| Digitmovies continues its journey through the Italian Peplum
genre by proudly issuing volume XVI on a double CD set with
the complete OST by Carlo Savina from two movies:
Sette A Tebe was directed by Luigi Vanzi and did star André
Lawrence, Lena Von Martens, Burt Plesher,Loredana Nusciak,
Ralf Baldassarre, Paul Windsor, Mariangela Giordano:
The city of Thebes is under a cruel domination of Sparta.
Diomedes and many of his friends oppose Sparta, but at the
same time he has a love affair with Dorida, the daughter of
the Spartan governor who collaborates with Sparta.
All'Ombra Delle Aquile was directed by Ferdinando Baldi and
did star Cameron Mitchell, Beba Loncar, Gabriella Pallotta,
Paul Windsor, Alex Gavin, Vladimir Medar.
This movie was shot by Baldi with the same cast and locations
and also at the same time as Il Massacro Della Foresta Nera
(Massacre In The Black Forest):
A Roman general called Marcus Ventidius must challenge a tribe
of rebel barbarians at the border of the Empire and during
bloody battles he falls in love with Helen, the daughter of
the tribe leader Magdo who has already been promised as bride
to Batone, the man responsible for a bloody slaughter of Romans.
Disc 1 offers Sette A Tebe from the mono mastertapes preserved
in the RCA archives:
Carlo Savina has composed a symphonic score which in the heroic
Titoli Di Testa (Tr. 1) then reprised in Tr. 14 and in the
Finale (Tr. 28), is influenced by the close collaboration
of Savina with Miklos Rozsa.
The atmosphere of Thebes and all the exploits of the rebels
are underscored by dramatic passages (Tr. 2, Tr. 7, Tr. 8,
Tr. 13, Tr. 16, Tr. 17, Tr. 20) which get alternated with
suspense and epic themes (Tr. 9, Tr. 10) as well as with delicate
and romantic themes which function as background to the love
story of the protagonist (Tr. 5, Tr. 6, Tr. 20).
At the end of the complete mono score we have added three
rare stereo versions including the Titoli Di Testa.
Disc 2 offers All'Ombra Delle Aquile from the mono mastertapes
stored in the EMI General Music archives:
Savina has written a heroic and fast orchestral march performed
by French horns with a Western flavour which is introduced
in Titoli Di Testa" (Tr. 1).
The battles between Romans and Barbarians are scored by strong
and extremely dramatic passages (Tr. 2, Tr. 3, Tr. 6, Tr.
16) which get alternated with a sweet and a bit sad love theme
for organ and orchestra (Tr. 13, Tr. 14) and are magnificently
reprised in the Finale (Tr. 19).
This OST is also enriched by court music for harp (Tr. 8,
Tr. 12) and rhythmic dances (Tr. 9, Tr. 11, Tr. 15).
Two hours of very good music by Carlo Savina from the Italian
Silver Age, rightly rescued and preserved forever. |
