O Quatrilho

AMG Review of O Quatrilho

Kurt Keefner
All Music Guide

Based on Italy's colonization of Brazil, the movie O Quatrilho is part immigrant success story and part unconventional-love-in-the-face-of-society romance. The soundtrack consists of 19 tracks by celebrated Brazilian composer/performer/producer Caetano Veloso and conductor/producer Jacques Morelenbaum. Veloso sings on three tracks; the rest feature various combinations of orchestra, harp, and bandoneon. Like many film scores, much of the music is written in a kind of late-romantic classical music style. Also, like many scores, this one revolves around a couple of recurring themes; luckily, in this case, Veloso and Morelenbaum have created haunting and emotionally engaging motifs to hold our attention. The style ranges from folk ballad to a convincing rondo with striding brass lines behind edgy pizzicato strings. This album suffers from the same limitations that all soundtrack albums have, but it possesses virtues that only a few share. Good, if you can get it as a bargain.