“Testa o Croce? Soundtrack review

 

Collonnescore

By Vittorio Giampietro

January 10, 2026

 

Country: Italy

Composer: Vittorio Giampietro

Label: Folkgang Records

Tracks - 27 tracks

Duration – 42:54 minutes

 

An irreverent anti-western about the arrival, in the early '900, of the Buffalo Bill show in Italy and the escape of two lovers in danger. The film, directed by Matteo Zoppis and Alessio Rigo de Righi, with John C. Reilly (Carnage, Laurel & Hardy) and Alessandro Borghi (Suburra, The First King), is punctuated by the notes of Vittorio Giampietro (King Crab, The Conspiracy theorist) who describes the score as follows: <<I started composing the soundtrack already from the script, creating musical themes related to the characters and instruments. I developed main motifs and songs inspired by westerns and Italian tradition, written between the set and my studio>>. Instruments such as saloon-style piano, acoustic guitars (all recorded by Mick Dimitri who also wrote additional songs), drums, accordion, violins, bamboo flute, the Indian shrutibox and percussion excel. The five songs, with lyrics and music by Giampietro – including the lyric "Arriva Buffalo Bill" interpreted by Ivan Caminiti, the whistling Love Ballad "Amore bello mio" sung by Borghi and the folk "Birdie" vocalized by Reilly – are folklore of a day in our house (goliardic and rebellious stornelli or popular chants), within a genuinely acoustic score, between Armando Trovajoli (the nostalgic and loving "Tema di Rosa" for solo piano, the lullaby "Rosa's Dream" or the disconsolate guitar of "Al fienile") and Ry Cooder (the dixieland folk cantabile "Buffalo Bill's Tale" or the hobbling breathless rhythm of "Wild West Show Rodeo", "La scommessa" as well as the alienating "Le rane")." Un colpo hanno sparato" is a song similar to the songs of the Alpini, whispered by a choir formed by the composer in his Roman Folkstudio, which includes Giulio Grazia, Quirino Cifra and Mattia Pacilli.

 

Track Listing:

01 Buffalo Bill’s Tale – 1:14

02 Arriva Buffalo Bill – 3:12

03 La scommessa – 1:27

04 Wild West Show Rodeo – 2:32

05 Fuga per vento a Violino – 0:57

06 Doppio bacio – 0:34

07 La ferrovia – 0:59

08 Un colpo han sparato 1:32

09 Amore bellomio (Film Version) – 0:47

10 Dove mi porti Cowboy? – 0:48

11 Heads or tails? (Piano Carillon) – 1:01

12 Icani – 1:28

13 la notte del Cagnaccio – 1:05

14 Al fienile - 1:50

15 Le rane – 1:08

16 La Caepina – 1:29

17 Il treno dei ribelli – 3:20

18 Rosa’s Dream – 1:26

19 Dentro la grotta – 1:06

20 Fuori la rotta - 1:36

21 The Legend of El Muerto – 1:55

22 Le nuvole – 2:13

23 The perfect Ending – 1:40

24 La morte di Rupe – 0:29

25 Testa o Croce? (Main Theme) – 2:13

26 Amore bello mio – 2:17

27 Tema di Rosa (Extended Piano Version) – 2:34