BRANCALEONE ALLE CROCIATE

SOUNDTRACK:
For the sequel to “For Love and Gold,” Carlo Rustichelli (December 24, 1916, Carpi - 13 November 2004, Rome) resumes his famous “March of Brancaleone” and “Pirulè” (the pilgrim theme), this time entrusting Gianfranco Plenizio to conduct the orchestra. Maestro Rustichelli created a new score which is romantic and veiled with sadness for Felicilla, the witch (Stefania Sandrelli) who enters Brancaleone’s heart. This time Brancaleone gets caught up in the Crusades and the score alternates dramatic with haunting passages that would fit perfectly in a horror film. For our CD (total running time 72:33 minutes), we were able to access the stereo master tapes of the original recording session. We’ve included the audio editing on the first twenty tracks which we personally prepared with Maestro Rustichelli for the CD’s first release in 1995, followed by film versions, alternate takes and the singles released in 1970 on the single RCA Records PM 3573 (S). This is a well-deserved musical recovery for the trio Monicelli, Rustichelli, Gassman, who created a masterpiece for Italian Cinema. Vittorio Gassman won “Best Actor” at the San Sebastian Festival in 1971 for this film.
DIRECTOR AND CAST:
Directed in 1970 by Mario Monicelli. Starring Vittorio Gassman, Adolfo Celi, Stefania Sandrelli, Beba Loncar, Gigi Proietti, Lino To olo, Paolo Villaggio, Sandro Dori, Gianrico Tedeschi, Pietro De Vico, Alberto Plebani, Augusto Mastrantoni, Renzo Marignano, Christian Alegny, Arnaldo Fabrizio, Ceuru Abgui, Abou Djarel, Gildo Di Marco.
PLOT:
The film starts where “For Love and Gold” ends. Traveling with a group of beggars to conquer the Holy Sepulchre, Brancaleone of Norcia loses all of his companions in battle. The grim reaper appears, and out of fear and desperation Brancaleone is able to convince him to grant him more time to live. He saves the life of an infant who is the son of a Norman king, and soon he gets back on the road with a new army of stragglers to take the baby back to his father. Along the way, he goes through a series of ordeals including saving a young witch from the stake, welcoming a leper to his group, visiting a hermit holed up in a cave, and finally, escorting Pope Gregory VII to visit a stylite on a column. After a dispute between the Pope and the antipope Clemente III is resolved by a terrible “judgment by God,” Brancaleone discovers that the leper is actually a princess. He returns the baby to his father, and in exchange becomes a Baron. He allies with the Moors and takes to the field against the Norman King’s brother. But Brancaleone loses the fight because of the young witch, who is in love with him and has cast a spell on him. Out of despair, Brancaleone eventually goes to wander through the desert and encounters the grim reaper again, who has come back to settle the bill. Once again, though, Brancaleone manages to escape death when the witch sacrifices herself for him.

TRACK LIST

01. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Titoli) 2:44
02. PIRULÈ (partenza della nave) 1:01
03. SBARCO DEI PELLEGRINI E MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 2:32
04. MISTERO NOTTURNO 1:23
05. DOPO LA STRAGE E MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 1:32
06. GUERRA E PACE 1:18
07. IL RACCONTO DELLA STREGA (parte I) 2:06
08. INSEGUIMENTO E DUELLO 1:12
09. L'ORACOLO E MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 0:55
10. IL RACCONTO DELLA STREGA (parte II) 2:12
11. DIALOGO DI BRANCALEONE CON LA LUNA 1:18
12. DIALOGO DI BRANCALEONE CON SÉ MEDESIMO 1:14
13. FELICILLA LA STREGA 1:52
14. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#2) 1:21
15. BRANCALEONE E FELICILLA (tema d'amore) 2:19
16. MORTE DI FELICILLA 2:03
17. SARACENI! 0:57
18. BRANCALEONE E LA GLORIA 1:20
19. ATTESA MAGICA 1:09
20. RICORDO DI FELICILLA 2:24
21. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Finale) 3:32
film versions and alternates
22. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Titoli – alt. mix singolo lato A) 2:43
23. PIRULÈ (singolo lato B - con la voce di Vittorio Gassman) 3:25
24. PIRULÈ (partenza della nave #2) 2:04
25. SBARCO DEI PELLEGRINI 1:47
26. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#2) 0:45
27. PIRULÈ (#2) 1:30
28. BRANCALEONE ALLE CROCIATE (La morte) 1:22
29. GUERRA E PACE (#2) 3:12
30. MISTERO NOTTURNO (#2) 1:18
31. IL RACCONTO DELLA STREGA (parte I – alt. mix zampogna) 2:11
32. MISTERO NOTTURNO (#3) 1:18
33. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#3) 2:24
34. PIRULÈ (#3 con la voce di Vittorio Gassman) 2:17
35. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#4) 1:46
36. DIALOGO DI BRANCALEONE CON LA LUNA (#2) 1:06
37. ATTESA MAGICA (#2) 1:51
38. BRANCALEONE ALLE CROCIATE (Rito contro la strega) 1:58
39. RICORDO DI FELICILLA (#2) 1:05
40. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Finale – versione breve) 0:55