The famous Italian musician Ennio Morricone recently celebrated his 90th birthday. The composer became famous as the author of music for hundreds of films, as well as an arranger and conductor. At various times, 27 of his discs went gold and 7 platinum. He has received dozens of prestigious awards, including two Oscars.
Carier start
Ennio was born into a large family of a jazz trumpeter and a housewife in 1928. His biography is associated with Rome, in the capital of Italy he was born and lived all his life. At the age of 12, the boy decided to continue his father's work and chose the profession of a musician. He became a student at the conservatory, studied with the renowned teacher Goffredo Petrassi. The young man received diplomas in several areas at once: trumpet, instrumentation and composition. Simultaneously with his studies, he had to earn money in the ensemble, where his father had once performed. A year later, the musician was able to get a job at the theater, where his works of authorship sounded for the first time. In 1950, Ennio tried himself as an arranger of songs by popular composers. His works were performed in concert halls and on the radio. The listeners fell in love with the musical arrangements, and Morricone became a real success. In 1960, he began collaborating with television, creating arrangements for television shows. In the mid-60s, the musician began working with the RCA recording company, where he created hundreds of song arrangements for Italian popular performers.
Movie soundtracks
For the first time, the composer created music for films at the age of 33. Debut works appeared in the genre of spaghetti westerns. The name Morricone is strongly associated with this direction. After a successful creative union with director Sergio Leone, cooperation with other domestic filmmakers followed. An amazing feature of Ennio was that he created the melody not at a musical instrument, but at a writing table, bringing the idea to perfection.
The musician's incredible talent and hard work helped him get to Hollywood. The composer and arranger has created nearly 500 movie soundtracks. His paintings were released on screens once a month. He did not express a preference for one genre of cinema, he liked to experiment. Adhering to classical norms, he used moments of folk music in his work, tried himself in avant-garde directions. “Once in America”, “Octopus”, “Professional”, “Unpickable”, “The Hateful Eight” are examples of his outstanding works, which have long become hits and independent works.
Personal life
With his wife Maria Travia, the musician created a family more than half a century ago. Love and mutual understanding reign in their union. The couple raised four children. Only the eldest son Andrea followed in his father's footsteps; he became a composer and conductor. Giovanni dedicated his life to theater direction. Marco deals with copyright issues, Alexander's daughter became a medic. Morricone is happy to share with reporters the details of a happy family life. Talking about children, he says that he respected everyone's professional choice and gave them a quality education.
How he lives now
Despite his venerable age, Ennio leads an active lifestyle. He gets up early in the morning and goes to bed late. Observes the diet, is indifferent to alcohol and spends a lot of time in the fresh air. He singles out chess among his hobbies. Many eminent grandmasters have become his partners in the game. Once the musician tried his hand at the literary field. In 1996, he published a book about the Italian capital. The project received the prestigious Cities of Rome Prize.
In addition to film music, the composer became famous as a chamber music composer and conductor. Managing the orchestra personally, he made several European and world tours. Twice viewers could see Ennio on the screen in cameo roles.
Music has taken a central place in the fate of Morricone. He does not part with her for a minute. He continues to give concerts all over the world, tickets for which fly out in a matter of hours. During a recent world tour dedicated to the 60th anniversary of his creative activity, the musician performed in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The composer continues to accept offers from film directors, choosing the most interesting ones. Everyone knows that cooperation with Morricone guarantees a brilliant result and unconditional success. His merits are proof of this. The musician has two Oscars, three Golden Globes, Grammy awards and many other prestigious awards.
