Piero Piccioni

The third chapter in our 2013 series dedicated to the great music composed by M° Piero Piccioni is based on a peculiar film: the horror-documentary movie Il demonio, directed in 1964 by Brunello Rondi and starring Daliah Lavi and Frank Wolff.

A film inspired by real events that happened in the south of Italy, it tells the story of a scorned woman who seeks to avenge on her ex-lover with a spell, after which the townspeople accuse her of being possessed by the devil.

The directorial style fluctuates between horror and documentary, and the story inspired a particular artistic approach from the composer who, once again, had the opportunity to set free his immense creative skill. The result is a score that was not typical for Piccioni - dissonant, compact, suspense-oriented music that trespasses into experimentation, giving the movie the powerful effect of a wide-eyed, waking nightmare.

A fundamental piece in fully understanding the multidirectional evolution of the Maestro's art, Il Demonio is a highly restless and sleepless score that provides further evidence of the talent of Piero - still standing strong against the hard test of time.

The CD is released in a jewel case and mastered by Claudio Fuiano for 73 minutes of listening pleasure, with 14 cues in mono and 3 in stereo. Graphic design by Daniele De Gemini and Alessio Iannuzzi and liner notes by Andrea Morandi (Ciak magazine) on the music, the movie and the actor Frank Wolff.