Monica Mancini: Cinema Paradiso

The cinema has given us many memorable ballads. Monica Mancini has selected chestnuts that represent a cross-section of film songs: each of them a timeless beauty that we’ll always remember. It’s music for our generation. Mancini interprets them with the wallpaper of a string orchestra in support that allows the passion in her delivery to remain at center stage. Each song is performed slow and mellow, as a lullaby suitable for filmdom’s reflective moments. The cinematic scores represented include Black Orpheus, The Promise, The Sandpiper, Dumbo, Soldier In The Rain and Royal Wedding. There are vast differences from one work to another, which the musical arrangements relate. The theme from Alfie, for instance, wades knee-deep in nostalgia, while the selection from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon moves to the contemporary, world beat of a different drummer. From her work on the film score to Ghost Ship, Mancini interprets “Senza Fine” in Italian with distinctive cultural timbres from the orchestra. Mike Lang, Ramon Stagnaro and George Doering contribute stirring instrumental interludes that complement this fine vocalist. Monica Mancini employs her natural talents wisely to remind us why we place certain film scores on the table as classic works, while others are soon forgotten.