Married Life by Giacchino arr. Alex Stopa

The opening scene of Pixar’s Up is an extraordinary animated sequence. Reminiscent of a home movie, it is a touching montage that chronicles the entire marriage of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen, from the day they first met till the day of Ellie’s death. The scene contains no dialogue, only images and music, and its brilliance lies in its power to emotionally connect the viewer to Carl, while allowing us to personally reflect on the fragility and fleeting beauty of life, love, and the human experience.

With Married Life, the Oscar-winning main theme of the film, composer Michael Giacchino perfectly captures the sentiment and poignancy of this scene with a waltz that, upon request of director Pete Doctor, resembles “one’s grandmother’s music box.” Alex Stopa’s arrangement for mallet quartet (with optional percussion accompaniment) tastefully reproduces the original in a way that today’s concertgoers will truly enjoy.