Wicked: For Good
Music composed by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
Additional music and arrangements by Batu Sener, Markus Siegel, Paul Mounsey
Score orchestrations by Jonathan Beard, Edward Trybek, Henri Wilkinson
Additional score orchestrations by Sean Barrett, Jennifer Dirkes, Benjamin Hoff, Steven Rader, Jacob Shrum, Jamie Thierman
Orchestra conducted by Gavin Greenaway
Score recorded at AIR Studios, Sony Scoring Stage
Total album running time: 84 minutesAvailable on Republic Records
Act 2 of Wicked continues in Wicked: For Good. As a fan of the Broadway show and the first Wicked film's score, I knew I'd be in for a treat. We again get the John Powell underscore often utilizing Stephen Schwartz's song melodies. We get thematic continuations from Wicked, and some new themes, hopefully I can catch them along the way.
Building a Golden Road starts the film off with a foreboding choir in Powell's theme for the animal's plight. We are reintroduced to Elphaba as the cue builds with more drama before adding in bits of "No Good Deed" and a grand statement of "No One Mourns the Wicked", which continues into the song album's "Every Day More Wicked". Meanwhile, we catch back up with Glinda in Bubbles in Rainbows. The choir provides a lighter new motif for Glinda. Morrible's motif returns as does variations of the melody from "Thank Goodness". The rest of the cue features statements of "Popular" mixed with Glinda's motif in a regal setting.
Backstage Confrontation underscores her conversation with Fiyero, with minimalist reprises of "Popular", "I'm Not That Girl", and Glinda's section of "Thank Goodness". The celebration is interrupted with Lies in the Sky, "No Good Deed" starts off with a hint of Morrible's theme, with quick strings adding the flying monkey theme.
Forest Furnishing follows Elphaba into her hideout, we hear a modified tune of "Dancing Though Life" among the lighter strings and choir. Governor Nessa’s Petty Proclamations foreshadows some melody of "Wicked Witch of the East", bits of the animal's theme, dark choir and a sentimental statement from "No One Mourns the Wicked". Oz is Lost expands on the the darker animal theme, with a quick reference to The Wizard of Oz's "If I Were the King of the Forest. Sisterly Reunion uses the "Wicked Witch of the East" melody with light instrumentation, things get darker with a "No One Mourns the Wicked" brief statement.
All Around the Wicked Witch of the East naturally uses the accompaniment of the song, with the Grimmerie's magic's choir theme. The sweeter section crescendos from the song melody, with musical bits of "The Wizard and I" and the Unlimited motif brought in. The Grimmerie theme leads into a darker build of the "Wicked Witch of the East" statement and material from "Every Day More Wicked" as Nessarose shows her other side. There is plenty of anguish in the returning themes in Tin Woodman from "No Good Deed" and the wicked witch motif, ending with the Grimmerie theme with choir.
Meanwhile, Powell's dance-like rhythms float into Wedding Preparations as we get more of his extended Glinda material ending with a solemn section from "No One Mourns the Wicked". A Model Wizard weaves the melody from "Wonderful", the rhythm from the "Defying Gravity" intro and a sweeter version of "The Wizard and I". Both "Defying Gravity" and "The Wizard and I" get hopeful and touching renditions in Monkey Freedom as well as a lovely flute statement of "There's No Place Like Home" as things turn darker with the Grimmerie motif.
Popular Wedding Music is a great source-style arrangement of "Popular" in a lush, romantic setting. While the wedding for Glinda and Fiyero is happening, Elphaba frees the animals in Cages, Chaos and Cake. We get bombastic orchestral writing with choral chants of the animal theme. Lust and Betrayal ties plenty of thematic material together as Glinda's emotions grow stronger against Elphaba and Fiyero. As she teams with Morrible, we hear her theme connected with "No One Mourns the Wicked" while we hear a bit of "I'm Not That Girl" and "As Long As You're Mine". Cyclones and Premonitions opens up the Morrible theme with swirling woodwinds and strings, eventually nodding to the Witch's theme from The Wizard of Oz. The magical choir touches lead to dark strings that state one of Elphaba's darker themes.
Requiem for a Witch opens with a music box idea leading into Nessa's tender theme, followed by the "Wicked Witch of the East" material before the Wicked Witch motif turns the cue darker. Witches Get Snitches begins with a Leonard Bernstein-eque ballet that incorporates several melodic lines from "What Is This Feeling?", transitioning into a softer "No One Mourns the Wicked", "I'm Not That Girl" and "Dancing Through Life" as Fiyero is taken away. Getting What You Wanted blends the dark magic theme with "For Good" in some tortured moments.
Ride to See Elphie lets Powell show off more of his own style, using the dark magic and Morrible themes - with a lovely touching moment for piano and choir representing Elphaba's past which leads to a somber statement from "No One Mourns the Wicked". Into the Closet is a moving moment for the two witches which features choir and strings. The Melting has a choir rendition of "No One Mourns the Wicked" and a falling version of the Unlimited motif and the flute-led version of "For Good" is lovely.
The Story of the Green Bottle utilizes a lot of the dark magic theme combined with Elphaba's past motif and the brass gives a brief statement of "Wonderful". The Rise of Glinda brings the brighter strings and choir to her themes eventually adding in a grand orchestration near the end. Glinda's Speech continues with the large ensemble, followed by a lovely extended reprise of "For Good".
A Wicked Good Finale wraps up the story, containing a warm reprise of "As Long As You're Mine, a magical moment for Glinda to discover using another extended reprise of "For Good" with solo vocals and ensemble with brass giving one last Unlimited motif. Wicked: For Good Suite opens the end credits with "Defying Gravity" over Powell's fantastically busy strings and brass. A return from the first score leads us into the Unlimited theme and a great moment for "For Good" with choir, ending with a return of "No One Mourns the Wicked".
Like the last film, Powell was able to weave the song material in surprising ways - often hinted rather than outright restated. His original themes and motifs blend nicely, even if I wasn't able to catch most of them. I do think this film would benefit from a combined score+song experience, as the two are so linked. This score, in combination with Wicked (2024) is an achievement in musical storytelling, and song arrangements in a musical adaptation.
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