Spaghetti and cowboys: part 4

Title: Ehi amico… c’è Sabata, hai chiuso! (Sabata)

Year: 1969

Composer: Marcello Giombini

Along with The man with no name, Django, Ringo etc there was another lone gunman appearing in Spaghetti Western films at the turn of 1960s-70s, Sabata. This antihero was portrayed by two different actors in the three films he appeared and originally had another name in the ‘sequel’ before it turned into a Sabata picture during production. Quartet records released all the scores together on a 3 CD box set.

The first score is by Marcello Giombini who was a prevalent composer of especially Spaghetti Western films but sometimes ventured to other genres as well. His work for Sabata is probably his most well-known work and no wonder: the main theme is very catchy and sticks with you after just a few listens. The opening Titoli opens with the swirling strings associated with the film’s antagonist before the main theme appears first played by an electric guitar and then a forceful brass section. The descending tune has some mariachi qualities to it and a riding gallop beat underneath. The first reprise arrives in Verso Los Saloe and eventually it variates into a major key version of the tune. Vocal includes spoken word by Alessandro Alessandroni and his choir members repeating the film’s title. Though cheesy, you can’t deny its entertainment value. The album ends with a few full reprises of the tune which unfortunately get too repetitive after hearing the melody already throughout the whole score. The last cue however is a surprising one, the theme sung fully in German meant for the international distribution of the film.

The antagonist of the story is called Stengel and his theme is heard in a brilliant way in track 3. Its foundation is built around swirling strings and victorious chord progressions. The melody itself probably the best one within the score and resembles those glorious solo trumpet moments from Morricone’s Western scores. For the sidekick Banjo, the main instrument is clear. The banjos are however more in the background in track 7 and the actual melody is played by woodwinds and strings with a slight nautical feel for some odd reason. Auira Banjo mixes his theme for a solo banjo with hints to the Stengel material but finally turns them into emotional orchestral glory. The theme had also a single version, track 18 which combines strangely material from tracks 7, 13 and 10.

For moments that don’t play around the main themes, Giombini provided an array of moods. L’attesa is a slow funeral elegy which isn’t terribly interesting unfortunately while Saloon is a source piano piece. Morte di Stengel opens with effective, quiet suspense material for inventive orchestrations eventually reprising the main theme in disguise. L’agguato is a tense orchestral stinger which doesn’t offer anything new but is a fine composition nonetheless. It however isn’t anything compared to the most over-the-top drama moment of the score, La vendetta for a thunderous, Gothic church organ playing in Baroque fashion backed by the orchestra.

The score concludes with three nicely assembled suites, first of which begins with tense Stengel material and changes into a more action orientated variation of his theme and then into a suspense variation. Later the melody is mixed together with several major key versions of the main theme that are the foundation for the rest of the suite. Suite 2 opens with all the three main identities before a short yet beautiful love theme for solo viola is heard, which then moves to new main theme variations for varying orchestration. The last suite is once again all about the main theme: first harpsichord playing it with a slightly comedic edge, then some alto flute, marimbas and eventually back to soothing harpsichord notes.

The main theme, no matter how catchy, is perhaps too plentiful and that is the biggest complaint I have with Sabata. Luckily the orchestration varies and almost none of the reprises sound the same. I would have loved to have more of the other themes which now get buried under the excessive main theme statements. Nevertheless it’s a fine Spaghetti Western score and will surely please the fans of the genre.

Rating: ****

Tracklist:

1. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Titoli) (01:52) *****

2. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (L’attesa) (02:00) ***

3. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Nel covo di Sengel) (03:08) *****

4. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Verso Los Saloe) (01:37) ****

5. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Saloon) (01:42) ***

6. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Desolazione) (01:17) **

7. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Banjo) (01:09) *****

8. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Vocal) (02:43) ****

9. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Morte di Stengel) (02:42) ****

10. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Auira Banjo) (02:37) *****

11. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (L’agguato) (01:05) ****

12. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Saloon 2) (01:55) ***

13. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (La vendetta) (02:43) *****

14. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Suite 1) (07:26) ****

15. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Suite 2) (04:02) ****

16. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Suite 3) (04:53) ****

17. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Banjo - single version) (02:30) ****

18. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Alternate take 1) (01:50) ****

19. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Alternate take 2) (02:38) ***

20. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Alternate take 3) (01:51) ****

21. Ehi amico... c’e’ Sabata, hai chiuso! (Vocal - in tedesco) (02:36) ****