Don Quixote

Composer Richard Hartley (not to be confused with Richard Harvey) recently received an Emmy nomination for his score to the Hallmark TNT miniseries Don Quixote. I actually remember Hartley from his work on the original score cues from The Rocky Horror Picture Show - and this score is (as expected) completely different. It's a soft, emotional and solid score for a miniseries focusing on the legendary Don Quixote (John Lithgow) and his sidekick Sancho (Bob Hoskins).

Beginning with the "Main Title", Hartley employs the Spanish guitar and creates a memorable theme that will appear throughout the score. It places the listener in Spain, and is a rather respectful theme. There are some quiet moments in the score ("When Knights Roam / Rosinante") that nicely offset the more robust action-driven cues ("Giants / Tilting At Windmills", "Sancho Gets Tossed").

Those are the two types of cues that the album consists of: lighter dramatic cues, and exciting action-paced cues. I couldn't help but be reminded at times of James Horner's The Mask of Zorro score, but only because they both seem to have similar main themes - both of which no doubt are inspired by some classic Spanish melody.

One of the drawbacks of the album is that it just seems a bit broken up. Running 71 minutes over 38 tracks, the average cue is under 2 minutes. But that is a minor quibble for a score that is certainly solid at its heart, and is no doubt deserving of the Emmy nomination this year. With many enjoyable cues for almost any mood, Don Quixote is a score that should be recognized. You might not rush to get the album if you're not familiar with the TNT film, but if Hartley does indeed get the Emmy this fall, I would suggest picking up the score regardless.