The Favourite (soundtrack)

Last updated

The Favourite (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
TheFavourite soundtrack.jpg
Soundtrack album by
various artists
Released7 January 2019
Genre
Length78:34
Label Decca Records

The Favourite (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2018 film of the same name released by Decca Records on 7 January 2019. The album featured baroque music pieces, from composers such as Henry Purcell, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and pieces from romantic composers Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, 20th-century composers Olivier Messiaen and Luc Ferrari, and the 21st-century composer Anna Meredith. [1] The track "Skyline Pigeon" from Elton John's debut album Empty Sky (1969) was played in the film's closing credits. [2]

Contents

Reception

Matthew Strauss of Pitchfork wrote "The Favourite’s soundtrack, in turn, is a fussy but amusing collection, refusing to commit to a mood more distinct than emotional unrest." [3] Mark Kermode of The Guardian wrote "A soundtrack that lurches from the lush strains of Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi to the experimental edginess of Anna Meredith via Elton John’s harpsichord adds to the off-kilter atmosphere, keeping the audience on their toes – alert, unsettled, and hugely entertained." [4]

Teo van den Broeke of GQ wrote that the soundtrack is a "monorhythmic spree of baroque hits as pacey as it is foreboding". [5] Aline G. Damas of The Harvard Crimson wrote "The soundtrack, consisting largely of plucked stringed staccatos as well as grand organ themes, does a fantastic job of pressing scenes forward. The dissonance of these sounds, though eerie, keeps the viewer on edge during the most terse scenes." [6]

Track listing

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Concerto Grosso in B-Flat, Op. 6, No. 7, HWV 325: 1. Largo (George Frideric Handel)"Orchestra "Classic Music Studio" & Alexander Titov 1:11
2."Harpsichord Concerto in A Minor, F.45: 3. Allegro Ma Non Tanto (Wilhelm Friedemann Bach)"Brigitte Haudebourg, Orchestre Pro Arte De Munich & Kurt Redel 6:19
3."Didascalies (Luc Ferrari)" Jean-Philippe Collard & Vincent Royer 15:07
4."Viola d'amore Concerto in A Minor, RV 397: 1. Vivace (Antonio Vivaldi)"Ars Antigua & Rachel Barton Pine 3:10
5."Trumpet Sonata in D Major, Z. 850: 2. Adagio (Henry Purcell)" John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists & David Blackadder1:32
6."Songs For The M8: Movement II (Anna Meredith)"Renoir Quartet2:19
7."La Nativité du Seigneur: 7. Jésus accepte la Souffrance (Olivier Messiaen)" Olivier Latry 4:56
8."Pastorale in F Major, BWV 590: 3. Aria (Johann Sebastian Bach)"Miklós Teleki3:03
9."Fantasia in C Minor, BWV 562 (Johann Sebastian Bach)" Peter Hurford 5:55
10."Prelude (Fantasy) and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542 - "Great": 1. Praeludium (Fantasy) (Johann Sebastian Bach)" Simon Preston 5:11
11."Songs For The M8: Movement V (Anna Meredith)"Renoir Quartet1:55
12."Harpsichord Concerto in D Major, F.41: 2. Andante (Wilhelm Friedemann Bach)"Brigitte Haudebourg, Orchestre Pro Arte De Munich & Kurt Redel6:42
13."Violin Concerto in E Minor, RV 277 "Il Favorito": 2. Andante (Antonio Vivaldi)"Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca & Giuliano Carmignola 4:04
14."Water Music Suite No. 1 in F, HWV 348: 2. Adagio e staccato (George Frideric Handel)" The English Concert & Trevor Pinnock 2:15
15."Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat, D.960: 2. Andante sostenuto (Franz Schubert)" Artur Schnabel 11:18
16."Skyline Pigeon" Elton John 3:37
Total length:78:34

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Purcell</span> English composer (1659–1695)

Henry Purcell was an English composer of Baroque music.

A concerto is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typical three-movement structure, a slow movement preceded and followed by fast movements, became a standard from the early 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Pinnock</span> English harpsichordist and conductor

Trevor David Pinnock is a British harpsichordist and conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy of Ancient Music</span> British period-instrument orchestra

The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a British period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after an 18th-century organisation of the same name. The musicians play on either original instruments from the period when the music was composed or modern copies of such instruments. They generally play Baroque, Classical, and sometimes Romantic music, though they have also played some new compositions for baroque orchestra in recent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecilia Bartoli</span> Italian opera singer

Cecilia BartoliOMRI is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Vivaldi, as well as for her performances of lesser-known music from the Baroque and Classical period. She is known for singing both soprano and mezzo roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Richter</span> British composer (born 1966)

Max Richter is a German-born British composer and pianist. He works within postminimalist and contemporary classical styles. Richter is classically trained, having graduated in composition from the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and studied with Luciano Berio in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Balsom</span> English trumpet player (b1978)

Alison Louise Balsom, Lady Mendes, is an English trumpet soloist, arranger, producer, and music educator. Balsom was awarded Artist of the Year at the 2013 Gramophone Awards and has won three Classic BRIT Awards and three German Echo Awards, and was a soloist at the BBC Last Night of the Proms in 2009. She was the artistic director of the 2019 Cheltenham Music Festival.

Karina Gauvin is a Canadian soprano who has made several recordings and is especially recognised for her interpretation of Baroque music. Opera News stated that, "Gauvin knows how to rivet an audience in opera and concert. She has been a queen of Baroque opera for years. Her personality is big enough to dominate her elaborate wigs and costumes, and her soprano voice is like a clear, refreshing and inexhaustible spring that darts and sparkles around any ornamental obstacle in its way."

Sandrine Piau is a French soprano. She is particularly renowned in Baroque music although also excels in Romantic and modernist art songs. She has the versatility to perform works from Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart to Schumann, Debussy, and Poulenc. In addition to an active career in concerts and operas, she is prolific in studio recordings, primarily with Harmonia Mundi, Naïve, and Alpha since 2018.

Musica Angelica is an internationally renowned Baroque orchestra based in Long Beach, California and led by music director Martin Haselböck, award-winning organist, conductor, and composer. Musica Angelica is dedicated to the historically informed performance of Baroque and early Classical music on period instruments. Its programs include a mixture of known masterworks by composers such as Bach, Handel and Vivaldi, along with rarely heard ‘musical gems’ by lesser-known composers.

Boston Baroque is the oldest period instrument orchestra in North America. It was founded in 1973 by the American harpsichordist and conductor, Martin Pearlman, to present concerts of the Baroque and Classical repertoire on period instruments, drawing on the insights of the historical performance movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Bach Soloists</span>

The American Bach Soloists (ABS) is an American baroque orchestra based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The orchestra was founded in Belvedere, California, in 1989. Performers share music from Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries during the Classical era, including Handel, Vivaldi, and Mozart, with modern audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mica Levi</span> English musician

Micaela Rachel Levi, known professionally as Mica Levi or by their stage name Micachu, is an English musician, composer, producer, singer and song-writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baroque music</span> Style of western classical music

Baroque music refers to the period or dominant style of Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Classical period after a short transition. The Baroque period is divided into three major phases: early, middle, and late. Overlapping in time, they are conventionally dated from 1580 to 1650, from 1630 to 1700, and from 1680 to 1750. Baroque music forms a major portion of the "classical music" canon, and is widely studied, performed, and listened to. The term "baroque" comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning "misshapen pearl". The works of George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach are considered the pinnacle of the Baroque period. Other key composers of the Baroque era include Claudio Monteverdi, Domenico Scarlatti, Alessandro Scarlatti, Alessandro Stradella, Tomaso Albinoni, Johann Pachelbel, Henry Purcell, Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Arcangelo Corelli, François Couperin, Johann Hermann Schein, Heinrich Schütz, Samuel Scheidt, Dieterich Buxtehude, Gaspar Sanz, José de Nebra, Antonio Soler, Carlos Seixas and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Pearlman</span> American conductor, harpsichordist, composer and early music specialist

Martin Pearlman is an American conductor, harpsichordist, composer, and early music specialist. He founded the first permanent Baroque orchestra in North America with Boston Baroque in 1973–74. Many of its original players went on to play in or direct other ensembles in what became a growing field in the American music scene. He later founded the chorus of that ensemble and has been the music director of Boston Baroque from its inception up to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Salvi</span>

Antonio Salvi was an Italian physician, court poet and librettist, active mainly in Florence, Italy. He was in the service of the grand-ducal court of Tuscany and the favourite librettist of Prince Ferdinando de' Medici. Salvi was one of the developers of the opera seria.

Les Passions is a Baroque orchestra. Created in 1986 by the recorder player Jean-Marc Andrieu, the orchestra is in residence in the south-west French town of Montauban. This ensemble specialises in the practice of period instruments. Its artistic approach reconciles two principles: a respect for the musical technique of the period and a dynamic interpretation of the musical composition. Its vocation is to convince the public that ancient music is as relevant to the present as are the writings of Molière, the paintings of La Tour or the architecture of Mansart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Folia Barockorchester</span> German early music orchestra

The La Folia Barockorchester is a Baroque orchestra dedicated to historically informed performance. It was founded in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, in 2007 by Robin Peter Müller, who has been its artistic director and concert master. Named after "La Folia", it is focused on music that was performed at the court of Dresden, which they have played at international festivals, and recorded.

<i>Eighth Grade</i> (soundtrack) 2018 soundtrack album / film score by Anna Meredith

Eighth Grade (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score / soundtrack album to the 2018 film Eighth Grade, directed by Bo Burnham in his feature directorial debut. The score is composed by Scottish musician Anna Meredith marking her feature film debut, consisting primarily of electronic score to capture the "intensity of Kayla's experience" rather than a melodic score. Burnham additionally produced few cues for the score. The album was released on July 13, 2018 by Columbia Records, to positive response from critics.

<i>Spencer</i> (soundtrack) 2021 soundtrack album by Jonny Greenwood

Spencer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2021 film Spencer directed by Pablo Larraín. It was composed by Jonny Greenwood, and combines free jazz and classical baroque music highlighting the tragedy and emotions of Diana, Princess of Wales. The album was released on November 12, 2021, by Mercury KX label.

References

  1. Shaw Roberts, Maddy (25 January 2019). "The Favourite soundtrack: trailer music, tracklisting and credits". FM. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  2. Rooney, David (30 August 2018). "The Favourite: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  3. "Various Artists: The Favourite (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Pitchfork. 22 January 2019. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  4. Kermode, Mark (30 December 2018). "The Favourite review – Colman, Weisz and Stone are pitch-perfect". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. "Finally: a period drama for people who hate period dramas". British GQ. 15 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  6. G. Damas, Aline (20 December 2018). "'The Favourite' Redefines Period Dramas". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.