Digitmovies releases for the first time on
CD complete and in full stereo the OST by Piero Piccioni from
the movie Il Monaco directed in 1972 by Ado Kyrou and starring
Franco Nero, Nathalie Delon, Nicol Williamson, Elisabeth Wiener,
Nadja Tiller, Eliana De Santis.
The scenario by Luis Buñuel and Jean-Claude Carrière
is based on the novel The Monk written in 1796 by Matthew
Gregory Lewis.
In 17th century Madrid Father Ambrosio (Nero), prior of the
Capuchins, is noted for the austerity of his costumes, his
intransigent faith and his excessive chastity.
The monk gives in to carnal temptations by copulating with
the very beautiful Mathilde (Delon), a witch sent to earth
by Satan and who introduces herself disguised as a male novice.
After becoming his lover, she moves to the castle of Duke
Calembour (Williamson), a diabolical being who lets little
female orphans being kidnapped for the sole purpose of eating
them or sacrificing them to the devil.
The little girl Antonia enters the scene with whom the monk
falls in love, but when he can't take hold of her, he later
kills her mother.
After remorse and confession of his crimes, Ambrosio falls
anew into the dark whirlpool of sin bewitched by the magic
arts of Mathilde whom he follows to the castle.
There the protagonist finds again the little girl Antonia
who commits suicide after being kidnapped by the evil duke.
With the intervention of the inquisition the nobleman, Mathilde
and the monk are arrested:
Calembour succeds in being declared innocent;
due to her powers, the witch sets herself free;
father Ambrosio, by selling his soul to the devil, not only
escapes his faults, but he will even become pope.
In 1972 neither a 45 rpm nor a 33 rpm with the OST was issued,
and only in 1993 Cinevox issued nine selections from the score
on the CD Fantafestival Vol. 4.
For our CD (36:06) we have used every note recorded in stereo
at that time and preserved on the original master tapes of
the Cinevox Record archives.
Legendary composer Piero Piccioni (on various sources also
Ennio Morricone was erroneously mentioned as co-composer of
the OST) has written a short, but very effective symphonic
score of a dramatic kind that evokes the whole atmosphere
of the plot between sacred and profane, emphasizing above
all the diabolical side.
The monk theme is introduced in Main Titles, a sacred, Gregorian
chant-like motif for organ and orchestra (Tr. 1) where strings
intrude with macabre dissonances.
Satan's presence is often underlined by slow and gloomy
music performed by organ, woodwinds and strings as in Tr.
2, Tr .4, Tr. 6, Tr. 7, Tr. 9 where the Dies Irae is quoted.
A proper rescue and preservation to pay homage to the music
art of Piero Piccioni. |
