Title: Teorema
(Theorem)
Year: 1968
Composer: Ennio Morricone
This is
going to be another multiple score release by a Swedish record label Fin de
Siècle Media. The films are unknown and there’s very little information to be
found about them online. Judging by their descriptions they seem to contain
many genres and hence can’t really be categorized. All the scores by Maestro
Morricone are versatile and even the soundscapes don’t really give you the clue
what’s happening on screen.
The first
score is the shortest of the three with only about 15 minutes of music and it’s
probably the most well-known title of the bunch. Teorema is directed by the controversial filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini and it tells a story
of a supernatural entity that comes to change the life of an upper-middle class
Italian family. The score begins with two abstract, atonal pieces. The first
one utilizes the chamber-sized orchestra and choral voices of I Cantori Moderni. The soundscape that
is created is completely otherworldly and sterile and it’s stripped down of any
emotion. It’s extremely difficult music and reminds me of Maestro’s absolute
music compositions but the effect is similarly oddly engaging. The following Frammenti drops the choir and what are
left are only the little fragmented notes from the orchestral instruments that sound
like they form an aleatoric composition.
The rest of
the score includes 3 melodic cues beginning with an original song performed by
a group called Trio Junior. It has to
be one of my all-time favourite Morricone songs. The melody has a classical
quality to it and the harmonizing of the vocals reminds me of medieval singing
even though they are accompanied by a pop beat. The uneasiness isn’t far though
because the track also includes eerie wind sound effects that make the song
sound like it is played somewhere in the distance. L’ultima corrida is a comical piece featuring a Mariachi trumpet
and electric guitar solo over choral voices singing “bombom” . The last track is a danceable beat track with rather
mellow harmonies that close the score peacefully. It may be hard to rate a
score this short but based on these cues I’m happily surprised by the variety
that is apparent in all the 5 tracks and thus Teorema gets a high rating from me.
Rating: ****
Title: La
stagione dei sensi (The season of the senses)
Year: 1969
Composer: Ennio Morricone
The next
title La stagione dei sensi is a
psychologic tale about seduction of naïve teenage girls on a secluded island. The
film opens with a brutal original song Gloria
that’s performed by Patrick Samson
with a rock’n’roll attitude. However what makes the song stand out is the
unusual arrangement by Maestro that features ear-piercing brass section lead by
crystal-clear trumpets that sound like they’re welcoming the four horsemen of
the apocalypse. After the exciting opening the mood changes immediately to a
Latin-flavoured cue Una voce allo
specchio with an incredibly beautiful vocal scat solo by Edda dell’Orso. The track is just a
bliss to listen to and comes completely out of left field. The reprise in track
12 replaces Edda’s voice with a sensual harpsichord. The psychedelic aspects of
the story are addressed in the following Sytar
that features the Indian instrument sitar but the backing orchestral
arrangement is very impressionistic which makes the overall mood surprisingly
somber.
The second
original song sung by Samson isn’t as successful as the opening track. It has 2
versions, Tell me tell me in English
and Laila laila in Italian. The
trumpets are once again featured heavily but this time in a more 60s pop music
style which is fun but nothing special. Edda has another incredible solo in a
dreamlike Sospendi il tempo which
acts as an interlude between the two rock tracks. There’s also a track of pure
insanity called Dinamica per 5+1
which has to be one of the greatest atonal tracks I’ve heard from Morricone.
It’s written for a chamber ensemble that consists of a constant walking
electric guitar line, percussion hits, screeching/barking trumpet, occasional
clarinet and completely mad organ lines that sound like someone just smashing
the keys blindly. The piece has no clear structure but that’s what makes it
intriguing in a way. The sound has to be created in a sarcastic way because
nobody would create a cue this bizarre without any sense of humour. The score
ends with a beautiful classical waltz for the string section that is again a
complete mood change compared to the preceding madness.
The
contrast between different musical styles is even more evident in this score
than Teorema. There’s only a bit more
oomph missing that prevents it from getting five stars. Nevertheless the
mixture sounds fresh and the constant changes keep the listener on his toes.
Rating: ****1/2
Title: Vergogna
schifosi (Dirty angels)
Year: 1969
Composer: Ennio Morricone
The closing
23 minutes of the album are dedicated to Vergogna
schifosi which is nearly a lost film according to the description. It is
centered on blackmail of previous crimes and Morricone has taken a rather
playful approach to the serious subject matter. Namely the main theme, which is
a children’s round game tune but the choral lyrics include far more ominous
words such as “matto” (= madman) and “morte” (= death). The theme is a
pinnacle of Maestro’s theme writing ability. The playful tune forms the basis
but in addition to that there are two counter melodies that arise over the
choral voices. The first is a long-lined soaring melody that is solely
performed by Edda dell’Orso’s wordless vocals. The second motif is a sung wah-wah
similar to Morricone’s spaghetti western writing which is featured heavily in Ninna nanna per adulti which then
variates the round game melody in an impressionistic orchestral version. The
score is mostly monothematic and all the material arises from the opening track
Matto, caldo, soldi, morto… girotondo.
The Edda melody gets its purest version in Una
spiaggia a mezzogiorno without the other choral voices. The last track
reprises all the thematic ideas in a neatly packed and compact way and it’s
probably the greatest single track on the album.
There are
two exceptions to the monothematic nature of the score. Guardami negli occhi is a laid-back beat track that is pleasant
enough but doesn’t just quite reach to the level of the other material. Another
original cue is the 6.5-minute Un altro
mare which is a waltz that has harmonies similar to some of Maestro’s
giallo scores. The track consists of alternates between the chorus with wah-wahs
and different verses utilizing both the choral voices and orchestra. There’s a
constant feeling of forward momentum and the 6 minutes just fly by like a light
summer breeze.
The score
is clearly the best one of the bunch and a pleasant listen throughout even
though it’s monothematic. The strength of the melodies and the colourful
orchestrations prevent it from never becoming dull.
Rating: *****
All in all
the album is one of the best collections of short Morricone scores that’s
floating around. Each one is highly enjoyable and interesting though there are
challenging moments as well. But what I love most is that even though the
scores are very short, there’s a clear vision to them and they feel like separate
little journeys even though there aren’t that much cohesion between the
contrasting styles of each score. That’s a sign of true artistry to me and I
can wholeheartedly recommend this album!
Tracklist:
“Teorema”
1. Teorema
(04:15) *****
2. Frammenti
(02:29) ***
3. Fruscio de
foglie verdi (Cantato) (02:22) *****
4. L'ultima
corrida (02:38) *****
5. Beat n.
3 (02:45) ****
“La
stagione dei sensi”
6. Gloria
(03:31) *****
7. Una voce
allo specchio (02:56) *****
8. Sytar
(03:33) *****
9. Tell me tell me (03:03) ***
10. Sospendi
il tempo (01:57) *****
11. Laila
laila (03:10) ***
12. Una
voce allo specchio (01:05) *****
13. Dinamica
per 5+1 (04:53) *****
14. In tre
quarti (02:08) *****
“Vergogna
schifosi”
15. Matto,
caldo, soldi, morto... girotondo (03:22) *****
16. Guardami
negli occhi (02:15) ****
17. Ninna
nanna per adulti (02:42) *****
18. Una
spiaggia a mezzogiorno (03:37) *****
19. Un
altro mare (06:31) *****
20. Matto,
caldo, soldi, morto... girotondo (04:51) *****
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