Much Ado About Nothing (soundtrack)

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Much Ado About Nothing (Original Soundtrack) is the film score album for Joss Whedon’s 2012 movie Much Ado About Nothing. It was released on June 6, 2013 by Bellwether Records and runs 40 minutes and 41 seconds, featuring 32 tracks including two songs from Shakespeare’s play.

Whedon directed the film and also wrote the score, his first and only film-scoring project. Due to budget constraints, he opted to score the film himself. He found scoring terrifying but fun, and he believes music can enhance dialogue in key moments. Daniel Kaminsky assisted as editor and arranger, and Deborah Lurie produced the score. The music mainly uses piano and small orchestral sound to create intimate, quiet moments. Whedon also arranged two of Shakespeare’s songs, “Sigh No More” and “Heavily,” performed by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon. The score was recorded in March 2013, and all tracks are by Whedon unless noted otherwise.

Critical reception noted the score in various ways: Variety called it a “lightly applied score,” The Guardian described it as a smoky, bass-heavy jazz-influenced soundtrack that keeps things lively, Slate said the music helps create a shared atmosphere for the play, IndieWire found it a bit daft, Flixist thought some cues felt TV-movie-like but still suit the film’s quick, playful spirit, and Tiny Mix Tapes called it simple but catchy. The credits come from the liner notes.