L’ARMATA BRANCALEONE LP + CD, BRANCALEONE ALLE CROCIATE LP + CD and 4 reproduction from Italian lobby cards

L’ARMATA BRANCALEONE

SOUNDTRACK:

SOUNDTRACK: Carlo Rustichelli (Carpi, December 24, 1916 - Rome, November 13, 2004) was the author of hundreds of film soundtracks and will go down in history for his famous friendship with director Pietro Germi and for the "Brancaleone March," a true iconic hymn like the "James Bond” theme" by Monty Norman or "the Raiders March" by John Williams from "Raiders of the Lost Ark". This unforgettable choir motif is introduced by "Branca Branca Branca Leon Leon Leon" and a whistle and is the heart of the background music, which the author reprises with orchestral versions that are sometimes comical and sometimes dramatic- all under the direction of Bruno Nicolai. Two of the other supporting scores are "Pirulè" the psalm theme of the pilgrims, and "Cuccuruccù" sung by a female voice accompanied by the mandola. For our CD (total running time 70:43 minutes) we were able to access the mono master tapes from the original recording session. We’ve included the audio editing on the first fifteen 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 1966 on the single Parade PRC 5002. The CD ends with the rare take of the march introduced by the voice of Vittorio Gassman. Winner of three Silver Ribbons, the film was presented in competition at the 19th Cannes Film Festival. About the LP version that we publish for the first time a version for the total duration of 29:07 minutes. 

DIRECTOR AND CAST:

Directed in 1966 by Mario Monicelli. Starring Vittorio Gassman, Catherine Spaak, Gian Maria Volonté, Maria Grazia Buccella, Barbara Steele, Enrico Maria Salerno, Carlo Pisacane, Folco Lulli, Ugo Fangareggi, Joaquin Diaz, Luis Induni, Gianluigi Crescenzi, Alfio Caltabiano, Fulvia Franco, Tito García, Luigi Sangiorgi, Carlos Ronda, Philippa De La Barre De Natteuil, Pippo Starnazza. 

PLOT: 

While on his way to take over the Aurocastro fiefdom, a knight is attacked by bandits who overpower him and throw him in a ditch. One of the bandits finds the parchment which declares the knight’s investiture of the fiefdom, so he convinces his friend Brancaleone to take the knight’s place. Brancaleone takes command of the bandits, but along the way to Aurocastro he runs into various ordeals: an encounter with Teo latto and his Byzantines, the occupation and escape from a city in the grip of the plague, and the rescue of an extravagant bride. When he finally reaches the feifdom, the army is attacked by Saracens but is saved by the warriors (commanded by the knight who had been attacked by the gang). The only thing left for Brancaleone and his men to do is to go on a Crusade in Palestine.

TRACK LIST LP

side A

01. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (TITOLI) E DOPO LA BATTAGLIA 2:54

02. COMBATTIMENTO 1:07

03. UN PREZIOSO BOTTINO 1:49

04. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 2:12

05. LA CITTÀ APPESTATA E CUCCURUCCÙ 1:40

06. LA DAMA MISTERIOSA 1:53

07. PIRULÈ (STRANI PELLEGRINI) 2:33 08. BRANCALEONE E MATELDA (TEMA D'AMORE) 1:28

side B

01. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 1:18

02. TEMA D'AMORE E BRANCALEONE PRIGIONIERO 3:09

03. CAVALCATA E TEMA D'AMORE 1:45

04. GLI ULTIMI DUCHI DI BISANZIO 1:12

05. BRANCALENE INCONTRA TEODORA 2:57

06. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 1:20

07. BRANCALEONE IN GABBIA E MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (FINALE) 1:25

TRACK LIST CD

01. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Titoli) E DOPO LA BATTAGLIA 2:54

02. COMBATTIMENTO 1:07

03. UN PREZIOSO BOTTINO 1:49

04. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#2) 2:12

05. LA CITTÀ APPESTATA E CUCCURUCCÙ 1:40

06. LA DAMA MISTERIOSA 1:53

07. PIRULÈ (strani pellegrini) 2:33

08. BRANCALEONE E MATELDA (tema d'amore) 1:28

09. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#3) 1:18

10. TEMA D'AMORE E BRANCALEONE PRIGIONIERO 3:09

11. CAVALCATA E TEMA D'AMORE 1:45

12. GLI ULTIMI DUCHI DI BISANZIO 1:12

13. BRANCALENE INCONTRA TEODORA 2:57

14. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#4) 1:20

15. BRANCALEONE IN GABBIA E MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Finale) 1:25

film versions and alternates

16. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (Titoli) 2:16

17. LʼARMATA BRANCALEONE (il campo dei caduti) 3:17

18. COMBATTIMENTO (#2) 2:10

19. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#5) 2:42

20. LʼARMATA BRANCALEONE (peste!) 1:58

21. CUCCURUCCÚ 1:27

22. PIRULÈ (strani pellegrini #2) 3:49

23. BRANCALEONE E MATELDA (tema d'amore #2) 2:09

24. BRANCALEONE E MATELDA (tema d'amore #3) 2:06

25. LʼARMATA BRANCALEONE (tema dʼamore/A cavallo) 1:46

26. LʼARMATA BRANCALEONE (Bizantini/Incontro con Teodora) 4:33

27. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#6) 1:39

28. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (#7) 3:42

29. LʼARMATA BRANCALEONE (Brancaleone prigioniero) 1:39

30. PIRULÉ (liberazione di Brancaleone e Marcia- Finale) 1:52

31. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (versione singolo Lato A) 1:33

32. CUCCURUCCÚ (versione singolo Lato B) 1:39

33. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (con la voce di Vittorio Gassman) 0:31

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. As it regards the LP version that we publish for the first time a 33gg version for the total duration of 36:58 minutes.

DIRECTOR AND CAST:

Directed in 1970 by Mario Monicelli. Starring Vittorio Gassman, Adolfo Celi, Stefania Sandrelli, Beba Loncar, Gigi Proietti, Lino Toffolo, 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 LP

SIDE A

01. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (TITOLI) 2:44

02. PIRULÈ (PARTENZA DELLA NAVE) 1:01

03. SBARCO DEI PELLEGRINI E MARCIA 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

SIDE B

01. DIALOGO DI BRANCALEONE CON SÉ MEDESIMO 1:14

02. FELICILLA LA STREGA 1:52

03. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE 1:21

04. BRANCALEONE E FELICILLA (TEMA D'AMORE) 2:19

05. MORTE DI FELICILLA 2:03

06. SARACENI! 0:57

07. BRANCALEONE E LA GLORIA 1:20

08. ATTESA MAGICA 1:09

09. RICORDO DI FELICILLA 2:24

10. MARCIA DI BRANCALEONE (FINALE) 3:32

TRACK LIST CD

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