Born On This Day

Ennio Morricone  November 10th, 1928


There's nothing more I can say about my love of Ennio Morricone's music that I haven't already said.


As I write these words, I'm listening to samples of videos to post here in celebration of il Maestro's birthday. It's not a simple task! See for yourself on "the You-Tube" when you can. I will simply present a sample of what always brings tears to my eyes.
So– make sure you will not be interrupted in the next ten minutes– click on the play arrow, let the music envelop you, and weep freely with the thought– there can indeed be such beauty in the world.

Born On This Day

Ennio Morricone 1928

Everyone knows the music score to Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly- the pan pipes, the harmonica, the raw surf guitar– classic Ennio Morricone. I'm not sure how the Maestro feels about it, but I almost feel it's too bad he'll most likely be remembered for that opening harmonica Wadawadwaaahh..! Don't get me wrong. It's a great piece of music. It is after all my cell phone ring tone.

The first time I really (really) heard Ennio Morricone's music was twenty two years ago at the Angelica Theater in NYC, during a screening of Giuseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso. Now of course by then I'd seen The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly dozens of times, and the music definitely left it's mark. But sitting in that darkened theater that night was a watershed moment for me and my love for movies. As beautiful as Cinema Paradiso is (and it is one of my favorite movies) I don't think it could stand on its own without the Maestro's score. The score not only acts as a bridge between the film's storyline and imagery, it is primarily, in my mind, a character unto itself. Creating a perfectly blended, sensual experience. Till this day, when I listen to the soundtrack (which I do quite regularly), I get transported back to the Angelica Theater and replay the movie in my mind. More times than not I get a lump in my throat. And when I see the film I weep openly (I know- such a mess!). Some other favorite scores are to Roland Joffe's The Mission, Brian De Palma's The Untouchables, and Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America. All have that same thing in common–the score acting as a conduit– not only to ground you but also to guide you through the narrative. Precisely what a good score should do.

In his ridiculously long career, Ennio Morricone has scored over five hundred films, won countless awards world-wide, has been nominated for an Academy Award five times, and in 2007 was presented with an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for his contribution to the art of film music.

Today Ennio Morricone turns 82. He is still composing and performing across the globe. Buon compleanno Maestro! Cent'anni!