Ennio Morricone

"Wee ouh wee-huuu" - three notes blown on a harmonica and everyone immediately envisions the dusty images of the western film "Once Upon a Time in the West" (C'Era Una Volta Il West). It is certainly one of the most famous film scores in the world and it alone would have secured Ennio Morricone a place in music history forever. However, the Italian composer was always a bit annoyed that he was reduced to the soundtrack of spaghetti westerns in public perception. Morricone has written over 400 film scores for a variety of genres, as well as a multitude of works outside of motion pictures. The trained trumpeter and composer sees himself in the tradition of Italian composers and wants to be recognized accordingly, particularly for his concert works, which he often conducts himself. But, as Wolfgang Sandner wrote in his tribute to Morricone's 80th birthday in the FAZ: "The success of his film compositions was the greatest enemy of his absolute music."