Thomas Newman - Of Mice and Men (Music from the Original Ballet) (2025) [Official Digital Download]

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.

TRACKLIST

1. Thomas Newman - Bindle Stiffs
2. Thomas Newman - Beans with Ketchup
3. Thomas Newman - Jackson Fork
4. Thomas Newman - Her
5. Thomas Newman - Jerkline Skinner
6. Thomas Newman - Weed
7. Thomas Newman - Bucking Grain
8. Thomas Newman - Punk
9. Thomas Newman - The Swamper
10. Thomas Newman - Bright Cotton Dress
11. Thomas Newman - Roll your Hoop
12. Thomas Newman - Crooks
13. Thomas Newman - Tin Can Shotgun
14. Thomas Newman - Red Mules
15. Thomas Newman - A Real Bad Thing
16. Thomas Newman - Fatta the Lan'



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