Of Mice and Men (Music from the Original Ballet) Thomas Newman

• 1 Newman: Bindle Stiffs 02:40
• 2 Newman: Beans with Ketchup 02:24
• 3 Newman: Jackson Fork 01:55
• 4 Newman: Her 02:27
• 5 Newman: Jerkline Skinner 03:48
• 6 Newman: Weed 02:40
• 7 Newman: Bucking Grain 02:26
• 8 Newman: Punk 02:17
• 9 Newman: The Swamper 03:09
• 10 Newman: Bright Cotton Dress 04:40
• 11 Newman: Roll your Hoop 04:12
• 12 Newman: Crooks 04:52
• 13 Newman: Tin Can Shotgun 01:37
• 14 Newman: Red Mules 04:18
• 15 Newman: A Real Bad Thing 03:00
• 16 Newman: Fatta the Lan' 06:33
• Total Runtime 52:58

Info for Of Mice and Men (Music from the Original Ballet)

From Academy Award-nominated and GRAMMY Award-winning composer Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, Skyfall) comes the premiere recording of his debut ballet score, Of Mice and Men. Composed for The Joffrey Ballet’s critically acclaimed 2022 production and choreographed by Cathy Marston, Newman’s evocative music explores themes of loneliness and the aspiration for a new life in the face of hardship.

“One of the things that has always interested me about writing music for film is a sense of empathy towards characters and an ability to relate to story,” says Newman. “So, in some ways it's not much different working on a ballet based upon a classic novel, because I still have to put myself in the mindset of a place and time, and have the music express character, as much as that character is going to be expressed through bodily movement.”

Of the working relationship with Thomas Newman, choreographer Cathy Marston says, “we had a fabulous collaboration that extended over two years due to the pandemic, with almost weekly Zooms. I was struck by how he uses textures I’ve not discovered with other composers—it wasn’t just about rhythm, tempo, and melody, but about the music’s role in storytelling. There were no shortcuts with him. I was amazed by the intimate working relationship we could build, even over a screen.”

Newman’s score incorporates elements of folk music, designed to fit both the characters and the world they inhabit. “California still evokes a feeling of dust and weeds, but it’s not quite Texas or the South,” Newman explains. “At the same time, you accept these sounds—high string guitars, mandolins, and country fiddle—as part of the story. It’s about finding groove and rhythm that best express the movement and emotion of the piece." Newman himself conducts the recording which features full symphony orchestra and instrumental solos from collaborators Steve Tavaglione, George Doering, Luanne Homzy and Rick Cox.

Thomas Newman is an acclaimed composer best known for his scores for more than eighty film and television projects including The Shawshank Redemption, Angels in America, Little Women, American Beauty, Finding Nemo, Skyfall, 1917, Scent of a Woman, WALL-E, Bridge of Spies and Elemental. His work has earned him numerous nominations and awards, including fifteen Academy Award nominations and six Grammy Awards.

Of Mice and Men had its world premiere at The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago in 2022, choreographed by Cathy Marston. The ballet, inspired by John Steinbeck’s novel, explores the themes of friendship, loneliness, and the American Dream. The production received widespread acclaim. The score, nearly an hour of music in total, comprises 16 short movements.

Thomas Newman

Thomas Newman
is an American composer and is widely acclaimed as one of today’s most prominent composers for film, having scored more than 80 film and television projects, earning 14 Oscar nominations and 6 Grammy Awards. Born in Los Angeles, his father was notable film composer Alfred Newman (1900-1970). He studied composition and orchestration at USC, and completed his academic work at Yale University. He early mentors included the noted film composer David Raksin, and legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim.

A turning point in Newman’s career took place while he was working as a musical assistant on the 1984 film Reckless, for which he ultimately was promoted to the position of composer. Since then, he has contributed distinctive and evocative scores to numerous acclaimed films including Desperately Seeking Susan, The Lost Boys, The Rapture, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Player, Scent of a Woman, Flesh and Bone, The Shawshank Redemption, Little Women, American Buffalo, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Oscar and Lucinda, The Horse Whisperer, Meet Joe Black, American Beauty, The Green Mile, Erin Brockovich, In The Bedroom, Road to Perdition, Finding Nemo, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Cinderella Man, Jarhead, Little Children, The Good German, Revolutionary Road and Wall-E. His most recent projects include The Debt, The Adjustment Bureau, The Help, The Iron Lady, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Skyfall, Spectre, Side Effects, Saving Mr. Banks, The Judge, Finding Dory, Passengers and Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Newman also composed the music for HBO’s acclaimed 6-hour miniseries Angels in America directed by Mike Nichols. He received an Emmy Award for his theme for the HBO original series Six Feet Under.

This album contains no booklet.