Emma (2020)

A contemporary take on the classic Jane Austen novel.

Image source: https://www.amazon.com/Emma-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B084Q5SH3K

Emma (2020) Original Soundtrack by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer

Rating: 10/10

Jane Austin’s Emma is a witty period comedy that has been adapted to film multiple times, with the most recent one being this year (2020). Austin’s story is that of a young woman (Emma) who tries to be a matchmaker to young women in her town, but chaos soon ensues as her ideas don’t go as planned. Emma is young and naive, so the soundtrack for the film had to match her attitude.

Right off the bat, the soundtrack brings a unique sound to a period piece. Normally, period pieces have a very traditional piano and strings sound to their score. One thing I absolutely love about the Emma soundtrack is the inclusion of vocals on the main theme and throughout the soundtrack. Not only that, but the composers, Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer, include a wide array of instrumentals in all of their tracks. Those include harp, harpsichord, flutes, clarinets, trumpets, horns, bells, and of course they have strings and piano in there as well. The diversified instrumentation and vocals bring a lot of interesting new sounds to the genre of film.

As I mentioned before, Emma is young and naive. The music of the film perfectly reflects her character because it is light and bouncy. All of the pieces could be the backing tracks of a walk through a flower patch. Even in the parts of the soundtrack where something is going wrong or badly in the film, there is still a lightness and a mischievous tone in the music. Because Emma is a comedy, it is important that the music does not get suspenseful or menacing.

Something else that I love about the soundtrack is the styles of the tracks. Instead of every piece being one that sounds very classical or Romantic in style, but they all tend to be much more contemporary (with the occasional “big movie” sweeping orchestral sound). This style is heard in the main theme with the track Emma Woodhouse. Emma’s bouncy theme is repeated throughout the movie, and it simply doesn’t match the styles that were typically performed in the time period of the film. They also include a few tracks that have the sound of folk songs, or simple songs that could be performed by the average person. Tracks that include this sound include Country Life and How Firm a Foundation. These vocal pieces perfectly reflect the sort of pieces one would hear day to day. They aren't elaborate compositions, just simple four part harmonies. I personally love this change, and am glad that Waller-Bridge and Schweitzer have created a beautiful and unique sound.

I believe the soundtrack for Emma does an incredible job of reflecting the emotions and story of the film. I love the main motive that we hear throughout the score, it’s lighthearted feeling makes me very happy. If you haven’t seen the newest version of Emma, I would highly recommend it, as the staging, costumes, and, of course, the music all pair wonderfully with each other to enhance a classic tale.