MORTE RISALE A IERI SERA, LA

Music composed and conducted by Gianni Ferrio.
Digit Movies (Italy). CDDMO39.
Running time: 45 mins
Rating ****

La morte risale a iera sera is an Italian made Giallo movie directed by Duccio Tessari and released in 1970. The score is by the highly talented and much respected composer Gianni Ferrio. Ferrio made his musical mark on Italian cinema audiences during the early 1960,s with his soundtracks for Italian westerns such as Sentenza di morte and crime capers such as Il killers.

The score for La morte risale a iera sera did receive a release on LP in 1970, issued on the Cinevox label. This latest re-issue of the score contains all the music cues from that LP recording, plus two bonus tracks, inserted at the end of the compact disc, which represent about 7 minutes of music.

Ferrio's compositions are a fusion of jazz and easy listening, with some strong orchestral passages adding support to the already robust and interestingly original and furtive score. The main theme, which opens proceedings on the compact disc, is an almost 4 minute cue containing a jazzy, near sleazy sounding, trumpet solo enhanced by the use of piano organ and sporadic but effective sprinklings of harpsichord.

Track number two follows in a very similar style, but this time the harpsichord takes the lead to great effect. Ferrio also includes some interesting and fast paced action cues in LIVIA (track 3), and IL DURO SCAPPA (track 6), both of which have almost a big band sound to them. There are also a number of cues that are more of the atonal type, as in MORTE DI SALVATORE, where Ferrio again utilises a big band jazz sound that's heavy on the brass section of the orchestra.

This is most definitely a soundtrack I would recommend. I know collectors will delight in and return to it on many occasions, each time finding something fresh and appealing. The sound quality is, for the most part, excellent and in full stereo. Also included are eye catching art work a colourful booklet including informative notes and a mini publicity poster.

Review by John Mansell