Words by Camille Ong
When I first watched Call Me by Your Name, I couldn’t stop thinking about Elio and Oliver’s summer romance. It made me nostalgic for something I haven’t even experienced and even made me want to go to the countryside in northern Italy. However, since I didn’t have the means nor the money to go to Italy, I resorted to listening to the movie’s soundtrack instead.
The soundtrack is an unexpected mix of 80s pop songs, classical music, and songs by Sufjan Stevens. This unlikely combination sets the tone for a beautiful summer romance between Elio and Oliver.
This was why I was so excited when I got the opportunity to watch Call Me by Your Name In Concert by CC: Concepts. I was able to watch the movie with a live performance by the Manila Symphony Orchestra. It felt so surreal to hear the music I’ve been listening to in the past play right before my eyes!
The five songs in this list are the songs I found memorable from the movie and the live performance. If you’ve watched the film, then listening to these songs might just make you fall in love with the movie again.
5. Hallelujah Junction – 1st movement – by John Adams
This piano piece is just the first of the many piano pieces included in the film. It plays right at the beginning during the opening credits and it teases us with what’s to come. There’s a sense of urgency when the two piano rhythms converge in Hallelujah Junction and I honestly had goosebumps when I heard it live.
4. Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs
This is the song Oliver dances wildly to in the film as Elio watches him from afar and eventually joins him. The inclusion of Love My Way in the film makes the setting of the film more believable since this song was famous during the 80s. It was interesting to see how this song sounded with the orchestral arrangement.
3. Radio Varsavia by Franco Battiato
This is the song that played on Elio’s radio during the iconic peach scene. When I first saw it, I thought the tone of the song didn’t match the scene. However, when I heard the orchestra accompany it, there was an added intensity that made me appreciate it more. Even though I can’t understand the lyrics of Radio Versavia because it’s Italian, this song has become memorable because of the scene attached to it.
2. Mystery 0f Love by Sufjan Stevens
This Oscar-nominated song by Sufjan Stevens is definitely my favorite. Mystery of Love was composed specifically for Call Me by Your Name, which is why it fits so well with the film. This song is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I actually got teary-eyed when the orchestra accompanied the scene where Elio and Oliver went on a trip before they parted ways.
1. Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens
Visions of Gideon is the song that plays at the end of the film where Elio cries while staring into the crackling fire. It’s the scene where he processes the news that Oliver is engaged. This song makes the scene especially heartbreaking. In the Call Me by Your Name In Concert, the volume of the lyrics was toned down so the effect of the orchestral accompaniment was more pronounced. It was the perfect end to the film.
Manila Symphony Orchestra
info@manilasymphony.com
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CC: Concepts
info@ccconcepts.ph
FB.com/cc.concepts.ph
