‘I just stole it from Beethoven’: Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz on how he wrote ‘Defying Gravity’

2 December 2024, 15:08 | Updated: 2 December 2024, 15:38

'Wicked' composer Stephen Schwartz breaks down his iconic 'Defying Gravity' | Classic FM

Stephen Schwartz sat down with Classic FM to break down the hit song ‘Defying Gravity’.

American musical theatre legend and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz has sat down with Classic FM to discuss what makes a hit song.

Schwartz enthusiastically and openly shared with viewers his process and inspirations behind writing the show-stopping ‘Defying Gravity’, revealing, “I just stole it from Beethoven”.

Whilst this comment shouldn’t be taken literally, it is a marker of Schwartz’s honesty to acknowledge that a large part of composition is the ability to skilfully reshape other composers’ ideas and processes.

Read more: 12 best movie adaptions of musicals, ranked

This might come as a shock to fans of the hit musical Wicked, who perhaps would not expect the influence of the great German composer to be found in a glittering blockbuster musical. But as Schwartz explains whilst playing on the piano, “Beethoven uses the thirds in the base… the treble is open, so you don’t know if it’s a major or minor…there is something so moving about that sound, particularly if you are coming from another chord”.

By keeping the key (which determines the mood) of the song deliberately ambiguous, Schwartz manages to capture the sense of mystery and suspense in the opening phrases, which in turn make the full-blown chorus sound even more striking and life-affirming.

Cynthia Erivo on singing, stunts and Defying Gravity in 'Wicked'

The composer – who has won a plethora of awards for his work on hit musicals including Godspell, Pippin and The Prince of Egypt – also revealed a hidden Easter egg in the song.

Acknowledging the influence of The Wizard of Oz, Schwartz revealed that the melody from the ‘Unlimited’ theme uses the first seven notes of ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’. As he says, there “is no more aspirational song… you see Elphaba flying over Oz and it’s meant to feel exhilarating and free. Hopefully, you can feel what it would be like to fly yourself.”

The composer demonstrates how skilfully modulating (changing key) upwards, creates the feeling of ascendency and flight.

The film adaptation of Wicked, which was released on 22 November, has been greeted with rave reviews, with critics praising the singing of Cynthia Erivo, Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande.

Wicked: Part One is in cinemas now.