Ennio Morricone RIP

[Dave2002]

It has just been announced that Ennio Morricone has died.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennio_Morricone

Ennio Morricone, RIP

[NatBalance]

Oh yes I heard on the Breakfast show earlier. So sad, he's been part of my musical life since my school days. A wonderfull and unique composer. Petroc even played two pieces by him and I found myself actually tearing up. I hope they play Ecstasy of Gold at some point, a Morricone classic, but so much gorgeous music and as I have mention on the Composer of the Week board a worthy subject for that show. I wish he had been chosen during his 90th birthday year. I hope we hear more of his music on R3, apparently he composed over 100 strictly classical pieces i.e. not film scores, and explored the avande garde, which is also apparent in some of his film music. RIP Ennio, you were an absolute inspiration. One of his sons I have learnt is also a composer. It will be interesting to explore his music.

[Serial_Apologist]

Oh yes I heard on the Breakfast show earlier. So sad, he's been part of my musical life since my school days. A wonderfull and unique composer. Petroc even played two pieces by him and I found myself actually tearing up. I hope they play Ecstasy of Gold at some point, a Morricone classic, but so much gorgeous music and as I have mention on the Composer of the Week board a worthy subject for that show. I wish he had been chosen during his 90th birthday year. I hope we hear more of his music on R3, apparently he composed over 100 strictly classical pieces i.e. not film scores, and explored the avande garde, which is also apparent in some of his film music. RIP Ennio, you were an absolute inspiration. One of his sons I have learnt is also a composer. It will be interesting to explore his music.

There should be a COTW now on Ennio. Has there been one, anyone know?

[Bryn]

There should be a COTW now on Ennio. Has there been one, anyone know?

Sadly he does not appear to have been featured, despite the like of Rutter, a far less accomplished composer, having been thus rewarded.

[NatBalance]

There should be a COTW now on Ennio. Has there been one, anyone know?

No there hasn't. I emailed the programme during Morricone's 90th year and added 'while he's still with us'. I also suggested it on this forum on the CotW board. The one that really gets me is Hoagy Carmichael. Yes, he did a whole week on Carmichael once ... I mean .... did he write ANY classical music? I've no objection to him doing Carmichael but at the expense of someone like Morricone I just find that very odd.

[cloughie]

A great film composer, who did more than Spaghetti Western themes - and they were good! - after JM - that’s two in a week! RIP Ennio

[Ein Heldenleben]

No there hasn't. I emailed the programme during Morricone's 90th year and added 'while he's still with us'. I also suggested it on this forum on the CotW board. The one that really gets me is Hoagy Carmichael. Yes, he did a whole week on Carmichael once ... I mean .... did he write ANY classical music? I've no objection to him doing Carmichael but at the expense of someone like Morricone I just find that very odd.

I'm pretty sure there has been a Composer Of The Week on Morricone a couple of years back but it's not showing on a google search. I think I might I have met him once when BBC enterprises were doing a Morricone Album after the hit of Che Mai (theme tune to the Lloyd George series ). Some well dressed Italian men turned up in an edit suite with a NAB spool of Morricone recordings. NAB tape spools don't have the the wheel -like reels you see on normal tape spools. Instead the 1/4in tape is tightly wound a central core. Its lighter to transport and saves on costs but it's no good in broadcasting - too prone to fall off the core . So the SOP is to put it onto a backing plate and wind it on to a standard tape spool. I did this but this leads to the second problem - you get an overhang of tape because you can get more tape on a NAB spool than on a reel. This has an unfortunate tendency to fall off - which you guessed it - it promptly did - before I could wind the excess onto another reel. The gasps and mutterings of Questa Bibbone were something to behold. All you can do is carefully hand wind the quarter inch back as tightly as possible or, more risky , find an edit point and wind onto another reel. Whatever method having excitable producers around doesn't help. i suggested they all went for a coffee while the fate of the master tape of Ennio's masterpieces lay in my hands. Luckliy it suffered no damage.
I often felt that in a lot of the films he scored the music was by far the best bit.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Of course, as every oboist will know, the tune everyone wants to hear you play is ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from The Mission. This isn’t a bad thing, as it’s easy to play, and is slap-bang in the middle of the instrument’s optimal range.

That is, if you don’t accidentally slip into playing ‘Praise my soul, the king of heaven’ instead - surely the inspiration for the piece. It’s even in the same key.

[johncorrigan]

Watching the coverage of Ennio Morricone's death, I had forgotten that he wrote the soundtrack for 'Cinema Paradiso'...one of my favourite films, with that wonderful atmosphere created by the fusion of image, story and Morricone's music.

[cloughie]

Watching the coverage of Ennio Morricone's death, I had forgotten that he wrote the soundtrack for 'Cinema Paradiso'...one of my favourite films, with that wonderful atmosphere created by the fusion of image, story and Morricone's music.

Isn’t this the title of a new CD currently being plugged by a certain popular ‘opera’ singer?

[BBMmk2]

Oh how sad it’s been this year. So many good artists have departed this world. RIP

[NatBalance]

Thanks for that story Heldenleben.

Of course, as every oboist will know, the tune everyone wants to hear you play is ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from The Mission. This isn’t a bad thing, as it’s easy to play, and is slap-bang in the middle of the instrument’s optimal range.

That is, if you don’t accidentally slip into playing ‘Praise my soul, the king of heaven’ instead - surely the inspiration for the piece. It’s even in the same key.

Yes there is a certain similarity but not sure enough to think he was inspired by it. I don't find it that easy to slip from one tune to the other. With so many melodies around there's bound to be occasional similarities. Not even sure if an Italian would have ever heard of that hymn.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Watching the coverage of Ennio Morricone's death, I had forgotten that he wrote the soundtrack for 'Cinema Paradiso'...one of my favourite films, with that wonderful atmosphere created by the fusion of image, story and Morricone's music.

That it is a distinguished exception to my 'great music shame about the film " comment - lovely music , wonderful film. One of the great films about the medium itself - up there with Day For Night and Singing in The Rain ...

[cloughie]

Thanks for that story Heldenleben.


Yes there is a certain similarity but not sure enough to think he was inspired by it. I don't find it that easy to slip from one tune to the other. With so many melodies around there's bound to be occasional similarities. Not even sure if an Italian would have ever heard of that hymn.

When I hear ‘Chai mai’ it always starts me singing Cilla Black’s hit ‘You’re my World’ - he may have heard that as it was written by an Italian and a similar era to ‘Shadow of your smile’.

[johncorrigan]

Isn’t this the title of a new CD currently being plugged by a certain popular ‘opera’ singer?

Just googled what you were talking about, cloughie...blinkin' cheek of her, I would say!