| The Marvels (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
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| Released | November 8, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Film score | |||
| Length | 65:00 | |||
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| Laura Karpman chronology | ||||
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| Marvel Cinematic Universe soundtrack chronology | ||||
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The Marvels (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Marvel Studios film of the same name. The score, composed by Laura Karpman, was released by Hollywood Records on November 8, 2023, in the United States.
In January 2022, Laura Karpman was hired to compose the score for the film, after previously doing so for the first season of the MCU television series What If...? (2021) and Ms. Marvel (2022). [1] DaCosta wanted her a new theme as it was not a sequel, but about a collaboration between superheroes, [2] as "It's like the relationship of Captain America to The Avengers This is a collaboration that needed its own sound, power and creative juice. She wanted an original theme and she wanted low, male voices." [3] In late-2022, Karpman recorded a "space opera", as per DaCosta's request, seeking Basso profundo, bass singers, and male countertenors having them "sing in their falsettos, which meant they were singing in their head voice to give an odd sound". [3] In order to provide musical diversity, she brought in South American, African and Indian Carnatic singers so that "every vocal tradition was brought to bear" and had them to sing what they wanted to and not to blend everything. [4] Therefore, three choirs were recorded in both Los Angeles and London. [5] [6] Karpman, then recorded strange percussion noises for which she went to Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie, for the same, what she described it as "space junk" and used titanium disks, that are being bowed and beaten to make strange sounds. [4]
The piece "The Marvels Suite" was performed at the Philadelphia Orchestra on June 3, 2023. It is a concise version of music that Karpman worked on before composing the score. Karpman explained that she wanted the suite to have "certain kinds of leaps" within the music to represent Danvers's flight, while also having "power", "drive", and "play in it" to represent Danvers, Rambeau and Khan coming together as a trio. For Khan's theme, Karpman resolved to bring in some "fantastic" musicians from Pakistan and India to collaborate with her to make an important theme that could represent Khan's heritage most of the time, creating incredible sounds that "augment, blend and explode" a traditional Marvel superhero, opining that a character like Khan shouldn't be othered and that her "big grown superhero" theme is about her adolescence, considering how her background was important in her show. She also researched on what sound in space may be like for the cosmic adventure scenes. [7] Dar-Benn's theme had a "slithered instrumentation" that felt important for her character. [4] While recording her theme, she listened to a Herbie Hancock song in flute, which inspired her to use flutes as her main sound for the character. A wide range of flutes, from tiny piccolo to contrabass, had been diversely used, and since Dar-Benn had the sense of breathing, she did with the flautists and vocalists so that breathing became her part of her sound. [3]
The film's main theme, "Higher. Further. Faster. Together.", premiered at the Last Night of the BBC Proms on September 9, 2023, [8] and was released on November 2. [9] Karpman described it as the "chosen family theme" as it revolved around the three characters, saying "It's this feeling that you make your family, but it’s not necessarily what you expect. I think that was another important thematic thrust … as they come together and create this epic camaraderie". [3] She used a solo viola to provide a mournful and warm sound, but the cue then builds with chanting and singing, and later 12 French horns were used to provide a superhero theme. In the end, the title theme has been sung in Latin, as instructed by her niece, who was also a poet. [3]
All music is composed by Laura Karpman.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Higher. Further. Faster. Together." | 3:51 |
| 2. | "Dar-Benn" | 3:01 |
| 3. | "Tear in Spacetime" | 1:32 |
| 4. | "Surge" | 2:19 |
| 5. | "Stop Spinning" | 1:21 |
| 6. | "Arrival on Tarnax" | 1:32 |
| 7. | "Peace Negotiations" | 2:42 |
| 8. | "Entangled" | 1:48 |
| 9. | "Reunion" | 1:40 |
| 10. | "Free Fall" | 1:45 |
| 11. | "Evacuation" | 7:31 |
| 12. | "Connected" | 2:09 |
| 13. | "Hala" | 2:06 |
| 14. | "Arrival on Aladna" | 1:30 |
| 15. | "Voices of Aladna" | 6:37 |
| 16. | "War Preparations" | 1:13 |
| 17. | "Forces Arrive" | 3:48 |
| 18. | "Power" | 3:05 |
| 19. | "O Captain! My Captain!" | 2:33 |
| 20. | "Chosen Family" | 1:51 |
| 21. | "On Fire" | 2:50 |
| 22. | "Final Fight" | 1:06 |
| 23. | "Dar-Benn's Destiny" | 2:47 |
| 24. | "Greater Purpose" | 5:29 |
| 25. | "Restoration" | 2:20 |
| 26. | "Captain Rambeau" | 2:08 |
| 27. | "Home" | 2:20 |
| 28. | "The Marvels" | 2:47 |
| Total length: | 1:15:00 | |
Zanobard Reviews assigned an 8/10 to the album, summarising that "Laura Karpman's The Marvels is a superhero score done right, weaving a stunningly-crafted new main theme with thunderous orchestra and exquisite vocals through eighty minutes of spectactular musical story-telling. It is a shame that Pinar Toprak's Captain Marvel theme doesn't return though." [10] Music critic Jonathan Broxton said "The Marvels is a triumph of a superhero score, one of the best of its type this year, and should put the final nail in the coffin of the notion that women composers can't write large-scale, exciting, super-hero action music – Karpman blows that tired opinion completely into space." [11] A review from Filmtracks stated that "Karpman succeeds in providing a highly intelligent and accomplished score filled with sonic intrigue, but not necessarily one at comfort with the concept or the general sound of the other scores in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The lack of resolution in the new themes, minimal connectivity with prior themes, and frightfully frequent blasts of dissonance make this work one to appreciate intellectually more than casually. The solid narrative and resounding ambience compensate, but only to a point. Just because you can wow the listener with your smarts doesn't necessarily mean you should in each instance, and that balance will be the challenge for every listener to this score." [12]
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Original Score – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Laura Karpman | Won | [13] [14] |
French Electronic/Downtempo artist Thaehan, [15] alongside Lo-Fi Girl, created a lo-fi remix of Laura Karpman's track "Higher. Further. Faster. Together.", which was released online exclusively, on the same day of the film's oversea's premiere and official soundtrack release, through MarvelMusicVEVO's YouTube channel. [16]
Additional music actually featured in the film includes: [17]
Additionally, John Ottman's themes from his scores from 20th Century Fox's X-Men films X2 (2003) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) are featured in the film. [18]
Laura Anne Karpman is an American composer, whose work has included music for film, television, video games, theater, and the concert hall. She has won five Emmy Awards for her work. Karpman was trained at the Juilliard School, where she played jazz by day and honed her skills scatting in bars at night.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the film score for the Marvel Studios film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Henry Jackman, which was released by Hollywood Records on April 1, 2014.
The music of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) covers the soundtracks of the American media franchise and shared universe, which is centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The soundtracks include the original scores composed by various composers for the films and television series of the franchise, as well as the songs that are heard in each film.
The soundtrack for the 2018 American superhero film Black Panther, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and produced by Marvel Studios, consists of an original score composed by Ludwig Göransson and original songs performed or curated by Kendrick Lamar. Göransson worked on all of director Ryan Coogler's previous films, while Lamar and Coogler had previously discussed collaborating and the musician agreed to perform several songs for the film after seeing an early version of it.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is the soundtrack album to the 2018 film of the same name directed by Ron Howard, which is the second instalment in the Star Wars anthology series. The score is composed by John Powell, with the Han Solo's theme conducted and composed by John Williams, whom he had collaborated for several Star Wars films, was included in the album. Williams further composed several demos, that were not included in the soundtrack but was released in the deluxe edition. Besides composing the original themes, Powell also incorporated Williams' music from Star Wars films.
Captain Marvel (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Marvel Studios film of the same name. The score, composed by Pinar Toprak, was released by Hollywood Records on March 8, 2019, in the United States.
What If...? is an American animated anthology television series created by A. C. Bradley for the streaming service Disney+ based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It is the fourth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, and the studio's first animated series from Marvel Studios Animation. The series explores alternate timelines in the multiverse that show what would happen if major moments from the MCU films occurred differently. Bradley serves as head writer for the first two seasons, with Matthew Chauncey for the third, and Bryan Andrews as the lead director.
The Marvels is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to the film Captain Marvel (2019), a continuation of the television miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022), and the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Nia DaCosta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. It stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, alongside Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Danvers, Rambeau, and Kamala team up as "the Marvels" after they begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers.
Ms. Marvel is an American television miniseries created by Bisha K. Ali for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel. It is the seventh television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It follows Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old fangirl of the Avengers who struggles to fit in until she gains her own powers. Ali served as head writer with Adil & Bilall leading the directing team.
The Wolverine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2013 superhero film of the same name, directed by James Mangold. Featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine, the film is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series, the second installment in the trilogy of Wolverine films after X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and a spin-off/sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). The film's musical score is composed by Marco Beltrami, who previously scored Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma (2007).
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"What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" is the second episode of the first season of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Black Panther (2018) occurred differently, with Yondu Udonta and the Ravagers abducting a young T'Challa instead of Peter Quill. The episode was written by story editor Matthew Chauncey and directed by Bryan Andrews.
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