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The Fabelmans (soundtrack)

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The Fabelmans
Soundtrack album by
John Williams
ReleasedNovember 11, 2022
Recorded2022
StudioSony Pictures Scoring Stage, Culver City, California
GenreFilm score
Length31:14
LabelSony 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]

Production

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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

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Critical response

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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

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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 eligibility 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, but lost to Oppenheimer.[24][25]

Track listing

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The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleWriter(s)Artist(s)Length
1."The Fabelmans"John WilliamsWilliams2:13
2."Mitzi's Dance"WilliamsWilliams2:05
3."Sonatina in A Minor, Op. 88 No. 3: III. Allegro burlesco"Friedrich KuhlauJoanne 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 ClementiMartin1:58
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

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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

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Credits adapted from CD liner notes.[28]

  • John Williams – composer, producer, conductor
  • Ramiro Belgardt – producer, music editor
  • Shawn Murphy – recording, mixing
  • Joanne Pearce Martin – piano solos

Release history

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Release dates and formats for The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various November 11, 2022
Sony Classical
December 9, 2022 CD

References

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  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ "'Barbie' Scores 11 Grammy Noms, Including Record of Year & Two for Song of Year". November 10, 2023.
  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.
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