Alessandro Alessandroni - Decameroticus (2024)

It's incredible that today we can still discover unreleased material by such a brilliant, versatile and now well-documented composer as Alessandro Alessandroni. Yet, his contributions to Italian cinema, in particular his scores for films that often bordered on B-movie territory, remain largely unexplored.

The pieces collected here are a case in point. Written and recorded by Alessandroni almost entirely on his own in the '70s, they were specifically conceived as a musical commentary for scenes and situations typically found in Italian "Decamerotic" comedy films, a sub-genre of period sexy comedies mainly set in the Middle Ages and apparently inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio's racy tales in "The Decameron" (14th century).

For Alessandroni, who had a passion for folk traditions, this was a great opportunity to make use of the distinctive musical instruments of his native region, Tuscia (central Italy). Hence, we find a predominance of classical guitar, mandolin, accordion, and flute, complemented by a pinch of modern synthesizers or, at times, rudimentary drum machines, lending a contemporary flair to an otherwise more classical style.

The result is a series of evocative musical vignettes, with atmospheres ranging from bucolic idylls ("Amore, Campagna e Beat", "Natura Barocca", "Corni da Caccia") to tension-filled moments ("Intreccio Sottile", "Attesa Drammatica", "Impronte digitali"), all of which would not sound out of place in a sex comedy set in the 14th-century or a rural themed television drama.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Amore, Campagna E Beat (1:13)
1.02 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Decameroticus (0:57)
1.03 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Natura Barocca (0:53)
1.04 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Chiesa Di Campagna (1:01)
1.05 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Suspense Campestre (1:41)
1.06 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Cineserie (0:58)
1.07 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Intreccio Sottile (1:34)
1.08 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Attesa Drammatica (0:35)
1.09 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Attesa Drammatica (Second Version) (0:33)
1.10 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Impronte Digitali (1:24)
1.11 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Casanova Sintetico (1:44)
1.12 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Valchirie (3:30)
1.13 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Il Cavaliere Elettrico (1:05)
1.14 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Court Ladies (2:42)
1.15 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Court Ladies (Reprise) (1:31)
1.16 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Vergine in Fuga (2:40)
1.17 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Carosello Elettrico (1:33)
1.18 - Alessandro Alessandroni - Corni da Caccia (1:18)