In May 1980 the Italian Radio and Television, RAI, put on air on the TV national network a program on the
water, a very hot topic. The proposal to RAI of that really interesting topic came by the talented director of
documentaries Carlo Alberto Pinelli. Always very attentive to the socio-cultural issues, now Pinelli has got credits for over one hundred and twenty documentary-investigations. The shooting of PIANETA D’ACQUA
brought him to travel a good part of the world. Maestro Ennio Morricone was requested to compose the score
for this documentary. He had shown his incredible artistic feelings in the music field and was already famous
for his inimitable musical compositions. The subject deeply involved the emotions of Morricone who composed
a musical score very passionate and perfectly fitting the scenes contributed to the remarkable success of the five
episodes serial. The 1st track named ACQUA VIVA (living water) composed by Morricone for the
documentary is calm and does not change its composition and technical characteristics even though it contains
different colors due to different instrumentation and slight change of tempo. The introduction to the subject has
an asymmetrical pattern (three bars of 4 beats plus two others), as asymmetric is the entire accompaniment. The
ostinato in ottavi never has strong accents, therefore, being also continuous and indefinite, follows the
asymmetry of the time.
These variations, in the perpetual continuity, give the idea of flowing water that in a constant and indefinable
motion always follows a single direction. Even when played by different instruments the tonale theme never
loses his calm and reassuring tonal characteristics. The track becomes technically clearer in the duo or trio’s
versions in which the soundtrack is even more remarkable.
The 2nd track named PIANETA D’ACQUA (Water Planet) is tonal and presented in a clear and limpid form.
The "forte" ascending theme of the main chord gives an immediate idea of openness and solar luminosity. The
tempo, magnificent and majestic, and the vertical structure of the accompaniment give a sense of great unity of
sound and timbre. The central part, introducing in a few bars of the trio a single instrument played "piano",
which is accompanied by a few strings also played "piano", compensates for the compactness of the track. A
dynamic “crescendo” and the entry of additional instruments bring everything back to its initial state, finally
ending with the tail and the final cadence in the key of the beginning. The third track with its suggestive title
ACQUE MATERNE D’AMORE (MOTHERNAL WATERS OF LOVE) has a tone that is never abandoned.
The tempo is calm. The warm sound of cellos, that well develops the long theme, is perfectly connected with
the title that the track wants to represent. All this has the power to give a feeling of warmth and calm
reassurance that accompany the track in its entirety. The ascending theme and the double orchestra give the
track an emotional emphasis of calmness that is revived after a proper development of the theme, exactly the
same, at the end of the track.
The 4th track OUVERTURE DEL MATTINO (Overture in the morning) is really delicious and is made up of
several elements, all of exquisite Italian craftsmanship. The beginning could bring, and perhaps this is what
Morricone wanted to do, to the perfect descriptiveness of the "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi. The
initial steady tone in unison refers to the torpor of waking in the morning. The entry of the harpsichord, with the
bi-chords, and then the faster and faster pizzicato strings is the gradual realization of the coming new day and
the irrevocably flowing of time. The violin solo with its cheerful theme, light, remembers the song of a bird.
For long time the heart of the TV general public in Italy was sensibly affected by the problem that had never
been raised to its attention before. Strongly influenced both by the scenes revealing the complexity of the
problem and by those moving pieces of music that accompanied them, many Italians did treasure the content of the program and finally realized, perhaps for the first time, in what consideration and respect other peoples would lay in to that element so necessary and of so inestimable value. Discussions about the water problem continued for long time among the people, looking for hypothetical solutions, but as we all know, beautiful things do not last long, and today, just like yesterday, the problem is not solved yet.
14 Tracks
Total Time: 47:23
