Composer Alexandre Desplat has brought a striking twist to the Wes Anderson film score crafted by Alexandre Desplat for “The Phoenician Scheme,” currently in theaters, by integrating the influence of Igor Stravinsky into the very heart of the music. Drawing inspiration from a reimagined birthday tune and the innovative approaches of Stravinsky, Desplat weaves classical motifs and imaginative playfulness into Anderson’s latest cinematic tapestry.
Stravinsky’s Influence on a Unique Movie Soundtrack
When composing for “The Phoenician Scheme,” Desplat played “Happy Birthday to You” with a distinctive shift—ending the melody on an unusually high note, a nod to Stravinsky’s serial experimentation in his “Greeting Prelude.” This inventive move honors Stravinsky, who transformed the familiar song for the 80th birthday of Pierre Monteux in 1955. Inspired by such creativity, Desplat decided to “bend” a melody from Stravinsky’s ballet “The Firebird” as a recurring feature of Anderson’s film.
Desplat describes the origin of his work:
“The seed of the score comes from a piece by Stravinsky, and there’s this little, short melody that I’ve used, and twisted and expanded,”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer. He continues,
“When I started playing with that, I thought about what Stravinsky had done, and tried to stay in Stravinsky’s world.”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer.
Building a Musical Foundation for “The Phoenician Scheme”
In the film, Desplat plays a short, captivating motif on keyboard, creating a tune that becomes the main musical anchor supporting Anderson’s story. The plot follows business magnate Zsa-zsa Korda, played by Benicio Del Toro, as he embarks on a project with his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who is a nun, and her entomology tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera). This leitmotif, drawn from “The Firebird,” serves as a musical thread during transitions, highlighting the trio’s travels as they attempt to fill a crucial funding gap in Korda’s expansive infrastructure venture.
Desplat playfully remarks,
“It should be called ‘The Russian Scheme,’”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer—joking about the significant presence of Stravinsky’s work.
Blending Classical and Jazz Traditions With Original Score
The music of “The Phoenician Scheme” doesn’t stop at Stravinsky. The film’s opening credits feature “Apotheosis” from Stravinsky’s “Apollo” ballet, and the musical landscape also includes pieces by Bach, Beethoven, and lively jazz by Gene Krupa, Gerry Mulligan, and Glenn Miller. Desplat shares the challenge of his composition process in a score surrounded by such distinct pieces:
“There are too many things happening, and I just can’t musically link them,”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer. He adds,
“So I have to avoid them and let them play, and then find a flourish of mine — and another. These songs, these pieces, keep going along, and I just jump around.”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer.
To maintain cohesion, Desplat skillfully navigates these influences, making his score distinctive while respecting the presence of the classics and jazz within the soundtrack.
Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Music Merge on Screen
One of Desplat’s particular innovations lies in his treatment of on-screen and off-screen music. He notes that in the very first scenes, a visible turntable plays Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” introducing what filmmakers refer to as “diegetic” music—sound that characters can hear. Alongside this, Desplat’s original “non-diegetic” score weaves in and out, creating a seamless connection between the music heard by the characters and the music experienced by the audience.
“In this very early shot, this turntable is playing ‘The Firebird,’ and so it created what we call diegetic music, which is in the film, and non-diegetic music — which is the score — to be completely connected,”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer. He emphasizes,
“[The music] goes in and out of the image.”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer.
A Musical Palette Chosen for Atmosphere
Despite the diversity of characters, from Michael Cera’s eccentric Norwegian bug expert to Benedict Cumberbatch’s scheming Uncle Nubar, Desplat did not assign specific musical themes to individuals. Rather, he preferred atmospheric melodies that define the film’s style. He admits,
“It would be a Rubik’s Cube to give colors to every character,”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer. Instead, the score focuses on amplifying the film’s whimsy and charm, reflecting Desplat’s established rapport with Anderson.
A Decade of Collaboration and Signature Sounds
Desplat’s creative partnership with Wes Anderson traces back to 2009 and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Their collaboration has yielded distinct soundscapes for films including “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Isle of Dogs,” “The French Dispatch,” and “Asteroid City.” This history has led to a kind of “toolbox” of favored instruments—glockenspiel, choir, mandolin, banjo, and recorders are often at their disposal, lending recognizable textures to Anderson’s movies. For “The Phoenician Scheme,” Desplat explains,
“Since ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox,’ we have this kind of little toolbox that we keep nearby. The glockenspiel, the choir, the mandolin, the banjo, recorders — and they’re there sitting, and we try to find something new,”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer. He adds,
“But at times, we pick one tool from the box that belongs to the previous movies, and we inject it into the scope.”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer. In this film, drums and piano emerged from that toolkit.
Describing the “Wes Anderson Sound”
When reflecting on the essence of a Wes Anderson score, Desplat calls it
“accessible, simple but not simplistic, unashamedly melodic, obsessively repetitive”
—Alexandre Desplat, Composer—and credits it as an “extravaganza of sounds.”
These qualities infuse “The Phoenician Scheme,” imbuing it with a whimsical and slightly surreal charm that is unmistakably Anderson. Yet, Desplat believes this recent score is distinct—Stravinsky’s work forms its beating heart, setting it apart from previous collaborations and enriching the entire movie experience.
The Broader Impact of a Musical Experiment
By centering the score on Stravinsky’s adventurous spirit, Alexandre Desplat injects both tradition and innovation into “The Phoenician Scheme.” His creative approach offers a new dimension to the film, strengthening ongoing artistic ties with Wes Anderson and continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary film composition. As the film plays in theaters, both long-time fans and newcomers will find the interplay between classical roots, inventive musical twists, and Anderson’s eccentric storytelling style captivating.
