Composer Threads The Official Ennio Morricone Thread

[Muad'Dib 1,946]

I was surprised to find out that there wasn't an official thread for this musical genius that (in my opinion) is just as good as Williams, if not slightly better...

What are your opinions on this awesome composer and what are your favorite pieces? Personally, I'd like to start with something practically unknown from him. Not his best of course, but a truly funny piece!

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Probably not the best cue to introduce people to that score.

[chuck 155]

Yeah, I was wondering why there was no thread for the great Italian maestro...

Now my favorite EM score (one of the top 5) is The Mission suite:

[Sandor 858]

Morricone is - by far - my favorite film composer after John Williams.

[chuck 155]

Yeah, even Hans Z couldn't get enough of EM.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Morricone is - by far - my favorite film composer, John Williams comes after.

Fixed

[KK 3,310]

Yeah, I was wondering why there was no thread for the great Italian maestro...

Now my favorite EM score (one of the top 5) is The Mission suite:

This is an absolutely gorgeous score and also my favourite of Morricone's fantastic career. Although as much as I love the guy, I must say, Williams and a few other composers stand above in my favourites.

And to the mention of Zimmer in this thread, the man LOVES his Morricone stuff. He pays homage to him with ever chance he gets.

[Brónach 1,318]

Morricone is someone that sometimes I love and sometimes rubs me the wrong way, even in the same score.

[KK 3,310]

Morricone is someone that sometimes I love and sometimes rubs me the wrong way, even in the same score.

Ya, I can agree with this statement.

[Maglorfin 213]

Not that I don't like his spagetti western stuff and other favourites (The Mission, Untouchables ...), but for me, the ultimate Morricone masterpiece is The Thing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,949]

Ennio who?

[Naïve Old Fart 11,667]

Not that I don't like his spagetti western stuff and other favourites (The Mission, Untouchables ...), but for me, the ultimate Morricone masterpiece is The Thing.

Mine, too, Mag! Kudos to you for mentioning it.

[Maglorfin 213]

Still haven't learned to change that avatar of yours

[Naïve Old Fart 11,667]

All will be revealed...soon.

[Thor 9,308]

Morricone is someone that sometimes I love and sometimes rubs me the wrong way, even in the same score.

Ya, I can agree with this statement.

Me too. He's quite on/off to me. I absolutely LOATHE his dissonant stuff, but I downright ADORE his more melodic stuff. When he's on, he's really on (and has few equals in film music history).

I saw him live in Royal Albert Hall in 2009. That was a great experience.

[Quintus 5,721]

Morricone > Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Desplat, Zimmer, Powell, Arnold, Don Davis, Gregson-Williams.

[chuck 155]

Morricone > Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Desplat, Zimmer, Powell, Arnold, Don Davis, Gregson-Williams.

Arrgh. Tis' as you say.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Morricone > Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Desplat, Zimmer, Powell, Arnold, Don Davis, Gregson-Williams.

I think you meant to put an ellipses instead of a period, because y'know, he's the best

The thing about Morricone, is that when he tackles beauty man, he fucking nails it. The music oozes gorgeousness. Whenever Williams does it, there's always a melancholy undertone to it, which Morricone can do as well and often in the same score. But Williams never has and never will compose something as beautiful as Jill's theme.

[Quintus 5,721]

Aching is Morricone's specialty. Williams is too sweeping and melodramatic to really hit the spot in that regard. The beauty of Morricone's music is the aesthetic itself - the gorgeous melody is merely the incidental heavenly accompaniment.

[Brónach 1,318]

But Williams never has and never will compose something as beautiful as Jill's theme.

That is just outrageous to say.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Well I've said it.

[Brónach 1,318]

It's still outrageous.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

For you maybe, for me Morricone is just that good. It's kinda like the same thing with Spielberg. Leone kicks his ass any day of the week.

[Brónach 1,318]

I didn't mean the praise to Morricone, I meant the shot at Williams.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

I'll say again, Morricone is just that good. Williams still sits in my #2 spot.

[Quintus 5,721]

I love Morricone, but Williams' range and repertoire slaps him into touch when it boils down to it. There's no contest.

[Brónach 1,318]

No you don't get me. You're not praising Morricone, you're saying JW can't do something he can do perfectly. In fact, this little detail should warrant its own JW thread.

Morricone praise is all fine by me. He tends to get artificial when he writes something small and lyrical, and a lot of his development of themes I find underwhelming, but many times he's fun to listen to. I adore his most adventurous western music. He's no Herrmann though.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Williams has quite a bit of range and reputable films under his belt, but when Morricone composes Once Upon A Time In The West alongside 20-something other scores in the same year, it just makes it even better. Some of which are brilliant as well.

Morricone goes from comedy, to period piece, to drama, to romance, to political thriller, to western, to gangster crime, to anything else in between, seamlessly.

[Brónach 1,318]

Too seamlessly, I'd say. To the point of reusing material, I'd say.

The new material tends to be wonderful.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

I'm not completely familiar with the man's 600+ scores, but of the ones I am familiar, he rarely lifts. Horner is a worse offender, with a fraction of the amount of scores.

[Brónach 1,318]

Yeah Horner reuses too many ideas for the amount of work he does.

[Not Mr. Big 4,818]

I personally think he's overrated.

[Northwest21 0]

I personally think he's overrated.

???? Ay yay yay. Based on who's rating system? Even from just a harmonic standpoint, the guy is brilliant. Melodically there are few that are at his level in film music history and his unique sound separates him from so many others. My favorite quality of his music, by far, is how quickly and beautifully it manages to depict the interior psyche of the character. Williams is much more overt for me in this way, save Schindler's List, Stepmom, Sleepers and a few others.

[Joni Wiljami 1,233]

I don't personally understand the praise of the quantity. I prefer the quality.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Exactly, he has a massive amount of quality scores.

[chuck 155]

I wonder if he has a brand new score out yet.

[Muad'Dib 1,946]

My favorite Morricone concert work:

[Jay 42,494]

Two days ago Ennio Morricone was forced to stop a concert at the Mandela Forum in Florence due to a "low blood sugar". Morricone was caught by a slight illness while directing the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra and the Lyrical Symphonic Chorus of Verona.

After half an hour he recovered, went back on the podium and ended the concert by giving three encores!

The Maestro is a rock!

Sources (with copyrighted photos of the big fear during the concert):

http://www.lanazione.it/cronaca/2012/11/04/797262-morricone-malore-concerto.shtml

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/primopiano/cronaca/morricone_malore/notizie/229538.shtml

http://filmscoremont...mID=1&archive=0

[Koray Savas 2,256]

I saw that. Would have been worried but as described he just needed to eat something.

[Muad'Dib 1,946]

Is this real?

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Is what real?

[Muad'Dib 1,946]

I mean if that's a new Morricone score from The Best Offer.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

[Koray Savas 2,256]

I try to buy as many Morricone scores as I can, and I mostly discover more of his music through the amazing releases GDM and Digitmovies churn out that SAE sells. Willing that samples are available for those scores. This one was in the latest SAE newsletter, and I don't think I've been so infatuated with samples to a score I've never heard.

This is hilariously awesome. Gonna buy this first chance I get.

[publicist 4,648]

He even channels his old MADDALENA days in MIGLIORE OFFERTA. It's good stuff:

[chuck 155]

I'm curious, what is the most "John Williams-ey" score ever from Maestro Morricone & vice versa?

[publicist 4,648]

Williams:

A. I. (esp. the operatic readings of WHERE DREAMS ARE BORN, THE BLUE FAIRY, but the generally design betrays a certain inspiration as well)

MUNICH (again, acidic thriller material mixed with operatic melody is a EM stable)

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (the latter parts of HMYN TO THE FALLEN practically beg Morricone to endorse them )

Morricone:

nothing really, but you could make a case for

MARCO POLO (melodious and far-reaching epic)

What Dreams May Come (almost devotional religious)

NOSTROMO (little brother of THE MISSION)

SECRET OF THE SAHARA (big and operatic)

RED SONJA (well....)

DAYS OF HEAVEN (at least Williams in a heavy reflective mood might produce something not too unsimilar)

FRANTIC (Williams might have composed something along similar lines, with the flugelhorn theme and all)

Il Principe Del Deserto (big and operatic)

La Sconosciuta (the main theme)

[chuck 155]

Thanks for the reply pub!

I only know a few scores from Morricone and I am hoping to remedy that but I think there are some cues in The Untouchables that has some JW flavor in them.

Oh and how about Sabrina? Sure the orchestrations may not be Morricone-esque, but the themes somewhat reminds me of Morricone.

[Joe Brausam 228]

Are there any releases of Morricone's What Dreams May Come beyond the disc that includes Red Sonja? It sounds lovely on Youtube, I'd love to be able to find a copy somewhere for a reasonable price.

[Koray Savas 2,256]

That's a bootleg. It's never been released.