Title: The
legend of blood castle (aka Le vergini cavalcano la morte)
Year: 1973
Composer: Carlo Savina
Erzsébet
Báthory was rumoured to be one of the most notorious serial killers who was
responsible for hundreds of deaths at the turn of the 17th century.
Whether or not the myth is that accurate, her case has been an inspiration of
many literary and film works, also for The
legend of blood castle. The music by Carlo Savina plays homage to modern
classical composers and the whole work plays out a bit like a suspenseful tone
poem better appreciated as a whole than a series of single cues.
Main titles start the score with eerie drum beats that are
then joined by a foreboding choir, electric organ, harpsichord and a buzzing
string section that offer a moment of rising tension. It’s a perfect opening to
the score which is followed by Dark
presences, a passionate viola solo still shrouded in darkness with its
abstract harmonies. That same instrumentation carries over to Into Hell which also has a surprising
addition of sassy saxophone and brass instruments in the middle of the cue
before the suspenseful viola ends the cue with ominous murmurs. Harpsichord concert is a short piece of
Baroque source music that is still very much in tune with the other cues. It
has an original beginning that then turns into a direct quote from J.S. Bach’s Well-tempered clavier and then goes its
own way with similar rising chords Savina utilized in the suspense cues. Reprises of the previous moments of horror with
the viola are heard once more in Bloody
ceremony and at the beginning of Devil’s
hunt. The latter also introduces a ghostly vocal theme that resembles a
children’s tune I used to sing as a kid. That melody has atonal harmonies though,
so that’s where the similarities to that tune end pretty much.
Forceful
electric guitar and piano chords start the score’s loudest cue Night terror along with powerful choral
voices. Finally it lands to a more stable base with tinkling and swirling
orchestration while the choir lurks in the background. Hungry ghosts is a reprise of the main titles which results in
screaming chorus and eventual march-like percussion which ends the cue quietly.
What follows is an 8-minute suite full of slowly wandering strings, the only
attempts at major key compositions around the 2- and 8-minute marks, barely
audible percussive beats with sparse harpsichord, piano and musicbox tinkles
which finally make way to a powerful closing string coda. It’s a letdown compared
to the preceding, more effective suspense material but luckily the childlike
vocal theme returns in The haunting bringing
together several quotations from the preceding material. Finale is similar in a way beginning with the choral judgment of
track 7, then reprising the vocal theme and finally concluding to a quiet coda
consisting of electric guitar notes, piano and harpsichord harmonies and a
solitary female voice singing in the darkness and slowly fading away.
As
mentioned in the opening paragraph, there’s a certain flow in the music that
brings great cohesion to the overall experience. It’s not a cheerful score, but
an intriguing one nevertheless. Most importantly it’s never unpleasant to
listen to and there is even something eerily beautiful with the delicate
chamber-sized orchestrations.
Rating: ****
Tracklist:
1. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Main titles) (01:55) ****
2. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Dark presences) (02:09) ****
3. Le
vergini cavalcano la morte (Into Hell) (05:10) ****
4. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Harpsichord concert) (03:56) *****
5. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Bloody ceremony) (02:24) ***
6. Le
vergini cavalcano la morte (Devil’s hunt) (02:50) ****
7. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Night terror) (03:31) *****
8. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Hungry ghosts) (03:14) ****
9. Le vergini
cavalcano la morte (Maidens ride death) (08:39) ***
10. Le
vergini cavalcano la morte (The haunting) (02:06) ****
11. Le
vergini cavalcano la morte (Finale) (03:19) ****
Title: La
cripta e l’incubo (Crypt of the vampire)
Year: 1964
Composer: Carlo Savina
A black-and-white
horror film starring Christopher Lee as a count who lives in a gloomy gothic
castle. Though that might sound like a recipe for a horror classic, this time
that wasn’t the case. The score for the film was provided by Carlo Savina whose
mainly quiet music borders on sound effects but luckily has some romantic
interludes to break up the dark atmosphere.
The first 4
cues introduce the palette of sounds which Savina builds the score on: harp,
small string section, buzzing organ, musical saw, solo woodwinds, harpsichord
and a varied percussion section that sometimes sounds like someone creeping
around in the dark and sometimes like a thunderstorm. There are no clear motifs
or thematic development rather the score seems just to underscore the actions
happening on screen whether it is a crescendo for a horrific discovery or quiet
murmurs for exploring the dark corridors.
Though most
of the score is built this way, there are some exceptions to the rule. For
instance, there is some twisted, mischievous or even humorous material. This is
introduced first in Cena al castello which
includes the clichéd solo harpsichord, which isn’t used in a Baroque manner but
in a more playful and bouncy fashion. Attesa
grottesca has similar effect this time introducing almost a childlike tune
with a hint of Dies irae to it, simultaneously
having suspenseful strings playing underneath.
Surprisingly
there is also some expressive romantic material introduced in Tema d’amore. Another melodic, though
more introspective theme is heard in Il
ritratto di Sheena by a solo violin. Both of these themes are performed in Estasi e tormento starting with the love
theme and then moving to a more sinister string variation of the second theme
which eventually resolves into an orchestral stringer. Non-thematic though
lovely flute work on top of bed of harps starts Calma interrotta which once again turns sour at the end. Attimo romantico is another full version
of the love theme that is just achingly beautiful. The two themes are combined
cleverly in Il mistero del ritratto
where a flute starts with the love theme’s rising intervals that then comes
down as the second theme. The rest of the track does a good job combining the
themes with mild suspense writing and eventually with the comedic music of
track 9. A victorious final version of the love theme also ends the whole score
into a glorious major chord.
As for the
numerous other suspense and horror cues, there isn’t much to describe. It’s
more about mood than melodies. Tetra
prigione has percussion that sounds like someone being escorted to the
gallows whereas Mente folle is another
death march with a steady organ pulse that’s just slowed down so that it’s
completely unrecognizable. L’incubo della
cripta has some of the most effective horror stringers with added faster
harpsichord notation bouncing among the strings. However after the two themes
are introduced, some snippets of them start to appear within the suspenseful
cues, which is a clever move by the composer. For instance a faster version of
the second theme turned into a classic horror stinger ends both Laura è Sheena? and Il presagio in a dramatic fashion. The final moments of suspense
are packed into two 6-minute cues first of which builds quietly during its
whole duration towards a horrific conclusion that unfortunately never arrives.
It’s unnerving and effective scoring nevertheless. Psichedelico macabro on the other hand is mostly organ variations of
the secondary theme with pretty abstract harmonies that are interrupted with
percussion hits and stringers from time to time.
The album
is a pretty uneven experience. Though there are moments of sheer brilliance
both in the romantic and the suspenseful material, there is also way too much dull
space where it feels that barely anything happens. Therefore it’s a quite hard to
give it a higher rating. If you’re familiar with Savina’s suspense writing you
might get something more out of it than the casual listener. For them I recommend
checking out some better ones by him before this one.
Rating: ***
Tracklist:
1. La maledizione di Karlstein (Titoli) (01:49) ****
2. La
cripta e l'incubo (Ombre nel buio) (01:09) ***
3. Angoscia
(01:45) **
4. Presenze
maligne (02:09) **
5. Cena al castello
(00:46) ****
6. La
cripta e l'incubo (Perversione) (03:02) **
7. La
cripta e l'incubo (Tetra prigione) (01:55) *
8. Tema
d'amore (01:29) *****
9. La
cripta e l'incubo (Attesa grottesca) (00:58) ****
10. Il
ritratto di Sheena (01:01) ****
11. Estasi
e tormento (02:48) ****
12. La
cripta e l'incubo (Atmosfera di morte) (01:07) **
13. Calma
interrotta (01:12) ****
14. La
cripta e l'incubo (Attimo romantico) (01:23) *****
15. La
cripta e l'incubo (Mente folle) (04:05) ***
16. L'incubo
della cripta (01:38) ****
17. Il
mistero del ritratto (01:49) ****
18. Laura è
Sheena? (01:40) ****
19. La
cripta e l'incubo (Corridoio oscuro) (05:58) ***
20. Laura
posseduta (01:30) ***
21. Il
presagio (01:23) ****
22. La
cripta e l'incubo (Psichedelico macabro) (06:27) **
La lama nel corpo takes place in the 1800s in a secluded mental
institute where a stabber kills the sexy patients one by one. The music was
provided by Francesco De Masi whose fully orchestral score depicts the large
gothic corridors, dark corners and eerie atmosphere so vividly that you start
to look behind your shoulders for a masked killer on the loose. A fellow film composer
Paolo Renosto was brought in for some additional romantic material and a few
suspenseful passages.
Nel buio della notte introduces the score’s unifying
identity right from the get-go. A sinister major 6th interval starts
the score and serves as the backbone of the film’s main theme which follows
afterwards performed by a solo cello. This descending atonal melody is rarely
performed in this form rather it’s always variated in some form or another. It
leads to score’s another element, an electric bass guitar whose rhythmic plucks
probably depict the killer. What follows then is a series of suspenseful cues
of excellent 60s style orchestral horror music. Entrado nel misterio has all the essential elements: harpsichord,
bass clarinet, flute and an organ to create the atmosphere. The electric bass
guitar reappears in Passagio dell’ombra on
top of which a variation of the main theme is heard. The sequence later moves
to a faster chase-style music that ends with orchestral knife stabs à la Psycho. A dramatic string moment
interrupts Fred! Oh povero Fred which
then reprises the main theme.
Renosto’s
first attribution is called Shina, forse
tu which has harpsichord as the main suspense element ending with an
orchestral crescendo. The style of the track doesn’t differ from De Masi’s
contributions and eventually another variation of the main theme is also
provided. Both Robert nella grotta
and Giselle entra nella villa include
the fullest main theme performances since the opening cue. Slowly-rising
tension fills Scoperta del mostro which
concludes to another highly dramatic orchestral moment for an apparently
horrific discovery, while the cue’s opening is almost fully reprised in the
following Il ricatto di Giselle.
The first
real sigh of relief comes in Ricordo di
un’epoca felice, a romantic theme written by Renosto. It opens with a solo
violin playing the classically inspired melody which then changes to a Viennese
waltz and then to a bed of swirling strings and harp arpeggios with the main
melody playing on top. The whole cue is then reprised a second time which makes
it perhaps a bit taunting. De Masi also wrote a romantic theme for one of the
main characters also played by a solo violin. It’s introduced in Mary, solo con te and in tone it’s more
mournful and darker than its predecessor but not an inch less beautiful. After
a main theme reprise of Incubo di Mary that
same melody also ends the original album (and probably the film too) in a
powerful rendition for the full orchestra and victorious major finish.
The album
presentation also offers previously unreleased material that plays around with
the ideas presented within the first 15 cues. Notable inclusions are for example
Shina, forse tu (versione 2) which is
a short action moment for swirling strings, and a faster reprise of De Masi’s
romantic theme in Scoperta del mostro
(versione 2). A reprise of Renosto’s romantic theme in track 24 ends in
terror after a surprising orchestral surge. The rarely heard fast-paced action
music returns in Incubo di Mary (versione
3) followed by another schizophrenic action cue Shina, forse tu (versione 3) which both are excellent additions to
the original album programme. Unfortunately there is no satisfying conclusion
to the score, though the final Shina,
forse tu version is a fine suspense cue complete with orchestral stingers
and the plucking of electric bass and harps.
De Masi’s
score is perhaps a bit too long and repetitive to grant it the full five stars.
Nevertheless it offers some of the best music of the genre utilizing the full
potential of the orchestra with its insightful orchestrations. Renosto’s contributions
only make the listening experience better and altogether the score is a
suspenseful yet constantly melodic journey full of chills.
Rating: ****1/2
Title: Lo
spettro (The ghost)
Year: 1963
Composer: Francesco De Masi
The story
of the score for Lo spettro is a
strange one. Apparently De Masi wrote the final score for the film in only 2
weeks before the film’s premiere. The original score was credited to Frank
Wallace, a pseudonym for Franco Mannino, whose score got rejected. Still in the
film the score was credited to Wallace, not to De Masi’s usual pseudonym of
Frank Mason. It’s a miracle that the score got a release despite all these
legal issues, but I’m glad it did. The haunting quality reminiscent of La lama nel corpo is perfect for a story
about a couple who decide to murder the wife’s former husband who later returns
to haunt them.
When the
album is played through it’s even hard to realize the score changed from La lama nel corpo to Lo spettro because the opening phrase of
Preludio ad un dramma is so similar
to the main theme of the preceding score. The orchestral crescendo then moves
to a quieter, melodic suspense moment Incubo
notturno that ends with dramatic woodwind and string chord progressions
with rattling percussion effects. Ansiosa
attesa includes some passages similar to John Barry’s suspense style, with
a slow rhythmic build-up that has the film’s main suspense motif playing on
top. It’s not as flashy music as in La
lama nel corpo, more psychological terror.
The true
star of this score and the whole album is the main romantic theme heard in Melanconia autunnale. It’s a fragile,
tear-jerkingly pretty tune that gets stuck in your head long after the album is
finished. Once again the orchestrations are sublime, including a backing music
box and very high string section. The first version is interrupted by the
suspense motif in the middle but fortunately we get a full version of the
melody for simple music box in La bambola
melodica. Luckily there’s a proper end to the score this time, called Tragedia nella notte which begins in a
suspenseful fashion but then moves to a full version of the music box melody
for the full orchestra which ends with dramatic minor chords and cymbal crashes.
Though Lo spettro is a short score, in some
ways, especially with its romantic theme, it surpasses the album’s main event. Casual
listeners won’t probably even realize that there are two scores on the disc
because of their similarities, yet Lo
spettro is more introspective of the two, playing more to the listener’s
emotions and psyche, not just underscoring what happens on the screen.
Rating: ****1/2
Tracklist:
“La lama
nel corpo”
1. Nel buio
della notte (02:53) *****
2. Entrando
nel misterio (01:09) *****
3. Passagio
dell'ombra (03:10) *****
4. Fred! Oh
povero Fred (02:52) ***
5. Robert,
cosa pensi? (01:40) ****
6. Shina, forse
tu (01:51) ****
7. Robet
nella grotta (01:44) *****
8. Giselle
entra nella villa (01:50) *****
9. Scoperta
del mostro (03:34) ****
10. Il
rigatto di Giselle (03:00) ****
11. Ricordo
di un'epoca felice (04:50) ****
12. Mary,
solo con te (02:33) *****
13. Lizabeth,
cosa hai fatto (01:18) ***
14. Incubo
di Mary (01:12) ****
15. Verso
la speranza (01:14) *****
16.
Lizabeth, cosa hai fatto (versione 2) (00:54) ****
17. Giselle
entra nella villa (versione 2) (01:16) *****
18. Shina,
forse tu (versione 2) (00:38) *****
19.
Scoperta del mostro (versione 2) (03:04) *****
20. Ricordo
di un'epoca felice (versione 2) (02:45) *****
21. Scoperta
del mostro (versione 3) (02:22) ****
22. Lizabeth,
cosa hai fatto (versione 3) (00:53) ****
23. Incudo
di Mary (versione 2) (00:23) ***
24. Ricordo
di un'epoca felice (versione 3) (01:18) *****
Title: La
corta notte delle bambole di vetro (Short night of glass dolls)
Year: 1971
Composer: Ennio Morricone
Happy Friday the 13th! There have
been many literary and film adaptations about a person waking up in a paralyzed
state and being mistaken for a corpse. 1971’s La corta notte delle bambole di vetro is one of them, this time
taking place in Prague. A man is waiting for an autopsy fully realizing what’s
happening to him, trying simultaneously figure out how he ended up there. For
this chilling premise Maestro Morricone provided one of his most oppressive
film scores.
As with
many horror scores, this one opens with a beautiful theme that contrasts with
the other material. This time the opening and bookend cues are a romantic
waltz, Valzer, with the chromatic
vocal solo by Edda dell’Orso and a minimal piano/string arrangement backing it.
Its unexpected harmonies and sublime orchestration are just a bliss to hear and an
eventual salvation from the nightmares.
That’s where
the listenable material ends for the following 40 minutes or so. The listener
is transported into nightmare territory with Emmetrentatre which doesn’t hold back even the slightest bit. It
consists of nauseating string writing that could make someone physically ill.
In a brilliant but disturbing Morriconean fashion that’s not all: the strings
are combined to sighing voices that sound like a giant orgy. This is a cue you
can’t play if there’s a possibility to get caught listening to it. Yet somehow
the effect is so powerful, you just have to admire the creativity behind it.
For instance the cue sends shivers down my spine when it reaches a ‘climax’ in
which the orchestra drops out for a moment and only a bare heartbeat and sighs
are left.
After that
shocker Notte e bambole offers a more
slow-paced version of the same idea, but there’s still tension building up
steadily which results in dramatic, atonal string harmonies. Those reappear in
many cues afterwards offering the only identifying thematic thread the score
has. The film’s title mentions glass dolls, so there’s a brilliant element of
shards of glass tinkling together in Brividi
di archi supported only by high strings. Unfortunately the score’s middle
portion has mostly pretty uninteresting underscore with wandering atonal
strings. A nice little addition is Edda’s ghostly voice at the end of Oppressione. Other exception is Oppressione di mostri, which is the
score’s only stab at light action writing, in which intensive swirling strings
are combined to fast-paced piano playing with entertaining results.
The score
starts to pick up its pace again in Bambole
di vetro, in which a simple opening gets more and more twisted and
distorted finally being joined by a solitary female voice sighing of agony or
pleasure. After a pause the aforementioned string ‘theme’ enters in its most
dramatic form eventually cooling down to barely audible strings with underlying
electronic effects. Finally everything comes back a full circle ending in an
orchestral crescendo. The following two cues reprise some moments from their predecessor.
Irrealtà e follia in particular is
another effective horror cue, which borrows the opening of track 10 but then
lands on a chilling sustained chord on top of which a ghostly voice is singing
and strings are playing in a manner that reminds me of crawling insects. The
last moment of horror, Sospiri di morte consists
of just a heartbeat sound, electric effects resembling some hospital equipment
and a heavily breathing voice that goes on for 4 straight minutes. After a
pause the beat slows down and the breathing gets fainter finally leaving just
the electric sounds left. It’s a descriptive cue but too long and unpleasant to
really enjoy.
Maestro’s
score for this film is highly disturbing, ugly and thoroughly unpleasant
experience. Undoubtedly it was something the film needed and benefited from.
Nevertheless it surely makes your hair stand up in many places and makes you
question whether to leave the light on tonight or not.
After a
long break I’m finally getting back to reviewing scores. It’s October and
Halloween is around the corner so it’s again time to review some scores from
Italian giallos or horror flicks. To start off the month I’m reviewing an album
that consists of two scores by Maestro Morricone, one for a noir style investigative
story about hunting down a scam artist and the second for a film that never
made to the screen.
Senza sapere niente di lei has a pretty unusual score that
never develops into straight giallo/horror territory but still creeps into the
listener’s subconscious with its intoxicating fumes. The lovely opening title
cue introduces the score’s main idea: a simple waltz whose ascending melody and
jazz drumset keep the momentum going on. There’s also a more dreamlike
B-section that also has some circus qualities to it. From that on the waltz or
the B-section appear in every single cue in some form or another. For instance Un strana ragazza begins and ends with
the slower version of the B-section transforming it into a restaurant source
cue. Track 5 begins rather slowly but
in the middle the waltz delivers some punch with a more forceful brass section.
There is some lovely tremolo string work in L’avvocato
e la ragazza whereas Sospetti e
tenerezze has my favourite version of the waltz theme that starts around
1,5 minutes in. There’s something really moving about that intimate instrumentation
which then develops into a more exciting conclusion with some added darkness in
the backing chords.
A few cues
break the mold though. Suspense is offered in form of Identikit di un delitto which has the rhythmic strings from the
waltz and Dies irae -inspired harpsichord
lines giving the cue that Morriconean giallo flavour. Frammenti d’estasi is a kaleidoscope of all kinds of dancing and
tinkling colours that completely camouflage the B-section melody that the cue
is actually built around. The final blow comes with Ricordo which isn’t that in-your-face but extremely unsettling with
its use of abstract string writing that offers a somber ending that is luckily
salvaged by the lullaby-like waltz tune that closes the album.
Is the
score repetitive? Yes. Is it boring then? Well, some listeners might call it
that but I’m personally captivated by the dreamlike quality that surrounds the
music. It is by no means flashy or thematically brilliant but I think it’s wonderful
that Morricone showed how you don’t need just atonal shrieks to accompany moments
of suspense. A nice little waltz will do just fine.
Rating: ***1/2
Title: Lui
per lei
Year: 1970
Composer: Ennio Morricone
As I said
earlier, the album includes another score, well at least 19 minutes of it which
is apparently all that was recorded for the film before it got cancelled. Maestro
was so prolific at the time that he usually prepared cues for the film even
before shooting and let the filmmakers move the cues around freely or cut the
film to match the prerecorded cues. There is no additional info about the film
but judging by the suspenseful score by Maestro Morricone, it was written for a
giallo.
The first
cue from the film, Stato confusionale
is by far the most difficult on the album. There is a repeating musicbox melody
similar to one Morricone used a decade later in a famous stairway scene.
However this time there are no suspenseful strings or brass breaking the
atmosphere but a constant electronic buzz, schizophrenic yet bouncy piano
melody, ticking noises and a mourning female voice that sounds a lot like Edda
dell’Orso. Though these elements have been used in other lengthy suspense cues
during Maestro’s career, this time there is just too little variation and it
can’t sustain its 9-minute duration.
The
following two cues called In un ricordo include
a pretty familiar theme to observant Morricone fans. It’s the same exact melody
and orchestration that was used as one of the themes from 1971’s Una lucertola con la pelle di donna, a
cue called Che strano to be exact.
There is a whistling line that soars over some mellow grooves, nothing that
exciting. Luckily it was resurrected to its final form a year later, because in
context of that film it really works playing as an interlude to the surrounding
brutality. The best cue on the album, Lui
per lei was probably written for the main titles. It consists of odd chord
progressions over a pop-inspired drum beat. Later a choir joins into the mix which
is both spooky yet oddly satisfying when the chords land to a more familiar
pattern.
The
inclusion of this score is a great one because it breaks the monothematic
structure of the first score. Unfortunately besides the main title cue, it
remains as a curiosity of cues that would be later developed into more successful
ones. Nevertheless as a Morricone fan it is fun to hear where those ideas originate
from.
Rating: ***
Traclist:
1. Senza sapere niente di lei (Titoli) (02:03) ****
2. Una strana ragazza (02:59) ****
3. Identikit
di un delitto (02:56) ***
4. Stato
confusionale (08:53) ***
5. Senza sapere niente di lei (03:26) ****
6. Frammenti d'estasi (03:06) ****
7. In un ricordo (03:25) ****
8. L'avvocato e la ragazza (04:10) ***
9. Identikit di un delitto (#2) (02:26) ***
10. In un
ricordo (#2) (03:26) ***
11. Sospetti
e tenerezze (04:24) ****
12. Ricordo
(03:00) ***
13. Lui per
lei (03:08) *****
14. Senza
sapere niente di lei (Finale) (02:55) ****
Composer: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino &
Armando Trovajoli
In my
previous Lavagnino review I mentioned that I’m not the biggest fan of his
bombastic film scores. Luckily Alhambra Records’ newest release in a series of
unreleased Lavagnino titles is a fresh and emotional musical journey that
avoids the clichés with its subtle nature. The Cypriot-Italian production is a
story about a man and his son who are shipwrecked and fighting for their lives
on the open sea while reminiscing their past mistakes.
Main titles starts the score with a laid-back calypso tune that immediately reminds the listener of the film’s Caribbean locale. I
haven’t heard this style of music from Lavagnino before, namely writing for a
small scale jazz ensemble. According to the liner notes Maestro Lavagnino’s
friend, a fellow film composer Armando Trovajoli, lended a helping hand
uncredited on the source music cues. The second part of the track follows in
the same vein with another simple, cheerful melody. The music has some
wonderful flourishes especially from the piano but overall it goes by unnoticed.
A longer 9-minute version of these two simple melodies is heard in track 18
which unfortunately can’t hold my interest for its whole duration because there
is too much repetition and not enough variation.
From track
2 onward it’s mostly Lavagnino material albeit in a subdued fashion until the
ending source cues. The thematic hints start to appear gradually during the
score’s opening moments but take their time to fully develop. The devastation After the explosion isn’t met with
horror but with slow realization of the situation. Musically this is achieved
with a solo clarinet playing the first variation of the score’s gorgeous theme
for the father and son over peaceful strings. Remorse on the other hand has a more sinister opening that
introduces the first variation of the love theme hidden in its suspenseful
strings. After a short quote of the father/son theme there is an absolutely
delightful nocturne Stars in the night that
is tear-jerkingly beautiful and easily one of the prettiest moments on the
album.
The story
is told mostly in flashbacks and the first example of this is Remembering Paris, a Parisian accordion waltz
that sets the scene perfectly. It’s followed by In the restaurant, an even more restrained piece of lounge jazz for
just the solo piano playing a catchy but perhaps quite anonymous tune. Once
again it really isn’t a piece that I would associate with Lavagnino’s previous
works but beautiful nevertheless. The first full version of the love theme is
whistled at the empty city streets in the following cue. First meeting in Rome presents the love theme in an extravagantly romantic
fashion with backing strumming mandolins. Soon the clear atmospheres of the
open seas return and present a peaceful interplay between the two main themes.
As the
hypothermia starts to sink in, the music also starts to become more distorted
and cold. The first sign of this is Duncan’s
jealousy that has a weird effect produced by an echo chamber that distorts
the string sounds creepily. For a score that is over 50 years old, the
manipulated sound is truly an interesting addition and preserved extremely
well. The best example of this comes in Going
back in time again where the effect is used for a sense of awe rather than
terror. The storm and The shipwreck have a suspense motif that
is the closest thing the score ever becomes to action music, with building
intensity and eventually crashing cymbals depicting the explosion. Desperation goes even further towards
the abyss with almost martial rhythms from the piano. Their reprise in Duncan reaches the shore offer the last
bit of uneasiness before a victorious orchestral crescendo signaling the
landing concludes the track.
Luckily in
the darkness there are also glimpses of hope. Cam’s song is the first full performance of the father/son theme
with warm and moving harmonies. This melody is by far the greatest asset the
score has to offer. Though it’s just a simple major key composition, it never
fails to momentarily lift the shrouds of desperation. Eventually it outgrows from
its humble origins into a solemn anthem for the protagonists. For instance the
score’s longest piece, track 13, has a distorted version of the melody at 2:30
mark and though the instrumentation is weird, it still sounds like a siren song
trying to keep the main characters awake in the water. A more hopeful rendition
returns at the end of the cue after a sinister variation of the love theme. Finale begins with just the strings that
clearly search their tonal foundation just like the main characters realizing
that they’re not going to die after all. When the realization finally sinks in,
a glorious rendition of the father/son theme receives a warm but bittersweet
sendoff.
The
concluding source tracks follow in the lounge-inspired footsteps of tracks 1
and 5. Rock ‘n’ roll on the ship is a
fun little number of 60s instrumental rockabilly music that fortunately isn’t
too distracting and includes a great trumpet and sax solo. The greatest bonus
track is the 6.5-minute Nightclub revue that
begins with a cabaret band rendition of the accordion musette of track 4. That
is followed by a muted trumpet solo and then a faster piano version and a fast
solo sax improvisation based on that musette. Then the restaurant music of
track 5 is reprised with a trumpet solo and accompanying jazzy piano and
drumset. Blues is another slow
version of that melody for a warm clarinet and small backing jazz ensemble. The
last track is a fastening party tune that is a cheerful end to the bonus
tracks.
It has been
a while since I’ve been moved by a score this much. There are no flashing
lights, no bombast. And yet it manages to reach the very depths of your heart
with its stunning moments of pure beauty, tranquility and profound loneliness.
The music really displays the emotions of somebody reflecting his life on the
brink of death being stranded on an open sea. Luckily Lavagnino is able to show
so much restraint with his compositions that the intimacy is nearly tangible.
Another home run by Lavagnino and Alhambra Records!
Rating: ****1/2
Tracklist:
1. Main
title (Calypso) / The villa (03:32) ***
2. After the
explosion / Clinging to the debris (02:25) *****
3. Remorse
/ Stars in the night (02:22) *****
4. Remembering
Paris (Musette) (02:34) ****
5. In the restaurant
(03:17) ****
6. Duncan
whistles on the street (01:11) ***
7. Duncan's
jealousy (02:32) *****
8. Cam's song
(Instrumental) (00:46) *****
9. First meeting
in Rome (Duncan and Liana) (03:22) *****
10. Duncan
tells Liana about his mother (02:24) ****
11. The storm
/ Going back in time again (03:31) *****
12. Setting
sail / The shipwreck (02:10) *****
13. The bottle
in the ocean / Duncan's visions / Duncan's love for his son (05:44) ****
14. Desperation
(02:51) *****
15. Blurred
vision (01:54) ****
16. Close
to death / Duncan reaches the shore (01:54) *****
Title: La
morte vestita di dollari (Dog eat dog aka When strangers meet)
Year: 1964
Composer: Carlo Savina
A story
about three robbers received a score by Carlo Savina which bounces between two
styles both brilliantly suitable for a crime flick. Jazzy swing cues represent
the nightlife and alternate with more sinister moods for moments of action or
suspense that take up most of the album’s duration. Sprinkled in between are
also some other musical styles like classically inspired source music,
religious organ playing and loungy sleaze for a restaurant setting. With such
an array of contrasting styles you might think that the score might sound too
disjointed. However both the album presentation and the bonus cues offer a
great listening experience in which each cue flows beautifully into next one
creating a cohesive narrative.
The album
begins with a laid-back swing piece Swing
frenetico with a walking bass backing, not nearly as frantic as the title
might suggest but a great little opening. It is interrupted quickly though with
Stasi which presents the score’s most
prominent main motif, descending piano triplets with ominous piercing or
stabbing string and piano chords in between. These stabbing chords also open Ritmi di latta which then takes a
complete 100 degree turn into a fast, cheeky swing piece with a good sense of
fun in the performance and solos for guitars, piano, percussion and vibraphone.
Other jazzy melodies are heard in a honky-tonk/cabaret fashion in the pair of
cues Piano and Piano src. The album ends with three Swing numbers that reprise the opening track’s melody and close the
circle beautifully with just the swing beat remaining to play in the emptiness.
Atmosfera morbida has the descending notes of the suspense motif spaced
much more sparsely for buzzing keyboards and in much slower tempo. However
eventually the track develops from its sinister origins into a loungy jazz
piece for muted trumpet and soft, nocturnal backing. Morte di un ladro offers other variations of the suspense motif
extending it into a more long-lined melody, followed by Il dramma with a more straight-forward and aggressive version of
the motif. Probably the best and fullest version of the motif is In giallo where it is played ultimately
with a piercing solo saxophone before more variations provided by the bass
clarinet appear.
The first
real action cue on the album is Caccia
spietata with brutal percussion section and strangely abstract string
harmonies playing the tuning harmonies of a violin. The madness is combined to
those icy cold piano chords that are often heard along with the suspense motif.
The accelerating rhythm surely makes the listener’s heart race. There is a
piano action motif in Agguato ed
assassinio but unfortunately it doesn’t last that long but turns back to
suspense as soon as possible. That motif is reprised in tracks 18, 19, 31 &
32.
Source cues
include a classical pastiche Concerto romantico
which is a great theme complete with a passionate piano solo taking
inspiration from classical composers of the romantic era. Unfortunately it isn’t
heard again if you don’t count a variation in the climatic track Sospensione which ends the original
album with a dramatic bang. There are a couple of pieces for solo organ (6, 26,
27) that are religious in nature but not overly so, rather just peaceful
breather cues among the suspenseful pieces. The last one manages to make me
smile with its quotation of a certain well-known organ piece. Grottesco sounds exactly what the title
says, a morbid waltz for comical wah-wah trumpet and solo violin over strange,
atonal harmonies that lead to more variations of the suspense motif. Incerto candore opens with a solo flute
that is both jazzy and oddly sinister before a gorgeous melody for a restaurant
scene appears and concludes with a touch of sassy sax. The melody is heard
again briefly in Candore. As with
many film scores of the era there is also time for some experimental material and
Ambient is this album’s version of
that. It consists purely of electronic sound effects and signal noise which is
absolutely unlistenable and might break your eardrums if you’re listening to it
with headphones.
As you can
see from my star rating, the original album clearly had all the highlights but
nevertheless it was nice to have the extras because the score is relatively
short. The short duration of the cues and the lack of an identifiable main
theme might also alienate some listeners. But for Savina fans this is a must
buy because there are touches of his unmistakable style especially in the
suspense scoring, however the jazzy cues sound really fresh even by his standards.
The complaint I have with the Kronos Records release is once again that the
album tracks don’t match the written tracklist. The actual tracks heard on the
album are on an alphabetical order like in my written tracklist below and their
original places in the ( )s. A nice little score nevertheless.
Rating: ****
Tracklist:
1. Swing frenetico
(01:19) *****
2. Stasi
(01:07) *****
3. Concerto
romantico (01:29) *****
4. Ritmi di
latta (02:29) *****
5. Atmosfera
morbida (02:17) *****
6. Suona un organo (01:48) ****
7. Morte di
un ladro (02:51) ***
8. Il
dramma (01:01) *****
9. Caccia spietata
(02:57) *****
10.
Grottesco (01:54) *****
11. Delitto
(01:00) ***
12. Incerto
candore (02:04) *****
13. Agguato
ed assassinio (01:15) ****
14. Atmosfera
sospesa (01:07) ****
15. In giallo
(02:02) *****
16.
Ritratto di signora (01:28) ****
17.
Sospensione (00:54) *****
18. (20.)
La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 3 (Agguato) (01:10) ****
19. (21.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 4 (Agguato ed
assassinio - lungo) (01:50) ***
20. (33.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 16 (Ambient)
(02:57) *
21. (19.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 2 (Annuncio)
(00:27) ***
22. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 5 (Candore) (00:28)
****
23. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 6 (Consquenze)
(01:05) ****
24. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 7 (Drammatico 1)
(00:11) **
25. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 8 (Drammatico 2)
(00:43) ****
26. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 9 (Organo) (00:32) ****
27. (18.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 1 (Organo)
(02:00) *****
28. (27.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 10 (Piano)
(00:27) ****
29. (28.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 11 (Piano src)
(00:41) *****
30. (29.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 12 (Seduzione)
(00:15) ****
31. (30.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 13 (Suspense 1)
(00:50) ***
32. (31.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 14 (Suspense 2)
(01:49) ***
33. (32.) La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 15 (Suspense 3)
(00:37) **
34. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 17 (Swing 1) (00:16) ****
35. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 18 (Swing 2) (00:26) *****
36. La morte vestita di dollari - Seq. 19 (Swing 3) (00:52)
***
