From The Hugo Movie Companion by Brian Selznick
Howard Shore, hoping the depth of the sound would match the depth of the images in 3-D, composed a score that was played by 94 musicians.
[...]
Regarding his work on Hugo, he says, "In the beginning of the movie, seven themes are introduced, including a mystery theme; Hugo's theme, which at first is a bit playful and optimistic, but also bold; and the Station Inspector's theme, which will be one of pursuit, with a bit of military clumsiness and humor. The themes are used for clarity of storytelling and they develop over the course of the film. They are the foundation from which the entire score can grow."
[...]
Some of the instruments Howard uses in Hugo include a musette (a French accordion), an ondes martenot (a French theremin), a small 1930s drum kit, an alto saxophone, and a vintage gypsy jazz guitar. Howard says, "I want to match the depth of the sound to the depth of the image. I would like the score to sound like the imagery. A marriage of light and sound."
I'll be back later to explain a little about my personal experience with the Hugo soundtrack; I had a great little adventure back in early September. But I'll tell you that story later. Right now, it's off to my first rehearsal for Of Rings and Myths! Fix your eyes on Twitter, and I'll update shortly ...
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