CORRI UOMO CORRI.

 

How do you review a classic, now that’s what I thought when I sat down to write this review. I have been lucky enough to have this soundtrack in my collection since way back in 1969 when I got the original CAM LP from Michael Jones in the arts theatre foyer. This I think is probably one of Nicolai’s best western scores, it is filled to overflowing with rhythmic and infectious themes, all done in a way that is instantly recognisable as the style and sound of Bruno Nicolai. The good thing about this release is firstly the amount of extra music included, a total of 16 tracks and an alternate version of the theme song performed by Tomas Milian, I know the CD does state that this version has not been issued on compact disc before, but it actually did appear on THE SPAGHETTI WESTERN ENCYCLOPEDIA VOL 3 track 13, this aside all the tracks are previously unreleased and are a joy to listen to, there is a whistling version of the central theme and various versions of this theme crop up during the compact disc’s running time, but they are arranged and orchestrated in such an excellent fashion that the listener will never tire of them. CAM did re-issue the soundtrack on CD back in 1991 but this was just a straight re-issue of the LP, so this Digit Movies version is for me very welcome and is obviously the definitive edition of the score. For anyone not familiar with this soundtrack, I urge you go and buy it straight away, it looks as if it will be very scarce anyway as Digit movies informed us that they had sold out of the title after just 9 days of it being available, it is at the moment being re-pressed how many are being done I do not know, but it will like the original LP be something of a rarity. As well as the central theme from the score stand out cues include TEMA DOLORES, DUELLO and AMERICANA but the entire soundtrack is certainly a classic piece of Italian film music history. I am confident that collectors of Italian soundtracks will be in raptures when they put this disc in the player, and I am also sure that it will be a disc that stays in the player for a long while. The sound quality is amazing, and once again Digit Movies provide us with eye arresting art work and informative liner notes. Be quick on this one guys, you will be sorry if you miss out….

LA VITA MICHELANGELO.

 

Kronos records have in a relatively short period of time established themselves as purveyors of quality soundtrack releases, plus they have in recent months entered into a partnership with another well respected record label Movie Score Media who like Kronos are committed to the release of quality products and strive to bring to the attention of the film music collecting community new and exciting music from near unknown composers and also established ones as well. Kronos began a special series called the GOLD COLLECTION which is a series of releases dedicated to Italian film music and they have already released a number of desirable and out of print scores within this series. LA VITA MICHELANGELO is amongst the next batch of releases, a TV series from 1964, the score by Bruno Nicolai, was previously released on long playing record on Bruno Nicolai’s own label EDI-PAN which contained 21 tracks, which are featured here in the same order as the original vinyl. Plus for this CD edition, Kronos have unearthed another 33 minutes of music from the mini series that starred Gian Maria Volonte and was aired by RAI with directorial duties being undertaken by Silverio Blasi. The series which was aired in three episodes had actor Volonte taking the title role of the Tuscan artist, and it was a kind of dramatised documentary in many ways. The music that Nicolai penned for the series is stunning, it is almost serene sounding in places with emotive strings and triumphant brass flourishes ushering in an even more emotion laden work which in my opinion is one of Nicolai’s finest works for TV and cinema. The compact disc opens with MICHELANGELO, this is a somewhat sombre and low key opening, with subdued percussion underlined by serious but melodic sounding strings, the percussion soon melts away and the strings begin to introduce the central theme for the score, at first gently and in a somewhat fragile fashion, but after a short while it gradually begins to build to become a slow and emotive piece that is midway through joined by a gentle percussion beat, which serves as punctuation. Track number two, RUSTICA, is a pleasant and easy sounding period piece performed on woodwind and laced with feint sounding strings that add a little more depth and substance to the proceedings. Track number three, PASTORALE 1, is a charming and gently absorbing composition introduced by half heard horn and then performed by woodwind that is supported and embellished by light touches of harp and underlined by pale but affecting strings all of which create a melancholy and calming atmosphere. Track number 7, L’AURORA, is an attractive and haunting piece, the composer utilising heart rending solo viola and slow supporting strings to introduce the composition, the viola is then replaced by a light and delicate oboe which carries the theme through to the tracks conclusion enhanced by harp and passive strings.

 

Bruno Nicolai.

Track number eight, Savonarola, is an imposing church organ led cue, with muted brass adding their weight and creating an almost majestic and majestic feel to the composition. At times it is very easy to forget that one is listening to Bruno Nicolai, because the composer achieves a style and a sound that is very reminiscent of Miklos Rozsa and in particular his epic score for BEN HUR, the composer bringing into the equation, grand sounding brass, sweeping strings and rumbling percussion, this is particularly evident in track number twelve I DANNATI which is a triumphant and jubilant celebratory composition, filled with power, emotion and has to it an lavish and lush persona. This style of scoring reasserts itself on a number of occasions within the score and at times the LOVE THEME from BEN HUR or the fragile and emotive THE MOTHERS LOVE theme is brought to mind. The score also has certain affiliations with the style of Nino Rota, but there are the unmistakable musical trademarks of Nicolai throughout making this a must have for any serious collector of Italian film music I cannot recommend this grand and impressive work highly enough.

 

THE BIG GUNDOWN.

Originally released in 1969 on UA records in the UK  and also on Parade records in Italy, GDM are to be thanked for this re-issue as it is an iconic and important work from the Maestro Ennio Morricone. LA RESA DEI CONTI or The Big Gundown was the first movie in a western trilogy of films that were directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Sollima, the other two being Corri Uomo Corri which was scored by Bruno Nicolai and Face To Face which had a powerful soundtrack penned by Maestro Morricone. The Big Gundown, is along with The Good The Bad And The Ugly one of Morricone’s most prominent western scores. It contains a Powerful and stirring main theme which can be heard in varying arrangements throughout the running time of the compact disc at times being robust and thundering and on other occasions being performed quietly,or in a subdued fashion. When released in Gt. Britain The Big Gundown was a ‘B’ feature movie,(shown along side THE WRECKING CREW-the Matt Helm spy spoof) this was because a few scenes were deemed too violent for British audiences, so Gundown was severely edited by British censors, and indeed a number of sequences were cut completely, consequently the films duration was also lessened drastically, making the story line difficult to follow and  at times missing out whole chunks of what are obviously important links within the story line. Morricone’s score was an important feature throughout the movie, at times the music running almost continuously, punctuating the antics of the oppressed and wrongly accused Mexican peasant and lovable rogue Cucillo (Tomas Milian) who was being pursued by lawman Johnathan Corbett (Lee Van Cleef), who had been given the wrong information about Cucillo and thus hunted him down until the end of the movie when Corbett realizes what a mistake he has made and puts that right.

This in my opinion has got to be one of Morricone’s best scores within the Italian western genre and contains many of the musical trademarks and sounds that are now considered as standard or stock motifs for the Italian western score. Pounding percussion accompanies and underlines shrills and shrieks that mimic animal sounds in the opening section of the film’s central  theme, these give way to thundering kettledrums that herald a slower paced percussive interlude which acts as support to the marvelous voice of Edda Dell Orso, who performs the film’s principal theme with ease and perfection. This part of the composition builds to a crescendo that in turn leads into a full working of the theme on brass, accompanied and embellished by strings, percussion and choir, that carry the piece along to its thundering and dramatic conclusion. This is without a doubt the power of classic Morricone. I say it is the films main theme,but really it is but a version of it as it does not come into the equation until the film has nearly finished and accompanies Cucillo running from his pursuers through cornfields over desert terrain and also over rocky and rough landscapes.

The score also contains two gunfight sequence compositions, both of which are very different in their musical make up. The first, ‘La Condanna’, begins with a piano composition which Morricone borrows unashamedly from Beethoven to accompany the pompous Austrian / German count that faces Corbett in a showdown. The cue progresses into solo guitar and tense sounding castanets, it builds creating a tense atmosphere but eventually subsides without reaching any real climatic crescendo. The second is ‘La Resa’ which is the music for the films main showdown scene. Morricone utilizes a deliberate and rather clumsy sounding piano to usher in the  choir and trumpet again creating a  tense and dramatic piece of scoring that perfectly enhances the stand off between the two protagonists, in the knife versus gun showdown. Then there is the marvelous vocal version of the film’s main theme entitled ‘Run Man Run’ which is sung by Christy, the LP included the song but only in English, here we are treated to both the English and Italian versions,which are powerful and glorious her booming voice being accompanied and supported by Morricones infectious and rousing music. The sound quality for this release  is good, but not outstanding as at times the mix seems to be rather lacking, in fact in both the two major cues that feature full workings of the central theme,there is a distinct echo present and the re-verb is a little too much and it causes  the instruments to sound as if they are rather mixed up or overlapping and all trying to overpower each other. However apart from this negative the CD is enjoyable and boasts ten additional cues, striking artwork and an impressive array of colourful stills, plus notes that are brief, but informative.

….E POI,NON NE RIMASE NESSUNO (TEN LITTLE INDIANS).

 

This is a score that has always intrigued me; I was aware of it but had never heard anything from it or indeed seen any clips from the movie. When Digitmovies announced its release a buzz went around all the discussion boards and soundtrack web sites. So another Nicolai to add to ones collection, and one that has been anticipated and hyped considerably. I however do have certain reservations about the score, ok they are not all bad, and before you read on remember that a review is a personal opinion of the reviewer who’s tastes and perceptions maybe completely different from yours. The CD opens with the central theme from the movie, which is a very pleasant and easygoing affair Nicolai employing many of the musical trademarks that we associate with Italian crime, thriller and Giallo movies. Harpsichord introduces the theme which itself acts as a support to a laid back flute solo percussion is added to the mix as we hear a, dare I say typical sounding style of theme that could so easily be Morricone, Micalizzi or even Ferrio. The percussion is subtle and unobtrusive and harpsichord embellishes this further to create a pleasing backing to a enjoyable but a fairly unmemorable theme that is taken up by the string section to give it its full working along with piano and more pronounced punctuation form harpsichord. Track 2 is a mainly un musical affair, short stabs of notation being the substance and mainstay of the cue, not saying that this is an awful track or one that is un listenable, because that is not so, but its just a track that is again so typical of Italian scoring and the Italian film music sound, snippets of piano, underlined with menacing but kind of quiet and creepy strings open the composition, punctuated by one note stabs or interjections on harpsichord, moaning muted trumpet is added every so often, and random bass guitar sound can be heard being dropped in here and there for effect. Yes this is a highly atmospheric piece that I am sure works very well within the context of the movie, but as a stand alone listening experience it leaves one a little non plus. But this is sometimes the problem with film music CD reviews, do we judge it or review as a score with the movie or as a CD listening experience away from the images it was intended to support and enhance. For example a composer could write lots of themes upbeat tracks and great little tunes with amazing hooks, but would they fit the movie or sell the CD?
I am not in anyway saying that Nicolai has produced a bad or un-original work for this project, what I am stating is that it is not that different or removed from anything else he has written to be called remarkable or outstanding, and in certain cases a few of the tracks did begin to grind upon my hearing and become hard to get into. Tracks that are interesting however are cues numbers. 1,4,7,10,13,16 and 18 which all recall the main theme at some point and also include a pleasant secondary theme that raises its head at times during the proceedings. So a satisfying and fairly good work by the composer, but certainly not a blow you away brilliant or groundbreaking one.

LES CAUCHEMARS NAISSENT LA NUIT.

This Jess Franco erotic mystery was released in 1970, The story tells of two dancers who begin to have a relationship, this friendship begins to take a turn for the worse when both of them start to have nightmares in which they engage in killing people. Things begin to get out of hand when the fine line between reality and fantasy starts to become hard to define. The score by composer Bruno Nicolai, was never issued in an official form before, and this compact disc is the world premiere of Nicolai’s haunting and atmospheric work. Nicolai wrote a soundtrack that was very much in the category of experimental music for this movie, which gave great depth and an ambience of fear and to an already harrowing and realistically violent film. Nicolai,s score, is one that I would not say is easy to listen to, but at the same time it has an attraction about it, that one finds enticing. His use of organ, atonal sounding strings and solo violin, Spanish guitar and also an interesting utilisation of percussion is masterful, it certainly works well within the context of the movie, whether or not it stands alone as a musical work away fro the images is another matter, nevertheless, any self respecting Nicolai collector should not be without this release. It does actually show off the composers ability to be versatile, as he not only provides the soundtrack with atonal and largely un-melodic cues, but includes compositions that do have a certain melodious quality about them as in track number GIOSTRA which is one of the longest tracks on the CD running for just over 6 minutes. It has an almost fairground sound to it, or maybe the sound of a barrel organ, which is a complete contrast from the majority of the rest of the score. Track 9 INFRAROSSO is also somewhat different from the remainder of the score, and boasts a jazzy almost steamy sounding saxophone which is suitably accompanied by brushed and laid back sounding percussion which is supported and interspersed with jazz organ, that eventually takes on the principal theme of the cue. As I have said there is a great deal of atonal material present on this compact disc, but please do not let this deter you from buying it, this is a Nicolai score of distinction that although a little more complicated and complex than other works by this Maestro, will still please and be enjoyable, have no doubt of that. As always packaged wonderfully by Digitmovies.