Ho incontrato un'ombra

Digitmovies releases for the very first time and in full stereo on CD a musical rarity from the world of the Italian cult TV mini-series of the'70s: "Ho incontrato un'ombra" (aka " I Have Met a Shadow"), broadcasted by RAI Televisione Italiana in 1974, directed by Daniele D'Anza and starring Giancarlo Zanetti, Beba Loncar, Laura Belli, Carlo Cattaneo, Renzo Rossi, Tina Lattanzi, Gabrio Gabrani, Bruno Cattaneo, Renato De Carmine, Simonetta Stefanelli, Corrado Gaipa. Philippe Dussart (Zanetti), a Swiss advertising writer who has fallen in love with the photographer Catherine (Belli), discovers that during his absence strangers did repeatedly get into his home. Mysterious events start to happen which involve him in a shady matter in which also a fascinating blonde girl (Loncar) is involved. This mini-series is part of those Italian TV programs from a past season like "Il segno del comando", "Gamma", "Lo strano caso della Baronessa di Carini", "Ritratto di donna velata" which with regard to their creativity unfortunately will never come back: Luckily, in recent times these were rescued on DVD (even if some of them with a questionable video quality). "Ho incontrato un'ombra" was a big success with the Italian audience: Millions of Italians sat like pasted on their chairs and could identify themselves with the male protagonist falling in love with a very beautiful blonde woman and with a mysterious past who seems to be almost a ghost, a shadow. The success of the mini-series was also due to to the OST which was written by Romolo Grano, but its main theme "A blue shadow" became a record and radio hit thanks to Berto Pisano who took care of a suggestive orchestral arrangement which was issued (with "Tema di Silvia") on the original 45 rpm single (Ricordi SRL 10707).This leitmotiv was also included on a 33 rpm album of the same label (containing other tracks not related with the score from the TV series), but the real OST "Ho incontrato un'ombra" was released only as a promotional LP album on the RCA-owned Pegaso label with original music by Grano, magnificently arranged and conducted by Berto Pisano. With big luck we have in fact succeded in rescuing the stereo master tapes which have been in very good condition and had been assembled in the '70s for this limited edition vinyl library LP, one of the most rare recordings on the collector's market. Although only of short duration (30:25), the master tape includes indeed everything which had been recorded for the TV series and which was re-edited for the different scenes. The romantic and sad theme in a mysterious vein is introduced in Tr.1, reprised for nostalgic solo guitar in Tr.5 and with an electronic harpsichord performance in Tr.9. This wonderful main theme gets alternated with lounge style dance floor tunes (Tr.2,Tr.4,Tr.7), with suspense music (Tr.3,Tr.8) and with the sad and sensual "Tema di Silvia" for saxophone and orchestra (Tr.6). As a bonus track we include an alternate version of "A blue shadow" performed by the Romolo Grano orchestra which had appeared on the rare RCA album dedicated to his TV music. Two extraordinary soloists of rare talent took part in this recording session as protagonists: Oscar Valdambrini as trumpeter and Edda Dell'Orso with her amazing crystal voice, a real instrument in the orchestra.