Alessandro Alessandroni ‎– Angoscia (1975, LP, Italy)

Originally released in 1975 by Italian label Octopus Records, a label devoted to thematic libraries, Angoscia is one of the best works by Italian composer Alessandro Alessandroni. Famous for his film-score work - often with such masters as Piero Umiliani and Ennio Morricone, with whom he collaborated to create some truly immortal soundtracks (especially those written for Sergio Leone) Alessandroni also developed a parallel career as an author of library music, freely crossing and touching every music genre. Alone, or together with friends and pupils like Rino de Filippi (aka Gisteri) and Giuliano Sorgini (aka Raskovich), he always managed to push the boundaries of experimentation, but with great taste and personality, never giving up on the majestic orchestrations characteristic of his art. Angoscia, released when Alessandroni was at his creative peak, features 12 tracks revolving around the album's core theme of angoscia, or anguish; the pieces move through dismay, desperation, uncertainty, pride, resignation, frustration, desolation, agony, prostration, obsession, and, finally, fear. Thirty minutes of anguish have never seemed so enticing and nuanced.