Giancarlo Russo's rich and powerful score for Queen Marie of Romania is released by Plaza Mayor Company Ltd. Devastated by the First World War and plugged into political controversy, Romania’s every hope accompanies its Queen on her mission to Paris to lobby for international recognition of its great unification at the 1919 peace conference...

The score for Queen Marie of Romania consists of 41 min, 17 sec of music spread over 12 tracks, with composer Giancarlo Russo basing the soundtrack on three fundamental aspects of the film: the queen’s personality, with her feminine strength and frailty; the political and family tensions; and the sentimental moments. The compositions are characterized by beautiful melodies, with an elegant use of counterpoint, especially in love themes, with piano and cello; harmonies are original and modern, sometimes with jazz echoes. Tension themes are backed by delicate elements of electronics and occasionally employ the use of a bouzouki, to underline ethnic atmospheres. The drama themes are intense and poignant, with rich and suggestive orchestrations.

It truly is a rich and varied score, and one that works wonderfully as a stand alone album of beautiful themes in its own right. Russo really gets under the skin of the movie's characters and settings and on one level the album is a loving souvenir for those who have enjoyed the film. But it works just as well if you haven't seen the movie - thanks to the many intricate layers that the composer has fashioned. A remarkable project that holds many delightful themes.

8

Darren Rea