Postcards from Italy - Italian Music for Film
CHAN 20291 (Chandos Records, CD)
FIRST RELEASE (6 October 2023)
Playing time: 65'49"
Tracks: 16
Booklet pages: 40
℗ 2023 Chandos Records Ltd
© 2023 Chandos Records Ltd
Main country of recording: Italy
Reviewer: Gerald Fenech
Review of Postcards from Italy - Italian Music for Film published on 22 September 2023
Marco Albonetti, soprano saxophone
Michelangelo Carbonara, piano (tracks 4 and 7)
Vincenzo Bolognese, violin (track 6)
Roma Sinfonietta
Paolo Silvestri, conductor
Ennio Morricone (1928-2020), arranged and orchestrated by Paolo Silvestri:
The Mission (1986)
1 Gabriel's Oboe
2 The Falls
The Legend of 1900 (1998)
3 Playing Love
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
4 Nostalgia
5 Looking for You (Love Theme)
Once upon a Time in America (1984)
6 Deborah's Theme
7 Main Theme
Joseph Lacalle (1859-1937), arranged and orchestrated by Ennio Morricone, then rearranged and orchestrated by Paolo Silvestri:
Once upon a Time in America
8 Amapola
Ennio Morricone, arranged and orchestrated by Paolo Silvestri:
Malèna (2000)
9 Main Theme
Nino Rota (1911-1979), orchestrated by Paolo Silvestri:
Amarcord (1973)
10 Theme
The Godfather (1972)
11 The Godfather Waltz
12 Reminiscence of Sicilian Pastorale
13 Love Theme
14 Themes from La dolce vita (1960)
Paolo Silvestri (born 1960), arranged and orchestrated by the composer:
Controvento (2000)
15 Theme
Gato Barbieri (1932-2016), arranged and orchestrated by Paolo Silvestri:
Last Tango in Paris (1972)
16 Theme
For his third album for Chandos, the saxophonist Marco Albonetti turns to the rich tradition of film music from his native Italy. Marco writes: 'Film music has been described as the defining new genre of classical music in the twentieth century. It engages both the ear and the heart of an audience. The masterpieces composed by two Italian film composers in particular, Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone, embody the cultural identity of most Italians and they have become recognised and loved by audiences around the world. The film themes on this album capture the magical combination of romance, melancholy, friendship, and violence. The notes vibrate with such passion that the compositions continue to engage the listener, bringing the work of these great Italian composers to life wherever and whenever it is performed. Film music is meant to be an accompaniment to the action on screen. However, the music of the great Italian composers is so powerful and enduring that these melodies can stand on their own merit, transporting us to another time and place, evoking memories of past experiences or introducing us to new worlds, places which we can only see in our imagination. This album is a tribute to the Italian spirit, to my spirit, expressed through a musical journey: it offers Postcards from Italy.'
Recorded 15-16 December 2022 at Forum Studios, Rome, Italy.