Today, the entertainment industry mourns the death of legendary composer Ennio Morricone, who has passed away in Rome at the age of 91.
The award-winning maestro is understood to have died from complications from a fall last week, where he broke his leg. He will be remembered for his musical contributions to the movie scene – particular of the spaghetti western genre – with more than 400 scores for cinema and TV. Sergio Leone’sThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, and Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables are some of his more prolific works. Subsequently, the man went on to snag three Grammys, three Golden Globes, six BAFTAs, ten David di Donatello Awards (the Italian equivalent of the Oscars), and two European Film Awards.
With the news of Morricone’s passing, many have come together to pen tributes on the online space, from director Edgar Wright to gaming big-name Hideo Kojima.
While the iconic coyote-howl theme for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is largely considered to be his magnum opus, the man’s collaboration with former school mate Leone has a special spot in the history books. Apart from the Clint Eastwood-led film, Morricone also created a handful of simple yet recognisable harmonica notes for Once Upon a Time in the West, and continued to pen the soundtrack for all of Leone’s titles.
“There is no great music without a great film that inspires it,” the composer said in his acceptance speech for the 2016 Academy Award, but the reverse can certainly run true as well, especially in light of his far-reaching influence on the industry. Thank you for the memories, and rest in peace.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
