AMORE MIO

Saimel Records proudly presents on this CD the complete original score by Carlo Savina for the rare 1964 melodrama AMORE MIO which was directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and starred Eleonora Brown, Paul Guers and Antonella Lualdi.

During the 1950s Matarazzo had been one of Italy´s most successful directors and his series of melodramas with the popular couple Amedeo Nazzari and Yvonne Sanson had constituted some of the highest box-office grosses of post-war Italy. AMORE MIO should become his last film before his untimely death in 1966 and candidly deals with themes like divorce and bigamy and the disillusionment each of the three main characters has to cope with.

Matarazzo with his camera concentrates above all on the charming face of the then only 16year-old Eleonora Brown who had been a child actor in Vittorio De Sica´s Oscar-awarded 1960 war drama LA CIOCIARA. She plays the young girl Nora who is totally disappointed in life as she has been neglected by her single mother who secretly works as a prostitute and as she never had a father has always been treated as a bastard. Severe conflicts arise when the boat daler Mario (Paul Guers) hires Nora as his secretary, slowly falls in love with her and even leaves his wife Elsa (Antonella Lualdi) as their marriage in the meantime has disintegrated.

Carlo Savina was one of the busiest and most prolific Italian musicians during the 1960s and 1970s. The symphonic score he composed for AMORE MIO may be rather rare for many soundtrack collectors nowadays, but it is also one of his most beautiful and inspired. It is surging with passion and filled with lush romanticism.

Savina immediately introduces his yearning and heartfelt main theme during the Main Title almost in the vein of a classical piano concerto as the solo piano is the main protagonist which is framed by wonderful lush strings. The tone is tragic and intense and the music so touchingly bespeaks the futility of Mario and Nora´s love affair. This theme often crops up in the score during the love scenes and always remains attractive due to its melodic power and to Savina´s ability to come up with all kinds of lovely variations according to the changing moods of the picture.

There are still other themes: Mario´s little daughter Mirella is accompanied by an often reprised dreamy motive mostly stated by organ and vibraphone whereas the scenes with her mother Elsa are dominated by a gentle and wistful theme for strings. More jazzy sounds mostly with prominent use of the saxophone are reserved for Nora´s mother and create a sultry atmosphere to musically depict her somewhat shady way of life.

For AMORE MIO Carlo Savina has written a romantic film music masterpiece which fascinates from beginning to end due to its melodic fervour and its lyrical beauty and is absolutely worthy of a rediscovery on this CD.

Our disc presents the complete score in mono from the original master tapes (Tracks 119) preserved in the Sugar music archives as well as the album program (Tracks 20-36) of the rare CAM LP which had been issued in 1964. --- from the label

Release Date: 2019/10/25

Track List

01 Main Title / Marco Arrives at the Hotel 2:38
02 Nora's Suicide Attempt 1:04
03 Nora's Mother 1:39
04 Mario and Nora 2:17
05 Solitude 1:22
06 Nora's Confession 2:47
07 Mario and His Daughter 0:59
08 Motorboating on the Lake 2:43
09 The Hairslide / A New Love 1:20
10 Hopes and Doubts / Dispute 2:16
11 The New Home 2:27
12 The Sleeping Child / The Break-Off 2:08
13 Goodbye to Mirella 1:51
14 Elsa and Mirella 2:29
15 Searching for Mirella 2:10
16 Nora Finds Mirella 2:06
17 Nora's Final Decision 1:27
18 Reconciliation 0:57
19 The Airport (Addio Mario) 4:07
Original LP release

20 Sei Tu 1:47
21 Prime Incertezze 0:55
22 Tenerezze 2:18
23 Dolce Musica 1:23
24 Atmosfera Tesa 0:50
25 Scena D'Amore 2:48
26 In Pieno Sole 2:44
27 Atmosfera D'Attesa 1:33
28 Amore Contrastato 2:28
29 Luci E Ombre 1:52
30 Una Donna Sola 1:55
31 Pagina Triste 0:44
32 Fuga Drammatica 1:30
33 Pacato Dolore 2:08
34 Per Un Bimbo 0:59
35 Disperazione 3:08
36 Con Amore 1:03