Quartet Records, in collaboration with GDM, presents the 50th-anniversary complete edition of the haunting, innovative score composed by Riz Ortolani (MONDO CANE, THE YELLOW ROLLS-ROYCE, THE SEVENTH DAWN, LA
VERGINE DI NORIMBERGA) for Antonio Margheriti’s stylish Italian gothic horror NELLA STRETTA MORSA DEL RAGNO (1971), starring Anthony Franciosa and Michéle Mercier, with Klaus Kinski in the role of Edgar Allan Poe!
The film was a remake of a previous horror classic, DANZA MACABRA, also
directed by Margheriti in 1964, and also scored by Ortolani, about a journalist
who takes a bet that he can spend the night in a haunted castle on All Hallows’
Eve. During his stay, he sees the castle’s gruesome past coming to life before
him, and falls in love with a beautiful female ghost.
Whereas for the 1964 film Riz Ortolani wrote a completely symphonic score in
the best Gothic tradition, for this 1971 version he compose a totally different
score where his orchestration is now enriched with distorted guitars, a wider
range of percussion and even a cembalo to reflect the Baroque music of the
era, finding the right balance between the horrific and romantic aspects of the
story. Ortolani also offered a beautiful “Waltz of the Dead” that is one of the
most beautiful pieces he ever composed.
NELLA STRETTA MORSA DEL RAGNO has had several releases over the
years on LP and CD, although none has been so complete as this one, which
includes both the original RCA SP stereo album and, from recently discovered
entire session masters in pristine condition, the full score in mono, as it was
mixed for the film. Produced and mastered by Claudio Fuiano, with additional
restoration by Chris Malone, the package includes liner notes by Gergely Hubai
discussing the film and the score
The Original 1971 Soundtrack Album (stereo)
1. Nella stretta morsa del ragno (titoli) (2:46)
2. Tema d’amore (2:44)
3. Ballo al Castello (3:28)
4. Suspence n. 5 (2:46)
5. Allucinazioni (2:58)
6. Ballo al Castello (#2) (4:24)
7. Dolcissimo sogno (2:02)
8. Nelle tenebre (2:35)
9. Ossessione (2:30)
10. Incubi (3:07)
Score presentation (mono)
11. Nella stretta morsa del. ragno (#2 - titoli) (2:44)
12. Incubi (#2) (1:15)
13. Allucinazioni (#2) (2:25)
14. Allucinazioni (#3) (2:52)
15. Ossessione (#2) (1:00)
16. Ballo al Castello (Film Version) (5:28)
17. Dolcissimo sogno (#2) (2:33)
18. Allucinazioni (#4) (1:51)
19. Tema d’amore (#2) (1:34)
20. Dolcissimo sogno (#3) (1:04)
21. Dolcissimo sogno (#4) (1:14)
22. Nelle tenebre (#2) (2:28)
23. Ossessione (#3) (1:25)
24. Incubi (#3) (2:20)
25. Allucinazioni (#5) (2:01)
26. Ossessione (#4) (1:15)
27. Suspence n.5 (#2) (6:40)
28. Allucinazioni (#6) (1:41)
29. Incubi (#4) (1:00)
30. Nella stretta morsa del ragno (#2) (1:39)
31. Dolcissimo sogno (#5) (1:17)
32. Tema d’amore (#3) (2:00)
33. Nella stretta morsa del ragno (#3 - finale) (0:58)
