"The Secret In Their Eyes" - Emilio Kauderer & Federico Jusid

The Secret In Their Eyes

Composed by: Emilio Kauderer & Federico Jusid

Release date: May 25, 2010

Amazon page.

Amazon users rating: not available.

DOWNLOAD



All About Soundtracks Review:
The highly acclaimed Argentine/Spanish murder thriller The Secret in Their Eyes (in the original, El Secreto de Sus Ojos) is the winner of this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. This film has mystery, crime, and revenge. But also a deep, nostalgic love. And that's clearly the main inspiration for the duo of composers for the score, Emilio Kauderer and Frederico Jusid.
(Read more.)

First adjective to this score: beautiful. It's a beautiful score in the most simple ways. The ensemble is small, mainly leaded by the piano, backed by a small string ensemble, in a few tracks with a light choir too, and in one track a music box.
The themes are kept simple, and often played by solo instruments, to enhance the deep nostalgia of the movie. The main theme is a love theme that is flows in a heartbreakingly angelic way. Once again, the simplicity employed by the composers makes the theme extremely effective. It can be heard in Her Eyes and Main Theme, but the most touching use of this theme is in the track The Train Leaves and the most heartbreaking is in The Elevator. (Be prepared for tears.)
Another theme, used in a track aproppriately named The Doubt is a series of tension-filled, three-note motifs that increases its intensity as the uncertainty and suspicion increases. This theme is heard with a sense of conlusion and mixed with the love theme in Unwrapping the Truth. It also closes the album with full development in a nine-minute reprise.
But we can't forget this is a thriller, even if a love theme is at the center of the score.
Actually, there are some needed passages of underscore. That's the weakest point of the score. Despite the delicate way that the composition and orchestration brings tension and mystery, these moments turn kind of anonymous when compared to more intense cues. However, they are not exactly bad. Take a listen to Suspicious Photo and Gomez.
A theme shortly presented is a character theme, heard in Liliana's Theme with a solo cello taking the center stage. It's a nostalgic theme in the style of the main one, and one is left whishing it was more developed.
There's still another theme, which I don't know what relates to, but it's heard throughout the score in piano, backed by strings, like in The Bad News, and also a beautiful music box rendition in Liliana's Music Box.
Finally, some tracks, even not defined by any themes, are moments of pure musical excelence. Passion is the loudest passage in the score, with organ, strings and choir making justice to the name of the cue. Also the almost religious choir in Sandoval's Choice is noteworthy.
The critics praised the movie and some of theme even mention the way this score manages to be tense and thrilling and at the same time making us experience the nostalgic love story. And everything here is used perfectly to that very purpose. Besides that, the score works wonders as a standalone listening experience. It's elegant, nostalgic, tense.
Doesn't matter if it's a tension-fillied cue or a rendition of the tragic love theme: it's always beautiful, in a surpisingly simple way.
The score flows so well that it can even be relaxing music.
Another excelente score in this amazing year for film music.
Hopefully, Emilio Kauderer and Frederico Jusid will break into Hollywood some day.

Ups: a beautiful score, thematically rich, that manages to create tension even when sounds delicate or nostalgic.

Downs: this score is never too loud, never over-the-top, it's not for you if you enjoy fast-paced, loud music.

Noteworthy tracks: Her Eyes, The Doubt, Passion, Sandoval's Theme, The Train Leaves, Main Theme, The Elevator, Liliana's Theme, Liliana's Music Box, Unwrapping the Truth, The Doubt - Reprise.

Score note: 9

Preview:
Track 7 - The Train Leaves


Find more videos like this on Soundtrack Fans