Intrada Soundtrack Forum

What sadness film music fans feel on this day. I first heard the news of Ennio Morricone’s passing at 5:25am this morning, via Mary Ann, and instantly felt the loss. At 91, he was quite simply the most influential composer working in film, ever since he turned traditional western scoring upside down, inside out and then some during the 1960’s. That signature howling motif first heard in the title sequence of Sergio Leone’s legendary The Good, The Bad And The Ugly must be one of the most recognizable musical signatures in movies. We all have our favorite Morricone scores. The Leone westerns, Days Of Heaven, The Mission , Cinema Paradiso, Le Professionnel, The Battle Of Algiers, The Untouchables, 1900, Metello… the list goes on and on. My own favorites are probably Un Esercito Di 5 Uomini (The 5-Man Army) and Casualties Of War. But there are others. There will always be others. There are so many to choose from. What was the last score of his I played? L’Uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo (The Bird With The Crystal Plumage), a 1970 thriller. Why? I threw a dart. I typically listen to something of his two or three times a week. That’s it. With an entire shelf devoted to Morricone CDs, hundreds of them, my dart will easily hit something he wrote. Wow. What a loss. Rest In Peace, maestro Morricone.