Product Details

• Format: AC-3, Classical, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Euroarts
• DVD Release Date: April 18, 2006
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000EQHRW4
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,818 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For cinephiles and soundtrack collectors everywhere, Morricone Conducts Morricone is a DVD to cherish for a lifetime. Recorded in Munich, Germany on October 20, 2004, this no-frills 100-minute concert performance offers no bonus features, and none are necessary; an interview with Morricone would've been welcome, but the concert itself is a priceless treasure, honoring Ennio Morricone's staggering film-music legacy (over 400 scores as of 2006) with a well-chosen program of highlights conducted by the composer himself. With minimal fanfare, Morricone ascends the podium, peering over his glasses with the intense expression of a vigilant professore, and the Berlin Rundfunk Orchestra launches into the main theme from The Untouchables, beginning the "Life and Legend" portion of the program, which also includes the lush, romantic "Deborah's Theme" from Once Upon a Time in America, and similarly evocative excerpts from the scores of The Legend of 1900 and Cinema Paradiso (the latter being the first of several selections discreetly accompanied by film clips). The second section, "Single Pages," showcases excerpts of early Morricone scores from lesser-known films like Love Circle, Maddalena, and H2S (the latter an obscure 1968 film that fell victim to censorship). The third section is devoted to Morrione's classic music for the films of Sergio Leone, including themes that made Morricone a film-music superstar: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, and A Fistful of Dynamite, with soprano soloist Susanna Rigacci doing an impressive job of re-creating (in a slightly lower register) the original soundtrack performance of Edda Dell'Orso on West.

The fourth section, "Socially Committed Cinema," highlights Morricone's work on serious issue-related dramas including Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion and Casualties of War, while the fifth and final section, "Tragic, Lyrical, Epic," concludes with the unforgettable "Gabriel's Oboe" theme from Morricone's beloved score for Roland Joffé's 1986 drama The Mission. As directed by Morricone's son Giovanni, Morricone Conducts Morricone is flawlessly recorded (in PCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, or DTS 5.1) and visually unobtrusive, with multiple fixed cameras and efficient, no-nonsense editing providing well-executed coverage of full sections and soloists including prominent performances by pianist Gilda Buttà, Ulrich Herkenhoff (assuming the panpipe duties originated by the great Georges Zamfir on Once Upon a Time in America) and solo violinist Henry Raudales. And while some may lament the absence of such Morricone favorites as "Man With a Harmonica" from Once Upon a Time in the West, these 21 selections offer ample compensation, demonstrating Morricone's prolific versatility while emphasizing the string and woodwind arrangements that have made Morricone a household name in Italy and around the world. In the accompanying booklet, a mini-essay by concert organizer Matthias Keller describes Morricone as "The Picasso of Film Music," honoring the maestro as a bold experimenter whose work reflects an innovative willingness to combine seemingly incompatible musical idioms into themes that are uniquely and characteristically his own. It's an apt description, evident in full blossom on this remarkable, must-own DVD. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars music from heaven! too good to be true!, April 24, 2006

By	Richardson "Clarence" (Sunny California USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

I was browsing the shelves at Tower this evening and this jumped off the shelf!!! I couldn't believe that something this beautiful could actually be released in the current Brittney Spears/ Paris Hilton world....but YES!!!

This is a spectacularly filmed and played concert...conducted by the composer himself....oh and the pacing is sublime! Sooo much to love here and enjoy over and over...fans of the spaghetti Westerns won't be dissapointed but even themes from foreign films unfamiliar are immediately enjoyable.

it is a CRIME that this man has never won an OSCAR ...his soundtrack compositions are unmatched in quality AND quantity...oh well...I guess the fact he doesn't live and work in Southern California has its price. I can't believe he didn't win for Cinema Paradiso, but heck....pick any of them...they are too beautiful to only win Oscars...they will stick in your head and hearts forever!

Enjoy!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh my... The concert is Full of Treasure!!!, April 25, 2006

By	Young Seok Park "musicarama" (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Yes, the music in this 2004 live concert by Ennio Morricone must be from heaven. All the music was so beautiful and mesmerizing with such harmony and detail that I couldn't stop watching. The concert was very well prepared and performed by Munchen Radio Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Choir, and the outstanding soloists including the soprano, panflutist, violist, and pianist, under the direction of Morricone himself. I got this DVD yesterday and already watched it three times. Before seeing the concert, I thought only Morricone music I knew was that of "Cinema Paradiso" and "The Mission." But, I was wrong! I noticed that most pieces sounded so familiar and were ones I had actually liked. I really enjoyed the theme from "Once upon a time in America," in which I was very impressed by the panflutist.(I'd never seen anyone play a panflute before) Of course, the famous soundtracks from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" as well as "The Mission" (including "Gabriel's Oboe") were exceptional. It was definitely enjoyable to watch the soprano, who sang, in a "sket" style, themes from "Once upon a time in the West" and other films. It was also a true pleasure to hear the distinctive theme from "Sicilian Clan," in which I remember the French actor Alan Delon was. Only one thing regrettable was that this DVD included only one theme from the famous film "Cinema Paradiso." It seems, unfortunately, there was some editing for that part for some reason. Anyway, I have to say that Morricone is a true genius. In the liner notes of the DVD, he was desribed as "Picasso of film music" but my version would be "He is Mozart of film music." I hope Morricone will do more for film music in the future.

Techinically this DVD is at top notch. Vision is excellent with 16x9 enhanced and sound is clear and rich with DD5.1, dts5.1, and PCM. I strongly recommend you to have a copy of this DVD right away and let your spirit soar.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even superior to the "Arena Concerto", April 20, 2007

By	Ronald Van Scherpenzeel (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just couldn't believe it since I own the mentioned Arena Concerto
which I classified as someting impossible to beat as far as the beauty
of a true live concert is concerned. That's why I waited a long time
before purchasing "Morricone conducts Morricone" thinking I'd buy
at least something equal to that. No way....!
This is absolutely marvellous and here are the reasons why:
- it's an indoor concert which makes the sound quality unbelievable
- there are more movie themes being played than usual and we can listen
to such beauties as "Sicilian Clan, Love Circle, H2S and Maddalena"
- the solo performances on Cockeye Song and Making Love make you trans-
port to the utmost "boundaries" of what music can be like...
It is 100 minutes of pure pleasure without any pause just straight
one Morricone beauty after another. I cannot force anyone to buy this
but you will be sorry if you don't.