Cinematic Classical

Cinematic classical is contemporary classical music composed in the language of the film score: leitmotivic themes, narrative arcs, lush late-Romantic orchestration and, frequently, hybrid electronics, whether the work is written for the screen, for games or as autonomous concert and album music. It treats emotional legibility and storytelling as compositional priorities rather than concessions, and its practitioners — *Max Richter*, *Jóhann Jóhannsson*, *Hildur Guðnadóttir*, *Ludovico Einaudi* — typically move between soundtrack commissions and standalone releases. The term is used by catalogues such as Rate Your Music for a body of work that classical institutions long excluded but streaming audiences made central.