Anna Karenina (soundtrack)

Anna Karenina (Original Music from the Motion Picture)
Soundtrack album by
Dario Marianelli
Released10 September 2012 (2012-09-10) (UK)
13 November 2012 (2012-11-13) (U.S.)
StudioAIR Lyndhurst Hall
Length55:14
LabelDecca Records

Anna Karenina (Original Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album composed by Dario Marianelli for the 2012 film Anna Karenina by Joe Wright. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, and BAFTA Award for Best Original Music.

Background

Composer Dario Marianelli had previously worked with director Joe Wright, having scored Wright's Pride & Prejudice[1] and Atonement,[2] and winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe for the latter.[3][4]

Production

Marianelli began working on the soundtrack three months prior to the beginning of production, as the music would be required for choreography and synchronization of the actors' movements.[5][6][7] He first composed the waltzes that would accompany the ballroom scenes, as they required the most planning and collaboration.[7][8][9] He visited the film set often, particularly for the ballroom scenes, to assist the choreographers. He also worked closely with the editors in post-production.[5][7]

Marianelli took inspiration from Russian music of the 19th century, particularly that of Mikhail Glinka, Mily Balakirev, Modest Mussorgsky, Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.[7] A portion of this inspiration came from "Byeroza", a Russian folk song about a birch tree. This folk song has its melodies riddled throughout Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony. He also took inspiration from Balkan brass music and Russian folk music.[5][8] The soundtrack was performed by 60 musicians at AIR Lyndhurst Hall in London with Marianelli on the piano.[5]

Legacy and accolades

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link

In 2013, the soundtrack was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score,[10] the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score,[11] and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Music.[12]

Russian figure skater and Olympic silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva used a medley from the film's soundtrack for her free skate during the 2018 Winter Olympics.[13][14]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Overture"3:20
2."Clerks"1:07
3."She Is of the Heavens"2:00
4."Anna Marches Into a Waltz"0:58
5."Beyond the Stage"1:24
6."Kitty's Debut"2:37
7."Dance With Me"4:23
8."The Girl and the Birch"1:02
9."Unavoidable"1:42
10."Can-Can"2:01
11."I Don't Want You to Go"4:58
12."Time for Bed"1:04
13."Too Late"2:02
14."Someone Is Watching"1:27
15."Lost In a Maze"2:10
16."Leaving Home, Coming Home"2:04
17."Masha's Song"1:36
18."A Birthday Present"4:18
19."At the Opera"1:27
20."I Know How to Make You Sleep"2:27
21."Anna's Last Train"3:53
22."I Understood Something"3:18
23."Curtain"1:53
24."Seriously"2:08
Total length:55:14

Charts

Chart performance for Anna Karenina (Original Music from the Motion Picture)
Chart (2012) Peak
position
UK Classical (OCC)[15] 19

References

  1. ^ "Dario Marianelli, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, English Chamber Orchestra - Pride and Prejudice [Music from the Motion Pictures]". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Dario Marianelli - Atonement [Music from the Motion Picture]". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "THE 80TH ACADEMY AWARDS - 2008". Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 7 October 2014.
  4. ^ "Winners & Nominees 2008". Golden Globes. Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
  5. ^ a b c d Burlingame, Jon (8 February 2013). "The sounds of cinema: 'Anna Karenina'". Variety. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Hitting the Right Note: Dario Marianelli's Unforgettable Film Scores". Focus Features. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Caschetto, Maurizio (13 May 2013). "Explorer of notes: Dario Marianelli and "Anna Karenina"". Colonnesonore.net. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "The Key to ANNA KARENINA". Focus Features. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. ^ Mermelstein, David (6 December 2012). "OSCARS: 'Anna Karenina' Score". Deadline. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  10. ^ "THE 85TH ACADEMY AWARDS - 2013". Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 7 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Winners & Nominees 2013". Golden Globes. Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
  12. ^ "Film in 2013 - BAFTA Awards". BAFTA Awards. British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
  13. ^ Schleicher, Chris (22 February 2018). "A Former Figure Skate's Guide to the Ladies Free Skate". Time. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  14. ^ Wang, Emily (23 February 2018). "Some Fans Are Really Not Happy With Last Night's Figure Skating Outcome". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Classical Artist Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2023.