Ennio Morricone: Film Music Masterworks

Ennio Morricone (Composer), Paul Bateman (Conductor), Derek Wadsworth (Conductor), Nic Raine (Conductor), James Fitzpatrick (Conductor), Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Charlotte Kinder (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Charlotte Kinder
• Orchestra: Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Paul Bateman, Derek Wadsworth, Nic Raine, James Fitzpatrick
• Composer: Ennio Morricone
• Audio CD (June 6, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Silva America
• ASIN: B000FCUUGM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,425 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Film Music Masterworks by Ennio Morricone --- Silva Screen Records",, June 25, 2006

By 

J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ennio Morricone: Film Music Masterworks (Audio CD)

Silva America once again has outdone themselves with "Film Music Masterworks by Ennio Morricone", all the splendor of this composer on 14 Tracks --- Morricone creates visual moods for each film he scores...action, adventure, mystery, romance, sentimental and suspense...the list could go on --- one could hold no other composer in higher esteem than Morricone --- Every track moves you --- Each cue comes back with a memory as the preceeding track ends --- It flows naturally and perfectly from track to track. Ennio Morricone ranks next to Bernard Herrmann in writing the perfect movie score --- If you're looking for a piece of music to capture your heart and a deeper meaning of the film...you've found it.

Ennio Morricone was born in Rome on October 11, 1928...attended the Santa Cecilia Conservatory...worked in various jazz bands, later a staff arranger and composer...an orchestrator in the '50s...scored films in the early '60s, then the WESTERNS and his name became a household word in the film industry ~ a new kind of western was on the horizon and Morricone was commissioned to score "A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS" [1964] for Sergio Leone featuring Clint Eastwood, spaghetti westerns were born ~ next "FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE" [1965] ~ and a bigger budget film "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" [1966], again featuring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and a third Eli Wallach whose performance was magical to watch on the big screen ~ violence and revenge gives Morricone an opportunity to feature electric guitars, flutes and jew's harp blending with a non lyrical chorus mixed with brass, strings, percussion with full orchestration that simply took your breath away...example is "ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST" [1968], featuring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards and our hero Charles Bronson the mysterious harmonica player, director Sergio Leone's tribute to the American Western, pulled out all the stops ~ the Western was just a small part of Maestro Morricone's career, in the next paragraph take a gander of just what our icon of film music accomplished.

Our composer didn't stop there as "ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA" [1984], featuring Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern, another Sergio Leone film..."THE MISSION" [1986], featuring Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons and Aldan Quinn, is probably one of Morricone's crowning scores receiving an Academy Award nomination, very haunting and classical genre in substance..."THE UNTOUCHABLES" [1987], featuring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro during the Al Capone '30s crime organization, Morricone conjures a powerful and dynamic arrangement of his unmistakable theme..."CINEMA PARADISO" [1988], featuring Phillippe Noiret, Antonella Attili and Pupella Maggio from director Giuseppe Tomatore as he recalls his early childhood, the score immediately captures your heart, so tender and compelling as Morricone can only deliver.

City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra featuring conductors Kenneth Alwyn, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Nic Raine, Derek Wadsworth --- with the Crouch End Festival Chorus featuring Choir Master David Temple and vocals performed by Charlotte Kinder --- all in all did a magnicent job in bringing the music of a composer who wrote for over 250 films, receiving recognition from the industry and fans which was long over-due ~ his work is in constant demand, scoring as many as over a half dozen films as year.

This collection contains an overlay of each cue in Morricone's distinctive style of legendary scoring --- the man who made this possible, a tremendous asset to every project he undertakes is James Fitzpatrick [producer of the album] --- symphonic suites with full orchestra fullfilling the "film-score-buffs" cravings for more of the same, just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 53 mins on 14 Tracks ~ Silva America 2003 ~ (6/06/2006)

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars You're better off buying the original versions by Morricone, December 22, 2006

By 

moviemusicbuff (Walnut, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ennio Morricone: Film Music Masterworks (Audio CD)

I was given this CD as a gift by a friend. It's a good re-endition but it is not great. I'm a big fan of Morricone, and I grew up listening to his music, especially the Spaghetti Westerns (Fistful of Dollars, For Few Dollars More, Good, Bad, & Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West). While the Prague Philharmonic (under Derek Wadsworth and others) tries hard to perform a good cover of this music, I couldn't help but long for the original recordings which I own while I was listening to this CD. The only musical piece in this CD that the Prague Philharmonic does a commendable job of imitating is "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." I prefer the original work by Morricone for all the others. So, I have a difference of opinion with the other reviewer who liked this recording. I didn't like it as much as he did.

If you like Morricone's spaghetti westerns, I highly recommend you purchase Morricone's Legendary Westerns CD (which has the essential pieces from Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and Once Upon a Time in the West). The Once Upon a Time in the West soundtrack is also wonderful, with "Jill's Theme" and "The Man with the Harmonica" theme. Morricone's soundtrack to The Mission and The Untouchables are also readily available. Morricone also has an anthology of his film music available (even though it is a bit pricey). Morricone's re-endition is far superior than covers done by a different conductor & orchestra. You're far better off with sticking with Morricone's own versions -- no one can perform his music like the way he does.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars All these tracks are on Silva's 2004 release., April 21, 2007

By 

tjguitar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ennio Morricone: Film Music Masterworks (Audio CD)

Pass on this and pick up Once Upon a Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone

It has all these recordings and more. You get much more for your $$ on Silva's previous release.