Romeo and Juliet is an absolute must! One of the most heartbreaking scores I’ve ever heard. I would recommend War and Peace as well, except there’s no good edition of it out right now.
In a recent thread, Stephen mentioned that there is a new release of LA DOLCE VITA coming out.
Unfortunately, not only am I unfamiliar with this score, but I'm unfamiliar with the majority of Nino Rota's output.
Apart from THE GODFATHER, THE GODFATHER, PART II, and DEATH ON THE NILE, I have not heard any of his other scores.
For those that are more familiar with his work, where would you recommend I begin?
Thanks!
My favourites include La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2 and Amarcord, such a wealth of melodic material (and great films as well). I also have a really soft spot for Toby Dammit, Fellini’s section of the portmanteau film Spirits of the Dead. Alas I missed out on the Quartet release, but one day…
I did buy their Il Bidone, however, and it’s a joy.
I see that ROMEO AND JULIET is still available at Quartet, but temporarily Out of Stock. I'm going to have to listen to the samples along with those that Spinmeister included.
Night, I've heard that LA STRADA is one of Fellini's best films. I'll check to see if those compilation albums are available to sample anywhere.
In a recent thread, Stephen mentioned that there is a new release of LA DOLCE VITA coming out.
Unfortunately, not only am I unfamiliar with this score, but I'm unfamiliar with the majority of Nino Rota's output.
Apart from THE GODFATHER, THE GODFATHER, PART II, and DEATH ON THE NILE, I have not heard any of his other scores.
For those that are more familiar with his work, where would you recommend I begin?
Thanks!
My favourites include La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2 and Amarcord, such a wealth of melodic material (and great films as well). I also have a really soft spot for Toby Dammit, Fellini’s section of the portmanteau film Spirits of the Dead. Alas I missed out on the Quartet release, but one day…
I did buy their Il Bidone, however, and it’s a joy.
I just listened to the samples of 8 1/2 and LA DOLCE VITA and like what I heard. I'm assuming that the editions from Quartet are the most comprehensive available.
Night, I've heard that LA STRADA is one of Fellini's best films. I'll check to see if those compilation albums are available to sample anywhere.
Yes, La Strada is my favorite Fellini film. It is also certainly my favorite Rota score.
The second compilation album is available to stream on Spotify, here: https://open.spotify.com/album/3uF0frywNy26q7JUT4qN6g?si=92hRz176Rw-TDax8EVzk4w (most recommended on the album is the long La Strada suite as well as the 8½ track called La Passerella di Addio, both of which are some of Rota's best music). The first compilation album isn't available to stream on Spotify.
The first compilation album contains what I consider to be Rota's best single composition and one of the highest points in film music history, namely the legendary Gelsomina from La Strada, this piece:
Along with ROMEO AND JULIET (1968), I particularly like Rota's score for Franco Zeffirelli's Shakespeare adaptation of a year earlier, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.
Then, there are Rota's two scores of the Napoleonic era: WAR AND PEACE (1956) and WATERLOO (1970). Unfortunately, the Italian mono recording of the former is not of the highest quality. Things had improved considerably by the time it came to recording the stereo WATERLOO.
Another Rota score for a historical epic is 1963's THE LEOPARD, Luchino Visconti's film of 1860s Sicily. Visconti asked Rota to use the music of one of his - then - unreleased symphonies. And so, much of the score is based on Rota's "Sinfonia Sopra Una Canzone D'Amore."
The best release comes from Quartet. It features, for the first time, the entire score sequenced in film order, restored and mastered by Chris Malone, using first-generation tapes from the CAM archives (mostly mono session elements and mono album masters), as well as the Rota-approved LP program issued in 1979 (remastered from the best sources—mostly two-channel stereo). Extras include cuts from stereo album masters and alternate takes.
Then, there are Rota's two scores of Napoleonic France: WAR AND PEACE (1956) and WATERLOO (1970). Unfortunately, the Italian mono recording of the former is not of the highest quality. Things had improved considerably by the time it came to recording the stereo WATERLOO.
While the original recording of War and Peace isn’t really top notch, the heavy reverb on the current releases don’t exactly help its case (the music sounds somewhat better in the film itself). A remastered version of that score is one of most wanted releases and I really hope Quartet eventually gets to doing it.
Not sure about "recommendations", my TRop 10 Nino Rota scores are:
1- The Leopard 2- Romeo & Juliet 4- War and Peace 5- Rocco and His Brothers 6- The Taming of the Shrew 7- Amarcord 8- La strada 9- Casanova 10- Treno popolare
Romeo and Juliet is an absolute must! One of the most heartbreaking scores I’ve ever heard. I would recommend War and Peace as well, except there’s no good edition of it out right now.
For me, this is the most essential Rota. A really brilliant fusion of Renaissance and modern styles, and one of the great musico-dramatic moments in Film - when Romeo and the messenger pass each other on the road, not recognizing each other or that the messenger could prevent the tragedy to come. Brilliant, heartbreaking moment, and the music made it. Always hits me in the gut when I listen to the album.
And of course a love theme for the ages, that is most powerful in its original form.
The Savina-conducted Rota/Fellini compilation is an absolute must because you get newer recordings of the earlier R/F collaborations that exist only with sub-par sound. Most of that CD was recorded at the time of Amarcord, and that album, only released on LP, is perfect. The CD adds tracks and is all good, but that LP is so well put together.
Other R/F favorites: La Dolce Vita, Juliet of the Spirits, Amarcord, Casanova, La Strada, Il Bidone . . . really, you can't go wrong with any of them.
Romeo and Juliet is a must. The two Godfathers. Death on the Nile.
And I really love Fortunella, a 1958 comedy that Fellini co-wrote. What's interesting here is that this is the film for which Rota wrote what years later became The Godfather theme. Rota works many variations on this theme, many of them comic, and it is just delightful. I would help fund a kickstarter to get this re-recorded in better sound.
Il gattopardo is one of my favorite Rota scores, based on one of his sympony works along with some nice new compositions like „Titoli“. It‘s just a wonderful score for a wonderful film.
Rota was so versatile. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for a traditional symphonic score of his like The Leopard, other times a jazzier one like La Dolce Vita, sometimes a bonkers score like Juliet of the Spirits. All great.
