Movies about sport or sporting personalities more often than not contain a musical score that is inspiring, romantic, highly thematic and above all emotional. Just cast your mind back to ROCKY, HOOSIERS, RUDY, and their like. IL GRANDE FAUSTO (1995) is no exception to the rule. The screenplay for this movie is based upon the life of Fausto Coppi, born in 1919, Coppi went on to be a champion class cyclist and took part in over 600 races all over the world out of this number he won 118. He competed in tours of France and Italy, and won these in the years 1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953.Composer Franco Piersanti fashioned an excellent score for the movie, the work being packed with some truly haunting and emotive tone poems as well as the numerous action led cues. The music for me evoked memories of Ennio Morricone, the way in which Piersanti orchestrates and builds themes is very similar to that of Maestro Morricone. This style or approach is evident more prominently within track number 8, GRANDE VITTORIA-GIRO D,ITALIA 1949. Urgent and racing strings open the track but these soon melt away and segue into a softer and far more gentle piece which is performed by solo piano and then solo whistler, these are then supported by use of subdued choir and underlying strings which add poignancy and fragility. The composer utilises solo piano a great deal within the score which for me personally makes the work more appealing and entertaining. It is rich with vibrant and highly emotive themes and awash with romantic undertones, where the composer fuses both piano strings and choir to evoke the richness and lushness of vintage scores from Hollywood. Tracks such as STORY OF A SECRET LOVE are simply stunning, this is a score that could easily be overlooked as I do not think the movie was released outside of Italy, the compact disc which was issued on CAM back in 1995, is one that I would recommend.
https://www.amazon.com/Grande-Fausto-Piersanti-Soundtrack-Audio/dp/B0000AIT08
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 