I VAMPIRI / CALTIKI IL MOSTRO IMMORTALE

Digitmovies continues its musical journey into the dimension of mystery and horror by releasing this fourth volume four in our series dedicated to the Maestro of the Macabre, Mario Bava. This double disc set contains, for the first time ever, the complete original soundtracks from "I vampiri" (aka "The Devil's Commandment," 1957) and "Caltiki il mostro immortale" (aka "Caltiki the immortal monster," 1959), both co-directed by Riccardo Freda (as "Robert Hampton") and Mario Bava (uncredited). According to certain sources, Mario Bava -- besides taking care of the cinematography, lighting and special effects, also completed both movies as director and his original touch is very evident in these works. This CD collects two original sountracks from the "Golden Age" of Italian Film Music, and it is thanks to the C.A.M. Archives that this project was possible, considering that the original elements are a half-century old. The master tapes were kept in very good condition and now Film Music fans and Fantastic Cinema aficionados can enjoy these two fabulous music rarities. Disc 1 contains the OST from the movie "I vampiri": Roman Vlad (1919, Cernovtzy, Ukraine) has written a mostly monothematic symphonic score, particularly macabre and dramatic based on a Main Theme, a mysterious agitato given by violent glissè of French horns accompanied by a strings orchestra (tr.1) that often is reprised with variations in the score (tr.6,tr.13,tr.16,tr.17). "Nuova vittima" (tr.3) is a very dark theme played by tremelo strings with the brass performing a Lento funebre, then the main theme is reprised at the end. "Prigioniero della droga" (tr.5) is a magic-macabre motiv with performance of harp, celeste and organ, "Tragica notizia & funerale" (tr.8) consists of cadenced bell tollings and pizzicato strings accompanied by brass for the burial sequence. The ambiguous atmosphere of the plot is broken by "source music" waltz themes like "Pierre e Giselle" (tr.4), "Valzer" played by a small ensemble (tr.11) and solo piano (tr.12).The score concludes with a reprise of "Pierre e Giselle" that contains in its coda the explosive "Finale" not used in the movie itself (tr.18). Composer Roberto Nicolosi (Genoa, 1914 - Rome,1989) had indirectly collaborated with Mario Bava prior to 1960's "La maschera del demonio" (aka "Black Sunday," available on CD Digitmovies CDDM035), by scoring the 1958 Steve Reeves adventure movie "Agi Murad, il diavolo bianco" (aka "The White Warrior") directed by Riccardo Freda -- again with Mario Bava as cinematographer -- director) and "Caltiki il mostro immortale." We are pleased to include on this second disc of this set M° Nicolosi's score for "Caltiki," a symphonic score in perfect "monster movie" style. If "I vampiri" is a very good example of a noir-esque horror movie, "Caltiki il mostro immortale" is a science fiction movie that belongs, 100%, to the "Blob" and Japanese "Godzilla" genre. The score opens with "Prologo e Titoli" (tr.1), and outer space-flavoured theme, very eerie and supended for harp, celeste and strings as background to the prologue narration, which details the legend of an ancient god worshipped by Mayans, then culminates in the "Caltiki Theme", a violent motiv dominated by the brass, piano and percussion that often is reprised with variations throughout the orchestral score (for example, slow with introduction of organ in tr.15) where dramatic passages supporting the protagonists' fight against an amorphous, dangerous alien creature destroying everything in its path (tr.3, tr.7, tr.13, tr.16) are alternated with quieter, more mysterious cues, such as those which accompany the underwater exploration (tr.5, tr.6) and other suspenseful moments (tr.9,tr.11,tr.12). M° Nicolosi has written a melanchonic and romantic theme for the scientist and his family where the Caltiki theme is shortly reprised (tr.10) and exotic theme for bongos, percussions and African voices for the voodoo dance scene in the jungle early in the movie (tr.4). An Ostinato of piano and strings with an "Americana" sound introduces for the last time the "Caltiki Theme" (tr.18), which closes the movie and our CD. As Special Bonus Track we enclose the very rare stereo track from the C.A.M. Archives called “To Mirna, an original composition written and conducted by Carlo Savina (dedicated to his wife Mirna) that then was used as main theme in the Mario Bava’s movie “Lisa and the devil” of 1973: a romantic theme for big orchestra with a pop arrangement and the fabulous voice of Edda Dell’Orso. Despite careful digital restoration and remastering, some anomalies pre-existing on the original sources remain.