Carlos Rafael Rivera (pictured below) is up for two Emmy Awards thanks to his work on Apple TV+’sLessons in Chemistry. The show’s soundtrack was honored with nominations for “Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series” and “Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.”
Lessons in Chemistry is set in the 1950s, where Elizabeth Zott dreams of being a scientist, only to restricted by a society that believes women better serve in domestic roles. She accepts a job on a TV cooking show, where she sets out to teach housewives more than just recipes. The show stars Brie Larson, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker and Lewis Pullman.
“The main title theme, which represents Elizabeth Zott's journey, is central to the score,” Rivera explains. “I think of it as a ‘river,’ meandering unpredictably, much like Elizabeth's life, as she navigates the challenges of sexism, motherhood, and career in the late '50s and early '60s. Meanwhile, what I initially wrote as Elizabeth and Calvin's ‘love’ theme ended up really becoming Calvin's own, due to this simple melody becoming an emotional anchor throughout the series, reflecting resilience and love in the face of loss. I used the piano, harp, and Vibraphone to place us in the era in which Lessons in Chemistry takes place, all supported by orchestra.”