One For The Weekend: Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) – The Ecstasy of Gold from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Ennio Morricone was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and former trumpet player, writing in a wide range of musical styles. Morricone composed over 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as over 100 classical works. He started as a talented football player for A.S. Roma but quickly left the sport to follow his passion for music. His score to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is considered one of the most influential soundtracks in history.

After playing the trumpet in jazz bands in the 1940s, he began writing for film and theatre in 1955.

Morricone’s best-known compositions include The Ecstasy of Gold, Se Telefonando and Gabriel’s Oboe. In 1971, he received an award for achieving worldwide sales of 22 million, and by 2016 Morricone had sold over 70 million records worldwide. In 2016, Morricone received his first Oscar for his work, at the time becoming the oldest person ever to win one.

Have a lovely weekend – I hope this takes you into it with a sense of wonder and passion!