06 July 2020

Ennio Morricone's "Ecstasy of Gold"

 
Morricone is perhaps my favorite modern composer.  Even better in my view than the embedded selection above is Jill's Theme in Once Upon a Time in the West, and the musical theme of Cinema Paradiso.

Addendum:  Here's an orchestral version, which I think is better than the film version, where the vocal is so toned down.

 
Reposted from 2012 to substitute an improved wide-screen video. 

Re-reposted to celebrate Ennio Morricone finally being awarded a well-deserved (and long-overdue) Academy Award. And re-re-reposted from 2016 to again replace the orchestral video with an updated one.

Re-re-re-reposted from 2016 in memoriam.

11 comments:

  1. Awesome, thanks for this. This is far and away my absolutely favorite scene from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", I love the juxtaposition of the Eli Wallach's uncontainable giddiness with the graves, many fresh, and all hastily prepared.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Urban Garlic, more re the location of the scene and the filming at this old post -

    http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-this-real-cemetery.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Since what we call "classical music" has all but vanished from the public eye, are film composers essentially the new classical composers? Is John Williams the contemporary Beethoven? I hadn't thought enough about this; thanks for the great post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Late getting back to this, but I was going to suggest that there are non-movie classical composers, until Philip Glass's "The Hours" theme came around on my Pandora. I think LPJ has a point...

    Also, the April 2010 post has many nice links, thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Metallica also use it for the intro of all their concerts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The mission is one of my all time favorite Film scores, especially "Gabriel's Oboe"

    ReplyDelete
  7. Some seriously classic movies and music. I remember being blown away by "Once Upon a Time in the West" back in college, even sober as a judge.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I too am a big fan of Ennio. Hayley Westenra (a superb singer) has released a full album of his compositions, which I highly recommend. It includes "Gabriels Oboe" and the theme from "Once upon a Time in the West".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Requested from our library. Thanks for the heads-up.

      Delete
  9. https://youtu.be/Z57hyZmbE8A?t=2m20s offers another take on this.

    ReplyDelete
  10. These days I really love Ectasy of Gold. but back in the day...
    http://srevestories.blogspot.com/2020/07/turn-it-up.html

    ReplyDelete