Perche Quelle Strane Gocce

di Sangue Sul Corpo di Jennifer?

Music by Bruno Nicolai

 

 

 

 

One of the good examples of the giallo cinema music, Perche Quelle Strane Gocce di Sangue Sul Corpo di Jennifer (1972), by Bruno Nicolai is a detachable soundtrack among the best of this genre.

Following the musical recipe for giallos, the music alternates dissonances to a main theme melodically more accessible (tonal). The instrumental is oriented to jazz or rock and often gaves room to unusual sound experiences. Jennifer´s main theme, for example, grabs the listen with its catchy and romantic melody over hypnotic thriller suggestion. An exemplary "thriller ballad". Following the narrative, others moments are intentionally experimental and unrelated to the main theme. In the giallos the dispersion is the goal. Musically the most interesting is how the instrument tones could be used for maximum atmospheric effect by the recording engineer. The theme Murder in the Elevator, for example, combines electric bass pulses and motifs from other instruments (strings, harpsichord, electric organ vibrato) entering and leaving the music. The orientation to pop music (rhythms and clear melodic construction) is visible, but what characterizes the work above all are the curious instrumental experiments as in Living Nightmare (again electric bass and instruments in echo), The Deadly Visit (strings, celesta, harpsichord in discordant phrases), and Persuit (stylized jazz with cymbals, walking bass and prepared piano). It is interesting that a popular genre as thrillers had done as experimental and daring music as you can hear on giallos soundtracks. Hail 70s!