Since it's publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's groundbreaking novel Frankenstein has borne a seemingly infinite number of cinematic versions, and from that, some exceptional film music. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is the latest, and Alexandre Desplat's score is the perfect accompaniment. Desplat's score instantly evokes del Toro and Shelley's world in the opening, which introduces the hauntingly beautiful seven-note motif for the real antagonist, Victor Frankenstein. The birth of the creature is treated as a subversion of previous adaptations, with a lyrical and searching tone that is tender and delicate, like the birth of a child. A four-note motif that repeats with variations represents the creature itself, played tenderly on plucked strings with solo piano as counterpoint. However, that initially bright and questioning tone shifts as the creature experiences it's life as Victor demands, and the tragedy of the creature and the story come into focus. Desplat's score transitions into a deeply melancholy mood as both creator and creation descend into their own personal hell, albeit with less fury and more reflection and introspection, with a true emotional resonance. Frankenstein ends with a glorious reprisal of it's themes, a showcase of Alexandre Desplat's talent and the inspiration of Guillermo Del Toro and Mary Shelley. It's a work that stands proudly alongside previous musical iterations and is another evolution in the ongoing collaboration between Del Toro and Desplat. Gorgeous and thoughtful, Frankenstein is much more than just the sum of it's parts. - Charlie Brigden

Tracklist:

Frankenstein
Explosion
Victor's Tale
Burning Angel
Mother Dies
William and Father
Lecture
Meet Harlander
Elizabeth
Castle
Symmetry
Body Building
Tower
Awakening
Everything Is New
Elizabeth Meets the Creature
Floating Leaf
Fire
Creature's Tale
Hunters
Family Life
Friend
Recollection
Good Man
Merciless Life
Confrontation
Laying to Rest
Forgiveness
Eternity

UPC: 810155841751
Label: Mutant
Release Date: 3.13.26
Format: CD

Alexandre Desplat - Frankenstein - O.S.T. (CD)