Last night, myself and 20,000 other film and music freaks had the rare opportunity to see Ennio Morricone perform for the first and possibly last time in the United States. Even if you don't know his name, you know his music. The score from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", "A Firstful of Dollars", and "For A Few Dollars More" defined the way the West sounds. Morricone also composed the soundtracks to "The Untouchables", "The Mission", "Cinema Paradiso", "Love Affair", "Days of Heaven", and 400 other films.
Morricone is an unfamiliar figure to Americans as the first standing ovation of the evening was given not to the 78-year old composer, but to an assistant who walked out on stage before the concert began to place music on his stand ("You've seen one old gray-haired Italian, you've seen 'em all.") He emerged a minute later to laughter and an even larger and longer round of applause. But from the opening strains of "The Untouchables", we were silent and transported to that special place where music inspires the mind to recall images of a specific place and time.
Well, mostly silent and transported. There were a few in the audience that couldn't control themselves and burst out in applause and cries of "Il Maestro!" and "Bravo!" One big-haired women loudly whispered to he husband "It sounds just like in the movies!" The man sitting next to me also started snoring at one point--which was certainly not a reflection on the music, but on his displeasure of obviously being dragged there by his girlfriend.
Extemporaneous noise aside, I still got chills hearing the theme from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (y'know--that coyote theme that plays every time someone walks through a saloon door), "The Ecstasy of Gold" (or the theme that Metallica starts every concert with), and the somber and delicate sounds of "Gabriel's Oboe" from "The Mission."
I suspect that one of the reasons why Morricone didn't perform in the US prior to last night was because there was uncertainty about whether or not the Italian composer was popular enough amongst Americans. If the honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement he will receive later this month isn't enough to demonstrate otherwise (he was nominated five times and never won), the three five-minute standing ovations he received between each of the encores should prove that there is a lot of love for Il Maestro in the States.
I’ve included some clips below for those of you who want to know more about Morricone and the films he scored. For fans, a new tribute CD is due out later this month, entitled We All Love Ennio Morricone, featuring Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock and 13 other artists.
Ennio Morricone conducting "The Ecstasy Of Gold" (From "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly")
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I'm so jealous that you went... I don't know why I didn't get tix, but as compensation, I've been listening to my "Days of Heaven" and "Once Upon In America" albums pretty much all day. Sounds like an amazing show.
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Now I have to go watch a spaghetti western, Good Post ;-)
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Great post, "Giu' la testa" (aka "Duck you sucker!" or " A fistful of Dynamite") is probably my favorite soundtrack!
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Emscee--it was a great show. Tickets were a little pricey, tho'. Orchestra seats were $600. As you can see by my amazing cell-phone picture, I was sitting a bit higher than that. The 2nd mezzanine was $125.
Phantom--I woke up this morning wanting to see "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" again... and I saw a good deal of it via YouTube. Seems that everything is on there...
TC--Morricone also performed the theme to "A Fistful of Dynamite" last night. It was hard not to picture the film while listening to it...
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Wow. This sounds astonishing. The two "Film Music" compilation CDs of Morricone that Virgin put out back in the Eighties are still essential listening chez Ivylander....
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Thanks for posting this. I knew Morricone before I knew I knew Morricone--sitting on the living room floor watching the man with no name chomping the cigar and shooting with impossible accuracy. "The Mission" was an incredible soundtrack and still has a hold on me. That sounds like a stunningly good show.
Great post.
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. .
Buongiorno Linda,
Que magnifico, quello Morricone, il rè della musica cinematografica, son tanti que non conosce lo anche in Europa, que hanno visto le filmi ma non sapeve chi che comporra la musica... 8))
Well if you don't understand, that is so many people have watched the movies but don't even know who composed the music, this Morricone is a king in movie soundtracks.
Now you said the prices were totally... overpricing ;-)) indeed 600 bucks just to receive confettis over the head,,, Eo))
The image from your cellphone is not that bad at all, it even looks arty with the round stage layout and drapes.
Good Job Reporter G 8))
Ci vediamo, ciao
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If I had been within a few hundred miles, I would have done everything within reason to get there. The opening scene in "Once Upon a Time in the West" is one of my all-time favorites - enhanced by Morricone's haunting score. And "A Fistful of Film Music: The Ennio Morricone Anthology" on Rhino is a beloved part of my library.
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Mille grazie, François! Dopo il ieri notte, sono sicuro che Morricone ha molti altri ventilatori in America. (my Italian is very rusty, if you haven't noticed...)
Radio City Music Hall is a very dramatic art-deco theater. The stage is surrounded by huge gold arches. I wish I could've gotten a better picture.
Mike--the concert was recorded and a DVD is supposed to be released at some point. Obviously, its not quite being there... but almost! And without someone snoring on your shoulder....
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So many good movies for one man to be associated with...what a way to spend your 80yrs on the planet...i feel so not worthy!! I must do something amazing with my life...starting tomorrow of course!
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Just like mine... ;)) old origins somehow remain somewhere, in the blood ? the ADN ? ;))
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Lovely post. Gave a good sense of what it was like to be there, and I loved the crowd descriptions. "It sounds just like in the movies!" is the kind of thing I'd say. Here's hoping his American success will convince the grand old man to embark on a European tour, so I can act like an idiot in public once more.
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I'm with Flux - any distance, (almost) any price to see this man in the flesh. The amount of concert material on You Tube is amazing, but it just whets my appetite.
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ok i just shot a mogmail to TC but if anyone wants to clarify this for me here please feel free.
fistful of dynamite? ive heard about it, cant find it anywhere, dont know anything about it. was it not released in the states? is it an alternate title to another movie that i may or may not have seen? WTF? is it tied to fistful of dollars? ive heard many things, most of them conflict. please anyone throw me a bone here.
PS yes i am extremely jealous. i cannot count the times ive found myself whistling this mans music while walking around campus.
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etc--here you go.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fistful_of_Dynamite
It might be out of print in the U.S...
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Not to toot my own horn, but if you go to my mog and click on the Federale myspace (eeew, I know) link I have set up, I think you might enjoy it. A bunch of Portland musicians who idolize Ennio have gotten together to form a spaghetti western band. We're finishing up our first album now, and some final clips are posted there. It's a lot of fun for all of us, as we are pretty much all ion other bands that are more serious. It''s a great way to get together and have fun...hopefully we can do him proud.
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wow. your passion for this, lept off the screen and i'm now off to learn more. thanks for such a killer post!
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i hate you. i hate you. i hate you. damn, I wish I was there slackjawed in awe at the mysterious wonder of it all. Ho hum.
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you did not dance in the isle? i loved high em high and the good the bad and the ugly as a child,as you know i have found those old lp's but they are in terrible shape all hail the king of movie music then glad you had a wonderful time Linda
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Wish I was there. That must have been an incredible performance to soak in!
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Lucky girl.
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I have to say that when including the showdown from Once Upon a Time in the West you might have included a spoiler warning...
I have an album of Morricone music, and i think the liner notes there tell the story of how Leone was moreor less forced to use this composer he never heard of, and when they first me, Morricone took one look at him and said something like "Long time, no see" - they had gone to school together!
The Good the Bad & the Ugly is #1 on IMDB.com's list of the fifty greatest westerns, and "Once Upon a Time..." is #2. Personally, i'd pick 'em the other way 'round.
etcvisitor says:
This one has a complicated release history - the Italian title is Giu la testa - literally Lower (or Duck) Your Head; the original US release title was Duck You Sucker, somewhat cut from the European version's original running length; then an even more-cut version was released as A Fistful of Dynamite to try to cash in on the Eastwood film's fame.
It's the middle film of the "Once Upon a Time" trilogy - it's working title was Once upon a Time - The Revolution - followed by Once Upon a Time in America, a gangster film. (DePlama who usually pays Very Sincere Tribute to Hitchcock in his films paid Very Sincere Tribute to Leone in The Untouchables, imitating his camera work and hiring Morricone for the ST).
It's available on an incredible Region 2 DVD set (possibly better than the Once Upon aTime in the West set), and you can order it from Amazon UK for £6.97 - about $12 at a guess (or £2.21 used, for that matter) - and surprisingly affordable shipping (i forget how much, but it wasn't bad when i ordered it). If your computer or DVD player can handle Region 2 discs, this is an incredible deal - it's basically the original European cut with two important scenes restored, in a beautifully restored print with lots of good extras.
(And let us not forget that you can order the incredibly-good Once Upon a Time in the West set from Amazon for $9,95 (or less used).