The famous Italian composer Ennio Morricone, author of world-famous film soundtracks and winner of two Oscars, died in Rome on Monday at the age of 91.
Morricone was hospitalized in a clinic in Rome after suffering a fall that fractured his femur.
Ennio Morricone died “on July 6 comforted by faith,” the lawyer and family friend Giorgio Assuma said in a statement, quoted by the press. He remained “totally lucid and with great dignity until the last moment,” the statement added.
The prolific musician composed some 500 soundtracks, including unique melodies, such as the whistle of “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966) or the magnificent oboe solo from “The Mission” (1986). It has the merit of being the author of melodies that millions of people, moviegoers or not, know or know how to hum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1PfrmCGFnk
In 2016 he received his first Oscar, for the movie “The Hateful Eight” (“The Hateful Eight” or “The Eight Most Hated”), by Quentin Tarantino. In 2007, she had already deserved an honorary Oscar for her abundant and praised musical career.
Just a few days ago, Morricone was awarded, along with composer John Williams, with the Princess of Asturias Award for Arts in Spain.
“We will always remember and with infinite recognition of the artistic genius of the master Ennio Morricone. It made us dream, it has moved us and made us think, writing unforgettable notes that will remain forever in the history of music and cinema ”, the head of the Italian government, Giuseppe Conte, published on Twitter this Monday.
“Goodbye, teacher, and thanks for the emotions you have given us,” Roberto Speranza, Italian Minister of Health, also reacted on Twitter.
Morricone was born on December 10, 1928 in Rome and began composing at the age of six. At ten, he enrolled in a trumpet course at the prestigious Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome.
He also studies composition, orchestra and organ. In 1961, at the age of 33, he premiered in the cinema with the music of “Misión ultrasecreta”, by Luciano Salce.
But Morricone rose to fame in the 1960s for the soundtracks of hit westerns, such as “For a Fistful of Dollars” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” His versatility allowed him to later sign the music for dozens of award-winning films, very different from each other, such as “La Misión” (1986), “Cinema Paradiso” (1988) or “Starman” (“El hombre de las estrellas”, 1995) .
“The music of ‘La Misión’ was born out of an obligation. He had to write an oboe solo, it was developed in South America in the 16th century and he had the obligation to respect the type of music of that period. At the same time, he had to write music that also represented the Indians of that region. All those obligations chained me (…) But they also managed to get something clear, ”recalled the composer, in an interview with AFP in 2017.
In addition to his two Oscars, Morricone was also awarded a Golden Globes and a Grammy, he composed operas and songs for pop artists, in a long career that he finished off with a farewell world tour in 2018.
“The fact that I was able to compose music with total freedom, and so diverse, was possible not only because I had the technique, but because it was necessary for me to change my compositional outfit each time. The film required it. I accommodated myself, each time it was different ”, explained the“ Maestro ”to AFP.
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