CD REVIEW - LA PIU ALLEGRA STORIA DEL DECAMERONE


La Piu Allegra Storia Del Decamerone
Music by Daniele Patucchi
Digotmovies CDDM131 (Italy)
23 Tracks 73:54 mins

This 1971 historical soft core romp goes by many titles. I personally have a Dutch video in my collection by the name of "The Lustful Barbarian." The film is easily forgettable, save for the presence of a young Sybil Danning in the cast (and naked at that!). Ms Danning was of course to go on to cult status, due largely to her appearance as the Valkyrie in sci-fi romp Battle Beyond the Stars, a role that left sci-fi geeks weak at the knees (I know from personal experience, as I have a friend who used to totally lose control just at the sound of her name!), and lead her to other Hollywood roles for a brief time.
The music for the film, by Daniele Patucchi, has largely been unavailable up to now, with just two tracks (both included at the end of this disc) previously available in mono on C.A.M. library albums. Here, Digitmovies, presents the unreleased score in stereo sound, taken from the original master tapes, kept safely in C.A.M.'s archives all these years.
The album commences with the delicate, gentle main theme, for flute accompanied by guitar. The composer's romantic "Theme for Sybil" next makes its first appearance, courtesy of unaccompanied harp. This is followed by the expectant rumblings of "Piani Bellici," and then the Sybil theme returns in a fuller arrangement, before giving way to a new, flowing theme (for the hero Siegfried) with a pop beat, which seems somewhat at odds with the period action on screen, but is very catchy all the same. This theme receives an ominous variation in the following "Aria di Guerra," and a very tense one in "Duello Nella Neve."
The love theme returns in track 6, with wordless vocal by the great Edda Dell'Orso, who also features in full sensual mode for two of the three variations on the pop theme that follow; the third featuring electric guitar improvs. By complete contrast, "Danza Orientale," is an almost hypnotic and somewhat trippy dance track, which is reprised A pleasant, flute-lead version of the love theme follows. Edda returns in wildly sensuous mode for "Orgia al Castello," which gives way to "Shake a Corte," which opens with a kind of waltz-like variation on the pop theme, before going off on an even more trippy variation of the "Danza Orientale" theme. Another laid-back Edda-featured version of the love theme follows, and then a subdued variation on the pop theme. A much longer, driven version of the "Orgia al Castello" music follows; and, similarly, the love theme is then given its longest version. Solo organ in vaguely religious style opens "Dopo L'Orgia," before Edda enters, wordlessly intoning the love theme, which continues into the subsequent track, where solo harpsichord takes up the theme, gradually being joined by other instruments for another nice take on the music. After a quiet start, the pop theme, complete with Edda's vocal plays out the finale.
The two previously available tracks (here in stereo though) are versions of the "Danza Orientale" and the love theme.
To conclude, despite its pop leanings, which may seem out of place in a medieval period-set romp, this is undeniably largely a tuneful and very pleasant disc, which is, as always, accompanied by a colourful booklet, with stills and artwork from the film, as well as Claudio Fuiano's introductory notes. Go to www.digitmovies.com.