The autobiography of Casanova isn't considered one of Fellini's best spectacles. Seeing
Donald Sutherland seduce a mechanical doll and a sex-mad hunchback certainly tests the
eye and requires a re-evaluation of just what being 'a Casanova' means!
Propelling your every sense of heightened surreality, is Rota's minimalist approach to
depicting the carnival grotesque. Harpsichord, vibraphone, celeste, and electric piano
are used liberally, creating a very unique soundscape for three quarters of an hour.
It is intriguing to see how this (alongside the likes of Amarcord) would later inspire
Danny Elfman's origins in film with Pee Wee's Big Adventure (e.g. the cue "L'Uccelo Magico").
Another film that benefited from this style is The City of Lost Children, with the cues
"Canto Della Buranella" and "Pin Penin" looking ahead to Angelo Badalamenti's
subsequent score.
The bouncy, repetitive, experimental aspects have the potential to annoy the heck out of some listeners.
Since the film really isn't to be recommended, this album deserves to be.
Paul Tonks
CAM CSE 800-006
[45:52]
