Franco Battiato’s Score for the 1990 Film “A Violent Life”
The 1990 Italian biographical drama film A Violent Life (Italian: Una vita scellerata), directed by Giacomo Battiato, features a musical score composed by Franco Battiato. The soundtrack, released as an album titled Benvenuto Cellini, includes tracks such as “Primo incontro,” “Secondo incontro,” and “Liberazione,” among others, reflecting key scenes from the film depicting the life of Renaissance goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini.
About the Film
A Violent Life portrays real-life events from the tumultuous career of Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), focusing on his early struggles and his return to Florence in 1545 to create the sculpture Perseus with the Head of Medusa, completed in 1549. The film stars Wadeck Stanczak as Cellini, with supporting roles by Max von Sydow as Pope Clement VII, Ennio Fantastichini as Cosimo de’ Medici and Ben Kingsley as The Governor.
The Soundtrack Album
Franco Battiato composed and released the soundtrack album Benvenuto Cellini in 1990 through EMI International (catalog number 0777 9562022). The album contains 28 instrumental tracks that mirror the film’s narrative sequence, including:
- Primo incontro
- Secondo incontro
- Pal
- Borgo
- Scena d’amore studio
- La figlia
- Incubo
- Isteria
- Lanzichenecchi
- Sparo
- Stallo
- Saccheggio
- Crocifissione
- Uccisione fratello
- Bozzetto
- Lotta nel cortile
- Governatore del carcere
- Fuga scale
- Fuga corda
- Prigione pozzo
- Graffiti Cristo
- Liberazione
- Cavalcata bosco
- Apparizione Caterina
- Di notte
- Strada Firenze
- Perseo
- Fusione
Reception and Availability
The soundtrack was released as a CD and is documented in discographic databases such as Discogs, which lists the 1990 CD release with user reviews and technical details. Franco Battiato’s official website describes the album as containing the music for the TV film Una vita scellerata, emphasizing its connection to the cinematic portrayal of Cellini’s life.
Legacy
Whereas A Violent Life remains a notable entry in Franco Battiato’s filmography as a composer, the film itself is considered a minor work in the broader cinematic depictions of Benvenuto Cellini, which include earlier adaptations like The Affairs of Cellini (1934) and later stage productions such as the 2001 play Cellini. The soundtrack, but, stands as a distinct artifact of Battiato’s experimental and evocative compositional style during the late 20th century.
Franco Battiato’s Score for the 1990 Film “A Violent Life”
The 1990 Italian biographical drama film A Violent Life (Italian: Una vita scellerata), directed by Giacomo Battiato, features a musical score composed by Franco Battiato. The soundtrack, released as an album titled Benvenuto Cellini, includes tracks such as “Primo incontro,” “Secondo incontro,” and “Liberazione,” among others, reflecting key scenes from the film depicting the life of Renaissance goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini.
About the Film
A Violent Life portrays real-life events from the tumultuous career of Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), focusing on his early struggles and his return to Florence in 1545 to create the sculpture Perseus with the Head of Medusa, completed in 1549. The film stars Wadeck Stanczak as Cellini, with supporting roles by Max von Sydow as Pope Clement VII, Ennio Fantastichini as Cosimo de’ Medici, and Ben Kingsley as The Governor.
The Soundtrack Album
Franco Battiato composed and released the soundtrack album Benvenuto Cellini in 1990 through EMI International (catalog number 0777 9562022). The album contains 28 instrumental tracks that mirror the film’s narrative sequence, including:
- Primo incontro
- Secondo incontro
- Pal
- Borgo
- Scena d’amore studio
- La figlia
- Incubo
- Isteria
- Lanzichenecchi
- Sparo
- Stallo
- Saccheggio
- Crocifissione
- Uccisione fratello
- Bozzetto
- Lotta nel cortile
- Governatore del carcere
- Fuga scale
- Fuga corda
- Prigione pozzo
- Graffiti Cristo
- Liberazione
- Cavalcata bosco
- Apparizione Caterina
- Di notte
- Strada Firenze
- Perseo
- Fusione
Reception and Availability
The soundtrack was released as a CD and is documented in discographic databases such as Discogs, which lists the 1990 CD release with user reviews and technical details. Franco Battiato’s official website describes the album as containing the music for the TV film Una vita scellerata, emphasizing its connection to the cinematic portrayal of Cellini’s life.
Legacy
While A Violent Life remains a notable entry in Franco Battiato’s filmography as a composer, the film itself is considered a minor work in the broader cinematic depictions of Benvenuto Cellini, which include earlier adaptations like The Affairs of Cellini (1934) and later stage productions such as the 2001 play Cellini. The soundtrack, however, stands as a distinct artifact of Battiato’s experimental and evocative compositional style during the late 20th century.