Title: L’attico
(The attic)
Year: 1962
Composer: Piero Piccioni
L’attico is a story about a naïve girl who wants to make it
big in the city working as a model and living in a penthouse facing the
Colosseum. While fulfilling her dream she also dates several suitors. Piero
Piccioni’s score is almost pure jazz, based around two alternating main themes
which are the building blocks to almost every single cue on this 70-minute
album.
And luckily
Piccioni really delivers a home run with the opening theme, which is the most
prevalent melody heard throughout the score. L’attico is a lively piece of smooth, falling-rising lines which
move from solo instrument to another and allow the performers’ improvisational
skills shine. The orchestration here also differs from standard jazz band
ensembles, including for instance a vibraphone and harpsichord which give the
music otherworldly, slightly off-kilter edge. Usually Piccioni’s melodies tend
to take their time to arouse the listener’s interest. In the case of L’attico I was hooked from the first note
and I must admit that this might be my all-time favourite Piero Piccioni tune.
Fortunately for me (and hopefully other listeners too) the score is basically a
theme-and-variations type of score, like e.g. Maestro Morricone’s La cosa buffa, both of which twist and
turn their core material into all the possible shapes.
Attico per organo changes the melody into an improvisatory
keyboard solo in a slower pace which is just lovely yet simultaneously odd. A nightly,
slow jazz orchestra version of track 11 is not as engaging as the faster
versions but beautiful nevertheless. After a straightforward reprise, track 13
turns into a hallucinatory duet for abstract organ chords and solo vibraphone.
Next reprises are dominated by sultry saxophones before a straightforward
church organ version appears in track 20 representing the other end of the
spectrum of uses Piccioni has for the melody. It’s followed by a dramatic, Baroque-inspired
harpsichord variation of the melody that is just another stroke of brilliance.
Track 29 combines the harpsichord and organ into a duet of nearly religious
proportions that is ruined when a more mischievous variation appears after a
dissonant surge.
The second
melody, called simply Ancora is a
more mournful tune, whose long lines allow usually a passionate solo instrument
to take the centre stage over more laid-back accompaniment. This melody clearly
represents the nocturnal, lonely city streets and perhaps also the hardships
our protagonist might encounter in the city. In its first incarnation the
melody is played first by a trumpet and then saxophone, while in track 9 the
roles are switched. The trailer version of track 14 features the melody on
flutes and keyboards while the beat is more danceable than previously.
To add some
variety, Piccioni wrote also some other pieces of music to expand the musical
universe of the film. Afro starts
with slow Latin rhythms which are then joined by playful woodwinds and organ
notes, but in its 1st reprise we only get some odd percussion
effects and someone blowing into a glass bottle. Afrodite is a poolside source cue for flute soloist and light
percussion, whereas Chicago style is
a fun, but all-too-brief nightclub ragtime number for tinkling piano and
percussion work resembling tap dancing. Its reprise sounds like the saloon
piano playing the tune has been detuned and slightly broken. Track 12 includes fast,
big city jazz that might have something to do with the main theme but at the
level that escapes this listener. A change in pace is also Marcetta which is a comedic march tune interrupted by constant, dream-like
space-effects in the background. Lastly there is Piano source, a sad minor-key tune for solo piano written in the best
romantic music traditions but strangely it ends with a thump representing the
pianist’s frustration.
The
listener’s enjoyment of the score depends largely on whether or not he likes
the main theme, because that theme is nearly everywhere. I happen to love that
melody and hence giving a rating for the score is relatively easy. After a trim,
there is nevertheless a large amount of well-composed, jazzy film music for
others. The warmth of the music is exceptional and I really can’t remember
another Piccioni score that has given me an emotional rollercoaster ride like
this one.
Rating: *****
Tracklist:
1. L'attico
(02:16) *****
2. Afro
(03:11) *****
3. Afrodite
(02:08) ****
4. Ancora
(03:14) *****
5. Attico
per organo (02:18) *****
6. Chicago
style (01:01) *****
7. L'attico
(01:58) *****
8. Afro (02:41)
**
9. Ancora (03:10)
*****
10. Chicago
style (01:30) ****
11. L'attico
(grand orchestra) (02:37) ****
12.
L'attico (02:04) ****
13.
L'attico (01:56) *****
14. Ancora
(trailer) (03:01) ****
15. Attico
per organo (01:58) ***
16. L'attico
(01:17) *****
17. L'attico
(marcetta) (01:36) ***
18.
L'attico (02:04) *****
19. Ancora
(01:54) ****
20. Attico
per organo (01:32) *****
21.
L'attico (02:03) *****
22. Attico
per organo (01:20) *****
23. Ancora
(02:56) *****
24. Afro
(01:11) ****
25.
L'attico (02:02) *****
26. Chicago
style (fast) (01:56) *****
27. L'attico
(piano source) (01:31) *****
28. L'attico
(01:11) ****
29.
L'attico (01:34) *****
30. Ancora
(trailer take 2) (02:21) *****
31. Attico
per organo (01:28) *****
32.
L'attico (01:09) ****
33.
L'attico (01:17) ****
34. L'attico
(01:47) *****
35. L'attico
(grand orchestra) (02:50) ****
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