A small Italian record label has answered the prayers of eurocult filmand soundtrack fans everywhere. As part of their new series "BrunoNicolai in Giallo," Digitmovies has just released the scores to twoobscure 1972 thrillers bearing the unwieldy titles of Perche Quelle Strane Gocce di Sangue sul Corpo di Jennifer? (What Are Those Strange Drops of Blood on Jennifer's Body) and Il Tuo Vizio E una Stanza Chiusa e Solo Io Ne Ho la Chiave (Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key).Composer Bruno Nicolai's career has often been overshadowed by fellowcountryman Ennio Morricone, for whose scores Nicolai often served asconductor, but slowly his own extensive body of film music is beginningto see the light of day decades later. These two discs mark the firstrelease ever of this music apart from the films, are digitallyremastered, and both contain extra material from the recording sessionsthat were ultimately unused.
The plot of Perche Quelle Strane ... involves a cheesecake photo model in a swingin' Italian metropolis whobecomes the target of a mysterious serial murderer. Nicolai'seffervescent theme is perhaps among the most catchy tunes of hisrepetoire, bouncing its way through scenes of sexy photo shoots andflirtatious rendezvous. From there, the mood changes to outrightcongo-driven exotica for a strip-show-turned-wresting-match, but movesswiftly on to rapidly pulsating strings and funky base as the bodycountbegins to build. Nicolai adds creative flourishes to the mix like asoulful violin solo which ties in excellently with the plot twistswithin the film.samples:
Il Tuo Vizio, composed for a very liberal film adaptation ofEdgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat," is accordingly somber and sinister,with more of a classical influence than Perche Quelle Strane.Its themes alternate between two slow movements using harpsicord andoboe with hints of harp and a multitude of strings, and create a moodthat is haunting and seductive. There are, of course, energetic burstswhen the tension is heightened. The results are beautiful, chilling,and often romantic. The pieces at times sound as if they could haveinfluenced Angelo Badalamenti's score for Blue Velvet or In TheNursery's delicate orchestrations. Because each of the releases arebased on one or two primary themes, listening to each as a whole feelrepetitive on an initial listen. But once carried away, it's hardlynoticable. Not only that, but it's entirely possible you'll be hummingthem in your head for days afterwards.
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