Title: L’ingenua
(The naive)
Year: 1975
Composer: Carlo Savina
Sexy
comedies with some softcore nudity were their own genre in Italy in the 70s,
including L’ingenua from 1975. There
is a plot about conmen trying to sell a villa but the real reason for the film
were the views, both the beautiful scenery but mostly the nudity of one Ilona
Staller, aka Cicciolina, a famous Italian sex-object. Strangely a film like
this also got an original score which was made by none-other than Carlo Savina,
already a prolific film composer at the time. And the result is actually a
pleasant surprise, not just some background porn music.
Because the
score is so short, around just 25 minutes, Savina made a clever choice to build
it around one unifying theme heard in Seq.
1. It opens however with a sighing female voice, which is a corny touch and
sadly disappears for the rest of the score. The theme is then heard in waltz
meter on the Mediterranean accordion and whistling which gives it the comedic
edge before modulating into a wondrous little crescendo. Lovely stuff indeed.
It is followed by straight-up comedy honky-tonk which after a pause turns into
a fine version of the main theme never straying far from the comedy. A more
laid-back poolside source version is heard in Seq. 3 but Seq. 4 returns
to the comedy with music suitable for a funny chase sequence and later more
anonymous background music. Seq. 6 and
11 include folk-music like accordion
waltz which isn’t terribly original but does it job. Bluesy radio source with
walking bass is featured in Seq. 7 preceding
a cheeky main theme statement of Seq. 8 which
has slight hints of doubt with the underlying orchestrations.
A beautiful
saxophone solo opens Seq. 10 before
the comedy motif of Seq. 2 returns
somewhat ruining the otherwise fine atmosphere. The most ‘suspenseful’ moment
of the score is heard in Seq. 12’s beginning
but then it dissolves into a mixture of both the main theme and an actually
interesting variation of the comedy motif with odd tinkling sound-effects and
organ bleeps. The last cue returns to the lovely wonder of the opening with sweet
orchestrations and floating accordion solo.
The score
for the film is a very light one and doesn’t feature any real drama. If you’re
looking for an easy-listening to play in the background, this certainly does
the job but never reaches the heights Savina is capable off. But on the whole
we have to be glad that this project even exists and we are able to hear it
after over 4 decades.
Rating: ***
Title: L’osceno
desiderio (Obscene desire)
Year: 1978
Composer: Carlo Savina
As an odd
choice, the second feature on this album is actually from a giallo/horror film
about an American tourist who gets impregnated while on a holiday. Inspired
clearly by The omen and Rosemary’s baby, the child is actually
the antichrist. Savina’s score is actually similar to one featured in those
films, since it includes both beautiful passages that lull you into a fall sense
of security and then releases frightening scenarios in the tension-filled cues.
The film’s
sad main theme opens Seq. 1 with a
plain piano solo which later expands to woodwinds and solo viola. Savina’s
scores generally are more built around motifs than long-lined themes. However
this time the melody is really developed and tear-jerkingly beautiful, and
perhaps one of the composer’s very finest. The orchestration for this score is
quite sparse which makes all the instruments pop out thus making the listener
feel each performer’s unique way of playing. The first few reprises are full of
hope and filled with the bliss of a tragic romance. Both Seq. 3 and 4 include
passages in major key and variate the melody into clever chord progressions
that change the overall mood momentarily into a light autumn breeze. The last
shades of almost childlike innocence are heard in Seq. 6 which once again continues to the tragic pattern that is
incredibly beautiful with its sadness. From thereon the theme continues to get
shades of darkness with every reprise. Seq.
8 combines it with clashing pianos, keyboards and even snippets of the
devil’s viola, and the style gets even more broken and crooked in the following
cue. After many horrific cues there is a surprising sequence, Seq. 17, which is a romantic new theme
that has dramatic piano flourishes and even major key sections. That new melody
is also heard in the finale cue which isn’t the romantic conclusion I was
hoping for because there are still shades of darkness left, perhaps signaling
that the evil wasn’t defeated.
The horror
begins already in Seq. 2 with
devilish viola solo, another classic way to resemble the devil through Western
classical music. The base is reprised without the viola in Seq 7. The mood of these cues is later developed into an actual
horror motif which is the score’s secondary theme. Seq. 10 has interesting keyboard effects that are actually quite
fun in a twisted way. The first version of that secondary theme is also heard
during its final moments. Seq. 11 has
music that sounds like someone creeping around empty rooms at night. Seq. 12 begins with terrifying
variations of the main theme which make way to another sparse creeping around
cue that is actually quite frightening to listen to by yourself. Seq. 13 is the first cue built entirely
around the secondary theme. It isn’t as effective as the previous horror music
but functional for sure and it even includes some humming choral voices that
create a ghostly atmosphere. There are also otherworldly electronic
enhancements in the following cue which are actually quite unsettling. The
closest the music comes to releasing the tension is at the end of Seq. 18 where the music speeds up and
swells into its climax.
L’osceno desiderio has beautiful, exquisitely orchestrated music
during its first half which then turns into sour, slow-burning tension during
the second half that barely lets the listener have a moment to breathe.
Unfortunately the beginning is so strong that the suspense music, which is
built around repeating loops and short phrases, just falls flat at certain
points. At times though it manages to get under my skin and makes me check over
the shoulder for intruders. Nevertheless it’s clearly the better score of the
album and just barely misses a perfect rating.
Rating: ****1/2
Tracklist:
1. L'ingenua
(Seq. 1) (02:10) *****
2.
L'ingenua (Seq. 2) (02:24) ****
3.
L'ingenua (Seq. 3) (01:37) ****
4.
L'ingenua (Seq. 4) (02:06) ***
5.
L'ingenua (Seq. 5) (01:22) ***
6.
L'ingenua (Seq. 6) (01:39) ***
7.
L'ingenua (Seq. 7) (01:17) ***
8.
L'ingenua (Seq. 8) (01:48) ****
9.
L'ingenua (Seq. 9) (01:58) ***
10.
L'ingenua (Seq. 10) (02:04) ***
11.
L'ingenua (Seq. 11) (01:48) ***
12.
L'ingenua (Seq. 12) (02:32) ****
13.
L'ingenua (Seq. 13) (01:11) *****
14.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 1) (01:52) *****
15.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 2) (01:26) *****
16.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 3) (02:24) *****
17.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 4) (02:56) *****
18.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 5) (01:19) *****
19.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 6) (02:06) *****
20.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 7) (01:26) ***
21.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 8) (02:31) *****
22.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 9) (01:49) *****
23.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 10) (02:28) ****
24.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 11) (01:37) ****
25.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 12) (03:00) *****
26.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 13) (02:00) *****
27.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 14) (03:24) ***
28.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 15) (02:26) ****
29.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 16) (02:01) ***
30.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 17) (03:42) *****
31.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 18) (01:53) ****
32.
L'osceno desiderio (Seq. 19) (02:30) *****
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