EL TIEMPO ENTRE COSTURAS, is a Spanish television production that is currently airing and is being hailed by many as Spain’s answer to the highly successful and addictive British drama series, DOWNTON ABBEY. The series which is based upon the novel by Maria Duenas entitled THE TIME IN BETWEEN, the drama which is set at the time of the Spanish civil war, has attracted more than 5 Million viewers every week and contains a fully symphonic lush and highly romantic sounding musical score which is the work of Cesar Benito (WAYS TO LIVE FOREVER), the composer has produced a soundtrack that is literally overflowing with emotion and beautifully written musical pieces that are not only gracious and engrossing but have the ability to mesmerise and enthral any listener. Fragile and delicate sounding tone poems warm the heart and evoke and create feelings of sadness and passion throughout. The score is built on and around a particularly haunting and amiable sounding piano composition which opens the proceedings. A six note motif acts as the foundation for the scores central theme which is heard in the form of TEMA DI SIRA in the first instance, the composition which is an enchanting one has an almost trickling sounding piano performance being played over the six note foundation, which undulates and builds slowly gaining slightly more momentum as it ambles its way towards the cues conclusion. In many ways it is similar to Michael Nyman’s PIANO theme from the movie of the same name, Benito taking a simple theme and repeating it whilst underlining and punctuating it with a firm foundation. It has to it an originality and freshness which radiates throughout its running time and although simple undoubtedly effective. This central theme either opens various cues or is cleverly woven into the fabric of the work and acts as a musical bridge or glue that brings together all the other thematic elements of the score and holds them together creating a glorious, dramatic, attractive and stunning sound. Track number 2, MADRID 1922, is a more upbeat affair, strident strings open the piece taking it along at a fairly brisk pace, to this is added trumpet and also solo piano, which pass the theme from one to the other during the cues duration, the string section also taking a hand and giving the composition a real luxurious sound, playing in unison with faraway sounding horns. Plaintive sounding woods are also brought into the equation creating a sense and atmosphere of melancholy with harp making a brief but effective appearance acting as a punctuation of sorts to both woods and strings. The score also contains a number of more dramatic and urgent sounding pieces, but it is the romantically laced sound that Benito has created that will delight many a soundtrack collector and indeed I am confident will attract the attention of music lovers even if they are not film music fans.
There are also a handful of Arabic sounding cues which add greater authenticity to the work plus choir and female solo voice are folded into the mix adding at times emotion and power to the already imposing sounding score. Another great soundtrack from Spain, another worthy addition to Movie Score Medias more than impressive catalogue.
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 