Ennio Morricone

"HE COULD MAKE AN AVERAGE MOVIE INTO A MUST-SEE, A GOOD MOVIE INTO ART, AND A GREAT MOVIE INTO LEGEND.“ A GOOD MOVIE INTO ART, AND A GREAT MOVIE INTO LEGEND.“ - E WRIGHT, DIRECTOR

By Tonia Serrao Soppelsa Ennio Morricone is himself, the legend. He left us a legacy of compositions that have become timeless masterpieces. From the Italian “spaghetti westerns“ by director Sergio Leone, to his Oscar nominations like “Days of Heaven“, “The Mission“, “The Untouchables“, and “The Hateful Eight“,— for which he won an Oscar— to “Once Upon A Time“ in America and “Cinema Paradiso“, his compositions set a new standard in cinematic musical scores; not simply complementing a fi lm, but overwhelming it. In 2007 musical scores; not simply complementing a fi lm, but overwhelming it. In 2007 he was belatedly awarded an honourary Academy Award. Morricone’s scores he was belatedly awarded an honourary Academy Award. Morricone’s scores added a new dimension to movies. His was not the subtle sound that fi lls the added a new dimension to movies. His was not the subtle sound that fi lls the empty space in a fi lm and guides an audience’s emotional response to the story. empty space in a fi lm and guides an audience’s emotional response to the story. Most fi lm composers write music that blends into the scenery or offers tasteful Most fi lm composers write music that blends into the scenery or offers tasteful subtlety. Not Morricone. His was an in-your-face and exquisitely crafted music subtlety. Not Morricone. His was an in-your-face and exquisitely crafted music that added layers of perspective and tones and hues to the moving image. that added layers of perspective and tones and hues to the moving image. His scores were expressive, grandiose, and undeniably audacious. And, what’s His scores were expressive, grandiose, and undeniably audacious. And, what’s more, he successfully adapted his work for many different styles of cinema. “I more, he successfully adapted his work for many different styles of cinema. “I am disturbed when people think about me as a specialist for Westerns,“ he once am disturbed when people think about me as a specialist for Westerns,“ he once said. This association irked him because he was in fact a multifaceted composer said. This association irked him because he was in fact a multifaceted composer who wrote scores for more than 500 fi lms and tv shows for many different who wrote scores for more than 500 fi lms and tv shows for many different cinema genres, not just Westerns. He had a genius for composition: scoring, cinema genres, not just Westerns. He had a genius for composition: scoring, conducting, and mixing his own soundtracks; and often mixed elements of conducting, and mixing his own soundtracks; and often mixed elements of classical music, jazz, and the avant-garde. Morricone’s work for Sergio Leone’s classical music, jazz, and the avant-garde. Morricone’s work for Sergio Leone’s

THERE WAS A THEFT! BUT, OF COURSE, IF IT WAS UP TO ME, EVERY TWO YEARS I WOULD WIN AN OSCAR.

spaghetti western fi lms is “THEY'RE ALL justly famous, but it is only the tip of an enormous MY CHILDREN iceberg of musical genius. The composer was born in EVERY SCORE Rome in 1928 during the fascist era, and wrote his I'VE DONE” fi rst composition by the time he was six. His father taught him to play several instruments and by the age of 12 Ennio had entered the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia to study trumpet, composition and choral music, enrolling in a four-year program which he completed in six months. Later in life, when he started composing for fi lm, Morricone used his background knowledge of various instruments and his love and fascination for different sounds. He made instrumental choices that were far off the norm, such as the use of pan pipes, for example, in 1989’s Casualties of War and Haitian drumming and a children’s choir in 1977’s Exorcist II. Think of the famous call and Haitian drumming and a children’s choir in 1977’s Exorcist II. Think of the famous call and response howl of the coyotes in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Sergio Leone response howl of the coyotes in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Sergio Leone famously said in an interview, “I’ve always felt that music is more expressive than famously said in an interview, “I’ve always felt that music is more expressive than dialogue. I’ve always said that my best dialogue and screenwriter is Ennio dialogue. I’ve always said that my best dialogue and screenwriter is Ennio Morricone.“ Morricone exerted a signifi cant infl uence also on rock and pop artists. Morricone.“ Morricone exerted a signifi cant infl uence also on rock and pop artists. Consider the wonderful and unique trumpets that open “Se Telefonando“ Consider the wonderful and unique trumpets that open “Se Telefonando“ performed majestically by Mina. Metallica, have routinely used “The Ecstasy performed majestically by Mina. Metallica, have routinely used “The Ecstasy of Gold“ from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly—as concert warm-up music of Gold“ from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly—as concert warm-up music since the mid-’80s. In fi lm, the directors came calling by the hundreds. since the mid-’80s. In fi lm, the directors came calling by the hundreds. Among the most notable were Tarantino, De Palma, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Among the most notable were Tarantino, De Palma, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Terrence Malick. Every one of them wanted their fi lm to be resounding with Terrence Malick. Every one of them wanted their fi lm to be resounding with the notes of Ennio Morricone’s music. Hollywood had been particularly keen the notes of Ennio Morricone’s music. Hollywood had been particularly keen on bringing Morricone to the States, but Ennio, who after working with on bringing Morricone to the States, but Ennio, who after working with many American directors, and despite his prominent presence in many American directors, and despite his prominent presence in Hollywood, chose to remain in Rome for most of his life. In 2007, a thunderous applause and standing ovation followed Clint Eastwood's presentation of the Oscar to Ennio Morricone. The composer offered a brief “thank you“ in English and then in Italian: “Credo che questo premio sia per me non un punto di arrivo ma un punto di partenza per premio sia per me non un punto di arrivo ma un punto di partenza per migliorarmi al servizio del cinema…“ (I believe that this award is not a migliorarmi al servizio del cinema…“ (I believe that this award is not a point of arrival for me but a starting point to improve myself in the point of arrival for me but a starting point to improve myself in the service of cinema …) He was 79.