Maestro, the Ennio Morricone Online Magazine, Issue #19 - August 2020

Didier Thunus

Description

CIAO ENNIO: Homage by fans (1-8)
PREFACE: Non voglio disturbare - Didier Thunus (11)
NEWS: In breve, Old News, Web News - Patrick Bouster, Didier Thunus, Frédéric Durand, Richard Bechet (12-27)
ALBUM REVIEW: Deliver Us from Evil: 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition of Two Mules for Sister Sara - Didier Thunus (28-32)
BOOK ANALYSIS: Listening to Morricone - Ismael Marrero (33-34)
INTERVIEW: Meeting with Stéphane Lerouge: Producer of the Decca 18-CD box set – Part 2 of 2 - Laurent Perret (35-40)
ARRANGEMENTS: Archivio Musicale dell’Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, Part 1: Barzizza and Luttazzi Collections; Gran Gala - Frédéric Durand (41-49)
INTERVIEW: Bruno Battisti D'Amario: Le chitarre del Maestro - Patrick Bouster (50-57)
ALBUM REVIEW: Los Hermanos Rigual, Notte Meravigliosa - Steven Dixon (58-59)
IMPRESSIONS: Good Scores for Bad Movies - Didier Thunus (60-61)
FILMS REVIEW: Duccio Tessari / Ennio Morricone: The Random Collaboration - Patrick Bouster (62-70)
TRIVIA: Curious Morricone - Steven Dixon (71-73)

Sujets

• Ennio Morricone
• Webzine
• Fanzine

Informations

• Publié par: didier_thunus
• Publié le: 13 septembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 32
• Licence : En savoir +
  Paternité, pas d'utilisation commerciale, partage des conditions initiales à l'identique
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Ciao

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Morricone will be missed. His music will remain and be discovered by many over the years to come. He was the Mozart of our time. I feel fortunate to have met him 10 times over the years. I was shocked about his dead. He survived corona and now this. May he rest in peace. Sijbold Tonkens, The Netherlands

“Gone but not forgotten, Prays forever deep in our hearts.” RIP Ennio Mike Dixon, UK

Merci Maestro pour tous ces inoubliables moments de grâce et d'émotion qui m'ont fait, et me feront toujours, me sentir on earth as it is in heaven. David Vincent, France

Keith Brewood, UK

I had the privilege of seeing Ennio along with his orchestra and choir in Rome twice in recent years. He was a great composer and I know that his music will live on. A sad day for us all. R.I.P. Maestro. Andrew Clare, UK

This great musical icon has been part of my life for about 27 years, and has brought me great pleasure in this time and will continue to do so for however long I am on this earth. I had the immense pleasure of seeing Ennio, sorry il Maestro, on 8 occasions, the first one being in London at the Barbican, where I had the good luck to meet him and get 3 autographs, one of the highlights in my life. Over the years I looked forward to new releases like a small kid looks forward to Christmas. I suppose like all other fans knew this day was coming, hell 91 years old and sound mind he had a good life and has given so much joy to people’s life, even writing his own obituary and what it contained showed the class of the man and how humble he was, but it is still hard to take, I don't mind admitting shedding a few tears since. All music is subjective with different genres and many different people’s opinion, however for range, versatility, groundbreaking and beauty, easily not only the greatest film composer of all time but in the top tier of musicians of all time in my humble opinion. May I finish with thanking Didier and Patrick for their work over the years on the online Fanzine, plus Martin (MSV) also for supplying much interesting information prior to this, always looked forward to that magazine getting put through the letterbox. Yours, Robin Smith, Paisley, Scotland

Nicola Schittone, Italy

My wife and I had the great privilege and luck to watch the Maestro conducting his glorious film music twice. On October 20th, 2004 and on Mach 7th, 2017, both times in Munich. I enjoyed a lot of films with his music in it. Some of them I have in my collection and a lot of his scores on LP and CD. It is very sad to realize that this grandsigneur and genius will never again raise his baton. I wanna thank you, Professore Morricone, for having enriched my life with your extraordinary music that touches ears and heart in a very special way. I will never forget the goosepickles on my skin when I for the first time watched the camera moving slowly up the little train station giving full sight on Claudia Cardinale and the western town accompanied ... noledby Jill’s Theme, one of the finest compositions of the Maestro. And the goosepickle thing works again and again, every time I watch the movie. Rest in peace and show the angels new exciting ways to play the harp! Christoph von Schönburg, Germany

I started to hear his wonderful music when I was just ten years of age, which was in 1965. I knew then I wanted to hear this music all day long if I could, he through his music changed my entire life, now 55 years later I still listen to his music every day. Farewell, Maestro, Friend and my hero, Rest Now, My heart is sad, and I am feeling empty maybe lost, but I know I will still hear your music until I myself join you. John Mansell U.K.

My first conscious exposure to the music of Ennio Morricone came as I watched The Untouchables (1987) on the big screen in New York City; up till then, I can’t recall having heard his name. After the closing credits, I rushed out to the nearest Tower Records store and bought a copy of the soundtrack on cassette. The rest is history: seven years later, I’d have Karlin’s book; eight years after that (2002), I’d watch Morricone conduct his music live in Paris; five years later, I’d watch him in New York City’s Radio City Music Hall; six years after that (2013), I’d miss him in Los Angeles. Over that period, I’d amass approximately 220 cassettes, records, and discs of the great man’s music. (Martin, you were right: don’t try to catch you!) More importantly, if the many consolatory messages that I received yesterday are an indication, I shared my love of the music with countless others, many of whom (at the time, anyway) took me for a crazy convert. Indeed, I had a “voglia matta” for more of Morricone’s music—and I hope that I have this crazy desire, born of love and inspiration, for decades to come. RIP, Maestro Morricone. Ismael Marrero, Seattle, July 7

Ennio Morricone’s Autograph As we all come to terms with Ennio Morricone’s tragic death I reflect on my own thoughts relating to the maestro. My love affair with the maestro’s music started at an early age. In those days I would record his music by holding a microphone to the TV speaker, which givesyou some idea of my age, I didn’t even recognise the artist at the time,just his music. As mypassiongrew, I found it increasinglyto difficult get hold of the maestro’s soundtracks, that is until I found 58 Dean Street in London, who were one of the few importers of Italian soundtracks at that time. Over theyears I have had the privilege of attendingmanyof the maestro’s concerts both in the UK and Ireland. In those early days I would often be found at the end of the concert at the stagedoor waiting and hoping for Ennio’s autograph. One particular concert at the Royal Albert in 2003 I evengot a mention in the magazine ‘Music From The Movies’ in an article © Photo by Andrew W. Hogg written byBen Horace called The Last Of The Titans which highlighted me and my twoyoungdaughters waitingin sub-zero temperatures without success for the maestro’s autograph, however the girls were handed two CD by exiting musicians, which I still have. In addition to mylove of maestro’s music myeldest daughter caught the bugand thepair of us often attended his concerts over theyears. I will highlight one special 2013 concert in Dublin at the Royal Hospital Kilimanlian. We had a fantastic experience watchingParadiso in the o Cinema pen-air cinema and the concert was nothingmore than spectacular, alas, no autograph! We both were aware of the maestrogiving a lecture at the Light House Cinema but were unable toget tickets, so we decided to stillgo,just in case. Now we both stood outside the cinema at the topof a rampedpath and luckyfor us everyone else was inside the cinema. I notice a white Mercedespeople carrier arrive and I turned to Abi, mydaughter, saying“I think it’s Ennio”, the car door opened and the maestro stepped out and started to walk towards us, I was shakingas he came towards us and I held out my concertprogramme and asked him for his autographic, the securityofficer turned to me sayingthat the maestro will not signinganyautographs today. I looked at the maestro with myhand still shaking and said I’ve been tryingforyears togetyour autograph,please, the interpreter translated mywords to Morricone who smiled and took theprogramme and signed it! However the storydoesn’t end there, one of maestro’s assistants approached us and realised we had a CD of Casualties of War which he took, alongwith our address, he then said he would send it back with the maestro autograph, which he did, two in one day hurrah. When I look at Ennio Morricone’s talent, the one thingthat strikes me is how extremelyhumble he was, his music and his sounds has influenced the modern world and will continue to do so. As I write this I’m watchingan advert for H&M called “Let’s Change For Tomorrow” andyes the background music is “The Ecstasy of Gold” proving his talent and influence still lives on. With respect and love, a humble admirer AWH

Morricone and Me Morricone’s first music I heard wasMy Name Is Nobody. I was fifteen years old then (1974) and was visiting a friend from school who had just moved to another town. His parents took us to the cinema there. It was the first time that I really noticed the music and I was especially impressed by The Wild Bunch. When leaving the cinema I noticed the soundtrack album displayed at the box- office, and I decided to buy it. Not right away, first I had to save some money. I played the music over and over again and I was lucky that my mother also liked it, otherwise I surely would have had a problem. Some time later I was checking the album offers in some warehouse, and I noticed a familiar name. It was the soundtrack ofFor a Fistful of Dollarscoupled withFor a Few Dollars More. After some hesitation (it was not possible to listen to the music in the shop) I decided not to buy it. However, back home I regretted this decision, went back and bought it after all. I was not disappointed, to say the least. Around the same time there was a radio program on Sunday mornings. Almost every week the DJ played a track fromHet gebeurde in het Westen. Thus, the album ended up in the charts on a very high position, was displayed in every record shop and I could not resist it:Once Upon A Time in the Westbecame number three of my Morricone collection. And after adding numbers four and five (Le trio infernal andPeur sur la ville) I spent all my money on buying every Morricone album I could find (which at that time were not so many, just the ones that were released in The Netherlands). When I had a collection of about 30 albums, I thought I had the most extensive Morricone collection possible. However, then I found out about Bongiovanni and Soundtrack & General. All the money I earned with my Saturday job was spent on Morricone albums since then which I imported myself. In 1978 I went to Rome for a holiday with some friends. Of course I was dreaming of meeting Morricone, so I took the phone directory and searched for his name. It was there! At the time I was staying in a pilgrim’s house and with the help of one of the nuns working there I could make an appointment to meet him at the recording studio. However, when I got there, the person whom I had asked to translate for me did not show up. So there I was: sitting next to Morricone but unable to speak with him. He signed the albums I had brought and managed to make clear that a next time (if ever there would be one) I would have to bring a translator or learn to speak Italian. I decided to do the latter. In the years after that, I have met Morricone many times. In the recording studios (Orthophonic (later Forum), RCA) I attended the registration of several soundtracks, several times I visited him at home where I met his wife and children. I even was in a small car crash with him when he took me from his home to a recording studio... That was in Rome, but I also attended the Fabriano parties (I will never forget the ride back to Rome, packed with him in the back of a car driven by De Melis who was forbidden by Morricone to take the toll ways). I furthermore managed to meet him in The Netherlands when he gave his first concerts and on some other occasions. So I can say I have been with him quite some times. I have good memories of all these meetings. He had a bad reputation of being rather grumpy, but towards me he was always friendly. I don’t know what he thought about MSV, but I think he was flattered by the fact that I had started a society for the collectors of his music. His only contribution to it, however, was the change of the name. Which started as “Musica sul velluto” became upon his instigation “Musica sul velluto del mio cinema” and later “MSV – The Ennio Morricone Society”. I am sorry that he came to his end as he did. By some stupid accident... Martin Van Wouw, The Netherlands

I, Ennio Morricone, will live on For some years, we were all dreading how it would feel the day Ennio passed away. Even though we all knew that day would come, it was still a big shock to Morriconians around the world. It is not the same as a family member, of course not - but his passing is a loss of a very meaningful part of our lives. All the while old Ennio was alive, it felt...reassuring. We were comforted by knowing The Maestro – the great tree of life who loomed large on all our landscapes - still stood. Now he’s gone...and it leaves a void and it makes you feel mortal and a bit lost. The music has been a big thing in my world for 50 years, since the GBU single hit number one for 4 weeks in 1968. Most of all, I am thankful for the joy his work has given me. Ennio may have passed, but his incredible oeuvre of work lives on. His influence spread far and wide – he was the man even other maestros called 'Maestro' – and outside his native country he was an industry secret. But in his native country – wow! - you would be hard-pressed to find someone young or old who doesn't know who Ennio Morricone is. He is like a composing version of the Pope. The day he died I was at home and I played a bit everything...One Night At Dinner, Duck You Sucker, I Cannibali ….and I found myself going around the house singing “Can....eee.....bals” and “Sean, Sean, Sean” and “Dont Try to Understand – no one can!” Of course, it is sad no more new music, but sadder is no more Maestro. I was always fascinated by the man, just as much as his work. As we know, although Morricone appeared a stern and serious man - certainly publicly and on stage - his rather strange and mischievious humour came out in the tricks he played on friends - and in his music - those hidden references really amused him! Some seemed horrified at his writing “I, Ennio Morricone, am dead” - but I interpret that differently. Right there is the slightly black humour he had. Like Spike Milligan's old joke about wanting on his gravestone: “Told you i was ill!” Ennio's humour wasn't always forthcoming, especially to journalists, but he allowed it to surface to friends he respected. One story of Don Trunick's made me laugh. When Don visited Ennio in his home the Maestro was testing Don as to what scores he owned. “Do you have this score and that score?” to which Don was replying “Yes....Yes...” Then Ennio asked him about a certain score and Don had to say, puzzled, “No, I don't have that one...” “Ah, ha!” says Ennio with a glint in his eye. “That's because I haven't written it yet!” There was a lot more to Morricone than was obviously apparent. He was a complex man of many facets and quirky characteristics – and that, my fellow Morriconians, is another reason his music had such depth. The Last of the Titans. Bill Carson (Ben Horace)

Ennio Morricone was the man who changed my life, literally. Hearing his music in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST on that thankfully restored TV edit in 1972, exploring how its music worked and accentuated the drama, emotion, and dazzling spectacle of the visual storytelling of Leone's cinematic masterpiece, its mix of electric guitar, honky-tonk, percussive aggression, and the pure serenity of Jill's Theme - that's my light-bulb moment; that started my lifelong passion of listening, collecting, and writing & talking about film music for the last 48 years, with no intention of stopping while I still draw breath. This score - and the hundreds of others of his that moved me and fed my passion for stimulating music, and then broadened my horizons into other realms and other voices of sonic storytelling - was my pivotal moment. I wish I could have met him personally to thank him for all that, but his music was the first epiphany that made my stand up, recognizing this was something special and uniquely engaging. It has been a constant companion to my life ever since. Rest easy, maestro, and thank you for the gift of music that stimulated my ears and my heart for so long. Randall D. Larson

Have been a fan of Morricone since I joined the Ennio Morricone Society in the 1980's. The Dutch jazz musician, and composer Willem Breuker once called him "The Mozart and Bach of the 20th century." And Judging from Morricone's enormous oeuvre (he’s written scores to almost 600 films), he was right. When I heard of Ennio's passing I was shocked. Yes, we know we all die one day especially Morricone because of his advanced age, but was nevertheless shocked. At first I thought he died from a disease, affecting the elderly, but when I heard he died in a fatal accident I was devastated. Sad that his life ended in such a way. For me, Ennio Morricone was the greatest film music composer of all time, above any other film composer past or present. Jaap van der Tuin, The Netherlands

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1 “Sad Hill”: Fresco in Brussels, next to the city’s biggest cemetary, by HMI, AZE and Fristi

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbeispIptDU

T WO M ULES FOR S ISTER S ARA A dream come true T HE M AESTRO ’ S G UITARIST Interview with Bruno Battisti D’Amario RAIA RCHIVE Musical Archaeology C UBA IN I TALY Los Hermanos Rigual ...and more ISSUE #19 AUGUST 2020

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M AESTRO –T HE E NNIO M ORRICONE O NLINE M AGAZINE

I SSUE #19

A UGUST 2020

Table of Contents Preface: Non voglio disturbare ............................................................................................ 11 In breve............................................................................................................................... 12 Old News ............................................................................................................................ 25 Web News .......................................................................................................................... 27 Two Mules for Sister Sara: Deliver Us from Evil ................................................................ 28 Book Review: Listening to Morricone................................................................................. 33 Meeting with Stéphane Lerouge, part 2 ............................................................................... 35 Archivio Musicale dell’Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, part 1 .............................. 41 Bruno Battisti D'Amario...................................................................................................... 50 Los Hermanos Rigual - Notte Meravigliosa......................................................................... 58 Good Scores for Bad Movies............................................................................................... 60 Duccio Tessari – Ennio Morricone ...................................................................................... 62 Curious Morricone .............................................................................................................. 71

License for all articles:CreativeCommons Cette œuvre est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale - Partage dans les Mêmes Conditions 2.0 Belgique P UBLICATION PÉRIODIQUE D ' ÉTUDE ET DE CRITIQUE DANS LE DOMAINE ARTISTIQUE .L ES TEXTES SONT PUBLIÉS SOUS LA RESPONSABILITÉ DE LEURS AUTEURS , QUI EN CONSERVENT LA PROPRIÉTÉ DES DROITS D ' AUTEUR ET INTELLECTUELS . All the articles are of purely informative nature. We do not own the copyright of the images included in this document or of the audio clips accessible from it. All the rights on the images and the music are the property of their respective owners. Chief editors:Patrick Bouster and Didier Thunus Front cover image: -Homage section: Andrew Hogg -Main section: Cover of La La Land’s edition of Two Mules for Sister Sara

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M AESTRO –T HE E NNIO M ORRICONE O NLINE M AGAZINE  I SSUE #19

—————PREFACE—————

A UGUST 2020

Non voglio disturbare by Didier Thunus We are starting a new era in our Morricone fan journey: an era where Ennio is no longer of this world, where we can no longer virtually bounce back our feelings to the living genius who created them. It is a strange thing to listen to the Maestro’s music now that he has left us. I wonder why. We can have no frustration whatsoever as to the timing of this sad event. We know so many composers who have left us much too early, when they still had a lot to offer to the audiences. I’m thinking of James Horner and Michael Kamen, of Roy Budd and of course François De Roubaix. Ennio had finished delivering the bulk of his astounding work. He was only writing a few more pieces, and maybe only a couple of Tornatore scores will go missing. He had stopped touring as well. There is only one reason for the sadness we have felt: Ennio Morricone was a member of our family. We have spent so much time with his music, it has brought so much to our lives, to whom we have become. The duel scene from Once upon a Time in the West has captivated me when I was a young boy. It was much more than music to me, it was otherworldly. It was impossible to describe. It was striking the chords of my very soul. It was what life was all about. I know that, whatever I have done since then, I was trying to find again, in many different forms, the fascination that this moment has produced in me. Going frantically through the Maestro’s oeuvre was the closest I could get to it, discovering gems after gems, dedicating most of my free time to it. Ennio Morricone was in my house, he was living here. And Ennio, let me tell you, you have never disturbed me for one second. I know now why it was important for me to appreciate that you were alive. Your music was so moving that tears kept coming to my eyes. Now that you have left us, there is nothing anymore that prevents them from rolling down my cheeks. The period we were going through did not really call for such a let-down. Hopefully the rest of this issue will bring some comfort to you. The long-awaited release ofTwo Mules for Sister Saraalreadybrought us some consolation. We are very proud also to present, thanks to Patrick, an exclusive interview of guitarist Bruno Battisti D’Amario. We have interviewed many of Ennio’s musicians and collaborators already, but Maestro Battisti D’Amario really occupies a place of choice in our hearts. He has brought the Maestro’s music to another dimension, playing a major role in creating sounds that have brought us into Morricone’s universe, and we are very excited and humbled to have had him spending some of his time for our modest fanzine. We also have the first in-depth exploration of the RAI Orchestra archive by Frédéric, inaugurating a series of a not yet known length. Frédéric has crossed-checked the data found in the archive with information from Radiocorriere and from SIAE, to come up with a detailed and vastly uncharted account of Ennio’s years as arranger for the radio. The work of a true archaeologist. Patrick analyses some of the collaborations of Morricone with director Duccio Tessari. And Laurent delivers the second and last part of his interview with Stéphane Lerouge, evoking projects prior to the recent Decca 18-CD box. Of course, Steven, our most faithful contributor who has not missed one issue, is back again with interesting facts related to the Maestro’s career. In order to smoothly transition into the body of this issue, I invite you to listen (one more time) to this coronavirus version ofDeborah’s Theme: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/rome-morricone-music-performed-over-empty-piazza-navona.html Wishing you a pleasant reading and all the best for you and for your relatives. 11