Sette a Tebe - All'ombra delle aquile

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" (aka "Seven from Thebes") was directed in 1964 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" (Aka "In the Shadow of the Eagles") was directed in 1966 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" (aka "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" (65:04) 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" (58:59) 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.