Bad Education [SOUNDTRACK]

Alberto Iglesias (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0006A9GNQ
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,054 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Informed by a vintage Hollywood production sheen and flashback-fueled, identity-questioning melodramatics worthy of Hitchcock, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar's sexually-charged film was quickly hailed as a mature masterpiece. The film's classic Hollywood conceits are deep-rooted, and Iberian composer Alberto Iglesias reinforces the film's often retro mood via a brooding, classically oriented score with an ear towards history. It may briefly excerpt Rossini's "Kyrie" to haunting effect, but the touchstone here is the Bernard Herrmann of Hitchcock's prime, with an emphasis on their epochal Vertigo and especially the tense, dark strings of Psycho (which "Escena Familiar" and "Cine Olimpo" echo with haunting grace). But while Iglesias capably evokes the color and spirit of those iconic touchstones, he crucially does it without sacrificing his own identity. Evocations of Spanish culture come mostly via vintage performances of "Quiza, Quiza, Quiza," "Cuoro Matta" and others, but on the expansive "Puerta Finale" the composer skillfully interweaves his Herrmann influences with touches of mournful jazz, flamenco and "Kyrie"'s choral echoes, creating a compelling, oft chilling post-modern new whole. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Starving Crocodiles... , November 16, 2004

By	Mario A. San Juan "Stoned Immaculate" (Downey, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Starving Crocodiles

Almodovar's latest movie is undoubtedly his best, and a very inventive film-noir that absorbs and electrifies you from the very beginning. Alberto Iglesias' score serves "as a cradle where the movie rests" as the auteur himself said.

La Mala Educacion (Bad Education) is one of -if not- the best soundtrack composed this year, and its style is absolutely magnificent. Following the film-noir trend, Iglesias' score is a mixture of tunes a la Herrman ("Juan y el Sr. Berenguer", "Por mi grandisima culpa", "Escena Familiar"), poignant waltzes ("Foulard en seda", "La Carta", "Valsetto"), and vocalized cues that reflect the theme of the movie, and illustrate it fittingly ("Kyrie", "La piscina", "El cine como espejo"). "Cine Olympo", an exquisite theme for the movie-within-the-movie manifests itself disguisedly many times, in variations, as Iglesias' has done in previous scores where a parallel story is narrated - The Flower of my Secret, Live Flesh, Talk to Her, and All About my Mother- however the best track in the score is the "Overture". Other superb tracks are "Carta del mas alla", "Plato", and "Adagietto"... melodies that crave lust, but "Puerta Final" -the MAIN theme- is absolutely grand; probably the best potpourri of songs written in the last decade, that will grab you by the horns from the moment it opens to the last saxophone refrain, in an orgasm of eight minutes that you will want to experience over and over again.

The soundtrack also consists of key songs that in one way or another relate to the main characters and the story: "Maniqui Parisien", "Cuore Matto", "Moon River" (a very avant-garde arrangement), and "Jardinero".

Alberto Iglesias has composed a score so dark, rich, hunting, powerful, and mysterious... that proves to be irresistible.

Experience the Bad Education!!!

5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the film, November 20, 2004

By	Ming Liu (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alberto Iglesias did it again, a wonderful soundtrack!

His last collaboration with Pedro Almodovar, "Talk to her", is one of the best scores I've heard in recent years. In that movie, the scenes of the country villa, accompanying with the touching song of "Cucurrucucu Paloma" by Caetano Veloso, easily became one of the most beautiful five minuets I ever had in a theatre.

Before I went to see "Bad education", I can't help wondering, Could I have another enjoyable moment like "Cucurrucucu Paloma"? Luckily, I did have one, sort of. The Spanish rendition of "Moon River" is such a beautiful and haunting piece. But unluckily, the way the music delivered in the film is so disturbing. It started as a beautiful and innocent singing by a boy standing by the river while ended up with an innuendo of the ugly fact of sexual violations. However, if you didn't see the movie, the "moon river" will be a pure pleasant enjoyment.

Compared to the slightly weak movie, the music itself is powerful and flawless. From the beginning to the end, it doesn't have a single dull moment. In a word, buy this awesome CD!