Raúl Del Corte Valiente

Raúl Del Corte, 2011 november

He is a composer and orchestrator specializing in movie soundtracks, combining the classical symphony orchestra with music's most pioneering technologies.

He has made numerous audiovisual works: films & television. He produced his first CD "Yaralaya" (2007), 5 stars winner in the "Frames" film magazine (October 2007), and "Confessions Piano Solos" (2009).

He has been a concert pianist in clubs like "The Chapel of Jazz" or "Caja Madrid", thanks to which he has created some markedly piano soundtracks.

His first short film "Casiopea" (2000), a musical film, won first prize for best soundtrack at the Fourth International Film Festival "Wolf's Mouth Award", (2001).

In 2007 he became twice finalist in the international Jerry Goldsmith Awards, in best soundtrack category with the BBC documentary "The Rules of the Sun" (2006), and also in best short film creation category, with "Sunset" (2006).

In 2008, again, Del Corte became twice finalist in the international Jerry Goldsmith Awards, in best soundtrack category with "Routine" (2008): a real action short produced by Volcano Films International Productions, and also in best film animation soundtrack, with "The Dream of Life" (2007), produced by the Californian company EastWest.

In 2011, Raúl Del Corte became pre-selected in the international Jerry Goldsmith Awards, in best soundtrack (advertising category) with "Important Things" (2011): a 3D animated short film produced by Plasma.

“The film scoring composer should contribute to the film with his music, and be able to channel the feelings and emotions of the viewer. Because in movies, music is the soul of the image, and both form an indissoluble whole".- Raúl Del Corte -

Critics:

“51 gorgeous minutes of calm and evocative music, where the use of ethnic voices and a soprano is important, as well as soloists instruments. The author prints to the assembly a very personal style, of elegant forms and beauty”. By Conrado Xalabarder (”Photograms” Magazine, 2007 - October). Scored as essential (5 stars).

“Symphonic poem coming from several audio-visual works, with the important presence of the soprano María Plasencia”. By Joan Padrol (“Directed by” Magazine, 2008 - January).



"11 original piano scores played in a Garritan Authorized Steinway Virtual Model D Concert Grand Piano. DDD quality". CD Baby, 2010.

WHO IS COMING TO CINEMA?

Raúl Del Corte, 2012 february

RAÚL DEL CORTE: The Music of the Elements
By Manuel E. Díaz Noda

1. INTRODUCTION
On Wednesday June 30 at 19.30 in Conference Room of the Cultural Field in El Corte Inglés (May 3 Avenue, Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the composer Raúl Del Corte submit his two records: Yaralaya (50 beautiful minutes of independent film scores, with noteworthy voice of the soprano Maria Plasencia), and Confessions Piano Solos (a work in collaboration with Mónica Hernández).

2. RAÚL DEL CORTE
Born in Castellón in 1970 and living in Tenerife for several years. Raúl Del Corte is a composer and arranger specializing in movie soundtracks, combining his skill and passion for the piano, with the symphony orchestra and cutting edge music technologies. Throughout his still short but interesting filmography, he have composed music for several short films, collaborating on several occasions with director Gabriel Lúgigo. For this director in 2000 hi made the film work, "Cassiopeia", winner of the first international award for Best Soundtrack at the Festival "The Wolf's Mouth". Then again in 2002 he coincide with "A Star Moment", and in 2009 with "Surprised". Moreover, for the Canaries director Sebastian Alvarez, in 2008 he composed the score for the short film "Routine." Within his experimental line in the audiovisual, we can find "The Rules of the Sun" (2007), a documentary with BBC footage, green-themed daily projected in the "Loro Park" in Tenerife, or the animated shorts "The Dream of Life" (2007) and "Metamorphosis" (2008), produced by the American company EastWest USA.

3. YARALAYA
Yaralaya had a first birth in 2007, and involved a compilation of the major compositions performed by Raúl Del Corte until that date. This album has enjoyed a second life after its reissue in 2009, where, as added attraction, the disc features two new tracks. Throughout the 50 minutes of this disc we see the particular style of Raúl Del Corte, which are interspersed orchestral samplers (for paragraphs ethnic instrumentation and symphonic music), electronic music, and a delicious use of the female voice (by the Tenerife Soprano Maria Plasencia). In these compositions we can find echoes of the New Age movement, as well as renowned artists such as Enya, Vangelis, Wim Mertens and Hans Zimmer. The new edition has a total of 10 tracks, all sorted to produce in the listener a tranquility sense, and connection with nature. Del Corte's music moves us other worlds, full of exotic sounds, and we returned home with the feeling of having made a magical journey moved by land, air, and sea. It was possible the staging of Yaralaya in 2007 thanks to the ETHNO RECORDS Label.

4. CONFESSIONS PIANO SOLOS
After the release last year of the new Yaralaya, in this 2010 Raul Cut presents the second album released under his label ETHNO RECORDS, Confessions Piano Solos, an album, as its name indicates, consists of 11 songs performed solely by the piano (or rather for a virtual piano, and that this library was used samplers Garritan Authorized Steinway Virtual Model D Concert Grand Piano). On this occasion, most of the compositions are by Monica Hernández, developing, Raúl Del Corte, the musical arrangements and incorporating two of his works, Honesty and Nostalgic Love (already present in Yaralaya). The piano gives the album a more consistent sound, as well as being mostly relaxing themes, that invite reflection and let your imagination fly.

5. CONCLUSION
In both cases, we find two works that make the simplicity and emotion their main banner, relying on compositions that come directly to the listener. Raúl Del Corte is a future promise, a sample from a pop artist, with appropriate measures of talent, that with a little luck and oportunities, he will continue to offering the world wonderful musical works in the future.

Raúl Del Corte Studio, 2010.

Raúl Del Corte, composer

31/01/2005 - María José Tellez

Having won the award for best soundtrack for rhe film "Cassiopeia", Raúl Del Corte explains the challenges faced by a film music composer.
I´m self taught. I started in the conservatory as any child who initially considered to be the only way you have to learn music. It was not long when I realized that I was not looking for virtuosity in performance, but my interest was in composition. Since then, I worked hard to learn what really interested me: the composition and development of creativity.

How would you describe your experience at the cinema?
It was very gratifying since the soundtrack in which I worked in "Cassipeia" by Gabriel Lúgigo, a short film that won the first international award for the Best Original Score at the IV Festival os Short Films "Te Mouth of the Wolf". Although my greatest challenge os yet to come: taking part in a feature film.

Are you considered does a composer, an arranger or a music publisher?
Sometimes it's hard to know what your role as all overlap at some point. But I've always been clear what is mine: I consider myself a songwriter. I like to create, make my own arrangements and my own music. It takes a bit of everything to do a good job, but always starting from the creation.

Do you often work with prerecorded sounds or make your own compositions?
While acknowledging that it is a temptation to use for quality pre-recorded sounds, I enjoy working with them, but use my own original compositions not subtract the songs. Soil from a harmonic basis, which deployed multiple melodic lines that make up the counterpoint of the work. Then come the little nuances of sound, volume changes, seizures, and in general all you have to do with humanizing the work.

What are the steps to compose the music for a short film?
First you need to read the script multiple times to get the songs structured (action parts, passages of love, suspense, etc.).. But always the first time is crucial, as is the one you passed the first emotions and feelings. Since then sought out the nuances. Soil listen carefully to the director to capture the essence of what looks to history in general. Once you understand what the director wants to convey, it's much easier because the road is already channeled. The next step is to wait for the image. Soil vision several times looking shades to take shape and strength to reach the final result.

Do you usually make multiple versions of a song for the director to choose?
Only if he asks. The director has a vision of the work much more developed than any of us who work in the film. For that reason, it is best to work together from the beginning. But like I said, if you initially get with what the director looks, and just a matter of work.

How is the recording of the music?
The music is recorded on numerous tracks. In each track is recorded an instrument, voice or effect of the song. For example, a trumpet in C on a track is making a melody, viola strings on another track are marking some form of harmony chords, a piano on another track is conducting a counter-melody, forming a counterpoint to the trumpet do, a sound effect on another track serves as a gateway to another tune, a pizzicato violin to another track highlight certain melody notes, etc.. All these tracks are playing in unison a song that includes a sequence of images.

How music is synchronized with the picture?
Generally, the image has a tempo, like music. Before composing the image must synchronize with tempo of the music through a few tests. Once you find the tempo of the image, each plane change coincides with a compass. The music fits the tempo of the image and not vice versa.

How was the process of creating the soundtrack of "Cassiopeia" by Gabriel Lugigo?
In this case, Gabriel, the director, was very clear outline of the movie musical. Participants had many voices and music in abundance, and it was a musical. And, although initially it seemed that my style was opposed to it had printed the film was very interesting result: an intensification of the contrast images of musical styles, which was what I really wanted.

Your next short film has also been Lugigo Gabriel. Do you often work together?
I like working with him because he has a very clear idea of what you want, that facilitates and streamlines the entire process. We are great friends, we moved the same things: creativity and originality, the passion he feels for what each does and, of course, the final result. Everything is easier if there is mutual trust.

What films has recently been involved?
I have participated in the short film "A great moment," starring Asunción Balaguer. The main theme of the soundtrack "Nostalgic Love" is made only with piano and evokes memories of a past life, a love that no longer exists. My current interest is to know me more, broaden perspectives, very complicated thing in this world where the fields are so limited and hard to get your chance.

What tools do your work account?
I opted for computers, those with 64-bit dual processor are so powerful that to dump all your sound sources directly to a hard disk and move in real time. Library use sound sources, with sizes as large can only play with these computers.

For orchestral sounds I use the Vienna Symphonic Library Horizon Series Pro and let me work with a full orchestra. It is difficult to find sounds that sound real, but with the "Performance Set" has been achieved, you do legato and glissandos with stronger push of a button.

I also use the "Ivory", a Steinway piano, a Bosendorfer and Yamaha preceding eight DVDs. Applied percussion of "Culture" and "Storm Drum". For the purposes of manipulating the "X-Treme FX". For the voices of "Symphonie of Voices" ethnic sounds and the "Rare Instruments". As synthesizers use logic natives, especially the pads and samples of Akai.

The brain of the computer is a dual G5 Xserve with two 64-bit G5 processors, 750 Ghz HDD and 8 GB of RAM. The composition program management is Logic Pro 7. It is a very complete package, to synchronize with audio, midi and video. The score editor I use is Sibelius. The keyboard maestro has wooden keys and hammers ivory-real, the Kawai MP-9500, is like playing a grand piano. And another very important aspect in the study of acoustics.

What aspects depending on what you choose one or the other instruments?
The choice of instrumentation basically depends on the director general wants to print to film, and the time in which the environment. If the film is set in the Middle Ages, it is important to give a true epic to musical themes, using sounds of the era. Music is like the costumes, must be consistent with the historical moment in which the action unfolds.

Also involved each particular scene. For example, in the action scenes I use Marcatto and staccato, percussion and brass sounds convincing. But you can also play with the contrast, ie, slow the action scenes with soft music and visual effects. There are no fixed rules. Composer Hans Zimmer defines his profession: "To say these things you can not say with words or images and make elegant".

What you write music for a movie?
Music's mission is to enrich the whole work, making the image come alive, adding strength to the story in general and the particular scene, anticipating the body language and shaping human feelings that lie behind the history.

You have made compositions for television, video games, commercials, short films. What differences exist in the musical concept and method of work?
I have done TV commercials and music for interactive CD-ROM. Unlike film, in a spot you compress your creativity in 20 seconds and how it is working against the clock to finish the spot you in a couple of days at most. Video games have to pose as the adventure, while a film is the development of self, where you create a story without time pressure, where you just go along with each scene. The working method is completely different but all very rewarding.

Do you have a Spanish or Latin American musician you admire in the field of music composition for movies?
There are Spanish composers that I admire as Angel Illarramendi, although I have to admit that my views are outside Spain. Not because I think the best songwriters are out, rather a matter of opportunity and means. In general, as we know, the art in this country does not have the same financial resources or opportunities that exist abroad.

How does the picture of creation in Spain and Latin America for composers today?
The picture is very dark, it's hard to live music in Spain, and even harder to film music. Everyone talks about the crisis in the film, each production is extremely expensive, and there begins a daily basis. The musician's work in Spain and Latin America is not enough power (even in America, most are not fixed at the Oscars for best soundtrack, but in the Best Director or Best Actor) and even less economically. It's so expensive to make a movie, and so few economic means which are arranged, that the budget can be devoted to the soundtrack is ridiculous. Unfortunately, the image sells more sound, and what is invested in the latter, in many cases, is minimal.

Takes a lot of musical culture, and while it does not exist, while not given the importance of a good soundtrack, not reverse it. When taught to value low-budget film, it will begin to appreciate art. Then maybe you stop valuing only the big blockbusters, and perhaps learn to appreciate the role of each of the component parts of a movie. Of course, increasing the budget, not only in film but in the arts in general.

The United States has focused careers to creating soundtracks for film, but in Spain there is much to be done, so I think the only way to really learn is by interest, work and own risk.