Czas Honoru (Time of Honour)
Bartosz Chajdecki
" Television music at its finest "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Czas Honoru (Time of Honour) is an epic WWII series of the depiction on how Poland's anti-Nazi resistance was organized and run. It was aired in 2008, lasting three seasons long, but recently it was brought to our attention due to the music that was composed for this series; the epic music by young Polish composer Bartosz Chajdecki. Curious readers might want to go look for the CD of Polskie Radio that was released in November 2010, because I feel music like this needs to be heard.
Let us be honest. When are you surprised by something? If you have heard all there needs to be heard, it is difficult to fall in love with the music of today. The truth however lies in the fact that there's still fabulous music out there, and one needs to hear nine bad scores to find that special tenth one. Well, I've found my special one right here, and it immediately became one of the best scores of the year.
What Czas Honoru delivers in 60 minutes is nothing short of remarkable, and listeners will discover rich epic film music that brings it rather loud than quiet. This is in your face emotional music, balls to the walls stirring drama that enhances the experience ten fold. This is why film music still has a future to build on.
Opening with "Opening Title", we are treated to this score's principal theme. Beginning with piano and cello, it soon transforms to an all out stirring performance that immediately puts you on high alert, especially once the drums and brass guide you to this short and early climax.
The CD itself presents a wonderful combination of emotional and suspenseful cues after that opening cue, and in "Escape" you're driven by the threatening and suspenseful sound of strings, percussion and rumbling piano. This will remind the experienced ear very easily of a similar technique that was used by John Ottman in The Usual Suspects, and we have to be honest in saying that it does sound remarkably like it from time to time. The added strings and brass at the end though eclipse the scope of that particular sound.
Yet after that particular cue, one is immediately treated to something entirely different. In "Polonaise" you're treated to a warm, lush dance that truly puts Bartosz Chajdecki alongside masters like Zbigniew Preisner when it concerns pure richness and emotional resonance. The same can be said for the absolute knock-out cue "Warsaw" that elevates this score even a tad higher, this when we discover that a wonderful piano melody transcends to a brilliant soaring performance that will raise spirits and eyebrows.
Similar for the marching "Ghetto", that takes this particular theme of "Warsaw" through a militaristic emotional parade. The added choir here plays a large role in elevating this particular piece even more. A restraint minimalist piece is discovered in "Anxiety" all the while "Waiting" delivers us a downhearted soft emotional ride (once again with soft choir).
As said, the album changes from emotional stirring music to suspenseful action music frequently, and in "Round-up" one is treated to suspenseful music that elevates to almost climactic circumstances, once it is pulled forward through the whirling strings and sensational trumpet playing. This cue gets the double amount of time in a particular cue that's sadly not present on this album. In that eight minute lasting knock-out track we are not only treated to twice of this mesmerizing powerhouse, but also to the force of an accompanying choir that brings it to thundering heights. That this is absent from the soundtrack is this CD's one and only downfall, and the one and only reason why this score doesn't get a five star rating.
But it's far from over after all this goodness, and "Pursuit" will immediately put on the finishing touches, because we are once again treated to a propulsive suspense cue (the strings are sensational) that builds and builds to a climactic finish, especially through the assistance of a darker sounding choir and Inception-like brass.
After this, we are treated to the main theme that delivers a wonderful emotional feel in "Occupation" and a truly magical playful piece called "Love" (which is too good for a mortal to explain, though people who loved A Single Man will truly adore this piece as well). The suspenseful "Danger" gets another eruption of sensational string playing, while "War" is sadly not the powerhouse cue of the promo but an emotional piece for piano and strings.
The end is particularly memorable though. In "Meeting" you're treated with a nice moment for guitar and soft gliding string. In "Time of Honour" we get an encore of resolving music and in which the climax is truly upon us. Bartosz Chajdecki delivers a finale you'll remember, this with a powerful heroic piece (+ main theme statement) that puts every single instrument and voice in a collision course: destination heaven!
Young Polish composer Bartosz Chajdecki (a pupil of Zbigneiw Preisner) has truly delivered a rich and mature composition that will definitely make a few heads turn. Czas Honoru is perhaps too pompous to be taken totally seriously (one almost can't imagine that this will work inside the context of the series), but the score does make for a hell of a listening experience. It is powerful and epic emotional music that soars and shatters any pre-conception you might have about Polish music. This is strong orchestral film music and will receive a place in my final top 5 selection of 2010. Highly recommended!
Tracklisting
1. Opening Title (1.34)
2. Escape (5.05)
3. Polonaise (3.57) Excellent track
4. Round-up (3.27) Excellent track
5. Execution (2.53)
6. Warsaw (3.56) Excellent track
7. Ghetto (3.45) Excellent track
8. Anxiety (5.13)
9. Pursuit (4.25) Excellent track
10. Occupation (3.28) Excellent track
11. Love (2.53) Excellent track
12. Waiting (3.01)
13. Danger (3.25)
14. War (2.47)
15. Meeting (4.13)
16. Time of Honour (5.43) Excellent track
Total Length: 59.37
Let us be honest. When are you surprised by something? If you have heard all there needs to be heard, it is difficult to fall in love with the music of today. The truth however lies in the fact that there's still fabulous music out there, and one needs to hear nine bad scores to find that special tenth one. Well, I've found my special one right here, and it immediately became one of the best scores of the year.
What Czas Honoru delivers in 60 minutes is nothing short of remarkable, and listeners will discover rich epic film music that brings it rather loud than quiet. This is in your face emotional music, balls to the walls stirring drama that enhances the experience ten fold. This is why film music still has a future to build on.
Opening with "Opening Title", we are treated to this score's principal theme. Beginning with piano and cello, it soon transforms to an all out stirring performance that immediately puts you on high alert, especially once the drums and brass guide you to this short and early climax.
The CD itself presents a wonderful combination of emotional and suspenseful cues after that opening cue, and in "Escape" you're driven by the threatening and suspenseful sound of strings, percussion and rumbling piano. This will remind the experienced ear very easily of a similar technique that was used by John Ottman in The Usual Suspects, and we have to be honest in saying that it does sound remarkably like it from time to time. The added strings and brass at the end though eclipse the scope of that particular sound.
Yet after that particular cue, one is immediately treated to something entirely different. In "Polonaise" you're treated to a warm, lush dance that truly puts Bartosz Chajdecki alongside masters like Zbigniew Preisner when it concerns pure richness and emotional resonance. The same can be said for the absolute knock-out cue "Warsaw" that elevates this score even a tad higher, this when we discover that a wonderful piano melody transcends to a brilliant soaring performance that will raise spirits and eyebrows.
Similar for the marching "Ghetto", that takes this particular theme of "Warsaw" through a militaristic emotional parade. The added choir here plays a large role in elevating this particular piece even more. A restraint minimalist piece is discovered in "Anxiety" all the while "Waiting" delivers us a downhearted soft emotional ride (once again with soft choir).
As said, the album changes from emotional stirring music to suspenseful action music frequently, and in "Round-up" one is treated to suspenseful music that elevates to almost climactic circumstances, once it is pulled forward through the whirling strings and sensational trumpet playing. This cue gets the double amount of time in a particular cue that's sadly not present on this album. In that eight minute lasting knock-out track we are not only treated to twice of this mesmerizing powerhouse, but also to the force of an accompanying choir that brings it to thundering heights. That this is absent from the soundtrack is this CD's one and only downfall, and the one and only reason why this score doesn't get a five star rating.
But it's far from over after all this goodness, and "Pursuit" will immediately put on the finishing touches, because we are once again treated to a propulsive suspense cue (the strings are sensational) that builds and builds to a climactic finish, especially through the assistance of a darker sounding choir and Inception-like brass.
After this, we are treated to the main theme that delivers a wonderful emotional feel in "Occupation" and a truly magical playful piece called "Love" (which is too good for a mortal to explain, though people who loved A Single Man will truly adore this piece as well). The suspenseful "Danger" gets another eruption of sensational string playing, while "War" is sadly not the powerhouse cue of the promo but an emotional piece for piano and strings.
The end is particularly memorable though. In "Meeting" you're treated with a nice moment for guitar and soft gliding string. In "Time of Honour" we get an encore of resolving music and in which the climax is truly upon us. Bartosz Chajdecki delivers a finale you'll remember, this with a powerful heroic piece (+ main theme statement) that puts every single instrument and voice in a collision course: destination heaven!
Young Polish composer Bartosz Chajdecki (a pupil of Zbigneiw Preisner) has truly delivered a rich and mature composition that will definitely make a few heads turn. Czas Honoru is perhaps too pompous to be taken totally seriously (one almost can't imagine that this will work inside the context of the series), but the score does make for a hell of a listening experience. It is powerful and epic emotional music that soars and shatters any pre-conception you might have about Polish music. This is strong orchestral film music and will receive a place in my final top 5 selection of 2010. Highly recommended!
Tracklisting
1. Opening Title (1.34)
2. Escape (5.05)
3. Polonaise (3.57) Excellent track
4. Round-up (3.27) Excellent track
5. Execution (2.53)
6. Warsaw (3.56) Excellent track
7. Ghetto (3.45) Excellent track
8. Anxiety (5.13)
9. Pursuit (4.25) Excellent track
10. Occupation (3.28) Excellent track
11. Love (2.53) Excellent track
12. Waiting (3.01)
13. Danger (3.25)
14. War (2.47)
15. Meeting (4.13)
16. Time of Honour (5.43) Excellent track
Total Length: 59.37