Remembering Los Borgia

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Los Borgia (Antonio Hernández, 2006) is set in Renaissance Rome, when Rodrigo Borgia assumes the power with the name of Alexander VI. From then on, his sons and relatives consolidate their power by intrigues and murder.

Ángel Illarramendi was the author of an elegant score in which he does not attribute himself the role of judge of the acts and intentions of the characters. On the contrary, he stoods at the dramatic level of the protagonists themselves, avoiding to exposure them to public trial and maintaining, on the contrary, the purpose of making understandable their motives and feelings. Therefore, his music is not written for the characters, but arises from them, portraying them as they are. His creation exudes a feeling of moderately bitterness, sad and decadent, even romantic, what helps to highlight the fate to which the family is bound, to expose the fragility of their power, the grim fate that lies ahead. His melodies of great poise and elegance give the whole film dignity and hold it with class. The romantic themes, with that sad and decadent tone, humanize the unscrupulous and the use of choirs and mezzo-soprano voice give the religious and the adecquate ceremonial aspect. Enjoy it!

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Remembering Hector

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We open a new section in The Spanish Connection in which we regularly will remember the best scores of Spanish films.

Héctor (Gracia Querejeta, 2004) is a beautiful movie that chronicles the experiences of a teenager who, after the death of his mother, goes to live with her aunt, and tries to adjust to his new reality, until his father -whom he does not know-, arrives and tries to take he with him to Argentina. The music was composed by Ángel Illarramendi, author of a score that was finalist for the Goya Awards and for the MundoBSO Awards.

This is a beautiful and delicate creation, very heartfelt and emotional, in which the composer makes discourse his gentle melodies over a leisurely and intimate film, reaching to maximum strength and power in the final sequence. The elegance, good taste and noble spirit of the composer finds in this work one of his best exponents. Enjoy it!

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