A new Italian CD release “C’era una volta il West”

 

C’era una volta il West

(Once Upon a Time in the West)

(1968)

 

Composer: Ennio Morricone

Director: Sergio Leone

Starring: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale

 

Country: Italy

Label: BEAT

#CDX1033

Tracks: 27

Listening time: 1:05:01

Available: March 10, 2024

 

Track listing:

1. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST 3:41

2. THE MAN 1:01

3. THE GREAT MASSACRE 2:38

4. ARRIVING TO STATION 0:53

5. L'ORCHESTRACCIA 2:22

6. JILL'S AMERICA 2:45

7. HARMONICA 2:25

8. THE INN N. 1 1:37

9. BED TOO BIG 1:30

10. JILL 1:45

11. FRANK 1:49

12. CHEYENNE 1:14

13. THE INN N. 2 1:31

14. THE INN N. 3 1:16

15. EPILOGUE 1:12

16. ON THE ROOF OF THE TRAIN 1:18

17. THE HARMONIC MAN 3:27

18. IN A ROOM WITH LOW LIGHT 5:06

19. THE ATTACK 4:37

20. BACK TO TRAIN 0:56

21. MORTON 1:34

22. LIKE A SENTENCE 3:06

23. FINAL DUEL 3:33

24. THE LAST ROUND 1:43

25. BORN OF A CITY 4:22

26. BYE BYE CHEYENNE 2:37

27. FINAL 4:09

 

55 years ago, the 4th Western film directed by Sergio Leone, ONCE UPON A TIME THE WEST, was released in theaters, which in the director’s intentions should have closed the circle of his commitment to this film genre. The film marks a decisive artistic change from the dollar trilogy, it is an epic movie, strongly allegorical and with immense lyrical charge. Considered by many the musical masterpiece of Maestro Morricone, he punishes that stylistic evolution of his music that are often adapted to a role that is often superior to that of images. Exceptional collaborators such as Edda Dell'Orso, Alessandro Alessandroni and Franco De Gemini are the protagonists of these musicals that have their director in the Maestro. And to one of them, Franco De Gemini, Beat Records in collaboration with Universal Music Publishing wants to dedicate this reissue of the 50th anniversary edition, in a form you have never seen before.

A meticulous remastering work by Claudio Fuiano and Daniel Winkler has corrected some formal inaccuracies of the anyway fabulous old editions as well as some venial sin of stereophony and finally we can say we have an album that plays up to our expectations for such a millennial edition of this column sound.

But the surprises are not over, five years after the death of the popular Ferrara accordionist, in his private archive was found the complete session of recording the music, a document of over three hours with so many studio voices from which we extracted a small cameo in which Franco’s voice can be heard while rehearsing to find the right timer for the sound of the accordion.

At the end of the album, we give it to you, as a memory of this great accordion artist, a sonic cameo that testifies to his operosity in his small way.

The CD comes in a jewelbox package with a 24-page booklet, richly illustrated and with production notes edited by Daniele De Gemini, the 4 laminated cards and all enclosed in an outer cardboard case.

Limited edition to 500 copies, unmissable for those who love dates with the history of music and cinema, in capital letters.