The 33
James Horner
" The last 60 minutes of James Horner's career "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
A score no other person could write, a score that meant something more the moment we heard of his passing. It seemed it was written in the stars that James Horner had to write the music for the true story about the 33 souls who were trapped in a mine for 69 days. But nobody expected it to become James Horner's last score EVER. So, whatever the score would be, people would react to it differently. Whether more harsh or embracing everything, The 33 became a score everyone wanted to experience.
It opens like a typical James Horner score, pan pipes and a charming guitar theme, giving directly an emotional bond to the people of "The Atacama Desert". But that emotion turns seriously to respect for when they go "To the Heart of the Mountain" and later despair and urgency for when "The Collapse" happens. No real emotional writing here, but the danger and urgency is vintage James Horner. What's also vintage Horner is his calm emotional writing, saying nothing and also everything when he lets the strings do the talking in the lovely "Buried Alive" and "The Drill Misses (and Dreams Fade ...), the stuff that Horner could pen down so well.
Something he hasn't done enough is the upbeat theme of "Drilling, the Sweet Sound" which is extended in the highlight "Prayer - Camp Hope", a wonderful lively piece that just invites you to dance with it. This is repeated in "We Are All Well in the Refuge, The 33" so delightfully. An Avatar vibe comes through in "Fénix", but that's just a beginning since it flourishes in "Celebrations" so clearly that even non filmmusic connaisseurs will spot it so easily. Anyway it's a wonderful track and an example of the kind of music most composers today can't or aren't allowed to write. The stuff like the emotional music in the lovely "The First Ascent" or the goodbye of James Horner's music in "Hope is Love".
If The 33 can and will be remembered in his vast list of scores, it will be because of its heart and its highlights. The kind of highlights James Horner seemed to write soooo easily. But there's nothing easy about it. It's just he can write it and he will. You can't lock a thematic voice like that in the mines, you need to let it speak and soar. "Celebrations" is the kind of track that makes you cry so easily, just because it's not only one of the tracks of the year. It's because you realize at that specific moment you will never hear something like that from him again. It's not the best James have ever written, but you can't deny it holds riches you'll not hear from anyone else this year, and all the years to come. So Long James.
It remains a classic James Horner score, full of riches no composer will ever match.
"Celebrations" is wonderful, simply because it delivers emotions you don't hear in music anymore.
If this had to be his last, I'm glad it's an emotional score full of hope.
The realization you will never hear a new Horner score ever again.
Track Listing
1. The Atacama Desert (1.59)
2. Empanadas for Darío (1.45)
3. To the Heart of the Mountain (2.29)
4. The Collapse (4.13)
5. Buried Alive (3.45)
6. Drilling, the Sweetest Sound! (1.06)
7. Prayer - Camp Hope (2.35) Excellent track
8. The Drill Misses (And Dreams Fade...) (5.39)
9. Gracias a la vida: Cote de Pablo * (4.50)
10. Aiming to Miss (3.38)
11. We Are All Well in the Refuge, the 33 (3.46) Excellent track
12. Always Brothers (2.21)
13. Fénix (2.31)
14. First Ascent (4.58)
15. Celebrations (3.55) Excellent track
16. Family Is All We Have (2.59)
17. Al final de Este Viaje en la Vida: Los Bunkers ** (03:22)
18. The 33 (3.43)
19. Hope is Love (3.36)
* Music and lyrics by Violeta Parra
** Music and lyrics by Silvio Rodríguez
Total Length: 63.10
It opens like a typical James Horner score, pan pipes and a charming guitar theme, giving directly an emotional bond to the people of "The Atacama Desert". But that emotion turns seriously to respect for when they go "To the Heart of the Mountain" and later despair and urgency for when "The Collapse" happens. No real emotional writing here, but the danger and urgency is vintage James Horner. What's also vintage Horner is his calm emotional writing, saying nothing and also everything when he lets the strings do the talking in the lovely "Buried Alive" and "The Drill Misses (and Dreams Fade ...), the stuff that Horner could pen down so well.
Something he hasn't done enough is the upbeat theme of "Drilling, the Sweet Sound" which is extended in the highlight "Prayer - Camp Hope", a wonderful lively piece that just invites you to dance with it. This is repeated in "We Are All Well in the Refuge, The 33" so delightfully. An Avatar vibe comes through in "Fénix", but that's just a beginning since it flourishes in "Celebrations" so clearly that even non filmmusic connaisseurs will spot it so easily. Anyway it's a wonderful track and an example of the kind of music most composers today can't or aren't allowed to write. The stuff like the emotional music in the lovely "The First Ascent" or the goodbye of James Horner's music in "Hope is Love".
If The 33 can and will be remembered in his vast list of scores, it will be because of its heart and its highlights. The kind of highlights James Horner seemed to write soooo easily. But there's nothing easy about it. It's just he can write it and he will. You can't lock a thematic voice like that in the mines, you need to let it speak and soar. "Celebrations" is the kind of track that makes you cry so easily, just because it's not only one of the tracks of the year. It's because you realize at that specific moment you will never hear something like that from him again. It's not the best James have ever written, but you can't deny it holds riches you'll not hear from anyone else this year, and all the years to come. So Long James.
It remains a classic James Horner score, full of riches no composer will ever match.
"Celebrations" is wonderful, simply because it delivers emotions you don't hear in music anymore.
If this had to be his last, I'm glad it's an emotional score full of hope.
The realization you will never hear a new Horner score ever again.
Track Listing
1. The Atacama Desert (1.59)
2. Empanadas for Darío (1.45)
3. To the Heart of the Mountain (2.29)
4. The Collapse (4.13)
5. Buried Alive (3.45)
6. Drilling, the Sweetest Sound! (1.06)
7. Prayer - Camp Hope (2.35) Excellent track
8. The Drill Misses (And Dreams Fade...) (5.39)
9. Gracias a la vida: Cote de Pablo * (4.50)
10. Aiming to Miss (3.38)
11. We Are All Well in the Refuge, the 33 (3.46) Excellent track
12. Always Brothers (2.21)
13. Fénix (2.31)
14. First Ascent (4.58)
15. Celebrations (3.55) Excellent track
16. Family Is All We Have (2.59)
17. Al final de Este Viaje en la Vida: Los Bunkers ** (03:22)
18. The 33 (3.43)
19. Hope is Love (3.36)
* Music and lyrics by Violeta Parra
** Music and lyrics by Silvio Rodríguez
Total Length: 63.10