Appassionata (Passionate) [Original Film Soundtrack] (1974)

Appassionata (Passionate) [Original Film Soundtrack] (1974) Composed by Piero Piccioni (1921-2004) Tracklisting: 1. [00:00] Strano Mercoledi' 2 2. [03:57] La Chatte 3. [06:51] Appassionata 4. [10:24] Descrizione Di Un Sogno 5. [13:10] Valzer Di Valentina 6. [17:05] Presi Per Incantamento 7. [20:06] Donna Oggetto Non Identificato 8. [22:46] Altri Legami Più Tenui 9. [27:34] La Chatte A' La Satie 10. [29:34] Appassionata № 2 11. [32:40] Strano Mercoledi'18 12. [34:54] Strano Mercoledi'11 13. [37:07] Strano Mercoledi'16 14. [39:29] Valzer Di Valentina № 2 15. [42:00] Presi Per Incantamento № 2 16. [43:38] La Chatte A' La Satie № 2 Directed by Gianluigi Calderone, Appassionata (Passionate) is an Italian erotic drama film that was co-written with Alessandro Parenzo and Domenico Rafele. The film stars Gabriele Ferzetti (1925-2015), Ornella Muti, Eleonora Giorgi, Valentina Cortese (1923-2019), Ninetto Davoli, and Renata Zamengo. While there's an earnest dramatic side to this film, Appassionata (Passionate) was a difficult and disturbing drama upon release, depicting such taboo subjects as mental illness, family dysfunction, incest and the early sexual awakening of teenagers. To be fair, the film is nowhere near as offensive and disturbing as it actually sounds. It's directed with subtlety and a certain amount of class making it closer to Italian art than Italian sleaze. Dr. Emilio Rutelli (Gabriele Ferzetti) is a successful dentist, whose practice affords his family a comfortable living. His wife Elisa (Valentina Cortese) is a stay-at-home mother who once enjoyed a career as a talented musician, and daughter Eugenia (Ornella Muti) is a beautiful teenage girl who is popular at school and dotes on her father. But below the surface of this family are some deep fissures. Elisa gave up her promising career as a pianist to marry and start a family, and resents her shattered dreams. As a result, she's deeply depressed and neurotic, causing Emilio to wonder if their best recourse is to institutionalize her. Eugenia despises her manic-depressive mother and instead lavishes all her affection to her father, with whom she has an Oedipal infatuation. Emilio is in the middle of it all trying to be a good and loving father and husband, but is completely ineffectual under these absurdly impossible circumstances. The family is a powder keg, ready to blow. The fuse comes in the form of Eugenia's friend Nicola (Eleonora Giorgi), who turns her attention to Emilio, who in turn succumbs to the girl's advances. Surprisingly, Nicola also forms a bond with Elisa and resents her cruel treatment at the hands of her daughter, showing a compassionate side and adding yet another complex layer of drama to the insanity. The result is a maze of secrets, lies, and a taboo love triangle at its center between Emilio, his deranged wife, incest-curious daughter, and a teenage nymphomaniac. Appassionata (Passionate) is nevertheless a surprisingly intuitive drama, beautifully shot by Armando Nannuzzi, whose use of colour here is both vibrant and terrifying. As the two teens use budding sexuality to destroy their fragile family, Appassionata (Passionate) becomes a frank and even disturbing look at the power of sex, not as a unifying force, but as a weapon with the power to destroy even the strongest of hearts. Appassionata (Passionate) was made all the more sensual by a lush score by Pianist and composer Piero Piccioni. Even though the plot differs from Last Tango in Paris (1972), it’s quite clear composer Piero Piccioni was either inspired by the sax-heavy, orchestral-lounge fusion of Gato Barbieri's score, or director Gianluigi Calderone wanted a score written in that specific style, with a similar emphasis on sax, strings, waltzes, and melancholy. Right from the first cue, Piccioni sets up light sax, quixotic organ, and punchy drums, while other themes include a delicate waltz with a dominant mandolin conveying a romantic ambiance, and a variation (Valzer di Valzentina) with strings and shimmering organ. Piccioni's love of electric organ also manifests itself, as does solo piano pieces and striking theme variations, where he twists the melody into a deeply melancholic shade as the drama becomes darker, such as 'La chatte a la Satie', where every note is a bit off, and the carnival organ notes are imprecise. The same deliberate imperfections appear in 'Appassionata № 2' where the notes on keyboards transgress into a slight discord. There are few Italian film composers who can boast the prolificacy of Peiro Piccioni. Since the 1950's, this prolific pianist, organist, and conductor has composed music for over three hundred films of all genres, and has been celebrated by a growing number of soundtrack collectors for his innovative blend of musical styles thus gaining a cult following in recent years. This video is for promotional use only. I do not own the rights to the music. All rights belong to the artist / band.