Search - Ennio Morricone: Arena Concerto on DVD

A screen legend

Mr. Francois Cuadrat | FRANCE | 02/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ennio Morricone is a screen legend. Born in 1928 in Roma, he won several composition and conducting awards early on. Born in the era of the dodecaphonism (the use of the 12 semitones of the scale, all the notes being of the same sound level), he would very soon specialise in this twelve-note music, created by Schoenberg in 1923. His solid education would bring him to compose for the industry through professional opportunities : he was brought to it by Mario Nascimbene, a great score composer responsible for historical and biblical blockbusters (Alexander the Great, The Vikings, Cartagine in fiamme, Salomon and Sheba but also The Barefoot Comtessa and Barabbas) who detected Ennio's talents and entrusted him with arrangements and orchestra conducting.
It was the time when Italy would compete with Hollywood. But the one who revealed his huge talent was Sergio Leone ; the both of them would become the successful example of a fruitful collaboration between a composer and a director (like John Williams with Steven Spielberg, François De Roubaix with Robert Enrico, Francis Lai with Claude Lelouch for example). With A fistful of dollars (the DVD is still impatiently awaided by today's film buffs), Ennio Morricone gave free rein to his hyperrealistic musical ideas. His technique is put to the test by his variety composing (he is the one who wrote the song "Here's to you" from the film Sacco and Vanzetti, a melody he wrote for the woman he was in love with at the time, Joan Baez). Through the length of the scenes created from the score, the use of instruments never used before in the film industry, the mixing of women's voices, the composer's wonderful melodies start the "spaghetti western" genre (check out Once upon a time in the West, A fistful of dynamite, The good, the bad and the ugly, My name is nobody... They haven't aged a bit !). Leone and Morricone brought together the strength of the image and the musical lyricism always for the better, never for the worst ! Morricone was as comfortable composing for small groups as he was for 120-musician philharmonic orchestras and he was very much inspired whatever the film genre (the detective films starring Belmondo are amazing also thanks to Ennio Morricone). He was very ackowledged and appreciated in the USA and then in the whole world, Europe would nevertheless remain his big faithful admirer. This DVD is filled with emotion (some musicians have been performing with the Maestro since his beginning and his first recordings) and we are very grateful for his whole body of work, and it is not over yet !"

Marvelous Morriccone

Allan H. Jones | 08/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any product that exposes the wonderful talents Of Ennio Morricone is tops with me and I usually buy even before I either hear or see any reviews....always excellent buys and not to be missed."