AMG Review of Pan's Labyrinth [Soundtrack]

James Christopher Monger
All Music Guide

Composer Javier Navarrete built the entire soundtrack for Guillermo del Toro's Spanish fable #Pan's Labyrinth around a simple lullaby. Del Toro insisted that Navarrete's entire score, much of which was omitted during editing, be included, and it's a testament to the composer's immersion into the project that nothing here could be construed as filler. Framed inside a waltz, "Long, Long Time Ago" sums up beautifully the imagination that permeates Del Toro's masterful fairy tale. Navarrete fills each cavernous space with wonder, relying on harp, choirs, and deep strings to mirror a young girl's descent into fantasy amidst a world intent on tearing itself apart.