An Italian composer, director and arranger originally from Rome, who has accounted for more than 500 soundtracks for films, series and TV shows. Today it is one of the most sought after musicians of the twentieth century. Laureate of the Golden Globe Award, officer of the Order of Merit for the Italian Republic, and winner of the David di Donatello Film Award.
The beginning of the way
Ennio was born on November 10, 1928 and was the first child in a family where four more children grew up. Father Mario Morricone played the trumpet in a jazz band, Liber's mother Ridolfi was a housewife. Ennio Morricone began writing music at the age of 6. Three years later, he took up the study of playing the trumpet, and at 12 entered the conservatory, which he graduated in 10 years with three diplomas.
At the age of 16, he took a place in the ensemble, where his father used to play, in the position of the second trumpeter. He worked part time with the same team, playing in local clubs and hotels. At the beginning of 1950 he wrote musical accompaniments for radio and pieces for piano with voice. Five years later, trying to create compositions and arrangements for films. In the credits instead of his name put the names of more popular musicians, but Ennio Morricone was not opposed, because it was a good side job for the main work in the ensemble. According to the musician himself, he could do better soundtracks for films. Ennio never imposed his services, he believed that someday the directors themselves would start calling him into their projects. And so it happened.
Sergio Leone
In the early 1960s, Morricone began collaborating with RCA. There he came up with arrangements for popular at that time performers. At the same studio, he continued to create music for television programs. Then his compositions were not distinguished by genius, but this was enough so that one of the days Ennio Morricone's house was visited by his former classmate - Sergio Leone. He asked for musical accompaniment for his new film.
The composer decided to help an old friend. Due to the small financing of the project, I had to look for budgetary and at the same time original musical solutions. The basis was real sounds, for example, whistle and harmonica. Critics noted that Ennio Morricone's music was too experimental. However, it fit perfectly into the cinematic language of Leone.
So the work on the soundtrack to the film “For a Fistful of Dollars” took place. This was not their last joint project. The list of their works consists of more than forty films, among which the best are:
- "Once Upon a Time in the Wild West."
- "Good bad evil".
- "My name is Nobody."
Could Morricone then imagine that Leone’s films would become so popular? However, the glory did not reach Morricone himself, because for the viewer his name in the credits sounded like Leo Nichols or Dan Savio.
Career
Together with the work thundered around the world, new proposals for cooperation were received. Such directors as Mario Cayano, Duccio Tessari, Marco Bellocchio, Pierre Pasolini, Gillo Pontecorvo, Vittorio De Seta and other equally famous filmmakers turn to him for help.
Morricone dealt with a huge number of films. It was impossible to do without nominations for an Oscar. Until 2001, there were five such nominations, for the following paintings:
- "Harvest Days."
- "Mission".
- The Untouchables.
- Bugsy.
- "Malena."
Despite the fact that the soundtrack of Ennio Morricone to the “Professional” was not nominated anywhere , this did not prevent him from becoming one of the most popular tunes of the twenty-first century.
Despite his venerable age (this year will celebrate his 90th birthday), Morricone, until 2015, fruitfully worked on the production of compositions for films. Of his recent collaborations with directors, one can note:
- Works with Quentin Tarantino - “The Abominable Eight” (2015) and “Inglourious Basterds” (2009).
- Works with Giuseppe Tornatore - “Best Offer” (2012), “Baaria” (2009) and “Stranger” (2006).
Throughout his creative life, the composer's main activity was writing music for television. In Russia, he was especially remembered for the soundtrack to the Octopus series, the number of seasons of which is already ten. It should also be noted the once popular single Ennio Morricone "The Lone Shepherd."
Personal life
The great composer, whose name is inscribed in the history of cinema, married in 1956. Today his family consists of three sons and one daughter. Two boys followed in the footsteps of their father: the first is a director, and the second is a composer. The mother of four children and part-time wife Ennio Morricone is called Maria Travia.