Since we have posted several soundtracks from both Italian films and composers, I thought we were overdue for a soundtrack from one of the most famous Italian composers of the 20th century,
Ennio Morricone. Morricone is perhaps best known for the soundtracks he composed for several Western and Spaghetti Western films, particularly those directed by Sergio Leone, such as For A Few Dollars More (1965), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), and Once Upon A Time in the West (1968). However, in the late 1960s and early '70s Morricone would deliver a series of amazing scores for giallo films directed by Dario Argento.
"Giallo", Italian for yellow, generally refers to a genre of crime-fiction with elements of horror and psychological suspense. The genre originated in early 20th century pulp fiction books, which often had yellow covers. Giallo went through a transformation in the 1960s, as a series of talented directors such as Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and Mario Bava each brought their own unique approach and style to the genre using modern cinematic techniques. Fortunately these directors had a large pool of talented composers to choose from, resulting in numerous amazing soundtracks being produced for the
Italian horror and giallo films of the 1960s and '70s.
Dario Argento is frequently cited as being one of the most talented directors within the giallo genre. He made his directorial debut with "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage". He would go on to direct two more films in what has come to be called "Argento's Animal Trilogy", directing "Il gatto a nove code" (aka The Cat O'Nine tails) and "4 mosche di velluto grigio" (aka "Four Flies on Grey Velvet"), both of which were released in 1971. In what would lead to the formation of an amazing collaboration between two legendary Italian artists, Dario Argento would turn to Italian composer Ennio Morricone to compose the score to "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage". Morricone would go on to compose the score to both "The Cat O'Nine Tails" and "Four Flies On Grey Velvet" as well.
While Argento's stylistic cinematographic style enticed one's visual sense, Morricone's unique musical compositions appealed to the aural senses. Just as Argento made use of both bright and mute colors to enhance his scenes, Morricone made us of dynamic and contrasting musical compositions to compliment the on-screen action perfectly. Morricone displays his extraordinary range just as he did with Leon's western films, creating masterpieces that are equally beautiful and disturbing. His experimental style requires the use of a broad array of musical instruments, sound effects and human voices, which he weaves together seamlessly, constructing an extra dimension of depth to the films they appear in.
As I mentioned before, "L'uccello Dall Piume Di Cristallo" (aka "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage") is the first film in Dario Argento's Animal Trilogy. With my next two posts I plan to share the soundtracks Morricone composed for both "Il Gatto a Nove Code" (aka "The Cat O'Nine Tails") and "4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio" (aka "Four Flies On Grey Velvet") The first 10 tracks on this release make up the original soundtrack. In 2008 Cinevox released this remastered and enhanced version of the soundtrack, which is currently out of print. Tracks 11-20 are bonus tracks consisting of various alternate takes.
Year of Release: 1970
Label: Cinevox
Catalog #: CD MDF 630
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Giallo, Horror
Bitrate: 320kbps
Track List:
1. Violenza INattesa
2. Non Rimane Piu Nessuno
3. Corsa Sui Tetti
4. Se Sei Stonato
5. Svolta Drammatica
6. Fraseggio Senza Struttura
7. La Citta Si Risveglia
8. L'uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo
9. Silenzio Nel Caos
10. Piume Di Cristallo
11. Fraseggio Senza Struttura
12. Piume Di Cristallo (#2)
13. Silenzio Nel Caos (#2)
14. Fraseggio Senza Struttura (#3)
15. Piume Di Cristallo (#3)
16. Svolta Drammatica (#2)
17. Fraseggio Senza Struttura (#3)
18. Piume Di Cristalo (#4)
19. Fraseggio Senza Struttura (#5)
20. Piume Di Cristallo (#5)
