There are particular high points in Morricone's music that are so beautifully constructed in their ability to release a great deal of emotion at just the right moment.
For example, what makes the crane shot over the rooftop from ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST so cathartic in this scene from 1:21-1:44?
In Casualties of War, when Michael Fox is consoling the vietnamese girl in the hut, Morricone wrote a beautiful underscore with strings and solo flute, strongly contrasting the horrific events (and music) that preceded it. A thing of pure beauty.
Alex
P.S.: I'm still waiting for a (unlikely) complete release of the score.
There are particular high points in Morricone's music that are so beautifully constructed in their ability to release a great deal of emotion at just the right moment.
Any favorites of yours?
Many! For example...
When the little boy appears in the Clearwater ranch doorway in OUATITW to find that his family has been massacred, Morricone hits us with a single guitar strike that never fails to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
And in The Legend of 1900, when the first immigrant sees the Statue of Liberty and shouts "America!" and the music swells to reflect all the hope and dreams inherent in the long transatlantic voyage. A wonderful moment in a wonderful film.
There are particular high points in Morricone's music that are so beautifully constructed in their ability to release a great deal of emotion at just the right moment.
Any favorites of yours?
Many! For example...
When the little boy appears in the Clearwater ranch doorway in OUATITW to find that his family has been massacred, Morricone hits us with a single guitar strike that never fails to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
TG
Oh, that one for sure! I think there's a lot to be said for the way the sound of the boy's footsteps running towards the doorway are amplified beyond a mere naturalistic level. That way, when the guitar chord strikes, it's as though we've been prepped for it by the rise in the level of the sound effects. In other words, it's as if the chord is the peak of a sound "crescendo" that heightens its effectiveness.
Great example. I just noticed that the big cathartic moment here at 2:58 has the same bass line and the same basic chord progression as Jill's Theme when the voice comes in (at 0:42 in the clip in my first post above). There seems to be something highly emotional about those chords with that bass line.
Yes he is, - THE RED TENT-71-His main theme is typical beautiful ENNIO, But he secondary theme, which expresses the cold alien loneliness of the artic is a emotional wallop.
I had a listen again to the CINEMA PARADISO kissing scenes and found that once again Morricone uses that same bass line and chord progression I mentioned with the cathartic points in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST and THE MISSION.
The progression I'm talking about has the bass line slowly falling down the scale going 1(8)-7-6-5-4, and always supports the same chords on every other note - the chords on notes 1, 6, and 4. There's something about this progression that sounds cathartic already, even profound. Just so you know what I'm talking about, you can hear the progression between 2:58 and 3:08 of the clip that Morricone (our fellow member) posted:
The progression is a staple of popular music, but Morricone makes it sound more unique. I think this might be because Morricone always has those lovely inner voices that are loaded with suspensions, which give the music that heartstring-tugging need for resolution.
But in PARADISO, it starts with the same kind of progression you hear with the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" before going into the "cathartic" progression.
I haven't studied the rest of your suggestions yet, but I have a feeling I'd find more. Anyone else notice a similar sound in these cathartic moments, in anything - melody, orchestration, chord progression, rhythm?
Whenever you here the main theme in A Fistful Of Dynamite during the flashbacks Noodles seeing Deborah's son and we then see Max [Deborah's theme/main theme], Once Upon A Time In America The Ecstacy Of Gold, The Good The Bad And The Ugly
Whenever you here the main theme in A Fistful Of Dynamite during the flashbacks
This really is fascinating. These flashbacks also incorporate the "cathartic" progression I was talking about. Listen from 34:32 in this video and you'll hear it again - the stepwise bass down the scale, but this time skipping a note in going from 6 to 4 (heard at 34:39):
Of course this progression does pop up in other less emotional scenes in films as well. Like in "Ness and His Family" from THE UNTOUCHABLES:
But there does seem to be a high proportion of these cathartic moments that use the same chords and bass line. Very interesting.
TO MATHIAS- AGREED, Orca is a beautiful, beautiful score, that just never got the credit it deserves. Probably because the film was not liked by many and also didn't set the B.O on fire.
