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Donald Macleod explores Morricone’s experimental work in Italian auteur cinema and giallo in the 1960s and 1970s.

Ennio Morricone is cited as one of the most experimental and influential composers of all time, undoubtedly recognised as one of the world’s greatest ever composers of music for film. A legendary figure who over the course of his career won numerous awards, and accolades, his innovative sound worlds helped to define what film music could be for multiple genres of cinema. Morricone’s music extended far beyond the desert landscapes of spaghetti westerns, not just to other genres on the silver screen, but also into the worlds of pop music, and into the concert hall – where his study and composition of avant-garde music gave him the techniques to experiment within his scores for film as well. Over the course of this week, and following on the heels of the 2024 Academy Awards, Donald Macleod explores the incredible career of Ennio Morricone, a composer who quite astoundingly wrote over 500 scores for film and television, as well as over 100 classical works.

In Wednesday’s episode, Donald explores Morricone’s experimental work in Italian auteur cinema and giallo in the 1960s and 1970s. He also discovers how Morricone overcame writer’s block to create one of the best-selling original instrumental scores of all time.

Opening credits from Uccellacci e uccellini
Domenico Modugno, vocalist
Studio orchestra
Bruno Nicolai, conductor

Addio a Pier Paolo Passolini
Gilda Butta, piano

Ostia from Pasolini, un delitto Italiano
Studio orchestra
Ennio Morricone, conductor

Birth of a City & Finale from Once Upon a Time in the West
Edda Dell'Orso, singer
The Modern Singers Of Alessandroni
RCA Orchestra
Ennio Morricone, conductor

Suoni per Dino
Dino Asciolla, viola
Giulio Spelta, Giuseppe Mastroianni, Sergio Marcotulli, tape machines

Delirio Secondo from Un Tranquillo Posto Di Campagna
Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza

La Lucertola from Una Lucertola con la Pelle Di Donna
Studio orchestra

Silenzio nel caos from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Ennio Morricone, trumpet
Studio orchestra

Four Flies on Velvet (take 6) from Four Flies on Grey Velvet
Studio orchestra
Ennio Morricone, director

Deborah's Theme from Once Upon a Time in America
Orchestre del Cinema Italiano

Produced by Sam Phillips for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Audio Wales & West