Five years ago Morricone came to Belgium and my wife and I had tickets but then our youngest daughter came down with the flu on the evening itself and I decided to stay home. My wife went to the concert with her dad (also a fan) and I thought, 'that's it, that was my only chance to ever see him perform'. Luckily he came back 2 years later and gave a fantastic concert that had me in tears several times. He truly was one of the all time giants (and maybe the most versatile of all of them...). I also count my blessings I got to see John Williams in Vienna this year...
Whatever he says there - and the family can have a private service - but Morricone should get a state funeral (at 2m apart) in Italy and a bank holiday in his honour!! Ennio day!!
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.
Wow. That is absolutely chilling.
I’d say perfect, Thor! No messing around or flowery sentiment, simple and exactly the way it is. And I thought my esteem for him couldn’t rise any further.
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.
Whenever I want to show the genius of Ennio Morricone to someone, this is the scene I point to:
Addio Maestro.
They don't come any better than this. I love the more gutsy stuff, and all the fun themes (March of the Beggars is just incredibly good fun) but on a day like this it's absolutely perfect. The scene and the music, and a great way to reflect on the genius of the two friends responsible for it.
There's no doubt it's typical of the kind of piece that will forever choke me just a little from now on whenever I hear it.
One of the greats, perhaps the greatest. I woke up to this news and it was a sad way to start the week. But what a legacy -- people will be watching his movies and listening to his music as long as the arts remain with us. A true genius.
MISSION TO MARS 2000 BULWORTH 1998 LOLITA 1997 DISCLOSURE 1994 WOLF 1994 IN THE LINE OF FIRE 1993 STATE OF GRACE 1990 FRANTIC 1988 THE UNTOUCHABLES 1987 THE THING 1982
The only albun of his I have is THE MISSION. Gabriel's Oboe is still the musical equivalent of beauty. I remember liking the FRANTIC theme too.
Just before New Year's December 2015, THE HATEFUL EIGHT and THE FORCE AWAKENS were stacked alongside each other in the new releases section of the now-defunct downtown Toronto HMV store. Morricone and Williams.
I was amazed to see that, roughly 40 years after I'd first heard of these trailblazers – and much longer since they'd actually been working – that they were still featured players in my adult life. And I knew, in my heart of hearts, that this sort of confluence would likely never, ever happen again.
Though THE MISSION and THE UNTOUCHABLES were a part of my adolescence, 2014 was roughly the beginning of my deep dive in to Morricone's work: a nearly-impregnable, wonderous and incredibly varied catalogue for anyone to embark upon. I thank Henry Stanny ("Morricone" on this board) for his passionate series of posts that gave me a starting point. I've never looked back, despite my wallet occasionally giving me grief over it.
MISSION TO MARS 2000 BULWORTH 1998 LOLITA 1997 DISCLOSURE 1994 WOLF 1994 IN THE LINE OF FIRE 1993 STATE OF GRACE 1990 FRANTIC 1988 THE UNTOUCHABLES 1987 THE THING 1982
The only albun of his I have is THE MISSION. Gabriel's Oboe is still the musical equivalent of beauty. I remember liking the FRANTIC theme too.
RIP EM.
520 is way overestimated. This Titan has actually written ca 450 scores, which is already impressive. What a career!
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.
Wow. That is absolutely chilling.
I’d say perfect, Thor! No messing around or flowery sentiment, simple and exactly the way it is. And I thought my esteem for him couldn’t rise any further.
Same here. I think it's amazing and hilarious; a perfect summation of the man and his music.
I'll admit I never had the deep personal connection to Morricone's music that so many here have as evidenced by this glowing thread, but I've always appreciated its brilliance and I feel the immeasurable loss to the artform. His death is beyond one man's passing; it's a reminder that an entire golden generation is nearly gone. Which is profoundly sad, but we are fortunate that he left behind a living memory of such astounding size and shape.
I’d say perfect, Thor! No messing around or flowery sentiment, simple and exactly the way it is. And I thought my esteem for him couldn’t rise any further.
To wit, Donald Fagen interviewing Morricone for PREMIERE magazine in 1989:
He was a smart man that Morricone. And we know over the years he didnt particularly like interviews. Especially with lazy journalists who didnt do much research, nor did he warm to those who tried to impress him or outdo him by what they knew. His classic was to reel off breathtakingly complex answers that only a musicologist or another composer could come close to comprehending.
Once, during one interview that he wasnt enthusiastic about, he ordered coffee for everyone in the room...except the journalist. To me, thats hilarious.
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.
Farewell,”
Vangelis
Great words. But also a little sad that Vangelis never reached out to him during his life, if he was such a fan. I'm sure they could have composed something together.
