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Murdoch Mysteries' composer is Robert Carli one of Canada’s most in-demand composers for Film & Television.  The diversity of Robert's music can be attributed in part to his years of experience as a performer (saxophonist) of musical styles ranging from avant-garde and classical to jazz and rock. Yannick Bisson (William Murdoch) has said, “We have the best composer in television!”

Robert Carli's music has received numerous awards and nominations, including 18 Gemini and Canadian Screen Award nominations, 5 Gemini Awards and 3 Canadian Screen Awards. He is the recipient of 3 SOCAN Awards for domestic television. 

MM Fans know and love the Murdoch Mysteries Opening Theme and End Credits, of course!

Robert Carli won the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards' Best Original Music Score for a Program for A Merry Murdoch Christmas.

Also, in 2017, Robert Carli composed the Frankie Drake Mysteries theme score and episodes' soundtrack.

Robert Carli conducts the Toronto Orchestra Ensemble in A Music Lover's Guide to Murdoch Mysteries.


Julia and Murdoch Theme

Murdoch Mysteries first star-crossed lovers (Jilliam) have been underscored with three pieces primarily: 

Balloon Ride, William Remembers, and Let’s Start At The Beginning - all variations on their theme.

The Balloon Ride,starting in waltz time, underscores the end of Anything You Can Do... It starts with Julia’s line “William! What are you doing here?” and is the finale for Season 2.

William Remembers, a melancholy étude, starts off with those simple notes/chords followed by the soulful strings.  It underscores William’s dream of Julia in bed with him in Convalescence to the wordless end scene of Murdoch and Julia in Murdoch of the Klondike, and to Julia reassuring William at the end of Murdoch in Toyland It sneaks in and out throughout the seasons but rarely finishing until Julia appears at the ball in 20th Century Murdoch, again first in sotto voce leading to Julia’s line “Darcy and I have parted . . .” and plays all the way through with fireworks! It is the finale piece of Season 5.

Let’s Start At The Beginning is a longer variation of the Balloon Ride offering a hint of joyful whimsy, building to urgent crescendos (with that soaring feel Carli does so well) in three movements which gives it even more possibilities – variations used from the end scenes in Murdoch Air and Loch Ness Murdoch to the proposal scene in The Death of Dr. Ogden.

The theme Robert Carli calls Julia and Murdoch* can be heard in its romantic melodic motif underscoring their kissing scene in the alley by the Grand Theatre in Unfinished Business from Season 7.

In Season 9, their theme is given the holiday spirit in Christmas Morning from the third Murdoch Mysteries album by Robert Carli, A Merry Murdoch Christmas: Music from the Holiday Special from A Merry Murdoch Christmas.


Trivia

  • Julia and Murdoch romance theme was originally written for the Season 1, episode 101 Power, and was used for background music to Crabtree and Edna scenes.
  • MM writer Michelle Ricici shared during an interview about Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas: " Paul and I were talking to him at the wrap party and we were complimenting him on his music and he was complimenting us on our scripts. We said to him, ‘Don’t think that we don’t recognize how much you fix our problems.’ Not all scripts are perfect and we can really see when the music comes in, that all of a sudden things work. And you think, ‘Wow, thank you, Rob Carli for saving our bacon.’ And he said, ‘That’s really funny because, to me, your scripts save my music.’ That’s a load of balderdash, but it was very nice of him to say."
  • Robert Carli makes his first cameo appearance as the piano player ate The Star Room Theatre in From Buffalo With Love.
  • Robert Carli was nominated for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Original Score for a Program for A Merry Murdoch Christmas and makes a cameo appearance at The Star Room Theatre's piano in Home for the Holidays.
  • Robert Carli has received a nomination for the 2019 Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television awards for Best Original Music (Fiction), again!
  • 2024 Canadian Screen Awards CBC/Radio-Canada nomination for Best Original Music, Drama Best Photography, Drama: D.O.A..

External Links

In his own words, Robert Carli talks about Murdoch music*

Sample the music from Murdoch Mysteries (Asylum and Nightmare with Hélène Joy as Julia Ogden and Yannick Bisson as Detective Murdoch with James Pendrick in Flying The Plane) and his other recent projects at his beautifully designed website: http://robcarli.com.

A Merry Murdoch Christmas: Music from the Holiday Special is now available for download. 


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