The music composed by Alessandro Alessandroni for Sergio Citti's fourth film strikes a sweet balance between fairy tale, grotesque allegory, and popular drama (Citti was famously Pier Paolo Pasolini's assistant director and screenwriter).
Previously unreleased until now, the soundtrack relies on instrumentation that is deliberately sparse and features primarily guitar, accordion, and a small flute— the very instruments played by the film's protagonists, two minstrels singing for their supper in Rome (portrayed by Vittorio Gassman and Philippe Noiret).
The result is a velvety rural fresco punctuated by delicate, dramatic moments. The tracks range from bucolic-contemplative themes ("Due Pezzi di Pane – opening titles", "Tema di Lucia – flute solo", and "Tema di Lucia – guitar solo") to a tavern chorus like "Coro dei Carcerati", and from melancholic and bittersweet soundscapes such as "Tema del Destino" to a stunning, previously unreleased version of "Amado mio" sung by Vittorio Gassman.
An exciting and long overdue release that further confirms Alessandroni's impressive ability to create highly evocative atmospheres using minimal sonic elements.