What terrible news to wake up to. I always 'call in' at FSM on my web 'rounds' before getting out of bed, and couldn't quite believe my eyes. Of course we all knew he was a of a great age, but at the same he seemed to be going on forever and so it's quite crushing to see the news today. Definitely NOT what I was expecting.
I was a kid at school when I became transfixed by his music, and together with Bernard Herrmann I was hooked forever. These are my two all-time favourite composers, responsible for my taste in that area and therefore for me personally the giants HAVE gone now.
stalemate 12, I'm so jealous that you have the autographs but especially the photo. And I thought I was lucky sat next to Chris Frayling and his wife! Sadly I hadn't the time to try and get backstage as I had minutes to get home. But the memories are there for the rest of my life. It was such an honour to see the great man live.
I absolutely love going to the town built for For A Few Dollars More in Almeria, Spain, just so I can sit on the steps of Col Mortimer's hotel in the sun and soak up the Morricone music constantly piped. SO atmospheric.
Only last Saturday I listened to Guns For San Sabastian, and today I have his cds in the player non-stop.
Very sad news. Morricone's film music was one of the influences that fostered my life-long love for film music. I was talking only the other about sitting in front of the TV taping film music with my mono tape recorder.
Morricone's music for THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY was ideal for recording as a lot of his music was heard without dialogue and a minimal amount of effects (though I still hear the dog in 'The Ecstasy of Gold'.)
Morricone's music for THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY was ideal for recording as a lot of his music was heard without dialogue and a minimal amount of effects (though I still hear the dog in 'The Ecstasy of Gold'.)
Laurent - great selections! I'll dig them out this evening. I am not surprised you have tears in your eyes. I'm the same whilst listening to Ennio's wonderful music.
I will never forget our get together in Paris and the great concert at the Palais Des Congres. It was a great evening with you and Alain Crepier (does he post here?).
I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the posters here at the occasion of a Morricone concert. Happy memories indeed.
Paul Hickling - yes, I wouldn't sell the photo for anything. I took one with Ennio and my wife and Ennio, always the perfect gentleman, took off his hat for the photo and managed a wee smile.
I don’t really know where to start, I heard the news this morning while at breakfast and was completely stunned, I thought he would carry on till he was 100. My Dad is going through palliative care at the moment so this is tough to take. Now playing ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.
John Barry introduced to me to film music and a love for film music that has never waned, but I watched ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST when I was around 16 and I knew this was a unique composer, the music was so different to anything I had heard in the movies or anywhere. Like Henry on this board this has definitely led to a kind of obsession to hear everything I can from him such as the early arrangements for Mario Lanza, the arranging and conducting he provided for so many Italian singers like Gino Paoli (and these are well worth exploring), his chamber music, the classical/experimental works like Gestazione, and the albums of his own music he worked on for such singers as Milva or with soloists like Yo-Yo Ma. On the soundtrack side I was surprised when I explored Morricone’s music more, with regards to the incredible variety within his works. No doubt this is one reason why some people maybe only focus on a few scores of his or a few genre’s, because the next score they hear by him might not be what they are expecting and completely different. Of cause all film composers have to be eclectic, all the best of them are. But I’m not sure any of them have used such a wide range of styles as Morricone, even though that Morricone touch, his recognisable style is there all the time. Even within genre’s he tried to produce something different most of the time, just look at the Italian westerns. Most people associate these scores with the whistle, electric guitar, jew’s harp etc, but Morricone tried to move away from this with for example the mix of dissonant experimental sounds with church organ and soaring operative themes in FACCIA A FACCIA (FACE TO FACE), the use of chorus & didgeridoo in DA UOMO A UOMO (DEATH RISES A HORSE), the more percussive symphonic leanings of LA RESA DEI CONTI (THE BIG GUNDOWN) and the classical, tragic sounds he created for IL GRANDE SILENZIO (THE GREAT SILENCE) a western set in the snow. This same determination to create something different, all be it sometimes small (there is no doubt that Morricone repeated himself, and he defended his great productivity by referring to Bach) in each score, this branched out into other genre’s, for the war movie MASSACRE IN ROME Morricone did not use any emotional music at all, the music is harsh and militaristic with no redemptive theme at all, while for another war movie BATTLE OF ALGIERS there is a warmer sound to the music to represent the spirit of the people which contrasts with the more traditional battle music. For FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY (SHADOW MAKERS) in the movie the music mostly lacks humanity till the final heart breaking theme at the end of the movie (a lot of his music was not used in the film). He utilised many types of music in his film scores, like jazz in THE BLUE EYED BANDIT, allegorical music in ECCO HOMO, scores featuring chorus (the extraordinary use of the Dies Irae in IL SORRISO DEL GRANDE TENATORE, the chorus in the Venice set thriller CHI L’HA VISTA MORIRE, the children’s chorus in GRAZIE ZIA, a mix of religious choir and ethnic choir in THE MISSION, the powerful opening theme to BURN!), experimental scores using improvisation like A QUIET PLACE IN THE COUNTRY, more traditional symphonic scores like MARCO POLO, DAYS OF HEAVEN or NOVECENO (1900), the incorporation of popular music into his scores especially in the early seventies like LA DONNA INVISIBILE or LE CASSE. electronics like the synthesiser in THE THING or LA SCONOSCUITA (THE UKNOWN WOMAN), his gritty urban thriller scores like CITTA VIOLENTA or parts of THE UNTOUCHABLES and the use of solo female voice in scores like VERUSCHKA.. He forged some long lasting collaborations with directors such as Leone, Tornatore (I recently saw THE UKNOWN WOMAN and THE BEST OFFER and they both have wonderful scores and the movies are very moving) or Mauro Bolognini. And he was lucky to work with some wonderful collaborators like Alessandro Alessandroni (and his chorus I Cantori Moderni), Edda Dell’ Orso, Bruno Nicolai (conductor and played organ on many scores), Dino Asciolla (viola), Marianne Eckstein (flute on scores like THE MEADOW) or Oscar Valdambrini (trumpet/flugelhorn). In his score for LA CALIFFA Morricone managed to bring together many components of his music, the use of traditional Italian instruments but not necessarily in a traditional Italian style, the chorus, solo female voice, solo’s for instruments like the viola or woodwinds, experimentation, beautiful emotional themes soaring with full orchestra and chorus in a work that in my opinion is one of the greatest of his career. But unfortunately for Morricone, many of his Italian or European films like this where he wrote much of his best work, remain unseen by most people outside of Italy, not even available to this day in English language versions. Even THE RED TENT, a movie with Sean Connery, remains very difficult to see and I have never seen it come up on British television. This is an essential Morricone score where the emotional side of his music (Love Theme) contrasts with the experimental side (the piece Others Who Will Follow Us). This has undoubtedly resulted in him not being regarded as one of the greats by many film music fans. There is no doubt regarding the influence of hearing music in the film it was intended for and falling in love with it. So it is no surprise that there are no threads of 100+ on this board about works like LA CALIFFA. But Morricone’s music can survive outside of the films it was written for and have a life of its own, as indeed LA CALIFFA has. I confess that I have only seen a relatively small % if the movies that Morricone has composed music for, but the music can survive on its own and remain a fascinating and often emotional experience. I’m not saying this is the case for other composers as well, but it is especially important for Morricone being that so few of his films are accessible. I was lucky enough to see him in concert 4 times, at the Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, Hammersmith Apollo and the O2. He was very austere, spoke no English and had a very business-like aura around him. This contrasted with much of his music however, which remained emotional and powerful, I will never forget these experiences.
At this time I want to remember one person who helped me considerably in my love of Morricone’s music, Don Trunick (who helped so many other Morricone admirers as well).
Nothing can satisfactorily summarise how important Morricone’s music has been to me throughout my life, but if I hope I have captured some of my feelings.
I’d like to end by referring to one of my favourite themes Tema di Peirol from L’AVVENTURIERO, I hope some kind of tribute to The Maestro, long live his music:
I remember you sitting in front of me at the Royal Albert Hall concert and unfortunately our chat was way too short.
I fully echo what you said about Don - I was thinking about him earlier. Without Don and also Addie Smith I would not have discovered so many of Ennio's scores.
Paul Hickling - yes, I wouldn't sell the photo for anything. I took one with Ennio and my wife and Ennio, always the perfect gentleman, took off his hat for the photo and managed a wee smile.
Tom
Wow tom. Thats a rare photo. In the apt words of famous Morriconian Don Trunick (who should be included here) ..."The Maestro seldom smiles for photographs". **
Im at home working today, but ive had a bit of everything Ennio on. One night at dinner atm, plus i had on I Cannibali thismorning and ive been going round the house singing "Can....eee.....bals"
Although Morricone was a stern and serious man - certainly publicly - his rather strange n mischievious humour came out in his music for sure. I think he liked nothing better than hidden references that amused him.
**weirdly i wrote this about Don before i saw David's reference.
Rest in peace Maestro Morricone. The greatest film composer there was!
Luckily I got to see him live once when his concert tour came to Helsinki in 2016. A night I’ll never forget.
According to the statistics in the fan site chimai.com I own 134 albums by him spanning over 3000 cues which is 3,71 % and 28,32 % respectively of all the albums and cues of his music ever released. The amount of music he wrote is nearly incomprehensible and will inspire many musicians for years to come. Not to mention how he never compromised and didn’t shy away from music that some might call different or difficult.
Now playing ”Nostromo” which includes possibly his most beautiful writing. Grazie mille!
Right now I feel major goosebumps. The Italian newspapers just released the obituary/farewell that the Maestro HIMSELF wrote.
In Italian, the lnguage he loved so much:
Io Ennio Morricone sono morto, lo annuncio così a tutti gli amici che mi sono stati sempre vicino ed anche a quelli un po' lontani che saluto con grande affetto. C'è solo una ragione che mi spinge a salutare tutti così e ad avere un funerale in forma privata: non voglio disturbare nessuno.
In English: I, Ennio Morricone, am dead. So I announce it to all the close friends that always supported me, and also to the faraway friends, which I salute with great affection. Thare's only one reason that brings me to say goodbye in this way, and also to require a strictly private funeral: I do not want to bother anybody.
His own man until the very end. I think I am going to cry a bit.
Vangelis just released the following official statement:
“Dear Maestro unfortunately we never had the chance to meet and to have a conversation. Today I am going to tell you what I had in my heart but I never had the opportunity to express it to you. I always wanted to tell you when I heard from the very first time your music that I immediately understood your immense talent, your sense of melody and your innate capacity to touch directly with your music the soul of the people. And I have to thank you for that. I am sure that by now you travel to the place where harmony and music were born. And I hope that this makes you very content.
In English: I, Ennio Morricone, am dead. So I announce it to all the close friends that always supported me, and also to the faraway friends, which I salute with great affection. Thare's only one reason that brings me to say goodbye in this way, and also to require a strictly private funeral: I do not want to bother anybody.
"....in English: I, Ennio Morricone, am dead. So I announce it to all the close friends that always supported me, and also to the faraway friends, which I salute with great affection. Thare's only one reason that brings me to say goodbye in this way, and also to require a strictly private funeral: I do not want to bother anybody."
Isnt that just priceless. And theres that slightly black humour he had, right there.
Its a day of fond memories, and smiles as well as sadness. In an obscure way it reminds of that old comedy film where the rich old boy dies leaving the greedy relatives. At the will reading he tells them they all have to go off and do something totally out of character if they want the inheritance...1 has to get a job, another has to get arrested, etc. At the end they all go through hell and the message from the old boy afterwards is that theres no money left!! Now im not saying any part of the situation is similar - at all - merely that i can see Ennio loving that sort of humour. Like spike milligan's line on the gravestone Told you i was ill.
In English: I, Ennio Morricone, am dead. So I announce it to all the close friends that always supported me, and also to the faraway friends, which I salute with great affection. Thare's only one reason that brings me to say goodbye in this way, and also to require a strictly private funeral: I do not want to bother anybody.