A recent Ennio Morricone score that seems to have dipped under the radar is Un Difetto di Famiglia from 2002.  While none of his recent efforts (with the possible exception of Ripley's Game) has been exactly high-profile to the international audience, at least most of them have been mentioned here or there, but the music for this Italian tv movie from director Alberto Simone, starring Nino Manfredi and Lino Banfri, seems to have got little notice at all.

After the first couple of tracks you'd be forgiven for wondering whether you were listening to rejected themes from Malena for they both take as their template that more celebrated score's main themes and Morricone then places a different melody in almost exactly the same musical setting, with the opening track recalling Malena's "Walking through Town" music and "Ricordi e Memorie" being a lovely reminder of its gorgeous main theme.  Things change however in the superb "Periferia", the most playful track to come from the composer in a while, as a deceptively simple melody is passed around high-range woodwind, getting accompaniment from a variety of sources, including an inspired cameo by electric guitar.

As is not uncommon with Morricone albums, the remaining eleven tracks essentially take the themes of the first three and see them being thrown through variations.  The extent of these variations is possibly what separates the composer's better scores from the ordinary ones and here, the variations are quite pronounced, with entirely different arrangements coming through, though there is certainly an element of repetition involved at times.  Tracks like "Ambiguita" highlight what is good, as the beautiful theme is given a simply wonderful, impossible-to-dislike treatment.

I wouldn't say it is quite as good as the recent La Luz Prodigiosa but overall this is still a very satisfying score from the Maestro.  Full of the kind of beautiful melody that so enraptures so many of the composer's fans, I'm sure that nobody who likes that side of Morricone's composing could be dissatisfied - only those who crave something a little meatier, more substantial, may be left slightly wanting.  The album was released by ConcertOne and distributed by BMG in Italy and may prove hard to find internationally, but at the time of writing the link below provides a handy purchasing option through Amazon.

Buy this CD by clicking here!