Broxton Comment-MB-011-107

TRE NEL MILLE (1971)

Tre Nel Mille is a historical adventure comedy directed by Franco Indovina, set in the year 999. Two lowly Roman soldiers, Pannocchia and Carestia, and their legionnaire commander Fortunato are traveling through Italy, and are worried about the impending turn of the millennium, which is supposed to result in a terrible prophecy coming true, and bad luck befalling all those who witness the year. As the three of them have numerous adventures across the land, the prophecy appears to come true for Fortunato, when he discovers that his wife has been unfaithful to him while he has been away. The film stars Carmelo Bene, Giancarlo Dettori, and Franco Parenti.

Despite the comedic elements in the film, large parts of the score for Tre Nel Mille is surprisingly lovely. The main theme, “Ballata Trovatorica,” is a soft ballad for strings and guitar that is lonely, perhaps even a little sad, capturing the generally solitary existence the three central characters lead as they travel from town to town on behalf of the Roman army. Cues like “Elegia Con Interruzione” builds more on these ideas, as does the pretty “Le Voci dal Liuto,” which blends a light lute melody with low, slightly menacing woodwinds and cooed vocals.

Perhaps more indicative of their characters is the infectious “Saltrello Dei Tre Pupazzi,” a medieval-sounding dance for lutes and percussion that just stays the right side of playfully catchy, but cues like these are the exception rather than the rule. “La Vallata di Firenze” is an unusual piece for oddly-metered rhythmic ideas, competing male and female wordless vocals, and a cacophony of period instruments. “Responsori Per Liuto e Voci,” “La Piccola Zampogna,” and “La Grande Zampogna” are similarly challenging and unsettlingly dissonant, with latter using woodwinds in a very unusual timbre. Most unusual of all is “Maiali Ed Altri Animali,” a bizarre cacophony of human croaks, oinks, whistles, and other assorted animal sounds that have to be heard to be believed.

Tre Nel Mille is another one of those Morricone scores which blends the endlessly lovely with the utterly insane, as only Morricone could. Most people will find the main theme appealing, but some of it may be way too out in left field to be tolerable. The only full release of the score came out in 2010 on the Italian Cometa label, and this is it.

Track Listing: 1. Ballata Trovatorica (4:57), 2. Saltarello Dei Tre Pupazzi (2:09), 3. La Vallata di Firenze (1:52), 4. Elegia Con Interruzione (4:07), 5. Le Voci dal Liuto (2:14), 6. Arrivo al Castello (1:39), 7. Responsori Per Liuto e Voci (2:41), 8. La Piccola Zampogna (1:42), 9. Maiali e Altri Animali (1:17), 10. La Voce del Liuto (1:37), 11. La Grande Zampogna (3:25), 12. Canto Per Liuto (2:00), 13. Ballata Trovatorica (4:11). Cometa CMT-10008, 33 minutes 14 seconds.

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