Quartet Records, in collaboration with GDM and EMI Music Publishing Italia, is proud to present the definitive edition of Ennio Morricone's groundbreaking score for Elio Petri's 1968 psychological thriller A Quiet Place in the Country. This mesmerizing soundtrack, composed for the film starring Franco Nero as a tormented artist and Vanessa Redgrave, has long been celebrated as one of Morricone's most innovative and personal works, yet remained frustratingly incomplete in previous releases - until now.
The score masterfully captures the film's descent into madness through two contrasting musical worlds. On one side, ethereal, almost ghostly melodies drift through the decaying villa's halls like whispers from the past. On the other, Morricone unleashes radical avant-garde experimentation with his Gruppo d'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, conjuring dissonant electronics, prepared piano, and unsettling concrete sounds that mirror the protagonist's unraveling psyche.
For decades, this masterpiece existed only in fragments. Brief excerpts first appeared on a 1978 compilation, while later releases—including Saimel's 2003 mono edition and GDM's 2007 stereo mock-up—offered only partial glimpses of Morricone's vision. This new Quartet Records edition finally presents the complete work as intended, combining the full 1968 stereo album with previously unreleased film cues and alternate takes—all meticulously remastered from the original tapes by Chris Malone.
The deluxe package includes a 40-page booklet featuring Simeone's iconic original artwork, an insightful essay by Miguel Ángel Ordóñez, and rare archival photos. Limited to just 3,000 copies, this set offers collectors the first opportunity to experience Morricone's complete sonic journey—from its most delicate, melancholic passages to its most shockingly experimental moments—exactly as the composer envisioned.
This long-neglected masterpiece of soundtrack history (never properly released in its time) finally gets the treatment it deserves. The new edition combines:
The complete 1968 stereo album program
Previously unreleased cues and alternate takes
Meticulous remastering by Chris Malone from original tapes
Stunning booklet featuring the original Simeone artwork
Insightful liner notes by Miguel Ángel Ordóñez