This series is inspired by a controversy thread where someone posited the idea that besides THE MISSION and some Sergio Leone westerns Ennio Morricone hasn't written anything great. Rather than making my usual comment that most of Morricone's great scores are from Italy and trying to get Americans to listen to them is like getting them to see movies with subtitles, I decided to take another tact. Since I am at an age where I will only be able to make my case a finite number of times I decided to turn this into a series presenting each great score one at a time, sort of like recordman.
As I mentioned in the A BRIEF SEASON thread (#29) Morricone has written more songs for films than anyone I can think of even though no one puts emphasis on that when talking about him. In that thread there is a long list of recording artists he has worked with. He certainly can give Francis Lai, Michel Legrand and, oh hell, occasionally Henry Mancini, a run for their money. Just listen to some of the lush and delicious melodies so far in this series A BRIEF SEASON, THE TWO SEASONS OF LIFE (#14), TIS A PITY SHE'S A WHORE (#27), MADDALENA (#20), METELLO (#11), IL MAESTRO E MARGHERITA (#7) and LA CALIFFA (#2). There is a definite knack for the melodic. Here is a another example INCONTRO, this time I picked the instrumental version:
If TIS A PITY SHE'S A WHORE is Morricone's ROMEO AND JULIET then this is his LOVE STORY and they were paired in a limited two LP set on Cam Records in 1979. INCONTRO was made a year after that popular tragic modern romance and seems to want to be it. Morricone writes a number of light and loungey themes besides the main one. The soundtrack feels like it is mounted like an album and has never been expanded. The film starred singing star Massimo Ranieri and Florinda Bolkin, who did every other movie with Morricone in those days. It was about a young passionate young man who falls in love with an older married woman and you can guess where it goes. The love theme still stays with me even today.
Another personal favorite. The score has to rank among his most "multi"-thematic, as far as I can tell from the CAM cd. (Btw, it's Florinda Bolkan, not Balkin)
Another personal favorite. The score has to rank among his most "multi"-thematic, as far as I can tell from the CAM cd. (Btw, it's Florinda Bolkan, not Balkin)
Thanks again for these Morri-threads
I was going to ring a bell for Balkin as well Very nice (though a bit depressing) score. I own only a very old (and rather bad) CAM edition. The movie is pretty good and I remember I did like Massimo Ranieri's fragile and moving character.
Incontro remains one of my favourite scores from the Maestro even after many years and many new scores. Some of the score is a little light and poppy but I don't mind as the main theme is a winner. When I started collecting EM scores (as opposed to buying just the odd one or two) this was one of the first I purchased - based on that main theme which I've known since the mid-70s.
I return to the score quite often and played it last evening ... great for last thing at night (this is my first viewing of the board after 12 days without internet!)
I return to the score quite often and played it last evening ... great for last thing at night (this is my first viewing of the board after 12 days without internet!)
I've said it elsewhere, but it bears repeating - welcome back!
MusicMad was gone! No wonder my threads kept disappearing so fast. Part of my lifesblood had vanished.
Too kind ... gone ... and forgotten!
I didn't go intentionally but found myself in the dark ages thanks to our wonderful Telecommunications company (otherwise known as BT): following my call to report the fault it took them only 14 days and 5 hours to repair the cable thirty metres down the road. If only they hadn't lied to me so many times ...
Lush is the word. A beautiful, bittersweet score, much in the same vein as his Cosi' Come Sei' score from 1978.
The highlight of this soundtrack is an amazing little track called "Passeggiata in Solitudine". I really can't say how much I love this track. Everything is balanced perfectly - strings, drums, bass, choir, guitar and carillon, all creating a very lonely and ethereal sound.
Its worth purchasing, even if its just for said track.
Lush is the word. A beautiful, bittersweet score, much in the same vein as his Cosi' Come Sei' score from 1978.
The highlight of this soundtrack is an amazing little track called "Passeggiata in Solitudine". I really can't say how much I love this track. Everything is balanced perfectly - strings, drums, bass, choir, guitar and carillon, all creating a very lonely and ethereal sound.
Its worth purchasing, even if its just for said track.
Me too. I like the way each element contrasts with the other in the most laid back way possible.
Just revisited INCONTRO again today, a lovely score and, as stated by others above, one of favorite easy listening lush and romantic EM scores.
The new expansion from GDM seems to have somehow different sequencing of some tracks. Has anyone made a comparison of the two releaes (sound quality-wise but also about missing parts of music) ?
Just revisited INCONTRO again today, a lovely score and, as stated by others above, one of favorite easy listening lush and romantic EM scores.
The new expansion from GDM seems to have somehow different sequencing of some tracks. Has anyone made a comparison of the two releaes (sound quality-wise but also about missing parts of music) ?
There's not much difference in sound quality between the CAM version and the recent GDM release. Morricone himself re-sequenced the GDM CD and removed a lounge track called "Patrizia." Apart from that, there's a couple of new variations on the Incontro theme and "Passeggiata in Solitudine" is longer and different than on the CAM release.
