Yeah, a fall in your nineties is almost always the beginning of the end, & a broken femur is about as bad as it gets. Bill said it: almost the Last of the Titans (& no need to name the last of them, we all know). A huge thank you, Ennio Morricone for all the many hours of pleasure you've given me. Only two weeks ago your music was played at my mothers funeral. What an amazing body of work to leave behind.
Indeed devastating news! Like Bill Carson and others posting on this board, his music is a lifetime passion since 40 years or so, the greatest composer I'ever ever known. I'm simply speechless. Here in France, the news is also in the radios headlines. No idea yet which music I will pick up as a homage since I like so many...
Truly heartbreaking. One of our greats is now gone.
My son watched The Good, The Bad and The Ugly yesterday with me for the first time and spoke of the amazing music. I talked at length to him about the composer's legacy and what his music meant to me while he listened intently.
Very sad news indeed. Yes, 91 is an incredible age to reach, but Morricone was so active up untill the last, I thought he would last forever. But goes to show how vulnerable you are to injuries when you're up there.
Morricone was always on/off to me. Some things I can't stand, other things I absolutely love. I am particularly a fan of his melancholic, gorgeous, broad melodies.
Currently writing an obituary in Norwegian, will need to gather my thoughts a bit.
When a film called "A Fistful of Dollars" arrived in town way back in the mid 60's I went back to see it time and again during it's run. The film was great in itself but the music by some guy called Dan Savio (who I had never heard of) was so inventive and so different from the multitude of Westerns I had already seen prior to that.
Clearly here in Italy it's major news, effectively the first time in a long while that the top news is not covid-related. Here he was a cultural icon, known to the general public at large, and for a very long time, since the 60's and the Sergio Leone scores.
I really still don't quite know what to say... I mean, obviously, we all knew this day would come, but still. The music of Ennio Morricone has been a part of my life for as long as I collect film music. The oldest Varèse Sarabande recording I own is probably the original LP for Ennio Morricone's music for THE ISLAND.
In the concert tour thread, someone posted a video of a concert Ennio Morricone gave in Cologne in 2016. Whoever filmed it must have sat right behind us, as the hand with the watch that comes clapping into the picture at 9:43 is my own and the silhouetted head in the way is of my wife Nicole. So grateful that we had the opportunity to experience Ennio Morricone life. What an innovative, creative and original composer.
Bill Carson wrote "Almost the Last of the Titans" -------------------- My thoughts exactly. In my mind, there were two (active) left. Film composers of a different vintage, without peer. You hear their music and you know it can be no one else. And like others have said, Ennio's sprightly appearance and manner made it look like he WOULD live forever.
But, He's Not Really Dead, As Long As We Remember Him (and THAT ain't gonna be in doubt).
I listened to "Kerim" from SECRET OF THE SAHARA when I saw the sad news on Twitter. Even under these sad circumstances, he provided the perfect underscore. SECRET OF THE SAHARA just popped into my mind last week and I bought it right away and have been listening to it a lot since. It reminded me that the Maestro was one of the first, if not the first, film music composter I took notice of as a kid. My collection of scores of his is not very large, but I love them all and admire his musical genius. Rest In Peace, Maestro!
With Love, Respect and Thanks to the maestro for all of the musical gifts he shared with us.
From the Italian film METELLO, Massimo Ranieri who starred in the movie, sings the main theme IO E TE composed by Ennio Morricone. One of my favorite Morricone scores which include DAYS OF HEAVEN, THE MISSION, 1900, CINEMA PARADISO and CASUALTIES OF WAR.