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Posted: |
Mar 20, 2011 - 9:55 AM
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By: |
Patrick B
(Member)
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As the member "Morricone" (the excellent Henry) began here to review some Morricone' scores, , I try to go on in a complementary way to comment other soundtracks. For my first one, I choose a masterpiece :
Karol, un uomo diventato Papa / Karol, the man who became pope (TV, 2005)
CD Image music ERE 0162902 (Italy)
CD Edel 4029758645727 (English speaking countries)
A great event, the double TV movie about the life of Karol Wojtyla, for believers or not, “papist” or “anti-papist” people. Indeed the matter was interesting, as the man united several qualities very special : non-Italian pope since five centuries, elected at a rather young age (58) and in good health, who lives closely with all the dramas in the times of the awful 20° century. A man from Poland, where Nazism and Communism did as if the country, the local culture didn’t exist, as if not human people really lived in. His election and his long governance of 26 years is a sort of “revenge” of the modest people, broken in their bodies and souls. For the first TV film, the EM music told the strength, the determination, the ordeals which shaped Karol, the man, to prepare himself to great responsibilities. EM feels the project so important he went to the set, a very rare action for him. We are able to understand why Ennio Morricone has been involved in the project. And as the director Giacomo Battiato said in the DVD extra he took notes with the director and worked a long time on the score.
Rich in numerous themes, it is a real treasure of excellent and varied music, sometimes violent, sometimes more sentimental. But the general impression is determination : the music, comparing to his latest years, is more tight, a little cold, tensioned, maybe to let feel the dramatic events, and above all, the Karol’s thinking and action against it.
Noticeable enough, even if it is due to hazard and … the character’s name, the more succeeded themes, with exceptions, begin by letters K or C : Contro, Karol e la sofferenza, Cracovia, Karol e l’amore, Karol e gli invasori, Karol e il dolore, Kordek, KGB, Karol e gli operai. This hard sonority is not present in the second CD, consecrated no more to Karol, but to the Pope.
When hearing first times, none theme is strongly dedicated to this character : we have with the numerous “Karol e...” a mosaïc of situation or state of mind. The ideas of this score are dispatched in numerous tracks, each of them enlightens one aspect as a special jewel. The minimalist Karol e la sofferenza , not repeated on the CD, is well-worth only to get the CD ! And we could say the same with K e l'amore or K e gli invasori. Karol e l'amore is not a theme for the character Karol but for Hania, discribing a love which not reach his way but goes on differently in their lives.
In the whole soundtrack, under the pain, the states of mind, we have always the personal determination : a force in progress which nothing will stop. A human force, helped by spiritual graces.
Two types of tracks don't enter completely this scheme, being more ”exterior” ones :
- The love themes, concerning other characters : Maria e Adam, an rather etheral, modal and very morriconian theme. We could see a Il papa buono’s reminiscence, if we compare to the theme Amicizia vera, for example, or the second part of Istanbul. Da una radio lontana (3) much more lightened, almost out of the purpose, and consequently not heard in the film. We must add Wyszinsky : il Cardinale (first version), its force of love and abnegation is well featured in the film; yes, it is a love theme.
- The strong themes : firstly Habemus Papam... an impressive track full of orchestra with strong choir, to add to the numerous “solar” and solid equivalent tracks, full of space : Padre Pio tra cielo e terra, Il papa buono, I promessi sposi,... Habemus Papam Giovani Paolo II has a first opening scansion, as a surprise of the destiny , the election, the last track before credits, illustrating true pictures of GP II.
Polonia in fiamme : a martial and violent piece surprisingly no more in the scheme of the numerous themes dedicated to the fire ! But I found that the orchestra is a bit not enough numerous for such a violence; a huge orchestral mass would be welcome to fit the ideas of this piece.
After hearing carefully these wonderful tracks, we perceive finally the theme for Karol : the leitmotiv in the final part of Habemus Papam..., K e la sofferenza, Karol e gli operai and other interventions, an outburst of life, of courage, of human optimism.
Apart from Habemus.., and the last track, nothing purely religious is noticed. The music has subtlety, interiorly, spiritual aspects, delicately put in them. An extraordinary jewel, surely among the 25-30 best EM soundtracks for the density, the richness of themes and colours, and above all, the deepness of the ideas under the simplicity...
Patrick B
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