The "ritirata" of the title refers to the getaway car sent by his boss, Il Siciliano . But the car is stuck in traffic (a tragicomic nod to Roman infrastructure). As Franz waits, his cousin Tony arrives—a paranoid, drug-addicted petty thief who believes Franz is hiding the painting for himself.
The performances are restrained to the point of pain. Juan Diego Botto, usually a charismatic lead, plays Nicolás as a man carved from stone—controlled, polite, and utterly terrifying. His is a performance of micro-expressions: a twitch in the jaw, a glance held one second too long. Bárbara Goenaga’s Clara is the audience’s surrogate, initially hopeful for reconciliation, slowly realizing that some doors, once closed, should never be reopened.
But time has been kind to Fernández’s debut. In the age of elevated horror and prestige psychological thrillers (from The Killing of a Sacred Deer to Relic ), La Ritirata feels prescient. It understands that the past is not a place we visit; it is a place that lives inside us, waiting for the right key to turn the lock.
The album focused on the transition between the Baroque and Classical eras, featuring works that were rarely heard in modern concert halls. The centerpiece was arguably the music of Luigi Boccherini, but the ensemble also mined the archives for works by composers who were contemporaries of the Spanish court. They explored the sonatas and trios that utilized the cello not merely as a basso continuo support, but as a melodic voice of growing importance.
Before dissecting the specific events of 2009, it is essential to understand the ensemble's foundation. Formed by the acclaimed Spanish cellist and conductor Josetxu Obregón, La Ritirata takes its name from the final movement of Boccherini’s Night Music of the Streets of Madrid . The term "ritirata" refers to a military retreat or the evening curfew call played by the garrison. It is a name that implies both structure and atmosphere, signaling the ensemble's dedication to recreating not just the notes, but the ambient history of the 17th and 18th centuries.
(translated as Retreating ) is a 2009 Italian short film written and directed by Elisabetta Bernardini. Production Details Director/Writer: Elisabetta Bernardini
While La Ritirata has released over 15 albums to date, its early years established a deep specialization in both Italian and Spanish traditions.
Searching for today is an exercise in archival frustration and reward. It is not a great film in the conventional sense. It is slow, visually ugly, and narratively insolent. But it is an honest document of a specific Italian moment—the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the mistrust of institutions, and the feeling that the ritirata (the escape route) is always just stuck in traffic one neighborhood over.
When searching for "La Ritirata -2009-", the most prominent result is the release of their debut album, The Cello in Spain . Released under the prestigious Glossa label, this recording was a statement of intent. While many ensembles focused on the standard German Baroque repertoire (Bach, Telemann, Handel), Obregón and La Ritirata turned their gaze toward the Iberian Peninsula.