La Cosa Buffa
Ennio Morricone
" La Cosa Buffa is simply an uninspiring and boring work. "Written by Joep de Bruijn - Review of the expanded release
La Cosa Buffa is a 1971 romantic drama directed by Aldo Lado. The director worked with Morricone numerous times, including iconic horror scores to La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro (1971) Chi l'ha Vista Morire? (1972) and L'Ultimo Treno della Notte (1975). La Cosa Buffa is quite an atypical kind of romantic drama score that Morricone, and other Italian composers, often wrote in the same period, but not without the cliched, idiosyncratic trademarks of the maestro.
The score features a single, average theme and virtually every cue, apart from two rock cues, there is nothing else that offers something new. The theme embodies of mixture of feelings of sadness and romance, but undergoes variation with an explicitly happy, groovy and even rare ominous tone. Basically, it feeds on the same notes over and over again. Talented musicians play orchestral instruments, the voices of Edda Dell’Orso and the I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni choir , guitar riffs, and hammond organs, they all help in giving the different takes on the theme a different colour and feel, but they really feel like pointless and tiresome attempts.
The composer has written some scores that are very repititive and unpleasant. Perhaps the most interesting is Il Maestro E Margherita, containing a strong theme and a masterclass at how you can reorchestrate a single theme sublimely. I just can´t bear it, and it can be even more difficult for projects that primarily focus on happiness and romantic moods. La Cosa Buffa is simply an unspiring and boring work.
La Cosa Buffa was from the same year as the great Maddalena score, with the breathtaking Chi Mai cue. The much praised string section of the cue is heard similarly in pieces such as Pensando a Maria, Esercizio con Maria and the jazzier La cosa buffa (reprise 8) . Another ´highlight´ is the La cosa buffa (reprise 1)), employing the rather sensual breathing sounds of Edda del Orso, yet never becoming memorable at all.
The original 30 minute long Cinevox lp is no better than the expanded Cinevox release featuring many alternate takes. There just is too much repetion of the same saturated theme.
Tracklist
1. La cosa buffa (03:06)
2. Pensando a Maria (03:26)
3. Indecisione con Maria (03:08)
4. Esercizio con Maria (01:54)
5. Strani pensieri (03:07)
6. Ritorno a Casa (01:42)
7. Come Giulietta e Romeo (02:17)
8. Gocce di pioggia (03:07)
9. Catalogo incompleto (09:36)
10. La cosa buffa (reprise 1) (02:29)
11. Ballabile n.1 (01:52)
12. La cosa buffa (reprise 2) (02:57)
13. La cosa buffa (reprise 3) (01:25)
14. La cosa buffa (reprise 4) (01:17)
15. Ballibile n.2 (01:43)
16. La cosa buffa (reprise 5) (00:30)
17. La cosa buffa (reprise 6) (01:13)
18. Catalogo incompleto (Alternate film version) (09:47)
19. Indecisione con Maria (alternate film version) (01:57)
20. La cosa buffa (reprise 7) (02:28)
21. ballabile n.3 (00:56)
22. La cosa buffa (reprise 8) (01:09)
23. Ballabile n.4 (01:12)
24. La cosa buffa (reprise 9) (01:38)
25. Ballibile n.5 (01:32)
Total Duration: 01:05
(written 10-07-2019)
The score features a single, average theme and virtually every cue, apart from two rock cues, there is nothing else that offers something new. The theme embodies of mixture of feelings of sadness and romance, but undergoes variation with an explicitly happy, groovy and even rare ominous tone. Basically, it feeds on the same notes over and over again. Talented musicians play orchestral instruments, the voices of Edda Dell’Orso and the I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni choir , guitar riffs, and hammond organs, they all help in giving the different takes on the theme a different colour and feel, but they really feel like pointless and tiresome attempts.
The composer has written some scores that are very repititive and unpleasant. Perhaps the most interesting is Il Maestro E Margherita, containing a strong theme and a masterclass at how you can reorchestrate a single theme sublimely. I just can´t bear it, and it can be even more difficult for projects that primarily focus on happiness and romantic moods. La Cosa Buffa is simply an unspiring and boring work.
La Cosa Buffa was from the same year as the great Maddalena score, with the breathtaking Chi Mai cue. The much praised string section of the cue is heard similarly in pieces such as Pensando a Maria, Esercizio con Maria and the jazzier La cosa buffa (reprise 8) . Another ´highlight´ is the La cosa buffa (reprise 1)), employing the rather sensual breathing sounds of Edda del Orso, yet never becoming memorable at all.
The original 30 minute long Cinevox lp is no better than the expanded Cinevox release featuring many alternate takes. There just is too much repetion of the same saturated theme.
Tracklist
1. La cosa buffa (03:06)
2. Pensando a Maria (03:26)
3. Indecisione con Maria (03:08)
4. Esercizio con Maria (01:54)
5. Strani pensieri (03:07)
6. Ritorno a Casa (01:42)
7. Come Giulietta e Romeo (02:17)
8. Gocce di pioggia (03:07)
9. Catalogo incompleto (09:36)
10. La cosa buffa (reprise 1) (02:29)
11. Ballabile n.1 (01:52)
12. La cosa buffa (reprise 2) (02:57)
13. La cosa buffa (reprise 3) (01:25)
14. La cosa buffa (reprise 4) (01:17)
15. Ballibile n.2 (01:43)
16. La cosa buffa (reprise 5) (00:30)
17. La cosa buffa (reprise 6) (01:13)
18. Catalogo incompleto (Alternate film version) (09:47)
19. Indecisione con Maria (alternate film version) (01:57)
20. La cosa buffa (reprise 7) (02:28)
21. ballabile n.3 (00:56)
22. La cosa buffa (reprise 8) (01:09)
23. Ballabile n.4 (01:12)
24. La cosa buffa (reprise 9) (01:38)
25. Ballibile n.5 (01:32)
Total Duration: 01:05
(written 10-07-2019)