Artist Stories | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Composer Joby Talbot

 

Joby Talbot, the composer of the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland score, has an extensive repertoire, from working with choreographer Wayne McGregor to film scores like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) and Wonka (2023). We talked with Joby about his vast musical experiences and what Alice's Adventures in Wonderland means to him.

 Your repertoire includes numerous film and television scores, as well as four full-length ballet scores, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. How does scoring for film and TV differ from composing live orchestral works?

I’ve been lucky enough to work across a wide range of musical genres with many brilliant collaborators. Still, nothing has proven more challenging, or rewarding, than composing a full-length narrative ballet score, where the music alone must convey a very complex story without recourse to words.

Although movie soundtracks and narrative ballet scores are both storytelling musical genres, the similarities largely end there. In film, the composer typically contributes at the end of the process, responding to the picture rather than driving it. With a ballet (at least in the way that Christopher Wheeldon and I collaborate), the bulk of my work begins before any of the steps. The music comes first, and the choreographer and dancers then respond to it. The most challenging aspect of writing a ballet score is anticipating the tone of the production that doesn't yet exist!

Another major difference is scale. A film score consists of many individual cues, often just a few minutes long, and sometimes mere seconds. A single ballet act, meanwhile, can last over an hour. While it contains individual scenes, the architecture of the music is far more complex than the kind of structure required for film.

What do you consider the most important aspect of composition for ballet?

In narrative ballet, it's crucial to find a musical language that suits the subject and offers enough variety and emotional depth to tell the story. But, for me, the most critical element is constructing a strong compositional structure. This architecture framework keeps the production tightly on track and provides the choreographer a secure foundation. 

How does your collaborative relationship with Christopher Wheeldon influence your composition process?

Chris and I always begin a project the same way: we sit down together (sometimes with a dramaturg, sometimes just the two of us) and create a synopsis. We outline how music, dance, and staging will work together to convey the narrative. From there, I begin composing, sharing each new section as it develops. 

What were your musical inspirations when composing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Were you drawn to particular instruments or styles?

A full-length orchestral narrative ballet score is the largest musical canvas a composer can fill. When I began writing Alice, I was very aware of the enormity of the task. Early in my career, while working on my first film score, I was given excellent advice: "When you think you’ve taken things too far, you’re probably only about halfway there!" I applied the same mindset to Alice and chose an orchestral lineup that offered the biggest technicolor music palette I could imagine.

The score includes an enormous battery of percussion instruments, a detuned violin for the highly strung Queen of Hearts, and a ram’s horn trumpet for the White Rabbit. It's a virtuoso showcase for the orchestra.

What does this Chicago premiere mean to you? Are you excited to be back in Chicago?

I was last in Chicago in November 2019, when Chicago Opera Project staged my first opera, Everest. My family and I had a fantastic time. I’m thrilled to be back to experience the city in summer and to work with this wonderful company.