchronization to the existing timing of scenes or edits. The process can involve original composers, orchestras, and music editors, and may use modern or period instruments.

In silent film rescoring, new scores are performed live with screenings or released as audio recordings, often reflecting contemporary musical styles while attempting to respect the film's pacing and emotion. More broadly, rescoring can be used for localization or thematic reinterpretation, including adjusting for cultural context or language, or for accessibility reasons such as providing a more easily navigable audio track.

Reception varies: some audiences welcome fresh musical interpretation or restored legibility, while others prefer the original scoring. Legal and rights considerations can also influence a rescore, including securing rights to the underlying work and any new music.

See also: soundtrack, score, restoration, adaptation, original soundtrack.