One of the best scenes in SPECTRE takes place after Lucia Sciarra returns to her villa following her husband’s funeral.
First we see her shows her car arriving (around 30:56 into the film) and switching on the light in her classically decorated house. She turns on some music and pours and drink, walking through the house to the rear garden.
Behind her in the shadows is first one and then a second of the assassins she expected. They follow her into the garden, and while initially she seems to be unaware of them it becomes clear from her face that she expects to be shot dead at any moment.
The assassins raise their guns as she looks out at Rome in the distance. But when the two suppressed shots come it is the assassins that fall down dead. Bond is revealed as Lucia’s saviour.
I loved the scene on first viewing and it is greatly helped by the classical music playing in the background. In intended to find out what it was after attending the SPECTRE premiere and then an IMAX viewing the following day, but it slipped my mind. Even a couple more screenings failed to jog my memory.
Then finally, after watching the film recently at home, I made note of the end credits.
The song is “Cum Dederit” by Vivaldi, which I should have realised from the distinctive sound. But while the track works extremely well in the film it perhaps also demonstrates Thomas Newman’s limits. His Bond soundtracks demonstrate a lack of the kind of subtlety required to really make the scene. On the other hand I can imagine David Arnold writing something original that would have worked.
However, it is not the only music by artists other than Thomas Newman or Sam Smith that appears in the film. It’s a real pity they were not included on the soundtrack album, with the theme song, gunbarrel and James Bond theme heard over the end credits.
But I did make a Spotify playlist so you can hear most of the tracks as they appear in the film. You’ll need a free Spotify account if you don’t already have one, which you can sign up for here. I’ve also included links to buy the tracks from iTunes and Amazon if you’d prefer to own them.
One thing to note: the tracks tend to be used in the background, often with Thomas Newman’s music blaring over the top. But here they are anyway:
Additional music from SPECTRE
Te He De Querer
Written by Alfonso Esparza Oteo
Performed by Los Organilleros
This track is a bit of an oddity if you listen to it in full and only appears for about 10 seconds in the film. Just before Bond and Estrella enter the hotel (1:58) you can hear an atonal whistling. That’s it.
Spotify | iTunes | Amazon UK | Amazon.com
La Llorona
Performed by Gloria De La Cruz
Accompanied by Los Trobadores de Rogelio Gaspar
After they enter the lift you can hear this track in the background (around 2:48) for a few seconds. It isn’t available on Spotify but you can hear it on YouTube.
Cum Dederit (Andante) [Nisi Dominus (Psalm 126), R.608]
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Andreas Scholl, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Paul Dyer
This is the fantastically atmospheric music used in the villa scene mentioned at the start. Although I initially thought it was sung by a woman, believe it or not it is a man, Andreas Scholl, singing. This is the one song heard clearly heard in the film without being drowned out by Thomas Newman and really used well.
Spotify | iTunes | Amazon UK | Amazon.com
One Furtive Tear (L’Elisir D’Amore)
Written by Gaetano Donizetti
Arranged by Geoff Love
Performed by Geoff Love & His Orchestra
This one is really difficult to hear. It is heard VERY faintly in the background when Bond is writing Felix’s number for Lucia before leaving (35:00).
New York, New York
Written by John Kander & Fred Ebb
Performed by Ray Quinn
This is 009’s music (43:50). I couldn’t find this particular version on Spotify but added the Frank Sinatra standard instead. You only get the opening bars, so difficult to tell.
Spotify | iTunes | Amazon UK | Amazon.com
Libiamo Ne’lieti Calici [La Traviata/Act 1]
Written by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Joan Sutherland, The London Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
When Bond gets stuck behind the Fiat 500 (44:35) you can hear snatches of this on the driver’s car stereo.
Spotify | iTunes | Amazon UK | Amazon.com
Virgin Cocktails
Written & Performed by Yann McCullough & Paul Chandler
I can’t find this anywhere online, but guessing it is the background music playing in the bar at the Hoffler Clinic after Madeline throws Bond out of her office when Bond can’t get a Vodka martini.
Call and Response
Lyrics by Bill Bernstein & Tambuco
It’s curious to see this listed separately as the call and response is included on the track “Day of the Dead” on the SPECTRE soundtrack. It isn’t available elsewhere and probably written specifically for the film. Bill Bernstein was the supervising music editor on SPECTRE. The links below are to the track “Day of the Dead”
Spotify | iTunes | Amazon UK | Amazon.com
Finally, here is that promised Spotify playlist. If you’re signed in to your account you can listen directly from this page.
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April 22nd, 2016 at 22:42
Wow, again, you’ve done great detective work for Bond here!
April 23rd, 2016 at 17:45
Thanks Matt, much appreciated.