Una su 13

Digitmovies is glad to release for the very first time on a double CD set the complete original soundtracks - in mono as well as in full stereo - from the movie “Una su tredici” (aka “12+1”) directed in 1969 by Nicolas Gessner and Luciano Lucignani and starring Vittorio Gassman, Orson Welles, Sharon Tate (in her last movie role before brutally murdered), Terry Thomas, Vittorio De Sica, Mylène Demongeot, Ottavia Piccolo, Mimmo Poli, Edda Albertini, Luigi Bonos, Corrado Olmi, Tom Felleghy, Piero Gerlini, John Steiner, Sandro Dori, Maurizio Fiorini, Marzio Margine. No, we are not wrong in writing with the plural even if we refer to the same movie. In fact, for “Una su tredici” three composers have written the score: for the Italian version  Carlo Rustichelli, for the English language version Stelvio Cipriani and David Whitaker. The plot is based on the novel “The Twelve Chairs” by Il'ja Arnol'dovič Il'f and Evgenij Petrovič Petrov, on which Mel Brooks based another movie version in 1970. Mario Beretti (Gassman) is a barber who had emigrated to New York. His life is animated by the announcement that he is the only heir of an old British auntie. So Mario rushes to England, but he only gets thirteen vintage chairs. After he has sold them all to an antiquarian, he discovers that a fortune is hidden in one of them. Helped by the beautiful Pat (Tate), he starts a frantic hunt throughout Europe, chasing the new buyers and being involved in incredible adventures and chases between London and Italy. CD 1(38:05) contains the complete OST in full stereo by Carlo Rustichelli for the Italian version from the master tapes of the original session. The composer has written a burlesque Can-Can theme with a Belle Epoque flavor for choir (I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni)  and orchestra which is introduced in Titoli di testa (Tr.1) and reprised in Finale (Tr.12). The funny side of the plot is well-rendered through organ passages accompanied by the orchestra which once again lets the listener hear the well-known Rustichelli sound that all his fans around the world appreciate (Tr.2, Tr.3, Tr.7, Tr.8, Tr.10, Tr.11).  This funny motif is alternated with jazzy music for suspense scenes (Tr.5), a lounge-style love theme (Tr.6, Tr.9) and a wild dance floor beat shake with choir (Tr.4). As a bonus track we include the demo version of the main theme in mono. CD 2 (66:06) contains the complete OST by Stelvio Cipriani and David Whitaker for the English language version from the mono and full stereo master tapes of the original sessions. Stelvio Cipriani and David Whitaker have created a score with a perfect Swinging London style as background to the crazy chases of Vittorio Gassman and Sharon Tate. Whitaker has composed two really cool orchestral shake music themes: one opens and closes the movie (Tr.1,Tr.23) played by a beat ensemble accompanied by a symphonic orchestra, the other, after a classical  introduction,  features a wild performance of the orchestra as background to the desperate effort of rescuing the chair with the rich heritage inside(Tr.6). Cool Stelvio Cipriani has underscored the love affair between Mario and Pat with a sweet love theme (Tr.4, Tr.5, Tr.8), alternated with bossa beat music (Tr.2, Tr.7, Tr.13,Tr.17,Tr.19) and lounge dance floor themes (Tr.10, Tr.12,Tr.16,Tr.18,Tr.20, Tr.21). As bonus tracks we include several full stereo mixes which we could discover on the original master tapes. A proper rescue and preservation on a double CD set with a total length of 104:11 as a tribute to a movie and its three composers.