Score by Dario Marianelli
Ghostbusters Original Themes by Elmer Bernstein
Conducted by Tim Davies
Ghostbusters Original Themes by Elmer Bernstein
Conducted by Tim Davies
Orchestrations by Geoff Alexander, Dario Marianelli
Total album running time: 61 minutes
Available on Sony Classical
Available on Sony Classical
The Ghostbusters franchise got a jumpstart with Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021. Just as the films look back to the past, the music continues the legacy of Elmer Bernstein's score to the 1984 original film. His themes held much of Rob Simonson's Afterlife score together, and here Dario Marianelli adapts Bernstein's material to a great effect.
Manhattan Adventurers Society starts just like the original Bernstein score - the ondes martenot's ghostly motif. The action motif leads into the dissonant spooky sounds building to a choir and a sting of the Ghostbusters theme. The action motif with ondes martenot starts The Sewer Dragon. We see the Ecto-1 on their mission, highlighting action and comedy beats with the Ghostbusters theme used. The momentum hardly lets up with rhythmic strings and brass jabs, even a bit of organ for Bernstein-esque moments. Firehouse gives us more Ghostbusters theme, reintroducing the bouncy intro.
Ray's Occult begins with some lighter moments before settling into the creepier sounds of held strings, muted horns and the ethnic-sounding Garraka motif on flute. A Ghost in the Attic again leans into the suspense before a reference to Slimer's attack from 1984's score. Chess in the Park gives us a bit more ghostly sounds of the ondes martenot with bits of the Ghostbusters piano vamp. We then hear the first instance of the softer theme for Melody. When the Light is Green... has more ghost motifs with suspenseful underscoring.
Paranormal Research Center enters with comedic urgency in the low strings with a lighter section led by harps before adding more suspense and a Ghostbusters theme nod at the end. A Call uses a bit of the low strings motif from the last track combined with the Ghostbusters theme on brass. The Orb starts right off with a dissonant full orchestra, uneasy sounds and Garraka's motif.
We hear Melody's theme return on harp and piano in A Tour of the Firehouse as it combines with aspects of the Ghostbusters theme. Slimer features both the comedic and horror musical tropes. Dadi's Secret Room starts right off with the ondes martenot and the uneasy Garraka's motif. Should We Investigate? has some Bernstein-style ghostly underscoring before launching into the Ghostbusters theme and bouncy vamp.
Dr. Wartzki gives us more spooky ondes martenot and expands on Garraka's motif with prominent choir, strings and harp while we hear the backstory of the villain. In Patience, the NY Library lion comes to life giving a fun mix of action, comedic stings and large brass and percussion features. Golden Years is a brief cue for strings and piano underscoring a chat between Winston and Ray. It's Your Turn combines the ondes martenot, Garraka's motif on flute and twinkling effects.
Ionic Separator continues the lovely melancholic theme for Melody and Phoebe, with added percussive effects. Now He Can Control You returns to the extended orchestration and choir with an added intensity. As Garraka grows in power in The Horns, we hear the most full statement of his motif. Back to Headquarters uses the repetitive action pattern mixed with bits of Garraka and Ghostbusters themes. A fun rhythmic pattern appears in New Proton Packs with trilling strings building with brass on elements of the Ghostbusters theme. The action continues in Posessesor's Mistake with trilling strings and clanging sound effects. The cue ends with a large brass and choir crescendo.
Was Any of it Real? has more dissonance and rising eerie effects with a slower Melody theme on piano. Last Frozen Stand uses the Garraka's motif and Ghostbusters theme and gives them both more action oomph as all the heroes unite. The Thawing is a lovely calm piece for strings and harp before leading into the Ghostbusters vamp. In the Fabric of the Universe is a touching cue that gives us another statement of Melody's theme with ondes martenot amongst the strings, french horn line and glistening piano.
While the film doesn't capture the comedy or scary aspects perfectly, Marianelli tries to sit right in between. There are plenty of quiet moments, musical stings and comedic ways of keeping the momentum...some parts are almost drowned out by the film's sound mixing. Much like the returning cast, hearing Marianelli weave together bits of Elmer Bernstein's score and the ondes martenot are a bit of their own musical nostalgia.
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