Exotic flavours: part 5

Title: The boy & the lion

Year: 2013

Composer: Stelvio Cipriani

Another Italian film music maestro still working today is Stelvio Cipriani. Unfortunately his current projects are very hard to find any information about, including the score we’re listening today: The boy & the lion from 2013. Apparently it is a TV production, and based on the track titles it tells a story about a friendship between a lion and a child. The music really doesn’t represent the wide fields of Africa but rather offers romantic fluff typical for the composer. The instrumentation includes an array of 90s synth elements including percussion, guitars and panpipes which hark back to a long gone nostalgic era. A small string section is also included which provides perhaps the most emotionally moving performances on the album.

The weirdly arranged album begins with 14 variations of the main theme. Usually this would be a tiresome way to start off but luckily the varied arrangements are quite lovely. The theme itself follows basic Cipriani harmonic structure but in the age of lackluster modern film music it is a true delight to hear. Some of the arrangements stand out more than others. The opening moves the melody nicely from instrument to instrument: panpipes to strings, synth oboe to tinkling harpsichord and so on while a cheesy drum beat rolls on underneath. Version 3 includes staccato lines from the strings which flourish along with a sweet solo piano while Version 6 is a more straightforward romantic string and piano duet with beautiful underlying harpsichord ostinato. Version 8 includes a new emotional prelude which then leads to a full, mournful performance of the theme. The problem I have with the string versions is that they sound just like demo recordings of the string sections used in the preceding cues and hence don’t work as well on their own because you’ve already heard how the experience is heightened with the use of solo instruments.

The main theme doesn’t fully disappear after those 14 cues but is featured later in Innocent joy which is a more mature version of Version 8 because the main theme sounds much older here when played by the low strings. Goodbye my friend is a full version of the main theme prelude with tinkling, warm synth textures which later reprise the theme as well as the ostinato. The beginning of the finale Across the land sounds pretty dated with its pop-sensibilities. However a surprise addition of a solo (non-synthetic!) saxophone appears out of nowhere and turns the track into something similar of Jerry Goldsmith’s The Russia house. While not as great as that score, it is certainly a powerful yet cheesy end to the album.

The second theme is called Lion’s waltz, a major key melody which is quite childlike and innocent with its cute synth elements. It’s a charming little tune but not as successful as the main theme. The same melody is turned into Animal’s march which is probably the most cheap-sounding cue of the score with horrendous synth drumkit and keyboard sounds straight out of a 90s children’s TV show. Running is one of the more serious cues on the album starting with the main theme ostinato but then developing into a nostalgic new tune based on the chord structures of both the previous themes. The end of the cue continues straight to Playing in the sun which is another innocent, summery waltz track. The two Jungle life cues are first real attempts of something exotic and wild with groovy basslines, tribal yet synthetic percussion and ghostly panpipes in the first version. The second one has only the percussion track and some soft synth pads which carry on tediously for 5 straight minutes. Eventually there are also some suspense cues like Fear in the jungle which quotes the main theme briefly but then turns into a synth pad stinger and Hiding in the jungle with more tribal percussion.

The boy & the lion is a nostalgic trip through 70s melodies and 90s TV score arrangements, an obscure combination with little to no relevance to the assumed subject matter. Nevertheless I hope Cipriani keeps making this kind of music since his own unique voice still shines through after decades of marvellous scores. For a better listening experience I would rearrange the cues and perhaps cut some of the purely string versions which aren’t as good as the ones with finalized orchestrations.

Rating: ****

Tracklist:

1. The boy & the lion (02:58) ****

2. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 1) (01:19) ****

3. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 2) (01:19) ***

4. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 3) (01:08) *****

5. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 4) (01:09) *****

6. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 5) (01:37) ***

7. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 6) (01:20) *****

8. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 7) (01:20) ****

9. The boy & the lion (Alternative version 8) (02:51) *****

10. The boy & the lion (Strings version 1) (01:08) ****

11. The boy & the lion (Strings version 2) (01:20) ****

12. The boy & the lion (Strings version 3) (02:55) ****

13. The boy & the lion (Strings version 4) (02:51) ***

14. The boy & the lion (Piano version) (01:19) ****

15. Lion's waltz (01:43) ****

16. Lion's waltz (Alternative version 1) (00:44) ***

17. Lion's waltz (Alternative version 2) (00:44) ****

18. Lion's waltz (Strings version) (01:43) ****

19. Running (02:04) *****

20. Running (Alternative version) (02:03) ****

21. Playing in the sun (01:11) ****

22. Playing in the sun (Alternative version) (01:10)  ***

23. Jungle life (05:03) ****

24. Jungle life (Alternative version) (05:02) **

25. Animal's march (01:38) ***

26. Animal's march (Alternative version) (01:38) ***

27. Innocent joy (02:54) ****

28. Fear in the jungle (01:23) ****

29. Hiding in the jungle (01:29) ***

30. Threat in the jungle (01:26) **

31. Goodbye my friend (02:05) ****

32. Across the land (03:06) *****

Oh, the horror: part 10

Title: Patrick

Year: 2013

Composer: Pino Donaggio

Pino Donaggio is an Italian composer who has had surprisingly plenty international success and is still writing film music in his 70s. A remake of an Australian supernatural horror film of the same name also received a score by him. The original Patrick had a score by the band Goblin in its Italian release but Donaggio’s score bares no resembles to their style. It’s dark, orchestral music reminiscent of works by Bernard Herrmann with some added modern electronics. Unfortunately is a bit too anonymous to leave a lasting mark.

Deadly needle opens the score with ominous strings that lead the way to musical knife stabs with electronic effects. After a pause, the main theme is introduced with a 4-note horn-call. A more longlined version is then heard on the piano supported by a solo cello and later moving to the string section. That peaceful mood doesn’t last long though because Car scene offers the first signs of fast-paced action music once again with underlying electronic additions. The main theme is used as an action-motif here in a fashion similar to Jerry Goldsmith’s thematic writing.

Most of the album’s duration is devoted to horror/suspense music with occasional bursts of action. The lift begins with ticking mystery writing once again reminiscent of Goldsmith. After a few brassy main theme statements it cools down to uninteresting territory. Kathy enters opens with some powerful action music but unfortunately it once again flops before reaching full satisfaction. Similar jagged, string-heavy action writing is the basis of both Cassidy dies and You decide. The mystery aspect of the score is exploited in Patrick computer with twisted harmonies bordering tonal and atonal writing and Telepathy beach which includes lengthy main theme statements disturbed by weird electronic effects and cluster harmonies. Telekinesis is one of the score’s most effective suspense cues with the emphasis on strings once again with repeating lines growing in intensity with varying electronics and changes in pace finally resolving into a more straightforward action cue.

Fortunately the saving grace for the score is the melodramatic romantic material that gets its first go in First day that wanders a while before releasing the main theme with a more attractive style. The strings in this score in particular have a very classic film music feel and heighten the listening experience. Kathy meets Patrick includes an absolutely lovely flute melody that is disappointingly interrupted by a sudden horror movie sting. That melody is reprised in Patrick spits museum that turns into the most romantic theme of the album after a moment of rugged action. Though it’s over-the-top writing, it’s just so nice to hear some proper orchestration and romantic chord changes in a modern film score. Lighthouse offers more of that lovely flute and harp work before reprising some of the chord progressions of the romantic theme that lead to a mysterious conclusion. Another frustrating cue is Kathy’s imagination which begins with beautiful main theme moments that are ruined by either lame melodrama or mediocre suspense. After a disappointing second half, the score redeems itself during the last two tracks. Kathy back to work changes from full action unnoticeably into more romantic music with movement and ends with the final horn-call stinger. The last cue includes a full orchestra version of the main theme and finally a lovely reprise of the romantic material of track 6.

The album is way too long to sustain the large quantity of music and hence can be a quite tedious experience at times. The suspense scoring is the stumbling block of it all but luckily the romantic undertones offer at least some enjoyment. Overall Donaggio did an average job that really offered nothing new but just enough to work within the picture.

Rating: ***1/2

Tracklist:

1. Deadly needle (03:45) ****

2. Car scene (01:54) ****

3. First day (04:02) ****

4. Kathy meets Patrick (02:20) ****

5. The lift (03:58) ***

6. Patrick spits museum (03:15) *****

7. Kathy enters (02:37) ***

8. Cassidy dies (02:54) ***

9. Patrick computer (02:38) ****

10. Telepathy beach (02:18) ****

11. Telekinesis (04:52) ****

12. Cassidy visits Kathy (02:38) **

13. Waveform Crazy (01:52) **

14. Lighthouse (03:48) ***

15. Kathy’s imagination (03:57) ***

16. Nurse Williams dies (04:12) ***

17. You decide (03:59) ***

18. Kathy back to work (02:15) ****

19. Dream or reality (04:21) ****

Spaghetti and cowboys: part 3

Title: The hateful eight

Year: 2015

Composer: Ennio Morricone

February 28^th, 2016 Maestro Morricone finally received an Academy Award for an original film score. In 2007 he was given an honorary award for his lifetime work and surely nobody would expect him of winning another one after that. However circumstances change and luckily they developed into one of the greatest stories in film music history.

The director Quentin Tarantino had previously never had an original film score in his films but he had used Morricone’s compositions throughout his career and expressed a deep admiration for the composer. For Djago unchained he actually asked Morricone to compose an original song, which he did. There had been talks already at the time whether Morricone could score the whole film but the idea was ditched. Luckily his next film was another western, a genre Morricone is most known for, though his latest score in the genre was with 1981’s Occhio alla penna. Miraculously Maestro accepted the job (supposedly by the pressure of his wife Maria) and the rest is history as they say. Already at the time of the announcement and recording of the score, throughout the marketing and at the time of the film’s screenings there was a fuss surrounding the score like no other. Fortunately also the Academy finally acknowledged Maestro’s contributions and gave him the award after all these years.

Maestro's Oscar speech

Morricone has said in the interviews that his desire is to create absolute music and his film music success was at the start of his career means to pay the bills so to say. This is the closest he has given freedom to create something similar to that in film music in many years. You see Tarantino pretty much allowed Maestro to create anything he liked and he certainly wasn’t going to please anybody by offering them a smooth and stereotypical pastiche. The result has almost no resemblance to his previous western scores which was the composer’s intention too. What we ended up with is an extremely brutal theme and variations -type of score with barely any pauses in the bleakness. The way Tarantino also utilized Maestro’s music is very in-your-face and ballsy which just deepens its impact. For instance the film opens with a single long shot with just the savage music creating the atmosphere. In the final film there were also a few cues used from Maestro’s score to 1982’s The thing which didn’t end up in that film. They fuse well with the more mysterious original material, both expressing the feeling of isolation and dread in a restrained fashion.

Before listening to the score or seeing the film I too had no idea of what to expect. Straight at the opening minutes of L’ultima diligenza di Red Rock I was sure that I was in for a thrill ride. The sound of ominous bassoons and a steady percussion track immediately reminded me of a stagecoach riding by. This bassoon melody is the film’s main theme and there’s something truly unsettling about it; like it’s a growling beast stalking its prey and preparing for an attack. This animalistic quality continues throughout the piece with the atmosphere intensifying with each added instrumental line. A nod to Maestro’s previous works in the genre is included too in a form of shouting “wah-wah” voices. Eventually Maestro brings out all the stops in an immense crescendo for the whole string section playing the main theme while the brass answers rhythmically in joint conversation. Ingeniously it’s not the end but there’s time for a silent, sinister coda that tells the listener that the worst is yet to come.

The score’s other theme is Neve which is introduced fully in its 12-minute form in track 8. Even though I adore what Morricone did with his main theme, I actually think this cue is even better than the opening. It is by no means flashy but a slowly developing mystery which ultimately shrouds everything like the falling snow. It begins with an intro melody that is oddly similar to Kylo Ren’s theme from John Williams’ Star Wars episode VII score. However from that on we hear a musicbox melody similar to one Maestro used in Per qualche dollaro in più which forms the basis to the rest of the cue. At first it seems not much is going on but with clever orchestrations like crystal clear solo trumpet which appears from time to time, quotes from the main theme and a sublime feeling of isolation utilized by low woodwinds, Maestro keeps me entertained till the very end. The closing chords are just wonderfully distant, fading into uncertainty.

Recording a special LP album at the Abbey Road studios

Almost everything derives from these two primary themes. Overture begins with a slow string version of the snow theme whose pace thickens along with the musicbox and the underlying faint hints to the main theme. Vice versa Narratore letterario builds around the main theme starting from pizzicato strings and the musicbox melody plays on top of that before moving to dramatic atonal strings. Those also earn their own difficult cue called Sei cavelli. The reprise of the main theme in track 7 starts with brutal percussion and reprises the original cue’s dramatic conclusion. The reprises of Neve take another route and are much more restrained than the long version, the first one just repeating the intro and the second playing the musicbox melody in a beaten down manner along with cooing main theme clarinet. Sangue e neve presents the dual personalities within one cue: it begins with the musicbox building momentum and out of nowhere appears a brutal string version of the main theme that vanishes as abruptly.

There are a few exceptions to the monothematic structure. Raggi di sole sulla montagna is probably the most 'classical' sounding cue with very abstract harmonies formed by the strings and wandering woodwinds which actually create a brief moment of serenity amid the otherwise dark times. The two L’inferno bianco tracks are very similar and the differences are almost nonexistent. They start with some Morriconean action writing with several rhythmic stabs over a layer formed by a martial drum and aforementioned wandering woodwinds. In the second part the rhythmic stabs continue by themselves and are joined by a more intimate bass and drum set and in the first version by a synth brass sound, and by a larger brass section in the latter. The writing is once again challenging but that also makes it rather unique. The last farewell La lettera di Lincoln is an elegy for a solo trumpet, organ and warm strings which is rather lovely though short-lived.

Some listeners might discard The hateful eight for being boring. It’s true that it relies heavily on repetition like many other Morricone scores. However the two long suites which Maestro bases all the music on are probably the two best single compositions he has written in 2010s and once again show his ability to reinvent himself after all these years. The album presentation is a mess, the dialogue sounded okay after seeing the film but now it leans more towards irritating. The songs are nothing special except the guitar ballad Jennifer Jason Leigh sings. Overall it really is a historic score which celebrates Maestro’s whole legacy in both absolute and film music during the time when film music is being overrun by mediocrity.

Rating: ****1/2

Tracklist:

1. L'ultima diligenza di Red Rock - Versione integrale (07:33) *****

2. Overture (03:11) *****

3. "Major Warren meet Daisy Domergue" (00:33) *

4. Narratore letterario (02:02) *****

5. Apple blossom (The White Stripes) (02:15) ***

6. "Frontier justice" (01:51) *

7. L'Ultima diligenza di Red Rock - #2 (02:38) *****

8. Neve - Versione integrale (12:17) *****

9. "This here is Daisy Domergue" (01:02) *

10. Sei cavalli (01:22) ****

11. Raggi di sole sulla montagna (01:42) *****

12. "Son of the bloody ni**er killer of Baton Rouge" (02:44) *

13. Jim Jones at Botany Bay (Jennifer Jason Leigh, featuring Kurt Russell) (04:11) ****

14. Neve - #2 (02:06) ****

15. "Uncle charlie's stew" (01:42) *

16. I quattro passeggeri (01:50) *****

17. La musica prima del massacro (02:02) ****

18. L'inferno bianco - Synth (03:32) *****

19. The suggestive Oswaldo Mobray (00:48) *

20. Now you're all alone (David Hess) (01:31) ***

21. Sangue e neve (02:06) *****

22. L'inferno bianco - Ottoni (03:33) *****

23. Neve - #3 (02:03) ****

24. Daisy's speech (01:33) *

25. La lettera di Lincoln - Strumentale (01:42) *****

26. La lettera di Lincoln - Con dialogo (Ennio Morricone, Walton Goggins) (01:47) ****

27. There won't be many coming home (Roy Orbison) (02:45) ***

28. La puntura della morte (00:28) **

Need for drama: part 2

Title: La corrispondenza (Corrispondence)

Year: 2016

Composer: Ennio Morricone

A year has passed again and for many it’s the time for “The Best of…” lists. Well Maestro Morricone’s latest film score to Giuseppe Tornatore’s critically panned La corrispondenza was recorded in 2015 after the Oscar-winning score to The hateful eight but the film and album were released in January of 2016. This score therefore would be eligible for my best film scores of 2016 list and would definitely end up in there though it’s not a fully golden effort by Maestro’s standards. It’s still a refreshing effort of old European film music tradition among some of the poor excuses for film music we got during the year. In addition there are some choices that are rather unique to Maestro’s soundscape still after 60 years of film scoring.

The album begins with two long pieces that cover over 20 minutes of music and introduce the instrumental choices and overall mood of the album but don’t offer any thematic threads that would be revisited later. La casa sul lago begins with a piano solo played by a Morricone regular Gilda Buttà which is joined by soft strings that provide few accents here and there while the piano wanders on in the echoing space. The melody that is played is more for creating colour than any hummable theme. This gives the composition a free-flowing atmosphere and the feeling of impressionistic beauty. The similar approach applies to Una stella, milliardi di stele as well but the minimalism is taken even further. Morricone had a trend of writing long constantly repeating cues in 2015 (especially both of the main themes from The hateful eight and the opening to En mai…) and this cue is this score’s version of that. It starts with a simple, slow phrase for the piano that altogether lasts about 1 minute 10 seconds before it’s repeated. With every repeat some other instrument comes in building layers upon layers of sound. The majority of the cue features soft electric guitar chords and synthesizers before a countermelody for electric guitar solo is added around 5-minute mark. The overall effect is rather hypnotic and beautiful and perfect background music for relaxation. I could understand though why some people would label it as boring.

The album provides a mixture of different styles of music that result in a series of individual pieces that aren’t really tied with a unified theme. Improvvisazione in sol is one of the album’s surprises. It features a slowly-paced, complicated electric guitar solo and synth pads not that far from artists like Pink Floyd. Though electric guitar has been featured in many Morricone scores, I think it has never been utilized this way. The track begins with the first version of the main theme before it turns to darker waters transforming the piece into an improvisatory piece of new-age rock’n’roll that is surprisingly soothing. Stuntgirl offers the album’s only moment of action for the desperate string section, strumming electric guitar and low-rumbling piano which are rather exciting. The peace is restored in Due camera in hotel which is a classic Morricone string adagio that provides a melody that unfortunately isn’t heard elsewhere but it’s just so painfully beautiful and romantic you almost want to cry. Yet another style is featured in Una storia nella storia which is a piece of two separate lines played on the piano creating a fugue clearly inspired by Baroque composers. The effect might be suitable e.g. for a scene in an art gallery but on the album it sounds rather bland. The style is reprised in Invenzione breve in minor key and it’s certainly an improvement.

The recording of Una luce spenta

This far there really hasn’t been a strong main thematic thread except for a short appearance in track 3. There is one though and what a theme it is! Otherworldly tease version of the theme starts the title track La corrispondenza before it turns into a pretty piano solo. Dramatic strings introduce a variation of the main theme in L’infinito spazio but once again it’s overshadowed by other material, namely mournful light drama. The theme gets its greatest moment in Una luce spenta that begins with a solo piano before guitar and strings come in and finally make way to the full version of the theme. I haven’t been this moved by a Morricone theme since his score to Sorstalanság from 2005. The piece is just pure beauty written on sheet music. I’m especially moved by resolution to minor iii chord in the cadence IV / vi / ii / ii / iii (B minor in G major composition). After the first version of the theme we get a truly beautiful duet for piano and solo violin before the theme repeats. Easily the best track on the album and one of most beautiful moments in 2016’s film music.

There are two other returning ideas as well. Il ritorno di una stella introduces the first one again with a guitar solo before an absolutely sublime orchestral swell that is intensified with synthesizers. The melody is reprised in Calco that features also a similar classical moment to track 7 though this time the other melody is actually the main theme in disguise. The second one is a wandering piano melody that really reminds me of another Morricone melody but I really can’t name which one. It’s heard in Parabola astratta and Il cane simpatico latter of which also has a reprise of the main theme for space-like synthesizers. The last thematic reprise comes in Disperata chitarra that reprises the new-agey rock’n’roll playing over steady, sorrowful string chords before giving the main theme a sendoff that feels rather incomplete and hazy but in keeping with the impressionistic style heard in the first two tracks thus bringing the album to a full circle.

At first I wasn’t that impressed with La corrispondenza, however over time I learned to embrace its slow-moving and leisurely atmosphere. Also realizing how many disguises the main theme gets was an eye-opening reminder of Maestro’s talent. There are almost no dissonance Morricone is known for which makes the album easy to recommend to those who are afraid of that. This time the experimentation with rock music might be a turnoff to some but there should be enough soothing melodies and moods to please a great number of listeners.

Rating: ****1/2

Tracklist:

1. La casa sul lago (07:15) *****

2. Una stella, miliardi di stelle (13:27) *****

3. Improvvisazione in sol (04:16) *****

4. Stuntgirl (02:25) *****

5. Due camere in hotel (03:04) *****

6. La corrispondenza (02:28) ****

7. Una storia nella storia (05:14) ***

8. Il ritorno di una stella (01:29) *****

9. L'infinito spazio (03:35) ****

10. Una luce spenta (06:04) *****

11. Parabola astratta (02:10) ****

12. Calco (02:33) *****

13. Veloce corsa (02:26) ***

14. Il cane simpatico (01:55) ****

15. Invenzione breve (01:20) ****

16. Disperata chitarra (05:33) *****

Maestro Morricone's "Bambini del mondo"

Title: Bambini del mondo

Year: 2015

Composer: Ennio Morricone

 

The album Bambini del mondo is one of the hardest to find in Maestro Morricone’s entire catalogue though it’s only a year old. The reason for that is the fact that it’s only sold at his concerts. Maestro had tried to publish it commercially but there was no interest for that from record labels so he published the album himself. I managed to find it at his Helsinki concert. The album consists of 6 classical works written for acapella children’s choir Coro di voci bianche dell’Arcum, and a few other instruments in some of the pieces. Maestro’s absolute music works are usually very challenging and contemporary in style which is also true with Bambini del mondo. However this collection of works from the 70s to the 21st century is far more listenable than the other compilation I own from him called Chamber music.

The first piece is the title track Bambini del mondo, which translates to Children of the world. The booklet actually has a page from the piece and it has different series of notes describing different nationalities, e.g. Senegal, China, Japan and Native American. The piece is at the same time alien and odd with folk music like progressions but at times it’s bordering sacred choral music. It seems that the different melodies are performed quite freely on top of each other some fading away temporarily and some appearing again from elsewhere. The overall soundscape is rather unique and actually quite pleasant. It reminds me a bit of Maestro’s work in the film Il sorriso del grande tentatore where a children’s choir was used a bit in a similar fashion. Sometimes the melodies collide with deliciously beautiful results but those moments float away as quickly as they appeared.

The following work Tre scioperi is far more challenging compared to the slow-moving nature of the opening. It has purely atonal harmonies that are quite brutal in their aggressive nature. The text for the piece was written by an author and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini who Morricone had worked with previously. The first part introduces a bass drum that is played by the Maestro and it provides a few hits that give the music almost a feeling of tribal worship. The second part slows down a bit and has few parts of the choir conversing with each other in a non-melodic manner. The third part has the choir finally singing in joint harmonies rather beautifully before the madness of the first two parts returns for a short while. The ending is actually a moment of celestial beauty with harmonies that start to resemble common chords elevated with a few hits from the bass drum.

Echi begins with an atonal cello solo performed by Livia De Romanis. The choir then comes in with short phrases that echo and resonate in the otherwise empty space. The cello and choir continue their dialogue throughout the work providing no apparent highs or lows which makes the track rather monotonous. Questo è un testo senza testo is a polyphonic work with harmonies once again bordering tonal and atonal writing. It also includes spoken parts for a section of the choir that sound a bit distracting compared to the overall feel of the work.

The other work with several parts is called Il silenzio, il gioco, la memoria. The first part starts with surprisingly beautiful slow-moving harmonies but as the piece progresses they become more and more atonal. It has a feel to some pieces by Ligeti and could fit rather well to Kubrick’s 2001. The second part Zum Beispiel introduces a bouncy melody that is repeated in a fugal fashion as other parts of the choir start their own developments of short repeated phrases on top the established base. Then comes a moment of weird swaying motion that actually sounds like there were some electronics at play but miraculously the effect is just achieved with the power of voices. The last part returns to the beginning’s harmonic base this time with more movement.

The last piece Arcate d’archi con bambini, the newest of the bunch from 2011 is the crowning achievement of the album. It’s the only one to include an orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra to be exact with a violin solo performed by Prisca Amori. The orchestra introduces slow romantic chords with hints of expressionistic sadness to them while the moving violin performs delicately like a birdsong giving the piece more emotional depth. The piece is actually a variation of Maestro’s Above the Clouds (Theme from Fat Man and Little Boy) with the voice of Edda dell’Orso replaced by the violin. The choir appears at the work’s middle point providing wordless la-las that once again come in and disappear seemingly independently of the other material. The whole piece has a feel of flying through the air with heavenly voices calling from beyond.

The album is a collectors’ item for sure and if you happen to find one at Maestro’s concert, I’d recommend you to consider purchasing it. As with any album consisting of Maestro’s classical works, this one should be approached with caution because the sound of children singing atonal harmonies may not be everyone’s favourite. However the first and the last piece and a few other highlights provide enough material to keep the listener at least intrigued by Maestro’s versatility if not completely entertained.

Rating: ***1/2

Tracklist:

1. Bambini del mondo (09:50) *****

Tre scioperi

2. Primo sciopero (02:17) ***

3. Secondo sciopero (03:26) **

4. Terzo sciopero (05:00) ****

5. Echi (07:44) ***

6. Questo è un testo senza testo (04:08) ***

Il silenzio, il gioco, la memoria

7. Per J.C. (07:10) ***

8. Zum Beispiel (04:06) ****

9. Voce bianca (03:03) ***

10. Arcate d’archi con bambini (11:25) *****

Maestro Morricone's "The 60 years of music tour" in Helsinki

Pretty soon as I discovered Maestro Ennio Morricone’s music with his score to Il clan dei Siciliani I also found out that he was doing massive concert tours around Europe. Since I live in Finland I never thought I could actually see Maestro perform live. The outskirts of Europe aren’t a popular place to visit for international superstars and when Maestro turned 80, I already thought that his days might be numbered.

However in the autumn of 2015 I was absolutely dumbfounded when it was announced that Maestro would come to perform a concert in Helsinki during his The 60 years of music tour. This would not only be his first time in Finland but the only concert held in the Nordic countries as well. I immediately ordered a ticket because the date of March 2016 would perfectly be around my Easter holidays. Unfortunately only a few weeks before the concert was due, the devastating news arrived: Maestro had to cancel his concert due to back problems. I realized that my opportunity to see this living legend live had vanished into thin air. Or so I thought.

During the spring of 2016 it was announced that a new date for the concert was scheduled for 30^th of November. I was first skeptical whether I could attend or not because of the strict nature of my studies. However I decided to hold on to my original tickets. During the autumn I followed all the announcements about the concert with anxiety because of the previous cancellation. It was only after I saw that he had performed in Stockholm 2 days prior when I realized that my ultimate dream could actually come true.

In the morning of 30^th of November I finally stepped onto a train to Helsinki and started the 4-hour journey. The landscape was all covered in a fresh snow layer like the nature itself was celebrating the Maestro’s arrival to Finland. The venue for the concert was Hartwall Arena, more famous for its usage in ice hockey. When I arrived there, I was surprised to see no outside adverts about the concert. Some lesser Finnish artists and stand up comedians had their banners though… After standing in line for 30 minutes I got in and visited the souvenir store like any other tourist. I bought the new compilation album 60 years of music with a DVD and the totally obscure Morricone record that he produced himself and which is only sold during his concerts called Bambini del mondo. The programme was designed in a book form and was a nice memory from the concert to take home with. I had a seat at the floor level relatively near the orchestra. The whole arena was teeming and breathing like before a sporting event and almost every one of the 10000 seats was taken.

The performers started to flow onto the stage starting with the Finnish choir Grex Musicus Choir followed by Czech National Symphony Orchestra that has been Maestro’s collaborator for years already. However when the Maestro came to the stage the whole audience already gave him a standing ovation of a good 2 minutes without him even conducting a single note. Then the lights went out, everyone went silent and the first delicate harp notes appeared…

The evening’s programme was as follows:

A homage to Giuseppe Tornatore

·         The legend of 1900 (from The legend of 1900)

·         Tarantella (from Baarìa)

Scattered sheets

·         Chi mai (from Maddalena)

·         H2S (from H2S)

·         Metti, una sera a cena (from Metti, una sera a cena)

·         Croce d’amore (from Metti, una sera a cena)

·         Cinema Paradiso (from Cinema Paradiso)

·         Tema d’amore (from Cinema Paradiso)

A homage to Mauro Bolognini

·         Per le antiche scale (from Per le antiche scale)

·         Irene-Dominique (from L’eredità Ferramonti)

The modernity of the myth in Sergio Leone’s cinema

·         The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Main theme (from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

·         Jill’s Theme (from Once upon a time in the West)

·         Sean, Sean (from A fistful of dynamite)

·         The ecstasy of gold (from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

• Soprano Susanna Rigacci

Intermission

The hateful eight

·         Stage coach to Red Rock

·         Bestiality

3 adagi

·         Deborah’s theme (from Once upon a time in America)

·         Addio Monti (from I promessi sposi)

·         Vatel’s theme (from Vatel)

The red tent

·         Do dreams go on

·         They’re alive (SOS)

·         Others who will follow us

The mission

·         Gabriel’s oboe

·         Falls

·         On earth as it is in heaven

Encore 1: Abolisson (from Queimada)

Encore 2: The ecstasy of gold (from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

Encore 3: On earth as it is in heaven (from The mission)

The concert began marvelously with Maestro’s epic love song to the sea. After the aforementioned harp solo, some fragments of madness started to lure in in a form of jazzy snippets. The orchestral performance of those snippets though was a bit rushed and not that precise but fortunately this was the only time when some orchestral mishaps happened during the night. When the magnificent main theme reached its climax I was holding back tears because the wave of sound was just so immense. This happened many times at the beginning of the concert and only during the performance of Tema d’amore from Cinema Paradiso I finally shed a tear of joy because I wasn’t prepared that they would have performed this moving piece. I felt emotional even during the martial Tarantella because the orchestra and even the stone-faced Maestro seemed to have so much fun with it.

After that homage we got a collection of miscellaneous pieces from obscure films starting with Chi mai. As I wrote in my review of Maddalena’s score, it truly is a piece of beauty. The atmosphere was pretty laid-back with sleazy bass playing. However that atmosphere was broken by a cheerful classically inspired H2S which was among the concert’s very best performances. All the nuances from different instruments were performed so effortlessly. The sleazy bass and electric guitar returned accompanying the cheesy, bouncy melody of Metti, una sera a cena. It was only during this cue, when Maestro loosened his metronome-like precision and had some swing with his conducting. Elsewhere he seemed very concentrated on the sheet music, but when he gave the players personal direction during a cue, the audience got to witness a moment of warm glance and mutual respect. The second piece from Metti… brings images of an urban cityscape to mind. However this performance was even more menacing and provided the only moment of unease of the first half. The piano player was set free and improvised the simple melodic core wildly. The section concluded with two pieces from Cinema Paradiso which were oh so beautiful and serene. I bet there was no dry eye in the audience after Tema d’amore had finished. Another homage consisting of 2 pieces arrived next. Per le antiche scale was an intimate duet for a solo flute and piano but Irene-Dominique was so massive in its arrangement that it was pleasing though the melody isn’t really that original among Maestro’s other works.

It was time for the finale of the first half with a suite of Sergio Leone’s film themes. Susanna Rigacci walked to the stage in a red dress and the audience managed to make her smile with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s beginning when someone from the audience whistled the famous wolf-call over the pulsating opening line. This was also the first showpiece for the 50 member choir and they succeeded. I especially enjoyed the choir’s sopranos who sounded very fresh and young which worked perfectly during the concert’s latter half. Maestro showed that ageing hadn’t slowed him down because during many pieces the tempos were much faster than in the originals, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly being no exception. Rigacci however sounded a bit flat at the beginning of Jill’s Theme but got much better during Sean, Sean and even playful during the massive ending The ecstasy of gold which received another standing ovation of several minutes.

The second half began with Maestro’s Oscar winning score to The hateful eight. It was by far the most challenging section during the whole concert. The reptile like quality of the sneaky main theme was brilliantly achieved by the bassoons and tuba. Once again the tempo was faster and got actually rather exhilarating at the end, but Bestiality (originally written for John Carpenter’s The Thing) brought the madness to new heights. I think that the lowest bowed instruments in this piece weren’t so audible due to mixing and that’s why the piece lacked some of its punch but it gave me goosebumps nevertheless. The craziness was balanced with 3 adagi which was programme-wise the only mishap of the concert. I’ve never understood the praise of Deborah’s theme. It’s a nice little melody but nothing more and even though the performance was emotional, it never highlighted the actual piece in any way. The other two cues chosen were already done much better during the first half’s romantic material. However at the end I think we needed some time to breath after the shock caused by The hateful eight and Maestro’s solution was passable.

For me the highlight of the concert was the suite from The red tent because it was something I didn’t know what to expect of since I had heard a recording of a live performance of pretty much every other piece. Besides the main theme of that film is a forgotten gem of a melody. That main theme was introduced in a massive arrangement with a soft choral backing. However the serene quality was broken by They’re alive (SOS) which includes the Morse code rambling and almost aleatoric dissonance where the instruments were played seemingly independent of each other. Simply thrilling stuff! The section concluded however with another dreamlike main theme reprise for the choir and solo viola. The piece continued without pauses straight to the last section, The mission, which is surely a crowd pleaser and a regular end to a Morricone concert. The performance of Gabriel’s oboe was rather understated in a good way. The oboist wasn’t forcing the emotion but rather just letting the melody speak for itself. Also Falls was performed similarly: there was a certain serenity floating around the arena and orchestra which made the piece breathe. The rousing finale however turned a bit into a cacophony of melodic brilliance and due to the immense sound barrier I couldn’t really tell if the choir was only singing long lines and missed the rhythmic section completely. The audience seemed to love it though and Morricone gave three encores and the last standing ovation took probably 10 minutes altogether. He even seemed a bit astonished and when he began the last reprise of On earth as it is in heaven, he accidentally started to conduct a wrong piece. However when Finns are allowed to be around alcohol (the arena has bars you see) they unfortunately can become a bit shouty. This partly drunken yelling was apparent before the last 2 encores and at least to me was disrespectful to the artist.

Overall the concert was a night to remember, a once-of-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the last film music legends still alive and surprisingly well. Though Maestro had aged significantly from when we saw him at the Oscars nearly a year ago, there still was an internal fire and passion to present his music to a new audience. A sign of great artistry in my opinion was also that he didn’t address the audience or give any speeches. He just lets his music do the talking. And since this is his last tour, we hope to hear that talking if possible for many more years where it suits best: accompanying a film. Thank you Maestro Morricone for giving Finland a chance! Grazie mille!