Ennio Morricone
Italy, 1946–2020
Italian composer (1928-2020), among the most prolific in film, with scores for hundreds of productions. His work for Sergio Leone's Westerns (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West) combined orchestra, voice, whistling and unconventional instrumentation.
MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Ennio Morricone and 2 artists Ennio Morricone influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Ennio Morricone?
- Goffredo Petrassi — Petrassi was Morricone's composition teacher at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia and a decisive influence on his rigorous, modernist craft.
- Johann Sebastian Bach — Morricone drew openly on the counterpoint of Bach, a foundation of his polyphonic writing across film and concert works.
- Igor Stravinsky — The modernism and rhythmic wit of Stravinsky was a key ingredient Morricone absorbed into his adventurous, genre-crossing scores.
Which artists did Ennio Morricone influence?
- John Carpenter — Morricone is the composer Carpenter reaches for first; he calls the Once Upon a Time in the West score one of the great ones, and hired Morricone himself for The Thing.
- Hans Zimmer — Zimmer has said Morricone's score for 'Once Upon a Time in the West' is what made him want to become a composer — the model of themes built from bold, unconventional textures.