************************************************************** EDITOR’s Recommendation October 2001 **************************************************************
Compilation: Andrea Griminelli’s Cinema Italiano – A New Interpretation of Italian Film Music
Conducted and arranged by Luis Bacalov featuring Luciano Pavarotti Sting, Lucio Dallia, Deborah Harry, and Filippa Giordano with Andrea Griminelli (flute)
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La Piova
Romeo and Juliet
Amarcord
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Mediteeerraneo
Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna
Cinema Paradiso
La Vita È Bella
The Mission
Toto, Peppino e La Malafemmina
Il Postino
The Godfather
Anonimo Veneziano
Fellini Classics Orchestral Suite
The concept of this romantic, easy-on-the-ear compilation comes from the flautist, Andrea Griminelli, who comments: "Since my childhood I have felt a very deep love for the soundtracks of Italian movies. I was struck by Morricone’s and Rota’s music even before I had any experience of classical music, and I firmly believe that the melodies of these ‘mile-stone’ movies have today become part of the Italian classical repertory. Growing up, I addressed my musical studies only to the classical side but I never forgot my love for these famous soundtracks. Happily, I had the chance to work with Ennio Morricone on the occasion of the premiere of his flute concerto. Meanwhile, looking for new possibilities for my instrument, I had the idea of involving some of my very best friends in a recording of these soundtracks. Everyone was enthusiastic and found the project truly interesting. I proposed, for instance, Morricone’s music for Sting and Rota’s song for Pavarotti, because, in my opinion, that music best suited their voices. So this disc was not conceived as a compilation of Italian movie soundtracks, but rather as a new interpretation of the original muisc. Some themes had flute ‘obbligato’, some – like the one from The Mission – feature solo flute, in others I play all kinds of flute, while some tracks are purely orchestral..."
Noted film composer, Luis Bacalov has provided sensitive, romantic arrangements of the film music that preserve the spirit of the originals and add a wider dimension. Bacalov also appears as piano soloist in ‘Parla più piano’ from The Godfather. Griminelli’s silvery and beautifully expressive flute playing distinguishes music from The Good The Bad and the Ugly; Meditterraneo, Cinema Paradiso, ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from The Mission and ‘Concerto for Orchestra’ from Anonimo Veneziano. All the 14 tracks impress but I would just mention that Luciano Pavarotti sings ‘Al Giochi Addio’, the hit number from Romeo and Juliet and Sting delivers a dreamily romantic version of My Heart and I from La Piovra.
A beguiling collection that will be making numerous return visits to my CD player.
Ian Lace
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