MovieScore Media release Christoph Zirngibl's intricate and touching score for the documentary Finis Terrae. From Fidel Castro's funeral to the forgotten revolutions of the Lacandon rainforest and the fossilized theocracy in North Korea, through vanished countries from the Habsbug Empire to Alain Badiou. From the death of communism to the resurrection of capitalism, this essay film finds itself in search of the insuited dreams of the 20th century...

Given the scope and depth of Konstantin Fersti's Finis Terrae, it's little wonder that the soundtrack is sweeping, moving and one that you'll want to revisit time and time again. The album consists of 13 tracks (44 min, 05 sec).

Talking about the project, Zirngibl said: "The main question for me was how to transfer the emotional impact of a political movement into a musical narrative. The solution was to write three different themes for the different narrative threads. The 'hope theme' (e.g. beginning of 'The Secret City'), is about the hopes and dreams of people who are or were living under communist regimes. The 'landscape theme' (e.g. 'Through a Vanished Country'), deals with the importance of buildings and special places in those regimes, such as the Berlin Wall. Last but not least the main theme ('Finis Terrae') reflects the melancholy of the narrator and the framework of the plot. A very important part of the score's sound is the use of solo-voice and choir to accentuate the importance of the regular people while also linking it to the importance of faith in the framework plot."

While it's an incredible collection of original music, I couldn't help but hear the occasional homage to some classic composer's work. 'Frozen Time' has choral elements that are very similar in style to John Williams's music for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, while 'The Secret City' houses set pieces that John Barry fans will instantly recognise.

'End Titles' opens by paying homage to Debussy's 'Clair De Lune' before giving to this album's most memorable and intricate theme, which beautifully shifts and changes to leave you wanting to hear more.

9

Darren Rea