Album Review: Wicked (Score)

Wicked

Music composed by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

Additional music and arrangements by Batu Sener, Markus Siegel

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, Abbey Road Studios, Sony Scoring Stage

Total album running time: 78 minutes
Available on Republic Records (digital)

As a Broadway fan, I was thrilled when the Wicked underscore was written by John Powell with collaboration and melodies by Stephen Schwartz. In this adaptation, carefully chosen parts of songs appear in the underscore and are often used as the character's motifs. I've tried to catch as many thematic references as I could, but I'm sure there are more that Powell and Schwartz have hidden away. 

The score album begins with Arrival at Shiz University with an intro from "For Good" (which will appear in Part Two) on flute, which builds with sparkling strings into the Unlimited motif, bit of "Dear Old Shiz" among brass fanfares and then we hear bits of "Popular" appearing in the lighter section.  Our Heroes Meet begins with a brass sting while the bassoon introduces the melody from "No One Mourns the Wicked", followed quickly by bits of "What Is This Feeling?" and "Popular".  

Nessarose begins with a regal woodwind statement of "Dear Old Shiz" and a breezy rendition of "No One Mourns the Wicked".  Meet the Faculty glides in with a motif for Madame Morrible based on a bit of her melody from "The Wizard and I". The cue features plenty of pizzicato, flute solos and a variation of the la's from "Popular" which represent Galinda several times in the film.  Elphaba's Power charges ahead with strings building to a climax of her magical powers with brass and choir and a quieter section that features the Morrible theme. 

How to Loathe Your Roommate starts with light upbeat sounds and an inclusion of "Dear Old Shiz" and Galinda's motif from "Popular". We get a new dance-like melody that is featured in the rest of the cue with some darker and frustrated undertones. History Lesson has some moody strings and choir while we get some hints at the Wicked Witch theme (opening of "No One Mourns the Wicked"). The choir returns in Levitate the Coin with Morrible's motif hovering in the strings. All Around Something Bad features parts of "No One Mourns the Wicked" and "Something Bad" among a rising string pattern.    

Prince Fiyero of Winkie Country gives a bit of "No One Mourns the Wicked" but shines with a bit of Migration (2024) like choir and statements of "Dancing Through Life" which will naturally represent Fiyero in the score.  There's a bright bit of "Popular" at the end of the cue.  Fiyero's theme continues in The Book Place, interrupted by Galinda's theme and a later string-led reprise of "Dear Old Shiz". Elphaba at Ozdust sneaks a "No One Mourns the Wicked" melody in the low strings before the choir and low piano chords underscore Elphaba's emotional entrance. 

Sharing Secrets and Look at You showcases the slow turn to friendship with touching quick melodies from "For Good", "What Is This Feeling?" and "Popular". The warm harp, woodwinds and strings are the highlight here. Replacement Teacher gives darker tones to Morrible's theme in addition to fluttering flutes and rising timpani beat.  The dizzying choir moment is a lovely callback to the 1939 score by Herbert Stothart. Cub Rescue uses quick strings for this bit of action with another Stothart reference. Forest Feelings volleys between the intro of "I'm Not That Girl" for Elphaba and Fiyero's "Dancing Through Life" on piano and strings. 

Ozian Invitation opens with sparkly reference to Elphaba's Unlimited motif followed by a music box version of "Wonderful" representing the Wizard. As Elphaba gets her invitation to the Emerald City, we get a clear reprise of "The Wizard and I" and a brassy version of Morrible's motif. Galinda Becomes Glinda begins with a wonderful Powell sweeping brass moment. Twinkling bells give a bit of "I'm Not That Girl" under lilting strings.  There's even some statements of melodies from "Thank Goodness" which will appear in the second film.

A ton of Schwartz melodies appear in Train to Emerald City, opening with a sentimental reprise of "I'm Not That Girl", the vamp from "For Good", the friendship version of "What Is This Feeling" which leads into a sweeping string reprise of "No One Mourns the Wicked" before the grandiose orchestra charges in and sneaks in one last bit of "Thank Goodness".  Hall of Grandiosity has a re-harmonized "No One Mourns the Wicked" while the quick tremolo strings provides a motif for the flying monkeys. The Unlimited motif leads to the "For Good" among the unsettling choir and high strings. A Wizard's Plan adapts several parts of "The Wizard and I" as Elphaba finally gets her wish to visit the Wizard - the track has some lovely magical moments for harp and choir and touching flute solos. 

The Grimmerie opens with Morrible's theme quickly turning into the rough choral chant representing the Grimmerie's books and Elphaba's reading. There's a new bit of musical foreshadowing with "Defying Gravity" at the end of the cue.  Transformations lets Powell mix the drama of the flying monkey's theme and Morrible's theme among the large orchestral and choral bombast. We also hear some Unlimited motif, "No One Mourns the Wicked" and next the Wicked Witch theme as we feel Elphaba's anguish. Percussion and strings rise up with choir on Morrible's theme in the striking section.

Monkey Mayhem utilizes the flying monkey theme with large orchestral and choral outbursts among the action with the Wicked Witch theme appearing in full force. All Around Defying Gravity expands on the past Elphaba themes like the powerful Wicked Witch theme, Unlimited motif, and deconstructed melodies of "No One Mourns the Wicked". The Unlimited motif string ostinato leads to a moment of "Defying Gravity" to a building finish.        

It's incredible that Powell was able to deconstruct the intros, verses and choruses of several songs and let them be heard and mixed together in the underscore. This weaving with the new material helps the score stand out from the songs but still feel cohesive.  I can't wait to see what they accomplish in Wicked: For Good (2025). What an enormously enjoyable experience from everyone involved in the music department.