Title: Maddalena
Year: 1971
Composer: Ennio Morricone
This new
series will include music of the obscure works that really can’t be categorized
to any specific genre. 1971 was the greatest year in Morricone’s whole career
and though many of the works of that year are among the composer’s very best,
his score to Maddalena might be the
crowning achievement. The film itself is a dramatic art film written and
directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz and there is almost no information available of
the entire project online. What is mentioned though is the presence of
Morricone’s score which is praised heavily. However most of it is highly
experimental and should be approached with caution.
The album
opens with a piece called Come Maddalena
which could actually be my personal favourite cue by the Maestro. It combines
ingeniously moods from popular, religious and classical music. The track begins
with a long introduction by the jazzy percussion playing of Vincenzo Restuccia
that is joined by the church organ of Bruno Nicolai. Soon the soothing voice of
Edda dell’Orso is added to the mix and we’re introduced to a bouncy counter
melody sung by a children’s choir. The film’s actual main theme is introduced
around 3.5-minute mark first by the organ and Edda’s soprano solo before
expanding to the whole choir and string section. The melody is heartbreakingly
beautiful and fragile and it reminds me of Maestro’s previous work in spaghetti
westerns. The album ends with a disco version from 1978 which actually is a
positive surprise because the added percussion and bass don’t really
transform the piece into a danceable tune but rather elevate the material into
greater heights by building intensity as the piece progresses. The piece
has to have some significance to its creator as well because Maestro Morricone
has performed it live in many of his concerts.
And no
matter how impressive the opening track is, it’s still isn’t the piece that
causes Maddalena’s overall
attraction. That prize goes to Chi mai
which was later popularized by reappearing in a French film Le professionnel also scored by
Morricone, or as the main title theme to a British TV series The life and times of David Lloyd George
or in a French dog food commercial. But seriously, it’s a magnificent piece
which provides much needed sweetness among the trippy psychedelic cues. The cue
comprises of a meandering, breezy string melody that is light as a feather
accompanied by a light pop beat. The B section revolves around romantic and
passionate harpsichord. The album provides tons of different versions of the
theme from a more rhythmically accurate original single version to the film’s
main star Lisa Gastoni’s love songs sung in Italian, French and English.
One reason for Chi mai's success.
Just
before sailing to uncharted territories we’re greeted by the dreamlike Una donna da ricordare which has the
flute and children’s choir variating the main theme and its counter melody
softly. But the big one has to be Pazzia
in cielo in which all the nightmares are unleashed. It’s almost a 10-minute
psychedelic mixture of wild percussion, aggressively condemning church organ
and the mantra-like variation of the Dies
irae melody and cluster chords provided by the choir. The ending includes a
majestic organ version of the main theme that rises above all the surrounding
chaos. Intermezzo per pianoforte is a
short solo piano interlude which adds to the oppressive atmosphere with its
techniques popularized by the composers of the contemporary era. Erotico mistico has recalls to Maestro’s
work in giallo films when the orgasmic sighing of Edda dell’Orso makes an
appearance. In the reprise of that track they become even more pronounced and
the chaotic atmosphere cools down significantly into a hazy wet dream. What
makes the atmosphere even more disturbing though is hearing the children’s
choir singing the counter melody amid the sexual moaning but luckily the main theme
lingers in the background for some atonement.
Describing
the music of Maddalena might sound
very cryptic due to its unique nature. The 10-minute trippy cues that dominate
the album’s middle part provide challenging, at times spiritual, at times
infernal musical landscapes. However amid all the chaos there’s something that
penetrates the listener’s very soul. Not to mention the awesome main theme and
counter melody that are the glue that keeps the chaotic cues from falling
apart. To put it shortly, Maddalena
is like a hypnotic dream that balances on the thin line between nightmares and
light naps, and it proves how originality can be applied into a film score with
guts and controlled madness.
Rating: *****
Tracklist:
1. Come
Maddalena (09:11) *****
2. Chi mai
(03:33) *****
3. Una
donna da ricordare (04:17) *****
4. Chi mai
(versione italiana) (03:23) *****
5. Pazzia
in cielo (09:47) *****
6.
Maddalena (intermezzo per pianoforte) (02:47) ***
7. Chi mai
(versione singolo) (03:26) *****
8. Erotico
Mistico (09:47) *****
9. Chi mai
(versione francese) (03:24) ****
10. Pazzia
in cielo (#2) (09:46) *****
11. Erotico
Mistico (#2) (08:18) *****
12. Chi mai
(versione inglese) (03:26) ****
13. Come
Maddalena (versione 12" maxi Disco 78) (06:37) *****
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