The evolution of soundtracks in spain: Carmelo Bernaola
1986 | V V. A A.

The evolution of soundtracks in spain: Carmelo Bernaola

(AGOTADO)
"… And what exactly constitutes the style of Carmelo Bernaola? One could consider various characteristics, although the principal one is always the presence of a main musical theme (even though he told me various times that he is considered by his professional colleagues as the musician who doesn't create themes) which is eventually the Leitmotiv and the musical symbol of the film. In this respect, Bernaola prefers to compose the theme for situations, stimulations, ambiences or ideas rather than for characters whose musical motif is repeated every time they appear. The second characteristic could be his preference for small orchestral formations (whenever he is not openly using quartets of strings and wind instruments) in some of his films which constitute an alternative to big symphonic orchestras - a possibility he used only rarely. He prefers the expressiveness that an instrument or an instrumental solo can convey in a certain situation or scene over the pompous expression of a whole orchestral section of horns or wood instruments because the sound might distract the viewer and detach him from the dramatic intensity of a sequence. The third characteristic - which I would doubt to affirm - is his carefulness in the articulation of music and the image; but attention - we are not talking about a musical here. He has insisted upon this point various times and he has always appraised the beauty that a sequence can possess when the music corresponds perfectly with the image."

Excerpt of the introduction by Joan Padrol