CrimeWaves: part 9

Title: Qualcuno ha visto uccidere… (Witness to murder)

Year: 1973

Composer: Stelvio Cipriani

For a movie about a guy killing his wife’s lover by planning a plane crash and dealing with the revenge caused by it, the score seems rather tame. Cipriani wrote two main themes that are perhaps too light for the subject matter and don’t really stand out from the crowd of other exceptional main themes created by the composer.

The album opens with a somewhat groovy arrangement of the main theme. It’s rather similar to other melodies for his works in the giallo genre, but instead of the regular female voice of Nora Orlandi, the melody is carried by a solo saxophone and electric guitar. The underlying latin rhythms give the cue some 70s cop show type edge which I like. The bouncy bassline is heard later in the score as an action motif that dominates the score’s two best cues, Seq. 13 and 15. The first is the fullest arrangement of the main theme simultaneously working as an exhausting chase cue. It goes through many instrumental solos like a marimba, a theatre organ and wild percussion section showing the orchestral brilliance Cipriani was capable of. The latter highlights an awesome saxophone solo played with passionate clarity. The same brilliant sax carries over to Seq. 16 but after so many repetitions of the same motif it starts to get a bit redundant. Unfortunately these cues are really the first ones after the opening that burst with any energy or excitement. Any previous versions of the main theme, like Seq. 3, 4 & 10, act as alright background music but offer no extra punch.

The love theme, Seq. 2, is a sweet lullaby that almost puts you to sleep which isn’t a compliment in a film where brutal acts of crime appear. It’s a simple tune thus offering almost no room to grow to anything more substantial. Though Seq. 8 tries to connect it with the suspense stylings, the result leaves the listener cold because the orchestration is just too plain, especially when compared to the complex orchestrations of the chase cues. The tremolo strings playing the main theme’s chords are a sweet touch at the beginning of Seq. 17 and the resulting love theme statement might be the album’s sweetest. Fortunately the ‘final confrontation’ i.e. the last suspense track, Seq. 18, combines snippets of the love theme and the suspense material far better than the previous attempts.

As the story unfolds, a few other styles emerge as well, like the bar source music of Seq. 5 and 14 both of which are built around simplistic, repeating riffs. The first attempts of so-called suspense of Seq. 7 are just a collection of electric guitar droning dissonantly over looping bass figures culminating into some annoying distorted guitar notes. In Seq. 9 it’s hard to even hear anything because the orchestration is so sparse. Even the short love theme reprise at the end can’t salvage this bore of a cue. Seq. 11 at least tries to offer something new by combining a glockenspiel to the distorted guitars, which are still annoying as hell. Luckily the previously mentioned action motif brings some new life to the score with some crazy keyboard effects in Seq. 12 creating an actually enjoyable cue.

I really didn’t care that much of this album. The score feels a bit like it was written on autopilot; put together with bits and pieces from better scores and failing to find cohesion in the process. Though there are a few instances where the music soars with pace and excitement and the musicians seem to have fun, most of the score is just too dull to leave a lasting impact.

Rating: **1/2

Tracklist:

1. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 1 - Titoli) (02:35) ****

2. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 2) (02:04) ***

3. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 3) (02:01) ****

4. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 4) (02:09) ***

5. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 5) (01:24) **

6. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 6) (00:59) **

7. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 7) (03:57) *

8. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 8) (01:54) **

9. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 9) (03:29) *

10. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 10) (01:41) ***

11. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 11) (01:08) **

12. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 12) (02:27) ****

13. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 13) (04:31) *****

14. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 14) (01:01) **

15. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 15) (01:43) *****

16. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 16) (03:08) ****

17. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 17) (02:01) ****

18. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 18) (00:55) ***

19. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 19) (03:48) ***

20. Qualcuno ha visto uccidere (Seq. 20 - Finale) (01:27) ***

WTF (Weird tho' fabulous): part 8

Title: Edipeon – il sapore della pelle

Year: 1970

Composer: Stelvio Cipriani

I was saddened by the passing of one of the greats of Italian film music, Maestro Stelvio Cipriani. He was an incredibly prolific composer who wrote dozens of film scores a year during his prime with stupendous quality. Luckily the labels still release unreleased music by him and I doubt this will cease anytime soon. I decided to revisit one release from 2015 by Digitmovies. The obscure film is about a teenager dealing with Oedipus complex and other unhealthy desires finally winding up to murder and suicide. Cipriani’s score rises above all this with classically beautiful, restrained music that includes some of his most beautiful passages.

The opening Seq. 1 is a true beauty a melody, beginning with delicate harp playing that makes way to the recorder and later to the voice of Edda dell’Orso. The chord progressions are clearly Baroque in nature and after a modulation the piece turns into an actual medieval dance piece with the high soprano voice singing in the distance. Unfortunately Cipriani rarely returns to this idea later in the score. In Seq.2 it’s heard as a more menacing organ chorale which turns into a near horror territory before introducing the film’s real main theme that gets more coverage later in the score. The Baroque recorder is combined to unsettling flute and electric guitar effects along with vocal ‘whoo-hoos’ in the bizarre yet engaging Seq. 5. Finale is a short reprise of the opening theme and a fine end to the album.

A variation of the main theme, probably most familiar Cipriani melody heard on this album compared to his other works, is heard in Seq. 3 as a laid-back bossa cue with Edda’s scat vocals. This cue was previously released as public domain library music and I’ve surprisingly heard this cue playing in some YouTube videos quite recently. The main theme is hinted again in Seq. 11 disguised as a beat cue but the real first full performance is in the following Seq. 12. Here it’s sung by Edda with scat vocal stylings familiar to works of Ennio Morricone. Many full versions of the theme follow in cues Seq.15, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24. The problem is that the theme gets rather repetitive eventually and slightly loses its magic in the process. Notable versions however include Seq. 17 with a classical-guitar waltz version with the vocals and Baroque flute, and Seq. 18 with a suspenseful climax to tremolo strings.

Another melodic winner is the score’s third thematic idea first heard in Seq. 4, clearly borrowing a note or two from Chaplin’s Smile. Nevertheless it is a spectacular theme that resonates childlike innocence that is highlighted by its usually small-scale orchestrations. Seq. 8 is a simple flute, guitar and percussion trio whereas Seq. 9 begins with an emotional string quartet that then gets going after a percussion set joins the fun. The plainest but probably prettiest version is the passionate solo piano performance, Seq. 10 probably played by the composer himself which gets me almost teary-eyed. The final version of Seq. 25 is an emotional send-off with a mournful organ prelude that leads to a bare harp and solo violin duet.

As for usual there are also moments that aren’t linked to the main thematic material. These include two beatnik party cues Seq. 7 & 16 with groovy keyboard solos and Seq. 13: a fast, walking bass heavy chase scene with out-of-tune guitar twanging and more of those groovy keyboards. A melancholic organ waltz Seq. 20 underscores the film’s more tragicomic aspects with slight touches to Italian folk music. A previously unheard melody, a romantic bolero for oboe and strings is heard in Seq. 21 which turns about to be one of the score’s most unique little moments.

The score has elements like the small-scale Baroque orchestration and progressions that are rather unique to this very score. Still the main theme is rooted in the same pool where Cipriani usually drew his thematic ideas which gives that familiar comfort. The latter half of the album drags a little after so many similar versions of the same theme with only slight variations. Overall it’s however a fine, beautiful composition that every fan of the composer should check out.

Rating: ****1/2

Tracklist:

1. Edipeon - seq.1 Titoli (02:43) *****

2. Edipeon - seq.2 (01:31) ****

3. Edipeon - seq.3 (03:12) ****

4. Edipeon - seq.4 (01:28) *****

5. Edipeon - seq.5 (01:39) *****

6. Edipeon - seq.6 (01:29) ****

7. Edipeon - seq.7 (02:37) ***

8. Edipeon - seq.8 (01:48) *****

9. Edipeon - seq.9 (01:15) *****

10. Edipeon - seq.10 (01:24) *****

11. Edipeon - seq.11 (01:48) ****

12. Edipeon - seq.12 (02:05) *****

13. Edipeon - seq.13 (02:12) *****

14. Edipeon - seq.14 (02:29) ****

15. Edipeon - seq.15 (02:17) *****

16. Edipeon - seq.16 (01:31) *****

17. Edipeon - seq.17 (02:30) *****

18. Edipeon - seq.18 (01:49) *****

19. Edipeon - seq.19 (02:23) ****

20. Edipeon - seq.20 (01:49) ****

21. Edipeon - seq.21 (02:37) *****

22. Edipeon - seq.22 (01:24) ****

23. Edipeon - seq.23 (01:04) ****

24. Edipeon - seq.24 (01:42) ****

25. Edipeon - seq.25 (01:58) *****

26. Edipeon - seq.26 Finale (01:32) *****

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 6

Title: Lady Lucifera

Year: 1979

Composer: Stelvio Cipriani

I’m glad that several record labels still keep releasing scores from the most obscure films imaginable. For instance Lady Lucifera aka Polvos mágicos is the kind of film I’ve never would have imagined looking more into when I started listening to film music. It’s a horror comedy about suitors trying to tempt the devil’s daughter who needs them to gain eternal youth. Usually a score for a film like this might be played for laughs but surprisingly Stelvio Cipriani delivered a dead-serious horror score with only a few lighter moments.

The main theme is a real winner. Usually I say that Cipriani’s melodies tend to run into each other and you really cannot distinguish one from another. This isn’t the case with Lady Lucifera though because the theme has something unexpected about it (even though the same exact melody was used in 1979's another Cipriani score Un'ombra nell'ombra). Maybe it’s the Goblinesque synthesizers and irregular-sounding rhythms (even though it goes in regular 9/8 waltz groove if you listen closely) or the nostalgic feeling you get from the chord progressions which don’t follow regular pop music progressions directly. Even though the theme really doesn’t feature a longlined melody rather than one that appears in between the rhythmical arpeggios, it still is captivating yet eerily sinister. Seq. 5 is the first reprise of the theme but it doesn’t go into the more nostalgic second part of the melody but just plays around the intro for a short while. The third reprise in Seq. 9 is probably the most beautiful one, sounding translucent somehow. The finale cue sounds like an outtake because the intro is repeated a bit amateurishly before the track gets going.

Seq. 2 introduces a minor romantic theme which is more in Cipriani’s regular style and easily hummable though nothing that special. However what I love about this track is that it actually begins with a bassline that reappears later in the horror tracks, and in the middle of the romantic mood we also get disturbing organ clusters which bend the atmosphere into more foreboding direction. A pure and innocent version of the melody for piano and flute appears in Seq. 13 which is a breath of fresh air after the brooding horror tracks. There’s also one other romantic piece, Seq. 11, a classicaly-inspired piano waltz that sounds slightly broken and humorous as it’s interrupted by unnecessary piano runs.

Most of the album’s duration is devoted to straight-up horror music. These tracks have a certain structure to them: they’re usually built around a simple repeating bass phrase which is intensified with added instrumental colours. Similar bass writing has been used in many Italian giallos representing a heartbeat though Cipriani’s is more musical. For instance Seq. 3 has a Chopinesque funeral march feel to it even though the countermelodies provided by the organ don’t go into that direction at all. Seq. 4 repeats the bassline from Seq. 2 and accelerates it like a racing heart of a murder victim. The syncopated rhythms and previously mentioned funeral organ are combined to synthetic strings and a flute that reminds me of 60s agent flicks more than a horror film in both Seq. 6 and Seq. 10. The album’s longest piece Seq. 7 offers a great number of intelligent horror tropes like icy piano notes, a sense of time ticking by and eerie electric organ chords which turn rather comical with their insane sound manipulation. There are some more action-oriented pieces as well like Seq. 8 and Seq. 12 with almost tribal-like quality to them perfectly suitable for the manhunt going on. The best horror track however is the last one, Seq. 14 which manages to give genuine chills with an atmosphere straight from a Goblin album, even featuring the rhythmic tinkling synthesizer heard in the main theme.

If I had to describe the score with two words, those would be dreamlike and hypnotic. There’s something really disturbing about the building atmosphere of the suspenseful moments that are contrasted with the seemingly serene main theme which too has its dark edge. The problem I have is that though the intent is to create atmosphere, there is no resolution and thus the horror falls flat. Even though the duration is just under 40 minutes, the album actually feels longer than it really is which shows the downside of the repetition. So even though I give it a high score, you might want to consider a while first before making your purchase.

Rating: ****

Tracklist:

1. Lady Lucifera - Seq.1 (02:13) *****

2. Lady Lucifera - Seq.2 (02:29) *****

3. Lady Lucifera - Seq.3 (02:15) ***

4. Lady Lucifera - Seq.4 (01:40) *****

5. Lady Lucifera - Seq.5 (01:56) ****

6. Lady Lucifera - Seq.6 (03:06) ****

7. Lady Lucifera - Seq.7 (05:14) ****

8. Lady Lucifera - Seq.8 (01:17) ****

9. Lady Lucifera - Seq.9 (02:09) *****

10. Lady Lucifera - Seq.10 (03:25) ****

11. Lady Lucifera - Seq.11 (01:13) ****

12. Lady Lucifera - Seq.12 (03:09) ****

13. Lady Lucifera - Seq.13 (01:52) *****

14. Lady Lucifera - Seq.14 (03:43) *****

15. Lady Lucifera - Seq.15 (03:45) ****

Giallo fever: part 2

Title: La morte cammina con i tacchi alti (Death walks in high heels)

Year: 1971

Composer: Stelvio Cipriani

The problem I tend to have with many Stelvio Cipriani scores is that the melodies aren’t that distinguishable between different films. It doesn’t diminish the quality of the music but causes the scores to have certain anonymity about them. This is unfortunately eminent again with the score to the giallo film La morte cammina con i tacchi alti in which a masked killer murders people in pursuit of stolen diamonds. It’s an easy album to spin occasionally but mostly just to have some background music.

Fantasia tragica introduces the main theme with vocals performed by Cipriani’s frequent collaborator, a fellow film composer Nora Orlandi. The theme is clearly similar to Cipriani’s other giallo melodies but the delivery sells it again as it is such a charming piece of 70s fluff. Night Club Girl presents another theme which is basically a short, simple melody that is repeated endlessly with lowering key changes. Again, not bad but nothing spectacular either. The fluffiness however prevents the listener to remember afterwards how a certain cue actually went if he isn’t paying a lot of attention. That’s why most of the album’s romantic material passes by without provoking powerful emotions. The romantic highlights include Shopping which is a waltz probably composed for a shopping montage and is as cheesy as you might suspect but oh so lovely, and Sensualmente which has an interesting electric guitar base on top of which the vocals bring sensual listening sensations.

However what distinguishes this effort from Cipriani’s other giallo scores is the suspense material which is among the composer’s best in the genre. Inseguita & un ospite inatteso starts the development of highly melodic, threatening music for twinkling musicbox and menacing strings. The other pair of cues Hallory mano di legno and Spiata keeps the suspense up with constant presence of guitars providing dark undertones that are pierced by jazzy flute flourishes that sometimes bring James Bond to mind and icy cold piano notes. Rivelazioni di un assassino is an action track dominated by strong string presence and pounding percussion line that is joined by strumming guitars. Though it is rather simple music, it’s highly effective in creating the feeling of despair and also providing much needed change of pace after all the fluff that preceded it. The short reprise of the title track, this time with a whistling solo, brings the album back to the comfort of the home base.

This score is more a romantic one with occasional moments of suspense rather than vice versa. Those suspenseful 15 minutes provide a fine collection of Cipriani’s more aggressive side. The rest is slightly forgettable, latin flavoured dance music that is a tad too scentless to leave a lasting impression.

Rating: ****

Tracklist:

1. Fantasia tragica (Titoli) (02:03) *****

2. Night Club Girl (03:19) ***

3. Attimi di tenerezza (01:10) ****

4. Night Club Girl (versione 2) (04:04) ****

5. Inseguita & un ospite inatteso (03:47) *****

6. Shopping (01:19) *****

7. Felicità (Cena per due) (03:37) ***

8. Dopo cena (Piano) (01:30) ****

9. Hallory mano di legno (01:49) *****

10. Sensualmente (02:05) *****

11. Spiata (04:18) *****

12. Felicità (Bossa) (02:05) ****

13. Il comandante (02:18) ***

14. Al pub (02:49) ***

15. Sola in casa (02:12) ****

16. Fantasia tragica (Organo) (03:13) ***

17. Rivelazioni di un assassino (05:38) *****

18. Fantasia tragica (Finale) (01:09) *****