I recently wrote a blog post on the legendary Ennio Morricone for my day job, quoting tidbits from the new book Ennio Morricone: In His Own Words and accompanying each excerpt with clips of some of the composer’s best-known cinematic cues:

Over his esteemed six decade career, Italian composer Ennio Morricone has scored hundreds of movies across numerous genres, most famously the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Many of his most iconic musical cues—to name just three, the coyote-like “wah-wah” of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the haunting harmonica from Once Upon a Time in the West, and the distinct oboe of The Mission—have transcended their films to cement their place in popular culture, referenced in cartoons and commercials, played at sporting events, and even performed by metal bands in concert. Additionally, today’s English-speaking audiences may be familiar with some lesser known pieces from Morricone’s early career in Italy due to their inclusion in recent Quentin Tarantino movies.

Please read the whole piece (and listen to the Spotify playlist) on the OUPblog.

(The views expressed on this website are the blogger’s and do not represent the views of his employer.)

• – FLIPP