Press Release from Beat:Beat Records is glad to present on CD the original score by Ennio Morricone for the western “La Resa Dei Conti” (Aka “The Big Gundown”, “El Halcon Y La Presa”) directed in 1966 by Sergio Sollima and starring Lee Van Cleef, Tomas Milian, Nieves Navarro, Walter Barnes, Jose Torres. Jonathan Corbett (Lee Van Cleef) is a very brave gunman who cleared many banditsfrom Texas. After accepting the proposal to be a candidate to the Senate of the United States.he came across a revolting crime apparently committed by the Mexican Cuchillo (Tomas Milian), who had raped and killed a 12 years old girl. Corbett was commissioned to capture Cuchillo. During the long manhunt, in which Cuchillo always manages to get away eluding his chaser, Corbett gets to know closely his prey… At the end the big gundown takes an unexpected turn. Corbett, who discovered the truth behind that terrible crime, solved the case and revealed the thruth on the rape murder of the teen girl that finally cleared Cuchillo fromthe accusation. This movie, considered one of the most important of its kind, is truly brilliant really because it compared two icons of the Italian Western such as Van Cleef and Milian, really perfect in their roles as American gunfighter and Mexican bandit challenging each other bloody duels with no holds barred. Ennio Morricone created one of his most evocative soundtracks for the Italian Western composing a wild orchestral theme introduced in the Main Titles Song performed by the sharp throat of Christy, a well known name among fans of film music. The arghilofono, with an ethnic atmosphere, with sound effects that mimic the cry of birds of prey and with Latin percussion accompaniment, slowly anticipates a powerful development for orchestra and choir in the instrumental version, where the crystalline voice of Edda Dell’Orso is featured. This heroic motif is alternated with mysterious and often dramatic passages drawn from experimental music. The author incorporates fragments of Fur Elise (Beethoven) as background to the clash between Corbett and Baron Von Schulenberg, (Gerard Herter) who uses a special holster of his invention. In Italy the album was released in audio mono on Parade Label (EPL 2891) and in America in stereo by United Artists (SULP 1228). Reprinted on CD in Italy and in Japan, this new version has a longer duration of 54:09 and it is the definitive presentation. This CD includes both the original album tracks in stereo and the mono film versions with completely restored sound and also it contains a true rarity bonus track: the film version of the “Finale” with a never released intro featuring a grotesque effect of arghilofono with strings and oboe.
Mastering by Claudio Fuiano & Daniel Winkler, liner notes by Andrea Morandi,
graphic layout by Daniele De Gemini.
