Introduction
“Świadectwo” is a soundtrack album by Vangelis and Robert Janson for the Polish film about the life of pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła, Poland 1920-2005). Released on the 10th of December 2008, the album includes some 10 minutes of music by Vangelis, divided into three tracks, as well as the music by Robert Janson.
While Vangelis’ music is heard at both the opening and closing of the film over images of pope John Paul II’s funeral, Janson’s music underscores the rest of the film. Vangelis composed three themes: ‘Humanum Est’ is a slow and solemn theme with vocals heard during the opening of the film, while ‘Sanctus’ and ‘In Aeternitatem’ play during the final scene and end titles. ‘Sanctus’ is actually a newly arranged version of a theme that Vangelis composed for the film “Alexander” (2004), which was used in the film but not included on the original soundtrack album.
The album was only released in Poland which could make it difficult to locate a copy. The CD is housed in a hard-bound booklet with 30 pages (in Polish) including a short biography and a photo of Vangelis, as well as a long interview with Robert Janson. In the interview Janson revealed that ‘there were discussions with Ennio Morricone and Maurice Jarre, but both were busy composing music for other films at the time. Vangelis agreed, and I am delighted that his music is featured in the film, as the prestige of his name is a real asset. He is a master, an Oscar-winner, I have the utmost respect for him. He wanted -and had to- open the film and bring it to a close, because that is the role of a great composer’.
Tracklist and credits
- Sanctus (4:39)
- In Aeternitatem (2:05)
- Humanum Est (3:09)
- Composed, arranged, produced and performed by Vangelis.
- Recorded and mixed by Frederick Rousseau.
- Assistent sound engineer: Vangelis Saitis.
- Choir transcription by Irina Valentinova.
Discography
CD
- 2008 Agora SA K0396-RPK Poland (the CD is housed in a hardcover booklet with 30 pages).
Recording studio
The soundtrack release does not specify where the music was recorded, but most likely it was recorded at one of Vangelis' home studios in Athens.
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