LA GUERRA DI TROIA / LA LEGGENDA DI ENEA

Digitmovies proudly presents the sixth volume of the series dedicated to the Italian Peplum releasing on a double Cd for the first time the two complete original soundtracks composed by Giovanni Fusco (S’Agata dei Goti, 1906 – Rome, 1968) for the movies “La guerra di Troia” (aka “La Guerre de Troie”, ”The Trojan Horse”, ”The Trojan War”, ”The Wooden Horse of Troy”) directed by Giorgio Ferroni in 1961 and its sequel “La leggenda di Enea “(aka “The avenger”,”Conquérants héroiques”, “War of the Trojans”) directed by Albert Band in 1962, both starring the mythic Steve Reeves in the role of Aeneas. M°Fusco has been a prolific composer for the screen, starting his career in the far 1936, when he was just 30, scoring the movies “Joe il rosso” and “Il cammino degli eroi” to “Amore e rabbia” (1969) and “La confessione” (1970) released posthumous in the theatres. A great artistic relationship between Giovanni Fusco and Michelangelo Antonioni (passed away recently) merits a special mention (“L’avventura” of 1960,” ”L’eclisse” of 1962,”Il deserto rosso” of 1964). Besides, the composer has worked in every genre scoring adventure movies like “I pirati della Malesia” (1964), Spaghetti Westerns like “Giarrettiera Colt” (1968), giallo movies like “La morte non ha sesso” (1968) and also serious movies like “La guerra è finita” (1966), “I sovversivi” (1967), “Il giorno della civetta” (1968). For the Peplum genre, Giovanni Fusco has signed the two symphonic scores “La guerra di Troia” and “La leggenda di Enea” giving excellent results and demonstrating his versatility: that of a great musician who deserves to be discovered again. This project was made possible thanks again to the help of C.A.M. in whose archives the complete original master tapes recorded that time in mono have survived. CD 1 contains the complete score from the movie “La guerra di Troia”. Beside Steve Reeves, the movie features a cast of noted faces like Juliette Mayniel as Creusa Aeneas’ wife, John Drew Barrymore as Ulysses, Edy Vessel as Helen, Lidia Alfonsi as Cassandra, Warner Bentivegna as Paris and Mimmo Palmara as Ajax. The Ost opens with “Prologo” (Tr.1) introduced by a heroic fanfare then continuing with a slow and quiet motif. The same motif is reprised by the choir in Titoli di testa (Tr.2) where a percussive, epic and virile war theme used for the scene where the city of Troy is shown (Tr.3) is developed. For the scene of the chariots challenge, Fusco creates a brilliant and joyful introduction developed then by a slow and mysterious theme for brass (Tr.4), reprised in Tr.5 with a semi-religious flavour. For the scene of Creusa’s pray, the author composed a pastoral theme for oboe and harp (Tr. 6). Its second part, a vibrant fanfare, backgrounds Paris’ arrival. Several dramatic music themes underscore the scenes of bloody battles (Tr.7, Tr.8, Tr.11, Tr.12, Tr.13, Tr.15). For Enea’s and Creusa’s love Giovanni Fusco wrote a delicate love theme for flute, oboe and harp (Tr.14), while for the nocturne scene, in which Ulysses’ soldiers exit from the wooden horse’s belly, Fusco composed a slow and mysterious theme performed by woodwinds and percussions with gong effects (Tr.18). As bonus tracks we enclose no choir versions of “Titoli di testa” and “Finale”. CD 2 contains the complete Ost from “La leggenda di Enea”. Together with Steve Reeves, the film stars other noted faces of the Italian Cinema like Liana Orfei (from the famous circus family) as Camilla, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart as Eurialo, Gianni Garko as Turno, king of the Rutuli. In the role of the little Ascanio, Aeneas’ son, we find Charles Band (the director’s son) who later (in the ‘80s and in the ’90s) became the boss of production companies specialized in sci-fi and horror movies: Empire Pictures e Full Moon. For the opening credits (Tr.1) Giovanni Fusco wrote a slow pastoral march performed by flutes and percussions. For the gallop scene the author provided a mysterious theme of suspense (Tr.2). A mixture of burlesque ballet and a semi-religious march accompanies the scene of the meeting of two races (Tr.3). This Ost is also rich of dramatic and aggressive themes underscoring battle scenes: Tr.9,Tr.11,Tr.12,Tr.16,Tr.18,Tr.21, but also of mysterious and of ancient flavoured pieces as Tr.6,Tr.7,Tr.8,Tr.13,Tr.14. For the court ballet Giovanni Fusco wrote a percussive tribal theme with pastoral flavour (Tr.10). The movie and our Cd close with a heroic motif that underscores the future birth of Rome (Tr.23). As bonus track we enclose an alternate version of the track “Incontro tra due popoli” (Tr.24).