HISTORY & SURVEY OF FILM MUSIC
Ennio Morricone
(b. 1928)
1964 A Fistful of Dollars
1965 For a Few Dollars More
1966 The Battle of Algiers
1966 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1968 Once Upon a Time in the West
1971 Maddalena
1987 The Untouchables
1988 Cinema Paradiso
Known in the U.S. for his scores to Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti” westerns of the the 1960’s, Ennio Morricone has composed music for over 400 films, ranging from comedies, dramas, art films, horror films, and practically every other film genre. Beginning with A Fistfull of Dollars, Morricone singlehandedly defined music of the western genre in the 1960’s and beyond.
A Fistfull of Dollars (1964)
A hallmark of this score is Morricone’s use of unusual instruments within a sparse texture. This unique mix of instruments (electric guitar, jew’s harp, harmonica) provides a unique match to Leone’s cinematic style.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) - Gunfight Scene
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Centered around three western outlaws on a quest for buried confederate gold, this film shows the Leone/ Morricone partnership at its peak. The soundtrack blends elements of Mexican and American folk music idioms, Tiomkin-style choruses- all wrapped in an Italian aesthetic
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Tuco finds the tombstone
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Finale
Interview with Clint Eastwood on working with Sergio Leone (2003)
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