The Young Victoria (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2009 film The Young Victoria directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Harriet Walter, Mark Strong, and Jim Broadbent among a large ensemble cast. The album contains the film score composed by Ilan Eshkeri and an original song "Only You" performed by Sinéad O'Connor. The album was released through EMI Music on 10 March 2009.
Director Vallée used his background as a DJ to "create a structure for a film using music with the right rhythm and balance" as well as combining "classical pieces with a rock spirit". During filming Vallée often played rock music, such as the Rolling Stones and Sigur Rós, to create the right "mood" before a scene and also gave each actor a particular song to listen as a preparation for the role, such as Cat Stevens' "Trouble" for Victoria (Emily Blunt). Co-producer Dennis O'Sullivan found Vallée's ear for music for "terrific" where the sequences "are connected and carried through by music so deftly that you forget youâÂÂre watching a period film".
Executive producer Colin Vaines knew composer Ilan Eshkeri and hired him for the film. One of the first pieces the producers heard from Eshkeri was his interpretation of Franz Schubert's "Swan Song" which played a key role in the film. O'Sullivan added, "Ilan saw how Jean-Marc and Jill had structured these two intercutting scenesâÂÂone between Victoria and a manipulative Melbourne, the other between lovelorn Albert and his brotherâÂÂand he just tied these scenes together so beautifully with this one piece of music, it was a revelation". Both Vallée and Eshkeri wanted the music to be fluid to that a piece can subtly shift and became a musical cue and vice versa, knowing that this unusual approach to music would keep the viewers engaged. At certain instances, a piece of source music is referenced later in the score as an emotional touchstone for the audience.
Vallée talked to Eshkeri and his music producer Steve McLaughlin about the traditional to unique rock pieces transitioning throughout the film, where he wanted the score to have an "energy and heart" unlike other period films that accompany traditional instruments. Sinéad O'Connor performed "Only You," which O'Sullivan described as "very much in line with one of the overriding aims of the film, which was to be hopeful and tell people that these amazing love stories really can happen, it's not just a fairy tale."
The soundtrack was released through EMI Music on 10 March 2009.
Danny Graydon of Empire rated four stars out of five saying "composer Ilan Eshkeri capitalises on the ideal opportunity to bestow the customary pomp and circumstance material". Reviewer based at Gramophone wrote "One canâÂÂt help wishing that the producers, including Martin Scorsese, had commissioned a new piece of work for the screen, especially as EshkeriâÂÂs original work fits the bill well enough; but what we have is likely to appeal at the very least to all those who have seen the film." Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK wrote "The Young Victoria really is the absolute antithesis of EshkeriâÂÂs other 2009 score, Ninja Assassin, and as much as the two scores highlight the composerâÂÂs versatility and talent across multiple genres and styles, I much prefer the music heard here." Derek Elly of Variety called it a "copious score" which in turn "lacks any strong musical motifs, but its classical, vamp-âÂÂtil-ready style lends both dignity and romance to the material."
Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter and Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the musical score both "pompous" and "soaring". Fionnualla Halligan of Screen International wrote "The score doesnâÂÂt help. HandelâÂÂs swelling, omnipresent Coronation Anthem of Zadok the Priest is only matched by the bizarre addition of Sinead OâÂÂConnor on the end credits warbling a song called Only You - Love Theme From The YoungVictoria." Orlando Sentinel and Roger Moore of East Bay Times wrote "composer Ilan Eshkeri scores such scenes with music so thrilling youâÂÂll feel youâÂÂve got a front-row seat to the real thing."
Credits adapted from liner notes: