The movie shows that it was composed by Ennio Morricone (E01-00:00:38)
01-Movie Overview
01-1 Overview
Director：Sergio Giordani
Bell Institute for Documentary Studies,
Anthropology. University of Perugia
Professor Tullio Seppilli
Main actor：Rocky Roberts ... (voice) (uncredited)，... singer (uncredited)
Music Ennio Morricone
Country: Italy
01-2 synopsis
1972. Un'inchiesta sulle credenze a cavallo tra religione e magia in tutto il mondo (S. Giordani) （Here）
Un'inchiesta sulle credenze a cavallo tra religione e magia in tutto il mondo. （Here）
Editor's note: This TV series is rarely introduced online, and there is not even a single picture on IMDB. The author used various traditional Chinese and foreign search engines to do it, and the results were all the same as the two sentences above, making it difficult to distinguish who copied whom. Helpless, I suddenly remembered the AI tool that It used to jump out in my computer window. With a thought, why not go there and take a look! So I searched and experimented multiple times both domestically and internationally, and the best one was a foreign AI search company called "Perplexity". Unexpectedly, the results were dramatic. Below is a brief introduction to everyone:
01-3 Search results using an AI
Below is its conversation start page. Although it's a foreign website, the page opens in Chinese. It's really AI, we can't underestimate it
I first entered "TV L'uomo e la magia" in the search box, and the answer quickly came out
01 ASK: TV L'uomo e la magia
Answer：L'uomo e la magia è una serie televisiva italiana del 1972 realizzata da Sergio Giordani per la RAI. La serie è un'inchiesta sulle credenze a cavallo tra religione e magia in tutto il mondo
. La serie è composta da otto puntate che esplorano il rapporto tra l'uomo e la magia in diverse culture e contesti
. Attraverso interviste e filmati, la serie indaga come l'uomo ha cercato di spiegare e controllare il mondo che lo circonda ricorrendo a pratiche magiche e religiose
. L'uomo e la magia è stato trasmesso per la prima volta nel 1972 ed è stato successivamente riproposto da Rai Storia nel 2024
. La serie ha contribuito a far conoscere al pubblico italiano le varie forme di magia e religiosità presenti nel mondo. （Here)
I am glad to see such a result. Firstly, at least it didn't disappoint me. It really knows about this obscure (and rare) TV series. Secondly, there are still many introduction texts, and the accuracy can be said to be 100%. Thirdly, it also provides several optional scalability questions below. Of course, I will continue to try:
02 ASK: L'uomo e la magia
Answer：L'uomo e la magia è un film per la televisione del 1972 diretto da Sergio Giordani.Questo documentario， trasmesso su RAI Nazionale， esplora le credenze che si trovano a cavallo tra religione e magia in diverse culture del mondo.Il film è composto da cinque episodi， ciascuno della durata di 50 minuti， con la prima puntata andata in onda il 21 marzo 1972
.La colonna sonora è stata composta da Ennio Morricone， con la voce di Rocky Roberts che interpreta il tema principale (Here)
。
03 ASK: Quali sono stati i temi più controversi trattati in "L'uomo e la magia"
Answer：L'uomo e la magia affronta diversi temi controversi che si concentrano sull'intersezione tra religione e magia. Ecco alcuni dei principali argomenti trattati:
Credenze e rituali: Il film esplora come le pratiche magiche siano integrate nelle tradizioni religiose di varie culture. Questo solleva interrogativi su cosa costituisca la fede e su come le credenze magiche possano coesistere con le religioni organizzate.
Magia e trascendenza: Viene discusso il concetto di trascendenza e come la magia possa essere vista come un mezzo per superare le limitazioni umane. Questo tema è controverso poiché sfida le visioni più razionali e scientifiche della realtà, proponendo l'esistenza di dimensioni alternative e di esperienze spirituali profonde
.
Iniziazioni e misteri: Il film tocca la questione delle iniziazioni rituali, storicamente significative in molte culture, e il loro ruolo nella trasformazione spirituale dell'individuo. Questo tema è controverso poiché implica una rivalutazione delle pratiche antiche e della loro rilevanza nel mondo moderno
.
Critica al razionalismo: L'opera invita a riflettere sulla necessità di una maggiore apertura verso il pensiero magico e le sue pratiche, suggerendo che il rifiuto totale di queste credenze possa privare l'umanità di una dimensione mistica fondamentale
.
Questi temi rendono L'uomo e la magia un'opera provocatoria, capace di stimolare dibattiti su fede, razionalità e la natura dell'esperienza umana. （Here）
04 ASK: Come sono state rappresentate le pratiche magiche in "L'uomo e la magia"
Answer：L'uomo e la magia rappresenta le pratiche magiche in diverse culture del mondo, mostrando come siano spesso integrate nelle tradizioni religiose. Ecco alcuni esempi di come il film tratta questo tema:
Rituali di iniziazione
Il film esplora i riti di passaggio e le iniziazioni che segnano tappe fondamentali nella vita degli individui in molte culture. Vengono mostrati rituali di iniziazione di sciamani, stregoni e sacerdoti, che acquisiscono poteri magici attraverso queste cerimonie
.
Magia e trascendenza
Una parte importante del film si concentra sul concetto di trascendenza e su come la magia possa essere vista come un mezzo per superare i limiti umani. Vengono presentate pratiche magiche che mirano a raggiungere dimensioni spirituali alternative e a entrare in contatto con forze soprannaturali
.
Simbolismo e linguaggio magico
Il film approfondisce anche l'uso di simboli, parole e gesti specifici nelle pratiche magiche di varie culture. Viene esplorato il potere evocativo di questi elementi e il loro ruolo nel creare un'atmosfera rituale carica di significato
.
Integrazione con la religione
Un tema chiave è come le credenze magiche siano spesso incorporate nelle religioni organizzate. Il film mostra come riti e pratiche magiche siano considerati parte integrante della fede in molte tradizioni religiose
. Attraverso interviste, riprese sul campo e ricostruzioni, L'uomo e la magia offre uno sguardo approfondito e rispettoso sulle pratiche magiche, contestualizzandole all'interno delle culture che le hanno generate e sviluppate nel corso della storia. (Here)
05 ASK: Come è stata accolta “L'uomo e la magia” dalla critica all'epoca della sua uscita
Answer：Le informazioni sui principali esperti intervistati in L'uomo e la magia non sono dettagliatamente specificate nei risultati della ricerca. Tuttavia, il film è noto per includere una serie di interviste con antropologi, studiosi di religione e praticanti di varie tradizioni magiche, che offrono una prospettiva approfondita sulle credenze e le pratiche magiche nel contesto culturale. Se hai bisogno di informazioni più specifiche o dettagliate, potrebbe essere utile consultare fonti dedicate o documenti storici relativi alla produzione del film.
06 ASK: Chi sono i principali esperti intervistati in “L'uomo e la magia”
Le informazioni sui principali esperti intervistati in L'uomo e la magia non sono dettagliatamente specificate nei risultati della ricerca. Tuttavia, il film è noto per includere una serie di interviste con antropologi, studiosi di religione e praticanti di varie tradizioni magiche, che offrono una prospettiva approfondita sulle credenze e le pratiche magiche nel contesto culturale. Se hai bisogno di informazioni più specifiche o dettagliate, potrebbe essere utile consultare fonti dedicate o documenti storici relativi alla produzione del film. (Here)
Appuntamento col diavolo – “io sono la dea luna” – la fattura a morte arriva per posta – Necromanzia nel cimitero di Marx – Guerra di maghi ecc. ecc. - Torino, Società Editrice Internazionale, 1974, in 8°, rilegato in tela edit., pagine 245 con numerose illustrazioni. （Here）
In questa puntata de “L’ ospite delle 2” del 1976, il conduttore Luciano Rispoli intervista in studio l’ antropologa Ida Magli, il direttore del centro di studi parapsicologici di Bologna Massimo Inardi e il regista Sergio Giordani sul rapporto che intercorre tra l’ uomo di oggi e la magia. Il dibattito sorge dalla visione di alcuni filmati che mostrano uno yogi in India che si fa seppellire vivo, su un chiromante indiano e su alcuni riti di magia nera in Brasile.
（EN Translation in online) In this episode of "L' ospitato delle 2" of 1976, the host Luciano Rispoli interviews in studio the anthropologist Ida Magli, the director of the center of parapsychological studies of Bologna Massimo Inardi and the director Sergio Giordani on the relationship between the man of today and magic. The debate arises from the viewing of some videos showing a yogi in India who gets buried alive, about an Indian fortune teller and some rituals of black magic in Brazil.
Scene screenshot
000113 Opening remarks by host Luciano Rispoli
000449 Director Sergio Giordani (right) discusses the plot in the TV series "Man and Magic"
004958 Speaking of Black Magic and White Magic in 'Man and Magic'
03 About the director
Figlio di Igino Giordani e fratello di Brando Giordani, si è diplomato presso il Centro sperimentale di cinematografia a Roma nel 1952 con Alessandro Blasetti e Roberto Rossellini.
Per il cinema ha realizzato, con il fratello Brando ed Enzo Biagi, il documentario Italia proibita (1963), mentre per la televisione, fin dai suoi inizi, inchieste, documentari e film per i servizi giornalistici della Rai (Sette giorni in Parlamento, TV7), per i programmi culturali (Linea contro Linea, Odeon, Variety, Italia sera) e per il settore spettacolo: per la serie Storie e Leggende popolari della terza rete Rai diresse i telefilm La scoperta dell'America che gli valse il premio Maschera d'oro, Mamma 'li Turchi e San Benedetto, per il quale gli fu assegnato il Premio della stampa cattolica "Navicella d'oro".
Dimostrò il suo grande interesse per una serie di inchieste-documentari che si sviluppavano in molte puntate. Negli anni settanta nacquero così le otto puntate de L'uomo e la magia che gli valse il premio internazionale Ondas e le tredici puntate di Russia allo specchio, viaggio inchiesta sull'Unione sovietica.
Negli anni novanta scrisse e diresse Cina allo specchio, in cui l'esperienza si ripeteva con cinque puntate girate in un continente poco esplorato dal giornalismo d'inchiesta e nel 2000 ideò, scrisse e diresse Il ritorno degli dei, viaggio in cinque puntate in India, Giappone, Sri Lanka, Francia, Italia e Stati Uniti d'America, alla ricerca dell'incontro fra la spiritualità occidentale e quella orientale.
Nel 2007 è uscito a cura della Città Nuova Editrice il libro "Caro papà" sottotitolo Vita in famiglia con Igino Giordani, nel quale Sergio Giordani racconta episodi della sua adolescenza legati al padre Igino, giornalista, scrittore, politico, deputato alla Costituente, cofondatore del Movimento dei Focolari, per il quale la Chiesa cattolica ha istruito un processo di beatificazione. （Here）
(EN translation online) Son of Igino Giordani and brother of Brando Giordani, he graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome in 1952 with Alessandro Blasetti and Roberto Rossellini.
For the cinema, he made, with his brother Brando and Enzo Biagi, the documentary Italia proibita (1963), while for television, since its beginning, investigations, documentaries and films for the Rai news services (Sette giorni in Parlamento, TV7), for cultural programs (Linea contro Linea, Odeon, Variety, Italia sera) and for the entertainment sector: for the series Storie e Leggende popolari of the third Rai network he directed the TV series La scoperta dell'America which earned him the Maschera d'oro award, Mamma 'li Turchi and San Benedetto, for which he was awarded the "Navicella d'oro" Catholic Press Award.
He demonstrated his great interest in a series of investigation-documentaries that developed in many episodes. In the seventies, the eight episodes of L'uomo e la magia were born, which earned him the international Ondas award, and the thirteen episodes of Russia in the mirror, an investigative journey into the Soviet Union.
In the nineties, he wrote and directed Cina allo specchio, in which the experience was repeated with five episodes filmed in a continent little explored by investigative journalism, and in 2000 he conceived, wrote and directed Il ritorno degli dei, a five-part journey through India, Japan, Sri Lanka, France, Italy and the United States of America, in search of the meeting between Western and Eastern spirituality.
In 2007, Città Nuova Editrice published the book "Caro papà" subtitled Vita in famiglia con Igino Giordani, in which Sergio Giordani recounts episodes of his adolescence linked to his father Igino, a journalist, writer, politician, member of the Constituent Assembly, co-founder of the Focolare Movement, for whom the Catholic Church has initiated a process of beatification.
04 Scene screenshots (Episodes 1-3)
The subtitles are sourced from a paid online voice to subtitle website. Please forgive me, due to the limitations of current technology, the subtitle content is not entirely accurate and is only intended to assist readers in understanding and referencing
Episode 1 000000 - 004338
000025 The TV states at the outset that it is a documentary research film shot mainly by research institutes, universities, and professors.
000110 In the cathedral on Eton Road in London, the priest is performing an exorcism on Mrs. Gatefield. She is a housewife and a witch. She summoned the devil to serve her, and the devil came, but she could no longer get rid of it. She had to come here to exorcise the devil.
000828 In developed countries like the UK, magic is very popular, with thousands of women practicing witchcraft according to tradition and specialized magic bookstores everywhere. There are more than 30,000 people who use magic. They gather in an unknown number of gatherings to purify their hearts and call on the gods to protect them.
001850 In the UK, witchcraft became a legal profession after 1951, and many Catholic theologians studied magic in depth. The practice of magic continued to spread, apparently unfettered by scientific rationalism. Many people used magic to overcome illness, reduce loneliness, anxiety, frustration, and defend against threatening forces that afflicted them.
002053 Many people feel disgusted with their lives, and the expansion of magic is partly a product of this very strong sense of malaise, which the populace can easily turn to hatred, despair, and even revenge.
002451 In San Francisco, the interest in traditional power is declining, and the interest in cosmic power is increasing. This shows their distrust of politics.
002746 In California, Satanism is at the doorstep. The Manson massacre shocked America. People gathered outside the Los Angeles courthouse to pray for the dead. The most insane aspects of magic, humiliating the human spirit and emotions, are revenge and betrayal for the extravagant needs of humans.
003150 A motorcycle police patrol brought the official magician of the city of Los Angeles, Luisa Habena, to City Hall. Luisa's success was overwhelming, politics entered her sphere of action, and Luisa also wrote books, one of which was titled Power Through Witchcraft.
003706 A group of Krishna followers, preaching on the streets of Berkeley, steps from the university, provided many recruits for the hippie movement, where many young Americans escaped from crisis and created imaginary scenes to ease the pain.
004140 The Messiah, known as the leader of the famous underground liberation movement, claimed to turn people into children of God. This manifesto led to the rise of the youth movement in the United States. Half a million followers of the power of Jesus Christ, who moved around California and all other states, were waiting for the return of Christ's revolution to the earth. They sang on the beach, held weddings, and were baptized in the sea. They had no magic tricks, just to find an emotional balance. All these movements have become a mass phenomenon today.
Episode 2 004339 - 0140101
005242 n the Champs-Elysées in Paris, an astrology information shop is open to the public. For 40 francs, an astrologer will provide you with a psychological portrait and horoscope for the next six months. For 25 francs, study the affinity between a man and a woman before they become a couple, to find out if they are suitable for each other. For 20 francs, study the personality of your children
010141 In Los Angeles, California, the most famous astrologer, and perhaps the most famous writer in the United States, Carroll, holds a party every month for clients born under that sign. His astrology column is printed every day in 306 newspapers and into 30 million homes. In the United States, there are 175,000 astrologers. It is a unique profession. It allows people to see the fusion between the rational world of the West and the magic of the East. Here astrology thrives in decline.
010957 There are also some selfless astrologers who are still poor, one of whom is Arthur Kevin, who calls himself a cosmic astrologer. For many young people in the hippie movement, astrology has become a way to escape religion. Every Friday, many young people come here. Kevin doesn't believe that the Pure Land will have an end, people must learn to make it eternal. He believes that many things will happen in the future, such as the outbreak of World War III when Pluto enters Libra, with the center of gravity in Palestine and the Megiddo battlefield
011157 Under the tall buildings and bustling temples in Tokyo, Japan, there are many temporary tents for astrologers and palmists. They use methods such as palm reading, hand cards, divination, and fortune telling to tell their clients' fortunes. They sit on benches and work from day to night
011346 Through complex divination counting, the person seeking the divination can obtain a piece of paper predicting the future. If the prediction is not good, those who think they have been hurt can reject it and stick those notes on the tree, just like Sibyl in Dante's poem, which will be blown away in the wind of Levi
001750 In India, it is different from the West. It has always been a country based on science and religion, and astrology has not been expelled because it is not worth studying. It merges with astronomy and continues to coexist with science in a completely peaceful and natural way. Astrologers are both astronomers and scientists. A observatory built in 1728, consisting of a hemisphere made of black and white marble, subdividing celestial bodies into 360 degrees, is a stunning place
012235 The wedding time of newlyweds is not arranged by the host, but recommended by astrologers based on the rules of astrology. Sometimes it is held at 3 am before dawn. The jewelry worn by the bride is not meant to show off her social status, but is selected by astrologers. Every gemstone has its own meaning. For centuries, Hinduism has preserved these traditions almost intact.
012952 Doctors are jewelers, and jewelers in New Delhi are always enthusiastic astrologers. Indians have transcended commercial fashion and vanity, choosing jewelry is more like a medical consultation. Ruby represents the sun, pearls represent the moon, corals represent Mars, yellow jade represents Jupiter, emeralds represent mercury, diamonds represent Venus, sapphires represent Saturn. In Indian legends, there are almost always princes searching for the stone of redemption to overcome obstacles
013547 Indian astrologers and Tyrologists believe that the wrinkled spider webs on people's palms are a signaling system. It not only provides dynamic information about feelings and mental states, but also provides physiological predictions that can identify certain trends in this or that disease. For example, when some skin turns white, numb may occur; When a certain line passes through the heart, a person will become paralyzed; There is an island on the heart line that is a symbol of ulcer disease and cancer They applied astrology for medical purposes. Diagnosing diseases through palm research is an unresolved issue that needs to be explored
Episode 3 014102 - 022645
014147 In a very impoverished black community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a magical ceremony from Africa is being held. Behind this lies the magic that was forbidden during the era of slavery. The band usually starts playing at night and continues until dawn, carrying out a very dangerous operation to drive away an evil soul. In a violent world, it has great allure. Perhaps black magic and its worship of evil carry a sense of hatred and negativity. But there is no other form of magic that can bring people closer together. The civilization brought by wealth has not shortened the gap, on the contrary, it has exacerbated nightmares and been threatened by evil spirits
015417 Ernani Andrede is the director of the Brazilian Institute of Psychobiophysics. He wants to prove the truth of spiritual reincarnation: in a rare case, a woman who died in the last century will become a girl today. The two individuals also have complete physical similarities. In another case, a little girl named Viviana spoke Italian to her mother when she was one year and eight months old. Afterwards, she mentioned many historical events that only the elderly could remember, as well as the names of some relatives and friends.
021323 There are various black religions spreading in the suburbs of major cities in Brazil, such as Onbanda, Kinbanda, and BlackCanton And it is increasingly becoming a religion of the urban middle class
021533 To become a member of Black Canton, in addition to obeying complex rituals and doctrines, sometimes one must voluntarily serve six months in prison. The children of the saints perform several hours of dance. At the same time, the believers silently waited and prayed devoutly. Magic has created a spirit for these people, helping them survive in social reality
022118 In Accra, the capital of Ghana in Africa, thousands of people come here to search for jobs. They passively accepted a new role as urban residents, and their primitive cultural values were suddenly uprooted from their spiritual world. They turned to magic in order not to completely lose their identity
022457 These black people are restless on the edge of madness. They gathered at a cocoa grower's estate in Accra on their day off to hold a ceremony centered around mocking former colonial, white people, and expressing their no longer obsession with white people and their technological civilization. The existence of these rituals can be explained as a collective psychoanalytic therapy that can temporarily alleviate their physical fatigue, release their soul's anxiety and longing
022533 We even returned to the magical world. Unless technology puts people at the center of its interests, black magic will always exist. The end of magic will only occur with the progress of the spirit, with the development of popular civilization and humanity, and with their social redemption
Ennio Morricone
L'uomo e la magia: Mysticae (1972)
Comet Edizioni Musicali CMT 10013
14 tracks – Duration: 50’46”
Quando nel 1972 il regista e documentarista Sergio Giordani realizza per la RAI otto puntate di un’inchiesta intitolata L’uomo e la magia il 44enne Ennio Morricone è già il compositore italiano per il cinema più richiesto e popolare, con oltre 150 partiture al proprio attivo e lo statuto riconosciuto di musicista capace di conciliare le sperimentazioni più ardite sul terreno della ricerca del suono insieme ad una vena lirico-melodica senza rivali. Ed è probabilmente proprio questo aspetto, che mette insieme le suggestioni improvvisative e d’avanguardia del gruppo Nuova Consonanza, di cui Morricone era una colonna, con l’esperienza evocativa e la smisurata inventiva dimostrate nei film di Sergio Leone, Elio Petri, Gillo Pontecorvo, a rappresentare la caratteristica più vistosa, ancora oggi dopo quarant’anni, di questa partitura, che all’epoca uscì costituendo il debutto dell’etichetta Cometa di Ivana Mattei, con il titolo Mysticae, e consegnò all’ascolto e ad un’enorme popolarità soprattutto il brano denominato “Adagio sacrale n.1”. Ora è la stessa casa romana a ripubblicare, a tiratura limitata, la versione integrale e rimasterizzata digitalmente di questa partitura (originariamente registrata al Forum Studio di Roma con l’insuperabile contributo dell’ingegnere del suono Sergio Marcotulli), con cinque brani inediti che rappresentano in pratica varianti, non secondarie, di alcuni dei nove brani precedenti. L’”Adagio sacrale n.1” d’apertura, come s’è detto il più noto, è una silloge dello stile “mistico”, appunto, morriconiano dell’epoca: la compostezza degli archi, la linea melodica discendente dell’organo a canne, l’impianto barocco, haendeliano più che bachiano, lo sviluppo drammaturgico della pagina ne fanno un manifesto stilistico di raro fascino. Le versioni successive elaborano potenzialità espressive diverse ma convergenti del brano: la scelta del coro a cappella in luogo degli archi nell’”Adagio sacrale n.2” ne rende la severità se possibile ancora più struggente e rimanda ad alcuni momenti di una delle più grandi, complesse e trascurate partiture del Morricone di quegli anni, La tenda rossa (1969, Mikhail Kalatozov), mentre la versione per flauto e archi del n.3, con il contributo in sottofondo del clavicembalo, tocca un pathos che diviene addirittura disarmante con l’intervento della viola d’amore e non può non ricordare alcune delle più intense e dolorose creazioni musicali del maestro in quella stagione (citeremo solo il meraviglioso score per La califfa, 1970, Alberto Bevilacqua). Tra gli inediti, la seconda versione dell’Adagio n.1 recupera il ruolo del coro in accompagnamento ma in una chiave più misterica e siderale, debitrice anche a certe composizioni di György Ligeti.
E il riferimento al maestro ungherese di “Lux aeterna” e “Lontano”, tanto caro a Stanley Kubrick, si fa ancora più evidente in “Allucinazione nell’infinito”, dove le fasce corali fisse sono interpolate da percussioni afro e inserti rapidi del violino solo e dell’organo; diversa la vers.2 del medesimo brano, dove il pulsare della percussione è protagonistico e in aperto, vitale conflitto con l’immobilità angosciosa del tappeto corale – con prevalenza di voci femminili - di sottofondo.
Ancora un coro d’impronta “etnica” primeggia in “Dal sacro libro”, ma qui non sarà difficile riconoscere nell’enunciazione spezzata, nella forma a canone, nel sostegno di percussioni e organo e nella struttura a crescendo progressivo, quasi un’autocitazione dal celeberrimo “Aboliçao” di Queimada (1969, Gillo Pontecorvo). Il recupero di suoni e suggestioni “ambientali” è pieno e totale nello spazio riservato alle percussioni sia in “Urla al tramonto” che “India”, mentre l’assolo squisitamente barocco per organo di “Notte nel nulla” è una pièce di bravura neoclassica di accademica ed assoluta eccellenza.
Sotto il titolo “Lamenti notturni” si dirama invece una vasta serie di diversioni: se la prima è un breve studio per percussioni e strumenti a fiato caratteristici, la vers.2 è forse il track più “spinto” del CD, quello che si affaccia maggiormente sui paesaggi dell’avanguardia, con perforanti effetti dei fiati, quasi a riprodurre onomatopeicamente versi animali, e un utilizzo spregiudicato della percussione. Suoni quasi astrali, ancora una volta ligetiani, anche per la vers.3, un lungo movimento lento e dissonante degli archi reso ancora più inquietante da movenze elettroniche, mentre la vers.4 ripropone i fiati, distorti e improvvisatori, come echi da un mondo sconosciuto e potenzialmente ostile. （Here）
(Translation in online)：Man and Magic: Mystery
Written by Roberto Pugliese . Pubblicato in TV
Ennio Morricone
Man and Magia : Mystery: (1972)
Comet Music Editions CMT 10013
14 tracks – Duration：50'46"
When in 1972 the director and documentary maker Sergio Giordani made eight episodes of an investigation entitled L’uomo e la magia for RAI, the 44-year-old Ennio Morricone was already the most sought-after and popular Italian composer for cinema, with over 150 scores to his credit and the recognized status of a musician capable of reconciling the most daring experiments in the field of sound research together with an unrivaled lyrical-melodic vein. And it is probably precisely this aspect, which brings together the improvisational and avant-garde suggestions of the Nuova Consonanza group, of which Morricone was a pillar, with the evocative experience and boundless inventiveness demonstrated in the films of Sergio Leone, Elio Petri, Gillo Pontecorvo, that represents the most striking characteristic, even today after forty years, of this score, which at the time was released as the debut of Ivana Mattei's Cometa label, with the title Mysticae, and delivered to the listening and to enormous popularity above all the piece called "Adagio sacrale n.1". Now it is the same Roman company that is republishing, in a limited edition, the complete and digitally remastered version of this score (originally recorded at the Forum Studio in Rome with the unsurpassed contribution of the sound engineer Sergio Marcotulli), with five unreleased tracks that practically represent variants, not secondary, of some of the nine previous tracks. The opening “Adagio sacrale n.1”, as has been said the best known, is an anthology of the “mystical” style, precisely, of Morricone of the time: the composure of the strings, the descending melodic line of the pipe organ, the baroque structure, Handelian rather than Bachian, the dramatic development of the page make it a stylistic manifesto of rare charm. The subsequent versions elaborate different but convergent expressive potentialities of the piece: the choice of the a cappella choir instead of the strings in the “Adagio sacrale n.2” makes its severity, if possible, even more poignant and refers to some moments of one of the greatest, most complex and neglected scores of Morricone of those years, La tenda rossa (1969, Mikhail Kalatozov), while the version for flute and strings of n.3, with the contribution of the harpsichord in the background, touches a pathos that becomes even disarming with the intervention of the viola d’amore and cannot fail to recall some of the most intense and painful musical creations of the maestro in that season (we will only mention the wonderful score for La califfa, 1970, Alberto Bevilacqua). Among the unpublished works, the second version of the Adagio n.1 recovers the role of the accompanying choir but in a more mysterious and sidereal key, also indebted to certain compositions by György Ligeti. And the reference to the Hungarian master of “Lux aeterna” and “Lontano”, so dear to Stanley Kubrick, becomes even more evident in “Allucinazione nell’infinito”, where the fixed choral bands are interpolated by Afro percussions and rapid inserts of the solo violin and organ; verse 2 of the same piece is different, where the pulsating percussion is the protagonist and in open, vital conflict with the anguished immobility of the choral carpet – with a prevalence of female voices – in the background.
A choir with an “ethnic” imprint still stands out in “Dal sacro libro”, but here it will not be difficult to recognize in the broken enunciation, in the canon form, in the support of percussions and organ and in the progressive crescendo structure, almost a self-citation from the very famous “Aboliçao” by Queimada (1969, Gillo Pontecorvo). The recovery of “ambient” sounds and suggestions is full and total in the space reserved for percussion in both “Urla al tramonto” and “India”, while the exquisitely baroque solo for organ in “Notte nel nulla” is a pièce of neoclassical bravura of academic and absolute excellence.
Under the title “Lamenti notturni” instead a vast series of diversions branches out: if the first is a short study for percussion and characteristic wind instruments, vers.2 is perhaps the most “pushed” track on the CD, the one that most overlooks the landscapes of the avant-garde, with piercing wind effects, almost onomatopoeically reproducing animal sounds, and an unscrupulous use of percussion. Almost astral sounds, once again Ligetian, also for verse 3, a long slow and dissonant movement of the strings made even more disturbing by electronic movements, while verse 4 proposes the wind instruments again, distorted and improvising, like echoes from an unknown and potentially hostile world.（Here）
MYSTICAE, the CD we are offering you today, contains the original soundtrack composed by Maestro Ennio Morricone for the eight-episode television series L'UOMO E LA MAGIA produced by RAI. MYSTICAE was also the first LP released with the Cometa label (CEM - CMT 1). In 1972, director Sergio Giordani, who had begun his collaboration with RAI in 1963 and who had a great interest in documentaries/investigations, proposed and created a series of eight episodes entitled L'UOMO E LA MAGIA. At the time, this very interesting and extremely challenging subject offered the director the opportunity to try his hand at creating the theme in eight episodes. This truly particular subject dealt with a very delicate, interesting and fascinating subject at the same time: magic and superstition in relation to human life, a subject that had had the power to dominate the mind of humanity since the dawn of time. The soundtrack edition of this television series was entrusted to Cometa Edizioni Musicali. Ivana Mattei, who has been the owner of Cometa for over 40 years, recalls: <> The songs that the Maestro composed for this work were recorded in the Forum Studio in Rome, whose sound engineer was the incomparable Sergio Marcotulli. Needless to say, the soundtrack and the eight-episode series L'UOMO E LA MAGIA were a real success and earned director Sergio Giordani the internazionale ONDAS award. It was real: MAGIC! (Here）
FA7214 "People and Magic/L'uomo e la magia" is a very rare movie. Since its establishment in 2003, I have been searching for it continuously for 21 years, but it has never been found. I finally got it in August this year. This TV series is said to have a total of 5 episodes (some say 8 episodes, but based on the total duration, I believe 5 episodes are more reliable), and currently we have only received 3 of them. However, we can already see its main content and artistic style. For me, this not only eliminates a collection gap, but also feels quite meaningful after obtaining subtitles and watching carefully
In order to gain a deeper understanding of the true story of this Italian dubbed movie, I decided to use a paid website for voice to subtitle conversion (Xunfei Subtitle) to obtain its subtitles. Thanks to the rapid progress of AI intelligence, the subtitles obtained this time, although still have many flaws, have made great progress compared to the subtitles obtained when editing the "Ennio Morricone Rare Volume" two years ago. It has been very helpful to me and has enabled me to create this webpage for everyone, and to give it as a gift to commemorate the 21st anniversary of our website.
The first thing that arose was the need to modify the Chinese translation of this movie. In the past, we translated the Italian word "L'uomo e la magia" as "people and conjuring" according to the usual translation results. Now, I finally know that this movie is not about "conjuring", at least, it should be "magic". Therefore, I have changed it to "Man and magic" in the Chinese filmography. "conjuring" is clearly a technique, and those who master this technology (including its props) can arbitrarily confuse the real with the fake, making you feel magical and amazed. Essentially, it is false; And 'magic', it is often related to religion, usually forming a loose or tight, big or small organization, it is real. Although it sometimes gives people a sense of magic and wonder, it must abide by its own recognized laws and doctrines in order to maintain its vitality and existence
After watching these three episodes of TV resources carefully, I was surprised to see that in such an era when science and technology are quite advanced, the reality of magic still exists all over the world. In the UK, it appears in the form of Christian exorcists. In the United States, France, India and other countries, astrology is generally welcomed. It enters parties, weddings, shopping malls, medical treatment, scientific research and even government authorities. Extreme organizations have even developed into cults that endanger society. In Brazil, black magic, white magic, Jinbanda, Black Canton... and other various sects attract thousands of believers, especially black people who come here from the African continent to survive. Their original cultural values ??are uprooted. In order not to completely lose their identity, they are keen on these magics. In the bustling streets and bustling temples in Japan, fortune tellers give advice to people's daily lives such as weddings and funerals by reading faces, asking for lots, and divination. In many countries, especially India, it is combined with medicine, astronomy, and scientific research, and continues to develop in new ways.
There are two things that are not easy about this movie: First, it is not easy to clarify its theme and viewpoint. Although the audience is told at the beginning of the TV show that it is a documentary research film shot mainly by research institutes, universities, and professors, because it studies and discusses a very sensitive topic, it must face the contradictions that exist in many countries, nationalities, religions, beliefs, etc. that are scattered around the world and even in opposition, and accept their scrutiny and judgment. For example, between developed countries, developing countries, poor and backward countries; between whites, blacks, and people of color; between Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, non-religious beliefs, and various sects with more than 10,000 in the world; between various incompatible social systems and cultures... the real and complicated history and reality. It is indeed not easy to find a language and viewpoint that the vast majority of people can identify with and accept in the face of such reality. But it basically did it; Second, the shooting of the scenes is not easy. From the three episodes we have seen, the director and his team have traveled to five continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Including developed countries such as Britain, France, the United States, and Japan, developing countries such as India and Brazil, and underdeveloped countries such as Ghana. The scenes it shot ranged from exorcism in Britain, astrology in the United States, France, and India, many sects in Brazil, magicians in Japan, jewelry trading in India, and entertainment in the manor of African blacks... to beach parties of hippies and Krishna followers, magic shops on the Champs Elysees, spiritual reincarnation research in Brazil, crazy dances of the Black Canton sect, and dark rituals of the Umbanda and Kimbanda sects... Many of these scenes are even secret, and it is not easy to obtain these scenes. Therefore, it won the International Ondas Award. It allows us to sit at home and witness these precious shots and historical records from all over the world, increase our knowledge, and think about problems. This is a distinctive movie that Morricone fans, especially senior fans, must know and must watch.
What needs to be taken seriously is that extreme magic often evolves into cults. Just like the Manson Massacre that shocked the United States mentioned in this movie, and the American People's Temple that shocked the world in our time, Japan's Aum Shinrikyo, etc., they are the public enemy of mankind regardless of any social system. It is also a social phenomenon that kind people must be highly vigilant against.
How to understand and treat this "magic" phenomenon that is prevalent all over the world, at the end of the third episode of our current three-episode TV series, the director has already made clear his basic views. He said: "Unless technology puts people at the center of their interests, there will always be black magic. And the end of magic will only happen with the progress of the spirit, with the civilization of the masses and the development of mankind, with their social salvation." Although these words leave a lot of room for specific interpretation, his core idea is clear, simple and direct, that is: "Technological progress and human development must solve the problem of the reasonable distribution of benefits, otherwise, the "magic" phenomenon will continue to exist." I hope that such a day will eventually come to the world! .
Morricone's music for this film has been widely praised. Morricone is a devout Catholic who has practiced religious beliefs throughout his life, and has been modest and prudent, and has upheld justice. He has composed a large number of famous music for films and social activities with religious themes, and this TV series is one of them. The 11 pieces of music shown above can be roughly divided into two themes: the first theme is represented by "001 - Adagio sacrale No.1", "005 - No.2" and "007 - No.3", which show and praise the sacredness and sublimity of religion. It is dominated by the Hammond organ and joined by the performance of violins, creating a serene and harmonious atmosphere of being in the starry sky. The human voice humming in No.2 deepens this atmosphere. In No. 3, the addition of flute brings uneasiness and restlessness, suggesting the dark attributes of magic; the second theme is represented by "004-Allucinazione nell'infinito" and "011-Faith". The snare drums that appear and disappear in the infinite and deep background of time and space, the gradually increasing "HU-HA" and the chorus voices show the cohesion of magic, bringing liberation and hope to people who are trapped in confusion and pain. Another point to mention is that we have previously published music related materials for the movie FA7703 "L'exorcista II: l'eretico/Exorcist 2" (see here and here). At that time, we did not have much knowledge about magic. Looking back now, our knowledge of Morricone's film music is still relatively superficial, which requires us to learn more in the future.
From the perspective of amateurs and entertainment, such a movie is still relatively boring. For this, we have to thank the master Morricone. It is his great music that leads us to try to find this movie, pay attention to its theme, and study its content. It enables us to have a general understanding and knowledge of the widespread magic phenomenon in this world. In the tide of rapid development of science and technology and continuous progress of social civilization, we should not only study some scientific components of magic, but also not ignore those who are still struggling to survive in the shadow of magic, so as to achieve social justice and work hard for the beautiful common destiny of mankind.
2003-2024
Celebrating the 21st anniversary of the creation of this website
Doing it alone is life, doing it together is a career!
To commemorate 21st anniversary of establishment of this website, this rare resource is specially provided to readers. RAR compressed file, 1.04G, decompression password morricone.cn
It includes MP4 videos of the merged episodes 1-3 of the TV series "L'uomo e la magia", with embedded EN subtitles. And RAI TV interview videos with CN and EN subtitles added externally
Starting from August 25, 2024, 7 days of public downloads will be available
