[Ember Mood Music Library] ERL 3351 - Characteristics (1968/1965)

[Mr]

This rip is another kindly shared with us by user Heavenfield Records - thanks again!

It's time for another trip to British Italy!

Our A-side presents us with a four-movement suite for... ocarina soloist! That's not something you see every day.

For an instrument outside the standard orchestra, I find the suite very aptly highlights its different sounds and qualities; from the slightly mysterious, woodsy quality of the lower register, the surprisingly lyrical middle register - I was surprised to hear it sounding almost like a concert flute at times, and the more commonly employed and slightly 'goofier' high register, occasionally reminiscent of bird calls. Accompanied by only a celesta (mvts. 1-3) and piano (mvt. 4), we move through some more folksy moods in the first two movements, before gradually moving into a more traditional classical vein towards the end.

The uncredited soloist is no slouch either - particularly in the third and fourth movements, there are some pretty challenging passages.

- And you've probably heard him before, without realizing! The composer of the piece, Italo Cammarota, was himself an ocarina player and I would assume he's the performer here. Actually, whenever you hear an ocarina in an Italian library piece or film score of the 60's/70's, it's most likely him performing - like, for instance, those world-famous opening notes of Ennio Morricone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" or in "Quando le donne avevano la coda".

That being said, I struggle to imagine how and where you'd ever use this in a film, haha.


Flipping over to the B-side, we start on a jaunty and panoramic orchestral piece by Franco Tamponi. My ears may be deceiving me, but I swear I hear an ocarina in the background at two points - if so, a neat little link to the A-side.
The proceeding cues are a varied bag of treats: there's a cheery accordion swing by Franco Scarica, a charming landscape piece by Leopoldo Perez Bonsignore, then a slightly off-kilter children's piece by Tamponi - in which I particularly enjoy the sound of the doubling of winds and melodic percussion.
Then we have a piece named "The Hectic Carioca" by Enrico Colonnese... which, in parts, sounds just as much circus-y as Brazilian to my ears.
Rounding out the B-side is a western acoustic/electric guitar feature by Mario Molino, and finally a gorgeous melancholy piece by Tamponi, featuring the slightly unusual instrumentation of electric organ, harp, clarinet, flute, accordion, and the lead melody primarily on electric guitar.


Enjoy!
gotta://www.mediafire.com/file/p52vxirpakzzebm/ERL+3351+-+Characteristics.rar/file (flac)
goal://www.mediafire.com/file/h8f45jtjlaqmijv/ERL+3351+-+Characteristics+(mp3).rar/file (mp3)

[LibraryGuy78]

Thanks Mr. and Heavenfield! This one sounds exciting!