He’s written music for over 500 movies and television shows, making him the most prolific film composer of all time. He’s composed for movies of all quality, from schlock to Oscar fare. His music is constantly sampled and recycled in other films, especially those of Quentin Tarantino. The upcoming western, “The Hateful Eight,” scheduled for release in January, marks the first genuine collaboration between the two, with Morricone providing his first western score in forty years.

Of course, he virtually invented the spaghetti western sound, with its whistles, harmonicas, jew’s harps, whip cracks and indecipherable chanting choruses. His score for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is among the most famous of all time. But he’s shown himself to be equally adept at a winning lyricism, as evidenced by his music for “The Mission” (another favorite of figure skaters) and “Cinema Paradiso.”

Morricone is one of those rare composers in the industry who does all of his own orchestrations. Somewhere along the way, he manages to write concert music, too.

Happy birthday, Ennio Morricone, 87 years old today.

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

“The Mission”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L41oGXgVmZg

Morricone conducts “Cinema Paradiso”