Media and Music: Let’s Talk About The Regency Era and Bridgerton
Dearest readers, the time has come to discuss the musical diamonds of the Bridgerton season.
In Media and Music, our writers take a deep dive into how movies use scores and songs to engage viewers, give new meaning and tone to some of our favorite scenes, and establish themes. It almost goes without saying, but there are spoilers abound.
Written by Srija Reddy
Photos courtesy of Netflix
Based on the novels by Julia Quinn, “Bridgerton” made headlines as Netflix’s most watched show since its steamy release earlier this year. Like the books, each season follows the romantic journey of a member of the Bridgerton family. Set in 1813, season one follows Daphne Bridgerton as she searches for love among London’s most eligible rakes. The show features classical concertos, instrumental covers of pop songs, and an original score by Kris Bowers.
“Bridgerton” is set in the middle of the regency era, a period from 1811 to 1820. This period is marked as the end of the Georgian era, when King George III was deemed unfit to rule. Despite lasting less than a decade, the regency era left quite a mark on fashion, literature, romance, and of course, music. Classical symphonies defined the era, created by famous composers such as Beethoven, Rossini, Liszt, and Mendelssohn. Young upper-class ladies were expected to be skilled in music to enhance their prospects for marriage. Instruments such as the English guitar, harp-lute, and pianoforte were considered appropriate, while instruments that distorted the body or face, such as the violin, cello, or flute, were considered improper. In line with “Bridgerton,” balls were the most important events of the season, with dances such as waltzes and country dances used as excuses to display elegance and femininity. Therefore, the music played at these balls was equally important in the process of attracting suitors.
Regency romances have always been a slow burn. A glance on the dance floor, a slight brush along one’s backside, and the art of a swoon made up traditional love stories such as “Pride and Prejudice,” and “Emma.” On the other hand, within the first five minutes of “Bridgerton,” viewers get a peachy view of Anthony Bridgerton’s bottom as he has sex with Siena against a tree. From the beginning, “Bridgerton” straddles between Regency expectations and modern musings, a line that is paralleled in the show’s music.
The show’s first hints of modernity start in episode one, as a classical rendition of Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” serenades the first ball of the season. Dramatic strings fill the ballroom as Daphne surveys potential suitors. However, rather than Daphne brushing off men for the next, it is her overbearing brother, Anthony, who finds that no one is good enough for her sister. This leads to the next morning, as a tenderly whimsical version of Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” scores Daphne’s empty waiting room, considering all suitors have gone to meet Miss Marina Thompson instead. Daphne, finding herself in a precarious position, resolves to use Duke Simon Hastings as a way to find her love. And as she solidifies their pact and expresses the direness of her situation to Hastings on the dance floor, her resolve matches the tone of “In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes. To Daphne, this is about taking charge of her life by finding her true love, and for Simon, we see his resolve for bachelor life start to break as his arm scandalously drifts up Daphne’s lower back.
By episode three, their ruse is in full swing, and the melody of Billie Eilish’s “bad guy,” which is played by a violin, reflects Simon’s rake status as he pretends to be jealous of Daphne’s admirers at the ball. By episode five, Daphne and Simon are married, and Daphne loses her virginity to Celeste’s “Strange,” a song that perfectly encapsulates the love and fear that come with sex — a feeling only heightened when played by a quartet. And once that new strangeness has been conquered, Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” underscore Daphne and Simon’s love fest in episode six. Love, jealousy, anger: these emotions transcend eras. These modern pop songs try to capture the same emotions that symphonies do, and through their instrumental versions, they call upon modern perspectives on the struggle that comes with relationships.
Beyond modern music, “Bridgerton” also borrows from classical pieces. At the soirée in episode four, guests dance to Shostakovich’s “Waltz 2 from Jazz Suite No. 2” and the “Barcarolle” from Offenbach’s 1881 opera “The Tales of Hoffman.” Beethoven makes an appearance in episode five with “Symphony No. 5,” as the tension filled notes parallel the Queen’s rage at hearing about Daphne’s engagement from Lady Whistledown. The famous composer’s fiery “Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major” also comes at a point of tension between Daphne and Simon, after Daphne finds out her makeshift suitor can have kids but is choosing not to. And finally, the bouncing notes of Max Richter’s reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons during Daphne and Simon’s ball signal a momentous crescendo in the couple’s relationship.
“Bridgerton”’s popularity stems from its divergence of Regency norms, an approach signified in the diversity of music that scores the season. Whether it be classical or modern, these ballads all tie back to the complexities of love.