Che (soundtrack)

Alberto Iglesias composed the film score in his first and only collaboration with Soderbergh.^[1] Iglesias noted that Soderbergh wanted the film to not have any score, but eventually decided that music should be the only way to underline the psychological aspects.^[2] The score for Part 1: The Argentine was designed in a triumphant and energetic manner, while Part 2: Guerrilla had an increasingly tense and dissonant score that sparsely used to heighten the tensions of the war and revolution.^[2] The score was recorded at the AIR Studios in London, Cata Studios and Red Led Studios in Madrid, with an 80-piece orchestra, conducted and orchestrated by Iglesias himself.^[2] Varèse Sarabande released the score album on 16 December 2008.^[3]

Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK noted that "there is clearly a great deal of intelligence and great craftsmanship on display here" but the "lack of tangible element" in the score left him distracted.^[4] In contrast, James Southall of Movie Wave called it "one of the year's best albums" and added "The subtlety, the nuance—it's rare in film music these days to find such qualities, rarer still in a comparatively high-profile film."^[5]

Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote "Alberto Iglesias' score comes and goes in abrupt fashion, sometimes to oddly melodramatic effect."^[6] A. O. Scott of The New York Times called it an "excellent score, less austere in its moods and effects".^[7] Tom Lynch of Newcity wrote "Too much cannot be said about Alberto Iglesias' remarkable, beautiful score, which provides emotional undercurrent and patches of mood to sometimes-austere passages."^[8] Alonso Duralde of Today wrote "Alberto Iglesias' score never swells up so we know we're supposed to be moved."^[9] Amy Taubin of The Criterion Collection wrote "the jagged undercurrent of Alberto Iglesias's score is a great tension builder".^[10]

Credits adapted from liner notes:^[11]