L'ETE MEURTRIER (ONE DEADLY SUMMER) / LA REINE BLANCHE (THE WHITE QUEEN)

2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Georges Delerue's birth. In collaboration with SND and TF1 Studio, Music Box Records proudly presents on the same CD two original motion picture soundtracks composed and conducted by Georges Delerue: L’Ete meurtrier (One Deadly Summer, 1983) and La Reine blanche (The White Queen, 1991).

Adapted from Sebastien Japrisot’s eponymous novel, One Deadly Summer (a box-office success in 1983), starring Isabelle Adjani and Alain Souchon, marks the return of director Jean Becker to cinema, after a break of almost twenty years. Georges Delerue composed a dark and tormented score for the movie, including some pieces that are reminiscent of his scores for Francois Truffaut’s last films (The Woman Next Door and Confidentially Yours). The dark gem of the score is the jazz theme associated with Eliane (Elle) and accentuates the young woman’s aura of sensuality. In order to characterize the mechanical piano, a central element of the plot, Georges Delerue and Jean Becker chose an arrangement of the love song Roses de Picardie, becoming the obsessive and disturbing reminiscence of the rape. The score was nominated for the Cesar Awards in 1984.

Jean-Loup Hubert’s fifth film The White Queen, starring Catherine Deneuve, Bernard Giraudeau and Richard Bohringer, is set in the post-war era, in the Nantes area in Western France, three years after the critical and popular success of The Grand Highway (1987). Georges Delerue provided a nostalgic score, filled with restrained emotion. The main theme, heard as early as the opening credits, develops a simple folk-like melody reminiscent of the sea shanties of sailors gone to face the open seas. The second theme (Jean), with a sadder tone, conveys the regrets of characters faced with the consequences of their past choices.

Supervised by Colette Delerue, this present edition features the two remastered original soundtrack albums. The package includes a 12-page booklet with liner notes by Sylvain Pfeffer, discussing the films and the scores. The CD release is limited to 750 units.

THE DEADLY SUMMER

1. Lello and his piano (Opening credits) (2:06)

2. She (1:36)

3. Saturday Night (1:58)

4. Naked in the Barn (1:38)

5. Childhood (1:04)

6. Rape (5:27)

7. Cognata's Memories (1:58)

8. After the Rape (3:36)

9. At the ophthalmologist's (2:26)

10. She cries (1:02)

11. Pin Pon consoles Elle (1:30)

12. The cycling race (1:42)

13. At Ferraldo's (0:51)

14. She's sick (2:15)

15. The Hospital and Death (1:26)

16. Pin Pon's Determination (1:14)

17. Gabriel and Her (3:57)

Duration ? 35:56

THE WHITE QUEEN

18. The Sainte-Marie (2:39)

19. The Return (0:29)

20. John (1:31)

21. The Reunion (0:57)

22. Lili (2:14)

23. Bamboulas sambas (1:56)

24. Yvon (1:25)

25. Red Kiss (2:04)

26. The Chip Game (2:18)

27. The fair (2:41)

28. Little Balloons (3:11)

29. The Confession (3:17)

30. The Phantom Dress (2:45)

31. Forgiveness (1:04)

32. The Queen's cha-cha (1:32)

33. John's Flight (1:05)

34. The Island Bar (3:02)

35. At Rita's (2:56)

36. Farewells (1:41)

37. The Little Reward (0:42)

38. Childhood (2:50)

Duration ? 42:30

Total Duration ? 79:44