James Newton Howard composed the film score, reuniting with Francis after I Am Legend (2007), Water for Elephants (2011) and The Hunger Games film series.[1][2] Howard cited Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem and Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird as influences for the score and had listened to those pieces in headphones while filming. Due to the limited time in production, he wrote the score even before watching the final edit.[2] The opening sequence where Nate in action on the streets of Moscow and Dominika dancing onstage in ballet,[3][4] had Howard composed a 12-minute overture which was "distinctly Russian sounding".[5] Francis initially used The Firebird while filming the choreography and set a predetermined rhythm and it could be overlaid to Howard's version, which he called as his Russian interpretation of his own style. Francis was very specific with the rhythm and beats per minute, with the choreography stuck closely to the BPM and editor Alan Edward Bell provided a click track to it, after which they created that sequence to it.
While editing one of the torture scenes in the film, he tried to create the tension without music or sound effects as the eventual sonic tone was sparse, while the music built a cacophonic climax alongside the action. Francis added "The sound of the whole movie, which was a big discussion, informs some of the other choices [...] When you get to a scene like the one in the kitchen there's a palate of sounds and themes to pull from. You can start to decide whether you create something new or hint at other sorts of themes or call back on something." Another pivotal scene involving Dominika in Sparrow school humiliating another cadet, was underlaid by silence to become "very bare and raw". Eventually, Lawrence and Howard wanted the score to be barely noticeable blending with other elements of the film, and surprise the audience to the events happening on screen.[2]
The score was recorded at the AIR Studios in London for six days during October 2017. The recording involved an 100-member orchestra from the London Symphony Orchestra and a 40-member choir from London Voices performing.[2]
Track listing
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Overture"
11:34
2.
"The Steam Room"
2:19
3.
"One Night is All I Ask"
1:29
4.
"Take Off Your Dress"
6:20
5.
"Arriving at Sparrow School"
2:50
6.
"Training"
1:42
7.
"Anya, Come Here"
2:44
8.
"When Did You First Notice the Tail?"
1:04
9.
"There's a Car Waiting To Take You To Moscow"
1:49
10.
"Follow the Trail Wherever It Leads You"
2:29
11.
"Blonde Suits You"
4:59
12.
"Searching Marta's Room"
2:22
13.
"Ticket to Vienna"
1:45
14.
"Telephone Code"
1:10
15.
"Searching Nate's Apartment"
1:04
16.
"Can I Trust You?"
3:06
17.
"Switching Disks"
5:59
18.
"So What Next?"
3:45
19.
"Didn't I Do Well?"
8:48
20.
"End Titles"
9:30
Total length:
76:48
Reception
Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK wrote "Red Sparrow will be one of those scores where everyone praises the beginning and the end, and sort of ignores everything that happens in between [...] However, if you find yourself not connecting with the middle, it’s still perfectly acceptable to revel in the 30 minutes of rich, classical, overwhelmingly powerful orchestral writing that Howard engages in at the beginning and end of the score, because it truly is amongst the finest music of his long and distinguished career."[6]Filmtracks wrote "this score is promising in the whole and magnificent at its height, but the presentation of its ranks on album, especially sans any of the classical pieces, underachieves to the same extent as the film."[7] Kaya Savas of Film.Music.Media wrote "Red Sparrow may not have much of an emotional hook, but it’s still a very captivating and engrossing score from James Newton Howard."[8] Michel Groothedde of Soundtrack World wrote "If you were to make a playlist of the “Ouverture,” “Didn’t I Do Well” and “End Titles,” you would get a fantastic suite of classical music of about thirty minutes. Whether that makes buying the CD worthwhile is up to you."[9] James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "Red Sparrow is a rather uneven score (or album, at least) [...] Howard seems to do consistently good work for Francis Lawrence’s films so it will be interesting to hear whatever comes next."[10]
A critic from Film Music Central said, "Howard’s score for Red Sparrow is a gorgeous listening experience".[11] Sean Wilson of MFiles wrote "As a stand-alone listening experience most of the drama is in the first and final two tracks. While these last a full 29 minutes combined, the middle section of the album largely consists of suspense music. However there is enough textural variation and sonically surprising moments scattered throughout to maintain interest until the climax in the final two tracks. James Newton Howard has created something that's different and very welcome."[12] Caleb Burnett of Set the Tape wrote "James Newton Howard is one among only a few working composers who could’ve written such a fitting score for Red Sparrow. He does an exemplary job of implementing the elements essential to an international spy film, specifically one involving Russia. Red Sparrow’s themes of nationalism, patriotism, heroism, and virtue might not have been as digestible or effectual without the nationalistic and reflective aesthetic created by Howard."[13] Michael Hollands of Sound at the Movies wrote "James Newton Howard once again proved he is an artist of the highest caliber."[14]
Eric Kohn of IndieWire wrote "James Newton Howard’s ominous score adheres to a familiar set of beats, but it’s the rare big Hollywood mood piece and mostly satisfying on those terms."[15]Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph called it as a "prowling, Bernard Herrmann-esque score", while Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com reviewed it as a "really solid score".[16][17] Ryan Pollard of Starburst wrote "Composer James Newton Howard delivers a suspenseful score".[18]
Bass – Chris Laurence, Richard Pryce, Roger Linley, Stacey Watton, Steve Williams, Steve Mair
Bassoon and contrabassoon – Gavin McNaughton, Richard Skinner
Cello – Bozidar Vukotic, Caroline Dearnley, Chris Worsey, Frank Schaefer, Ian Burdge, Martin Loveday, Nick Cooper, Paul Kegg, Tim Gill, Tony Lewis, Vicky Matthews
Clarinet and bass Clarinet – David Fuest, Nick Rodwell
Fiddle – Peter Hanson, Sonia Slany
Flute – Anna Noakes, Karen Jones
Harp – Skaila Kanga
Horns – Corinne Bailey, John Thurgood, Mike Thompson, Nicholas Korth, Pip Eastop, Richard Berry, Richard Watkins
Oboe and cor anglais – Jane Marshall, John Anderson
Piano – David Hartley
Timpani – Frank Ricotti, Paul Clarvis, Bill Lockhart
Trombone – Andy Wood, Dave Stewart, Ed Tarrant, Richard Edwards
Trumpet – Alistair Mackie, Catherine Knight, Kate Moore, Philip Cobb
Tuba – Owen Slade, Peter Smith
Viola – Andy Parker, Bruce White, Fiona Winning, Helen Kamminga, Jake Walker, Julia Knight, Kate Musker, Lydia Lowndes-Northcott, Martin Humbey, Max Baillie, Peter Lale, Rachel Bolt, Rebecca Carrington, Reiad Chibah, Sue Dench, Vicci Wardman
Viola da Gamba – Nick Cooper
Violin – Boguslaw Kostecki, Cathy Thompson, Chris Tombling, Clio Gould, Corinne Chapelle, Debbie Preece, Debbie Widdup, Dorina Markoff, Emlyn Singleton, Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Jackie Hartley, John Bradbury, John Mills, Jonathan Evans-Jones, Jonathan Strange, Julian Leaper, Julian Tear, Kathy Gowers, Maciej Rakowski, Mark Berrow, Natalia Bonner, Patrick Kiernan, Perry Montague-Mason, Peter Hanson, Roger Garland, Sonia Slany, Steve Morris, Thomas Bowes, Warren Zielinski
Alto vocals – Alex Gibson, Amy Lyddon, Catherine Backhouse, Clara Sanabras, Deryn Edwards, Eleanor Minney, Jo Marshall, Judy Rees, Lucy Potterton, Martha McLorinan
Bass vocals – Ben Bevan, Edward Grint, Jimmy Holliday, John Evanson, Mark Williams, Michael Dore, Neil Bellingham, Nicholas Ashby, Nicholas Garrett, Nigel Short
Soprano vocals – Amy Wood, Ann De Renais, Grace Davidson, Joanna L'Estrange, Joanna Goldsmith, Katie Thomas, Katy Hill, Laura Oldfield, Sara Brimer, Sarah Eyden
Tenor vocals – Andrew Busher, Benedict Hymas, Garth Bardsley, Gerald O'Beirne, Julian Alexander Smith, Matthew Long, Oliver Griffiths, Peter Davoren, Richard Edgar-Williams, Richard Eteson
Management
Business affairs for Twentieth Century Fox – Tom Cavanaugh
Music clearance for Twentieth Century Fox – Ellen Ginsburg
Executive in charge of music for Twentieth Century Fox – Danielle Diego
Music acquisitions – Mark Cavell
Soundtrack coordination for Twentieth Century Fox – JoAnn Orgel
Product manager – Jennifer Liebeskind
Music supervision for Twentieth Century Fox – Patrick Houlihan
Music production supervision for Twentieth Century Fox – Rebecca Morellato
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