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Alhambra Records in Germany is very proud to release for the first time in full stereo one of the most important scores by famous Italian composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino which has never before been available on CD: L'ULTIMO PARADISO (THE LAST PARADISE) from 1957. This wonderful CD project - our third Lavagnino CD after L'IMPERO DEL SOLE and CONTINENTE PERDUTO - has only been possible thanks to the generous support of the three daughters of the composer - Bianca, Iudica and Alessandra Lavagnino -, who still have a copy of the original mastertape in stereo in their personal archive. The original open reel tape has been transferred for our CD by famous sound engineer Federico Savina in Rome. With L'ULTIMO PARADISO the genre of the exotic documentary films so popular in Italy during the mid-50s reached its peak in 1957. As third part of the unofficial travelogue trilogy it became an immense international hit, especially in Germany after it had been awarded there with the Silver Bear prize at the Berlin film festival in June 1957. It was shot on location in Polynesia where the film crew had spent nine months to discover the lives, loves and traditions of the native people and of course it was released - as was almost the custom for these large-scale pictures at that time - in colour, Cinemascope and stereophonic sound. Director Folco Quilici had always been fascinated with the relationship between man and the sea, and it is this theme which did also find its deep expression in the visually stunning and spectacular imagery of L'ULTIMO PARADISO. The breathtaking exotic scenery and the erotic scenes with the bare-breasted native girls - quite daring for that time - did contribute enormously to the commercial success of the movie. Quilici opted for a combination of documentary and feature film elements to reflect in three different episodes on the idyllic life of the Polynesian natives and to contrast nature with corrupted civilization. The composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino drew his inspiration from original Polynesian music which was recorded by the sound engineers of the film and from records with local folklore, but of course he tried to integrate these influences into his own characteristic symphonic style. His richly melodic and sweeping score for L'ULTIMO PARADISO soon became one of his most popular and successful works with which he is identified till today. The joyful and thrilling main theme "Song of the South Sea", introduced by exotic percussion and enriched by vocalising choir, immediately paints a lively musical picture of those tropical islands with their blue lagoons, wild palms and barely-clad native girls. As is typical of Lavagnino's style, the colourful orchestrations and the extensive use of choir play an important part throughout this varied score. The lilting and ear-catching theme for the "Sunrise at Papeete", whistled by Lavagnino himself and accompanied by strummed guitar, is one of the reasons for the popularity of the score and became an instant hit after the film's release. Till now 15 tracks with only about 27 minutes of the original recording of L'ULTIMO PARADISO had been available in mono on a rare German Polydor LP from 1957 which was later reissued on a Japanese LP in 1983 and also (together with some tracks from CONTINENTE PERDUTO on an Italian Polydor LP in the same year. We are therefore very proud that we can now release for the very first time on CD the complete score in chronological order with more than 50 minutes (plus some bonus tracks with about 20 minutes) in full stereo as it was originally intended which is quite sensational for an Italian soundtrack from 1957. Only two tracks ("The Lagoon", "The Call of the Isles") were missing and one ("Shells") was damaged on Lavagnino's own mastertape copy which we could use so that we had to take these three cues from the LP record itself. This CD edition which has a 12-page booklet will be limited to 500 copies and will be available in the first week of June . Pre-orders can now be made at SAE where you can also find tracklisting and sound clips: http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/15448/LULTIMO-PARADISO-500-EDITION-PRE-ORDER/ The CD will also soon be available at the usual German and Italian soundtrack dealers.
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Posted: |
May 23, 2011 - 5:57 PM
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By: |
MMM
(Member)
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I have the previous two and they're brilliant. I ordered the new one as well. In fact, I ordered a bunch of LOST CONTINENTs. The fact that a label can't sell out spectacular music like this while some truly wretched things get cranked out on this side of the ocean and sell 2,000 copies in no time is baffling and more than a little depressing. I mean, nostalgia for things you like is one thing, but isn't anyone interested in the quality of the music? These Lavagnino scores are priceless, but today's audience finally gets Bernard Herrmann's Alfred Hitchcock scores after decades of waiting for them, and I read complaints that it's "TV music" or "mono." Obviously, the torch has been passed to a new, younger generation of film music "fans" who don't give a rat's you-know-what about music that came before they were born. They probably don't know the names of any U. S. Presidents before George Bush, and they probably think John Wayne was not an actor, but is somehow related to Lil Wayne. And I'm no old-time fuddy duddy who only likes music from his own generation. But I'd like to think I can recognize musical talent regardless of the era it was written in.
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L'ULTIMO PARADISO (THE LAST PARADISE) from 1957. With L'ULTIMO PARADISO the genre of the exotic documentary films so popular in Italy during the mid-50s reached its peak in 1957. As third part of the unofficial travelogue trilogy it became an immense international hit, especially in Germany after it had been awarded there with the Silver Bear prize at the Berlin film festival in June 1957... ...Till now 15 tracks with only about 27 minutes of the original recording of L'ULTIMO PARADISO had been available in mono on a rare German Polydor LP from 1957 which was later reissued on a Japanese LP in 1983 and also (together with some tracks from CONTINENTE PERDUTO on an Italian Polydor LP in the same year. We are therefore very proud that we can now release for the very first time on CD the complete score in chronological order with more than 50 minutes (plus some bonus tracks with about 20 minutes) in full stereo as it was originally intended which is quite sensational for an Italian soundtrack from 1957. Hi, Stefan. While 1957 is the year during which L'ultimo paradiso won the award and had its music issued on LPs & EPs, the film itself was shown as early as November of 1955 within Italy. Are the dates from these recording sessions known? I guess the recordings would have had to been completed by October of 1955 for its November premiere. If so - and if Lavagnino recorded his music 10 months after he composed his themes, then perhaps Lavagnino commenced work on this score even prior to 1955. Can you add any additional information here that wasn't mentioned in Alhambra's notes for this CD?
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While 1957 is the year during which L'ultimo paradiso won the award and had its music issued on LPs & EPs, the film itself was shown as early as November of 1955 within Italy. Are the dates from these recording sessions known? I guess the recordings would have had to been completed by October of 1955 for its November premiere. If so - and if Lavagnino recorded his music 10 months after he composed his themes, then perhaps Lavagnino commenced work on this score even prior to 1955. Can you add any additional information here that wasn't mentioned in Alhambra's notes for this CD? All of the above is some completely wrong info you probably got from the IMDB. Maybe there has even been some confusion with a short movie from 1954 which also had the title ULTIMO PARADISO. Just don´t trust everything what is written on the IMDB - it is not always reliable, especially regarding those old Italian movies. It is a further proof how little nowadays is known about these exotic documentaries from the mid 1950s as they are not even available on DVD in Italy or elsewhere. So people just invent things which are not true at all. The point is that the Folco Quilici film was shot in Polynesia in 1956. Just have a look here where you see the photos from the shootings in Polynesia and then read the text below the photos where you can read that all these photos were made in 1956: https://books.google.de/books?id=fqPm1bAFoecC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=folco+quilici+ultimo+paradiso+1956&source=bl&ots=C1HAvpY-za&sig=aK5Me6glXqR3vgoUewXuaDvoMb0&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFn8766-3YAhXOzKQKHcHWAeQ4ChDoAQg2MAI#v=onepage&q=folco%20quilici%20ultimo%20paradiso%201956&f=false L´ULTIMO PARADISO was shown for the first time in Italian cinemas in early April 1957. Then it was entered into the Berlin Film Festival end of June 1957 where it won the Silver Bear. So the chronological sequence of the three Lavagnino documentaries which we have released on CD is the following: - 1955: CONTINENTE PERDUTO - 1956: L´IMPERO DEL SOLE - 1957: L´ULTIMO PARADISO I can´t tell you the exact date of the recording sessions for ULTIMO PARADISO, but I suppose that they had certainly taken place in February or March 1957.
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While 1957 is the year during which L'ultimo paradiso won the award and had its music issued on LPs & EPs, the film itself was shown as early as November of 1955 within Italy. Are the dates from these recording sessions known? I guess the recordings would have had to been completed by October of 1955 for its November premiere. If so - and if Lavagnino recorded his music 10 months after he composed his themes, then perhaps Lavagnino commenced work on this score even prior to 1955. Can you add any additional information here that wasn't mentioned in Alhambra's notes for this CD? All of the above is some completely wrong info you probably got from the IMDB. Maybe there has even been some confusion with a short movie from 1954 which also had the title ULTIMO PARADISO. Just don´t trust everything what is written on the IMDB - it is not always reliable, especially regarding those old Italian movies. It is a further proof how little nowadays is known about these exotic documentaries from the mid 1950s as they are not even available on DVD in Italy or elsewhere. So people just invent things which are not true at all. The point is that the Folco Quilici film was shot in Polynesia in 1956. Just have a look here where you see the photos from the shootings in Polynesia and then read the text below the photos where you can read that all these photos were made in 1956: https://books.google.de/books?id=fqPm1bAFoecC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=folco+quilici+ultimo+paradiso+1956&source=bl&ots=C1HAvpY-za&sig=aK5Me6glXqR3vgoUewXuaDvoMb0&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFn8766-3YAhXOzKQKHcHWAeQ4ChDoAQg2MAI#v=onepage&q=folco%20quilici%20ultimo%20paradiso%201956&f=false L´ULTIMO PARADISO was shown for the first time in Italian cinemas in early April 1957. Then it was entered into the Berlin Film Festival end of June 1957 where it won the Silver Bear. So the chronological sequence of the three Lavagnino documentaries which we have released on CD is the following: - 1955: CONTINENTE PERDUTO - 1956: L´IMPERO DEL SOLE - 1957: L´ULTIMO PARADISO I can´t tell you the exact date of the recording sessions for ULTIMO PARADISO, but I suppose that they had certainly taken place in February or March 1957. Thank you! I also had some doubt about these 3 works of Angelo, but I must have oriented myself correctly (my research was correct, I think) Really ... the number of wrong information on the IMDB website is impressive, whether you're looking for Italian, or even Japanese, movies/soundtracks! I collected everything from Lavagnino and was putting my CDs in chronological order in my closet, and I noticed a lot of misinformation with those dates of soundtracks or movies on IMDB, especially in the 'Westerns Movies/Soundtracks' of Lavagnino. I had the same difficulty, perhaps even more, when I searched the soundtracks/movies (chronological years) of various Japanese classic composers such as Akira Ifukube, Tohru Fuyuki, Kunio Miyauchi, Isao Tomita etc etc ... some works simply do not even appear in the discography of these composers! (later I will put here the chronological order of the works of Lavagnino that I have in CD .... maybe you can observe some error ... or maybe help me ... sorry to abuse your goodwill! )
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While 1957 is the year during which L'ultimo paradiso won the award and had its music issued on LPs & EPs, the film itself was shown as early as November of 1955 within Italy. Are the dates from these recording sessions known? I guess the recordings would have had to been completed by October of 1955 for its November premiere. If so - and if Lavagnino recorded his music 10 months after he composed his themes, then perhaps Lavagnino commenced work on this score even prior to 1955. Can you add any additional information here that wasn't mentioned in Alhambra's notes for this CD? All of the above is some completely wrong info you probably got from the IMDB. Maybe there has even been some confusion with a short movie from 1954 which also had the title ULTIMO PARADISO. Just don´t trust everything what is written on the IMDB - it is not always reliable, especially regarding those old Italian movies. It is a further proof how little nowadays is known about these exotic documentaries from the mid 1950s as they are not even available on DVD in Italy or elsewhere. So people just invent things which are not true at all. The point is that the Folco Quilici film was shot in Polynesia in 1956. Just have a look here where you see the photos from the shootings in Polynesia and then read the text below the photos where you can read that all these photos were made in 1956: https://books.google.de/books?id=fqPm1bAFoecC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=folco+quilici+ultimo+paradiso+1956&source=bl&ots=C1HAvpY-za&sig=aK5Me6glXqR3vgoUewXuaDvoMb0&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFn8766-3YAhXOzKQKHcHWAeQ4ChDoAQg2MAI#v=onepage&q=folco%20quilici%20ultimo%20paradiso%201956&f=false L´ULTIMO PARADISO was shown for the first time in Italian cinemas in early April 1957. Then it was entered into the Berlin Film Festival end of June 1957 where it won the Silver Bear. So the chronological sequence of the three Lavagnino documentaries which we have released on CD is the following: - 1955: CONTINENTE PERDUTO - 1956: L´IMPERO DEL SOLE - 1957: L´ULTIMO PARADISO I can´t tell you the exact date of the recording sessions for ULTIMO PARADISO, but I suppose that they had certainly taken place in February or March 1957. Here's my list of all Lavagnino CDs (include some soundtracks that I extracted the audio/melodies from DVD, VHS, Vinyl). Of course, I do not know if the chronological order is totally correct ... as I said, it is very complicated to find reliable information on the Internet in relation to European composers. If anyone observes any mistake regarding the dates of the recordings, I would be very grateful to know. By the way, I have another question, and I would also be grateful if anyone knows. What was the cause of Lavagnino's death? Othello (1951) La Donna Del Fiume (1954) Continente Perduto (1955) La Risaia (1956) L'Impero Del Sole (1956) L'Ultimo Paradiso (1957) Legend Of The Lost (1957) L'Oceano Ci Chiama (1957) La Muraglia Cinese (1958) La Maja Desnuda (1958) Soledad (1959) Nel Segno Di Roma (1959) Gli Ultimi Giorni Di Pompei (1959) The Savage Innocents (1960) La Sposa Bella (1960) La Grande Olimpiade (1960) Saffo, Venere Di Lesbo (1960) L'Assedio Di Siracusa (1960) Jovanka E Le Altre (1960) Ester E Il Re (1960) Il Relitto (1961) Gorgo (1961) The Wonders Of Aladdin (1961) Madame Sans-Gêne (1961) I Briganti Italiani (1961) Odissea Nuda (1961) Maciste Contro Il Vampiro (1961) Venere Imperiale (1962) Ponzio Pilato (1962) I Tabù (1963) Kali Yug, La Dea Della Vendetta (1963) Saladino (1963) 5000 Dollari Sull'Asso (1964) L'Intrigo (1964) Totò D'Arabia (1964) Sfida A Rio Bravo (1964) Gli Invincibili Tre (1964) Il Colosso Di Roma - Muzio Scevola (1964) Il Castello Dei Morti Vivi (1964) Falstaff (1965) Agente 077 Missione Bloody Mary (1965) Superseven Chiama Cairo (1965) I Due Sergenti Del Generale Custer (1965) L'Uomo Dalla Pistola D'Oro (1965) Il Pianeta Errante (1965) I Criminali Della Galassia (1965) I Diafanoidi Vengono Da Marte (1965) La Morte Viene Dal Pianeta Aytin (1965) Johnny West Il Mancino (1965) America Paese Di Dio (1966) Dio Non Paga Il Sabato (1967) Attentato Ai Tre Grandi (1967) Sapevano Solo Uccidere (1968) Oggi A Me...Domani A Te! (1968) Vendetta Per Vendetta (1968) T'Ammazzo!...Raccomandati A Dio (1968) Samoa, Regina Della Giungla (1968) La Battaglia Dell'Ultimo Panzer (1968) Requiem Per Un Gringo (1968) Uno Straniero A Paso Bravo (1968) The Merchant Of Venice (1969) Gli Specialisti (1969) Historia De Una Chica Sola (1969) 7 Eroiche Carogne (1969) Il Delitto Del Diavolo (1970) Angeli Senza Paradiso (1970) Africa Ama (1971)
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Congratulations, all your above dates are correct. Lavagnino had a severe illness during the last months of his life in 1987. I don´t know the exact reason, but it were probably either heart problems or some sort of cancer.
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Congratulations, all your above dates are correct. Lavagnino had a severe illness during the last months of his life in 1987. I don´t know the exact reason, but it were probably either heart problems or some sort of cancer. Thank you so much for the information, Stefan!
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All of the above is some completely wrong info you probably got from the IMDB. Yeah, that's right, Stefan. I was looking in IMDB and noticed that 1955 was the year attributed to The Last Paradise. I believe your input in this matter, Stefan, but where do these incorrect release dates come from ... and why were they uploaded into IMDB if they are wrong?: (from IMDB) Release Dates Italy 20 November 1955 USA 3 March 1956 West Germany June 1957 (Berlin International Film Festival) USA 28 February 1958 Denmark 13 June 1958 Hungary 26 June 1958 Japan 8 July 1958 Sweden 5 January 1959 Finland 12 February 1960
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