Reflections on the Music of Ennio Morricone

Franco Sciannameo is College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music in the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University.

Reflections on the Music of Ennio Morricone has the unique distinction of being published just before the death of the esteemed Morricone (1928–2020), who is famous as a cinematic composer. Sciannameo (music, Carnegie Mellon Univ.) developed the book through conversations with the late Sergio Miceli, who was an Italian scholar of film music in his own right. Sciannameo covers Morricone’s life from his early days through his retirement in 2019. There is discussion of many of Morricone's best-known works, including both the Once upon a Time… and La Cage aux Folles trilogies, and of his experimental electronic music. Of particular interest to some will be the last chapter, in which Sciannameo picks up the debate about the value of concert music for a composer who was so well received as a Hollywood film musician. With more than 500 scores to his credit, Morricone has interesting works in both genres, and this book introduces the reader to some of the composer's less-known works. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

• Chapter One: In the Open CityChapter Two: Once Upon a Time BabylonChapter Three: In the Lion’s DenChapter Four: Toward a New ConsonanceChapter Five: Scoring Social JusticeChapter Six: Legacy