Composed by
Javier Navarrete (Pan's Labyrinth), the score for director Philip Kaufman's
Hemingway & Gellhorn, a 2012 HBO film that follows the tumultuous romance between writer Ernest Hemingway and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn, is as elegant as it is old-fashioned. Steeped in the sweeping, sepia-tone melodies of old Hollywood and well-versed in the textures and musicality of its Spanish Civil War setting,
Navarrete's score takes up the bulk of the soundtrack, which also includes songs from vocalist Eric Schneider ("Red River Valley"), Afro-Peruvian songstress Marina Lavalle ("Amado"), Cuban singer Felix Samuel ("Cachita"), and a pair of spirited renditions of the traditional Spanish Civil War folk song "Ay Carmela" from
Antoine Ciosi and
Rolando Alarcón, respectively. ~ James Christopher Monger