The Fabelmans (soundtrack)

Last updated

The Fabelmans
The Fabelmans Cover Art.jpg
Soundtrack album by
John Williams
ReleasedNovember 11, 2022
Recorded2022
StudioSony Pictures Scoring Stage, Culver City, California
Genre Film score
Length31:14
Label Sony Classical
Producer
John Williams chronology
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
(2019)		The Fabelmans
(2022)		 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
(2023)

The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2022 film of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg. The musical score is composed and conducted by John Williams, in his 31st film collaboration with Spielberg and the 50th anniversary of their first film, [1] [2] and also, Williams' last film he would score (along with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ) before retirement, a decision he would later retract. [3] [4] The film's soundtrack was released digitally by Sony Classical on November 11, 2022 and was released on physical CD on December 9, 2022. [5]

Contents

Production

Recording of the score began in March 2022, following Williams’s concert performance with the Vienna Philharmonic at Vienna's Musikverein. [2] In July, stills from the recording sessions were revealed by one of the film's crew members, revealing that scoring of the film is underway. [6] Along with his usual orchestral style, Williams opted for a score mostly relying on piano, with Joanne Pearce Martin, principal pianist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, providing the piano solos. [7] The film also features source classical music selected by Spielberg himself, some of which are performed on piano in the film by Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams), [8] from composers such as Friedrich Kuhlau, Muzio Clementi, Johann Sebastian Bach and Joseph Haydn. [9]

Reception

Critical response

John Williams received acclaim for his score. John Williams with Boston Pops-1.jpg
John Williams received acclaim for his score.

The score by John Williams received acclaim from critics, with some calling it "one of his best scores". [10] [11] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called it a "lofty, glimmering score". [12] Jericho Tadeo of MovieWeb wrote: "John Williams' score, yet another with an established working relationship with Spielberg, is the musical heartbeat of The Fabelmans, at once grand and whispering when the moment calls for it." [13] Apart from complimenting Williams' score, Deadline Hollywood writer Pete Hammond praised the use of pop songs of the time like "Walk On By" and "Goodbye Cruel World" that "really takes us right back there with Spielberg himself". [14] Ross Bonaime called it "naturally moving". [15] J. Don Birnam of Below The Line wrote that John Williams "offers up another fresh score that merges seamlessly into the proceedings". [16] JoBlo.com said: "John Williams contributes a sparse score, with much of the film scored by Mitzi’s piano playing." [17] Reuben Baron of Looper called Williams' score "great". [18]

Music critic Jonathan Broxton, wrote "The Fabelmans is, at its core, an intimate portrait of a 50-year friendship, filled with the quiet dignity that befits what is, basically, two old men looking back on the personal and professional life they have shared. There’s a sense of finality here, a coda to a life that has included heroic marches and moments of soaring triumph, epic battles, passionate romantic love, and deep, powerful emotions, but which is now about winding down, looking back at all the things that led them to this moment in time, and smiling in quiet satisfaction." [19]

Industry response

With The Fablemans' strong critical response at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere, possibilities of nominations in major ceremonies were highlighted by media and industry, with Williams getting the final nomination for Best Original Score at the 95th Academy Awards being possible. [9] [20] GoldDerby predicted that Williams' score is considered as the leading contender for that category, [21] while also predicting the possibilites of a win. [22] IndieWire reported that Williams' score will be shortlisted as the eligiblity requirement for a score that consisted of pre-existing recorded material was lowered down to 35 percent. The film's score album included classical pieces from several composers in the 1950s and 1960s. This rule would benefit the possible nomination of the film's score. [23] Variety also considered Williams' score as one of the strong contenders for Best Original Score at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. It would ultimately be nominated for both of these awards, but lost to Babylon and the 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front respectively. In 2023, the score was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. [24] [25]

Track listing

The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist(s)Length
1."The Fabelmans" John Williams Williams2:13
2."Mitzi's Dance"WilliamsWilliams2:05
3."Sonatina in A Minor, Op. 88 No. 3: III. Allegro burlesco" Friedrich Kuhlau Joanne Pearce Martin1:51
4."Midnight Call"WilliamsWilliams2:23
5."Reverie"WilliamsWilliams1:44
6."Mother and Son"WilliamsWilliams2:28
7."Sonatina in C Major, Op. 36 No. 3: Spiritoso" Muzio Clementi Martin1:58
8."Reflections"WilliamsWilliams2:02
9."Concerto in D Minor, BWV 974: II. Adagio" Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Martin
  • Williams
3:46
10."New House"WilliamsWilliams2:28
11."The Letter"WilliamsWilliams2:08
12."The Journey Begins (includes excerpt from Sonata No. 48 in C Major, HOB. XVI: 35: I. Allegro con brio)"
Williams6:08
Total length:31:14

Additional music

Songs of the film's time period that are included in the film, but are not included on the soundtrack include "Walk On By" by Dionne Warwick and "Goodbye Cruel World" by James Darren, the latter being used to accompany the montage sequence where Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) documents his high school's Ditch Day on film. Scott Joplin's "Elite Syncopations" (1902) also appears twice in the film. Music sampled from Elmer Bernstein's score to The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Alfred Newman's score to How the West Was Won (1962) respectively underscore Sammy's 8mm short films Gunsmog and Escape to Nowhere when they are played for his family and friends at the Boy Scout assemblies. [26] [27]

Credits

Credits adapted from CD liner notes. [28]

Release history

Release dates and formats for The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelRef.
VariousNovember 11, 2022 Sony Classical
December 9, 2022 CD

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Spielberg</span> American filmmaker (born 1946)

Steven Allan Spielberg is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director in history. He is the recipient of many accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four Directors Guild of America Awards, as well as the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2006, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2009 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Seven of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Williams</span> American composer and conductor (born 1932)

John Towner Williams is an American composer and conductor. In a career that has spanned seven decades, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable and critically acclaimed film scores in cinema history. Williams has won 25 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 53 Academy Award nominations, he is the second-most nominated person, after Walt Disney. His compositions are often considered the epitome of orchestral film music and he is considered among the greatest composers in the history of cinema. Williams is known for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and has worked with such diverse directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma, Robert Altman, Chris Columbus, Oliver Stone, Richard Donner, Irvin Kershner, Sydney Pollack, Mark Rydell, Mark Robson, Jean-Jacques Annaud, and J. J. Abrams. He has a very distinct sound that mixes romanticism, impressionism and atonal music with complex orchestration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeannie Berlin</span> American actress and screenwriter

Jeannie Berlin is an American film, television and stage actress and screenwriter, the daughter of Elaine May. She is best known for her role in the 1972 comedy film The Heartbreak Kid, for which she received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She later played the leading role in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975), and has acted in films such as Margaret (2011), Inherent Vice (2014), Café Society (2016), The Fabelmans (2022), and You Hurt My Feelings (2023). She also acted in the HBO miniseries The Night Of (2016), Amazon Prime series Hunters (2020), and the HBO series Succession (2019–2023).

<i>The Post</i> (film) 2017 film by Steven Spielberg

The Post is a 2017 American political thriller film about The Washington Post and the publication of the Pentagon Papers. It was directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, and written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. It stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post, and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the longtime executive editor of The Washington Post, with Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, Alison Brie, and Matthew Rhys in supporting roles.

<i>The Banshees of Inisherin</i> 2022 dark tragicomedy film by Martin McDonagh

The Banshees of Inisherin is a 2022 black tragicomedy film directed, written, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh. Set on a remote, fictional island off the west coast of Ireland in the 1920s, the film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with severe consequences for both of them; Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan also star. It reunites Farrell and Gleeson, who previously worked together on McDonagh's directorial debut In Bruges (2008).

<i>The Fabelmans</i> 2022 film by Steven Spielberg

The Fabelmans is a 2022 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, who co-wrote and produced it with Tony Kushner. The film is a semi-autobiographical story loosely based on Spielberg's adolescence and first years as a filmmaker. The plot is told through an original story of the fictional Sammy Fabelman, a young aspiring filmmaker who explores how the power of films can help him see the truth about his dysfunctional family and those around him. It stars Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy, alongside Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch in supporting roles. The film is dedicated to the memories of Spielberg's real-life parents, Leah Adler and Arnold Spielberg, who died in 2017 and 2020, respectively.

The Amplify Voices Award is an annual film award presented by the Toronto International Film Festival. First presented at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, the award was originally presented to three films annually, with one award open to all Canadian feature films and designated as the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Film, and two awards presented to films from anywhere in the world directed by filmmakers who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour. The winners in both the Canadian and BIPOC categories are selected and presented by the same jury.

<i>The Adventures of Tintin</i> (soundtrack) 2011 film score by John Williams

Music from the Motion Picture: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is the soundtrack for the 2011 computer-animated action/adventure film The Adventures of Tintin directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, based on Belgian cartoonist Hergé's comic book series of the same name. The film score is composed by John Williams, which is the first time he had composed the score of a film since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) as well as his first score for an animated film. The score was released on 21 October 2011 by Sony Classical Records. Williams received a nomination for Best Original Score at the 84th Academy Awards for his work in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel LaBelle</span> Canadian actor (born 2002)

Gabriel LaBelle is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his leading role as young aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman in Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans (2022), for which he received acclaim and won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer.

<i>Lincoln</i> (soundtrack) 2012 film score by John Williams

Lincoln (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2012 biographical historical drama film Lincoln, based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2005 biography Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, a semi-biographical novel that covers the final four months of United States President Abraham Lincoln's life. The film is directed by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay written by Tony Kushner and featured musical score composed by John Williams, Spielberg's frequent collaborator. The orchestral score was recorded at Symphony Center, Chicago by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. It was released by Sony Classical on November 2, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Toronto International Film Festival</span> 47th edition of the festival

The 47th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 8 to 18, 2022.

<i>Bridge of Spies</i> (soundtrack) 2015 film score by Thomas Newman

Bridge of Spies (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Steven Spielberg-directed historical drama film Bridge of Spies, released by Hollywood Records, alongside the film on October 16, 2015. It is the second Spielberg film not to be scored by John Williams after The Color Purple (1985). The film was scored by Thomas Newman, who replaced Williams in March 2015, due to health complications. The score was critically acclaimed and received nominations for Academy Award for Best Original Score and BAFTA Award for Best Film Music in 2016.

<i>The Post</i> (soundtrack) 2017 film score by John Williams

The Post (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2017 film of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film's musical score is composed by Spielberg's regular collaborator John Williams, in his twenty-eighth collaboration with the director, and is a combination of traditional instrumentation and orchestration. The album was released digitally by Sony Classical Records on December 22, 2017, and was released in CDs on January 12, 2018, coinciding with the film's limited and wide theatrical release in the United States. The album received positive reviews and earned several nominations at award ceremonies, including Critics' Choice Movie Award and Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Score".

<i>Women Talking</i> (soundtrack) 2022 soundtrack album by Hildur Guðnadóttir

Women Talking (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir for the 2022 film of the same name, directed by Sarah Polley, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. The film stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand, who also serves as the producer. Hildur described the score as one of the optimistic music, she composed for a horrific subject which is relevant in the current period, referring to sexual assault against women. Hildur collaborates with Skúli Sverrisson who provides guitar solos.

<i>War for the Planet of the Apes</i> (soundtrack) 2017 film score by Michael Giacchino

War for the Planet of the Apes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album for the 2017 film of the same name directed by Matt Reeves. The film is the sequel to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and the third installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise. The film score is composed by Reeves' frequent collaborator Michael Giacchino, and was digitally released through iTunes and Amazon on July 14, 2017 by Sony Classical Records. It was later released in physical formats on July 28. The score received critical acclaim from critics and fetched numerous accolades.

<i>Babylon</i> (soundtrack) 2022 film score by Justin Hurwitz

Babylon (Music from the Motion Picture) is the score album to the 2022 film of the same name directed by Damien Chazelle. The original music composed by Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle's frequent collaborator, which is set for release on December 9, 2022 by Interscope Records, two weeks ahead of the film's release on December 23, features 48 tracks running over an hour. Two of the tracks "Call Me Manny" and "Voodoo Mama" were released on November 11.

<i>The Imitation Game</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by Alexandre Desplat

The Imitation Game (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2014 film of the same name. The film is scored by Alexandre Desplat who replaced the original composer Clint Mansell before the film's production commenced. The London Symphony Orchestra performed the original score that featured various instruments such as keyboards, clarinets, strings, arpeggio and bombe. The album was released on November 7, 2014 by Sony Music Entertainment. The album received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Score but lost to The Grand Budapest Hotel, also composed by Desplat.

<i>The Theory of Everything</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by Jóhann Jóhannsson

The Theory of Everything (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album composed by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson to the 2014 film of the same name released on 4 November 2014 by Back Lot Music. The score relies on neo-classical themes more than "the decades' respective earmark sounds of the British invasion", punk music and synthpop, while including "[Jóhannsson's] signature blend of acoustic instruments and electronics". The music was acclaimed by critics, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, alongside receiving nominations Academy Award for Best Original Score, a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Score and a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

<i>Super 8</i> (soundtrack) 2011 film score by Michael Giacchino

Super 8 (Music from the Motion Picture) is the score album composed by Michael Giacchino for the 2011 film of the same name directed by J. J. Abrams. The album was released on June 13, 2011 by Varèse Sarabande featuring 33 tracks from Giacchino's orchestral score. The music featured influences of John Williams' score for earlier-Steven Spielberg directorials (Spielberg also served as the film's producer, through Amblin Entertainment) and was recorded in a short span of time. It received critical acclaim for the subtlety, minimalism, nostalgia factor and paying homage to Williams' with being considered as one of the film's best aspects. Giacchino won the Saturn Award for Best Music for his work in the film.

References

  1. ↑ Burlingame, Jon (February 7, 2022). "As John Williams Turns 90, No Signs of Slowing Down, With Fabelmans, Indiana Jones and Birthday Gala in the Offing". Variety . Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Hernández, Javier C. (February 8, 2022). "John Williams, Hollywood's Maestro, Looks Beyond the Movies". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  3. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (June 23, 2022). "Legendary Film Composer John Williams Eyes Retirement After Scoring 'Indiana Jones 5'". Variety . Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  4. ↑ Coyle, Jake (June 23, 2022). "John Williams, 90, steps away from film, but not music". Associated Press . Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ "'The Fabelmans' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ McCall, Kevin (July 6, 2022). "'The Fabelmans' Behind-The-Scenes Images Show John Williams Composing Film's Score". Collider. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  7. ↑ "'You still got it!' – 90-year-old John Williams casually plays Brahms concerto during recording session". Classic FM. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Toronto 2022 Review: THE FABELMANS, Spielberg on Spielberg". ScreenAnarchy. September 12, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Desowitz, Bill (November 2, 2022). "'The Fabelmans' Is a Best Picture Oscar Frontrunner, but Spielberg's Latest Could Be a Crafts Player, Too". IndieWire. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ Motamayor, Rafael (September 13, 2022). "The Fabelmans Review". IGN. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  11. ↑ Fear, David (September 11, 2022). "'The Fabelmans' Is the Steven Spielberg Movie We've Been Waiting Four Decades for Him to Make". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  12. ↑ September 11, Leah Greenblatt; EDT, 2022 at 02:08 PM. "Steven Spielberg raids boyhood memories for 'The Fabelmans,' a tale of how a filmmaker is born". EW.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ Tadeo, Jericho (September 19, 2022). "TIFF 2022 Review: The Fabelmans Further Proves Why Steven Spielberg is One of the Filmmaking Greats". MovieWeb. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  14. ↑ Hammond, Pete (September 11, 2022). "'The Fabelmans' Toronto Review: Steven Spielberg's Cinematic Memoir Becomes Glorious Tribute To Art And Family". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ Bonaime, Ross (September 11, 2022). "'The Fabelmans' Review: Steven Spielberg Crafts Another Moving Masterpiece With His Autobiographical Tale | TIFF 2022". Collider. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  16. ↑ "The Fabelmans Review: Steven Spielberg Takes on His Love of Movies With This "Instant Classic" Based on His Own Childhood". Below the Line. September 15, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ Bumbray, Chris (September 11, 2022). "The Fabelmans Review (TIFF)". JoBlo. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  18. ↑ Baron, Reuben (September 12, 2022). "The Fabelmans Review: Spielberg Delivers Laughs, Tears, And Cheers". Looper. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "THE FABELMANS – John Williams". MOVIE MUSIC UK. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  20. ↑ Thompson, Anne (November 1, 2022). "Steven Spielberg Has the Best Picture Oscar Frontrunner. Will 'The Fabelmans' Go the Distance?". IndieWire. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  21. ↑ Sheehan, Paul (November 1, 2022). "2023 Oscars: Best Original Score Predictions". GoldDerby. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  22. ↑ Rosen, Joyce Eng,Christopher; Eng, Joyce; Rosen, Christopher (November 3, 2022). "Oscar Experts slugfest: Our crafts predictions! And a Jennifer Lawrence comeback nomination? [WATCH]". GoldDerby. Retrieved November 8, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ Desowitz, Bill (October 12, 2022). "Oscars 2023: How Will Last Year's Rule Change Impact This Year's Score Race?". IndieWire. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  24. ↑ Davis, Clayton (November 4, 2022). "2023 Golden Globes Predictions (Film) – Julia Roberts, Harry Styles and 'Don't Worry Darling' Among Buzzy Names and Films In Contention". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  25. ↑ https://deadline.com/2023/11/barbie-grammy-nominations-oppenheimer-john-williams-1235599529
  26. ↑ "Soundtracks of Cinema: 'The Fabelmans'". January 12, 2023.
  27. ↑ "The Fabelmans (2022) - Soundtrack.Net".
  28. ↑ "The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Presto Music. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.