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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack / Score · 2018

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

James Newton Howard

A dark, expansive orchestral tapestry defined by tragic choral arrangements and sharp, brassy tension. Howard captures the shadows of 1920s Paris with gothic elegance.

November 9, 2018 · WaterTower Music

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This score represents a significant tonal shift from the whimsical wonder of its predecessor. James Newton Howard trades the playful, bouncy themes of magical creatures for a much more somber and operatic palette. It feels like a descent into a more dangerous world, where the magic is no longer a source of joy but a tool for manipulation and war. The music is thick with atmosphere, often feeling like it is emerging from a thick Parisian fog, using low-register strings and woodwinds to create a sense of constant, underlying dread.

Moments Worth Listening For
The way the track The Thievery builds from a sneaky woodwind line into a full-throttle brass assault.
The haunting, high-register choral melody that emerges during Leta's Theme to signal tragic history.
The massive, organ-heavy climax of Salamander Eyes that feels both romantic and overwhelming.
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Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) sound next to the rest of James Newton Howard's catalogue?

Mythology+2.0σ

The writing leans far further into mythology than the rest of the catalogue.

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