La Herencia Valdemar II: La Sombra Prohibida
by Arnau Bataller
La Herencia Valdemar II: La Sombra Prohibida
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La Herencia Valdemar II:
La Sombra Prohibida Composed by Arnau Bataller
MovieScore Media (2011)
Rating:
10/10
“ It will take the
average listener approximately 30 seconds to decide whether ARNAU
BATALLER’s score for LA SOMBRA PROHIBIDA is worth their time, and
anyone with the slightest affection for grandiose and fantastical
orchestral music will answer that with a resounding yes. ”
Out of the Shadows
Review by Richard Buxton
It will take the average listener approximately 30 thirty seconds to
decide whether ARNAU BATALLER’s score for LA SOMBRA PROHIBIDA is worth
their time, and anyone with the slightest affection for grandiose and
fantastical orchestral music will answer that with a resounding yes.
Following the less than critically acclaimed LA HERENCIA VALDEMAR,
director and writer JOSÉ LUIS ALEMÁN reprises his role for the sequel LA
SOMBRA PROHIBIDA, a Spanish tale of mystery set within the lore of H.P.
Lovecraft. As a result, fellow Spaniard, ARNAU BATALLER returns having
provided the highlight of their first collaboration, and arguably does so
once more.
VALDEMAR II opens with the sensationally exciting and varied “Opening
Titles” (1), an introduction that combines outstanding thematic chorally
dominated sequences with percussion driven action patterns. The structure
of the track strongly mirrors the themes typically heard in the many films
of the Marvel Universe. BATALLER dances between bombastic brass and
thematic brilliance before gliding into beautifully delicate string motifs
that perfectly set up the next inevitable foray into the film’s sweeping
theme.
It’s clear right from the start that the score has strong elements of
horror and BATALLER crucially succeeds in maintaining a strong atmosphere
of suspense and terror while consistently providing a fun and entirely
unpredictable listening experience. Numerous tracks across the soundtrack
typify this refreshing approach and the score excels because of this. The
mixture of horror and unadulterated orchestral excitement is often
reminiscent of BRIAN TYLER’s themes for DARKNESS FALLS. Both BATALLER and
TYLER display a desire to entertain as well as provide a musical backdrop,
something often amiss in modern film scores.
After the initial, jump-inducing crash, “Hunting” (2) develops evolves
from a combination of apprehensive and staccato strings into an erratic
and exciting action-sequence. BATALLER continues this evolutionary
structure to his tracks throughout VALDEMAR II, opening tracks, such as
“The Ritual” (16), with suspense and foreshadowing of the eruption to come
before letting loose with all of his substantial creativity.
The emphasis on vaunting the bravado of BATALLER’s competence in creating
a sound that truly justifies the use of the word “epic”, could potentially
become overwhelming if it were not for the various tracks that punctuate
the relentless theatrics. Such is BATALLER’s apparent mastery over the
orchestra; he manages to excel both in over-the-top flamboyance and
romantic, wistful string-dominated statements.
“Santiago’s Madness” (2), following the impressive “Opening Titles”,
creates a significantly different landscape. The haunting choir
accompanies the interchanges between strings and percussion brilliantly as
the motifs create an atmosphere of child-like innocence. This motif is
heard once again in “A Personal Feeling” (6), offering a reflective and
sentimental complexion of strings and woodwinds before the haunting of the
choir creeps back in towards the end. BATALLER consistently manages to
seamlessly weave together writhing suspense and gorgeous beauty throughout
“You’ve Been There Before” (8), ending the track on a glorious note that
leads into the pensive string ostinato heard in “The Trick” (9).
It is a truly rare pleasure to be able to review a score that presents
itself without any noticeable dips in quality, and BATALLER comes
agonizingly close to being one of the chosen few. “The Game Room” (5),
starts out promisingly with a strong use of percussion and brass, a start
that is betrayed by a simple lack of interesting ideas. This, however, is
clearly a conscious decision based on accompanying the film, and therefore
is only the slightest of disappointments when the score is appreciated as
a whole.
As the score moves into the final third, BATALLER truly unleashes the
thematic beast that resides within him. From the haunting whispers of
“Dámaso” to the brash bass of the male choir in “Maximilian” (15), the
music begins to fully embrace the legacy of H.P. Lovecraft’s work and
resultantly flourishes. The powerful theme heard in the male choir returns
in brass form in the subsequent track, “The Ritual” (16), and leads into a
cacophony of orchestral exuberance for the final moments. Such excitement
is not the showstopper of the score however, as BATALLER has one more
trick up his sleeve in the form of “Cthulhu” (17).
The climactic piece, “Cthulhu” is a composition of masterful talent and
quality. The outstanding, mile-a-minute reprise of the film’s main themes
in the opening minute three-and-a-half minutes is only the beginning
however as BATALLER subdues the orchestra, preparing the listener for what
is one of the most gloriously compelling finales ever heard in a film
score. Out of the ashes of the horror, “Cthulhu” rises into a dazzling,
majestic and unequivocally exquisite final three minutes of heavenly
string harmonies. Hearing the strings erupt in all their divinity in the
final minute, it is clear that the entire score ha been leading up to this
painfully fleeting moment of unsurpassed celebration of BATALLER’s talent.
As the strings strain to maintain such agonizing beauty it becomes
abundantly clear that BATALLER has truly reached beyond the spectrum that
this film can ever reach. The tragedy here is that most will never bear
witness to such magnificence as it is constrained by the limited
distribution of the film worldwide.
In an ideal world, LA SOMBRA PROHIBIDA would be ARNAU BATALLER announcing
himself on the world stage; his talents clearly deserve significant
success. Nonetheless, ARNAU BATALLER is surely in line for great things
and is one to watch for the future. In LA HERENCIA VALDEMAR II, BATALLER
has produced a score that any of the great Hollywood composers of today
and yesteryear would be proud to call their own.
