Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Once Upon a Time in America

Donald Macleod finds Ennio Morricone’s work beginning to win awards, and he also starts writing music for Hollywood movies.

Donald Macleod finds Ennio Morricone’s work beginning to win awards, and he also starts writing music for Hollywood movies.

Ennio Morricone is cited as one of the most experimental and influential composers of all time, undoubtedly recognised as one of the world’s greatest ever composers of music for film. A legendary figure who over the course of his career won numerous awards, and accolades, his innovative sound worlds helped to define what film music could be for multiple genres of cinema. Morricone’s music extended far beyond the desert landscapes of spaghetti westerns, not just to other genres on the silver screen, but also into the worlds of pop music, and into the concert hall – where his study and composition of avant-garde music gave him the techniques to experiment within his scores for film as well. Over the course of this week, following on the heels of the 2024 Academy Awards, Donald Macleod explores the incredible career of Ennio Morricone, a composer who quite astoundingly wrote over 500 scores for film and television, as well as over 100 classical works.

In Thursday’s episode, Donald finds Ennio Morricone’s work beginning to win awards, and he also starts writing music for Hollywood movies. He also recounts an awkward experience for Morricone with a famous director, and discovers the missed opportunity which Morricone cited as his greatest regret.

Cockeye’s Song & Once upon a time in America – theme from Sergio Leone Suite
Yo yo Ma, Cello
Roma Sinfonietta

Theme from Rampage
Studio orchestra
Ennio Morricone, conductor

Afro-Flemish Mass from Exorcist II: The Heretic
Studio orchestra
Harper MacKay, conductor

La classe operaia va in paradiso from The Working Class Goes to Heaven or Lulu the Tool
Studio orchestra
Bruno Nicolai, conductor

Fire from Days of Heaven
Studio orchestra
Ennio Morricone, conductor

Humanity (Part 2) from The Thing
Ennio Morricone, synthesizers

Four studies (Nos 1 & 2)

Bugsy
Orchestra and Chorus of dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Ennio Morricone, conductor

Produced by Sam Phillips for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Audio Wales & West

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Ennio Morricone

    Sergio Leone Suite (excerpts)

    Performer: Yo‐Yo Ma. Orchestra: Roma Sinfonietta. Conductor: Ennio Morricone.
    • SONY.
  • Ennio Morricone

    Theme from Rampage

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Ennio Morricone.
    • MILAN.
  • Ennio Morricone

    Afro-Flemish Mass from Exorcist II: The Heretic

    Ensemble: Uncredited Performers. Conductor: Ennio Morricone.
    • WARNER.
  • Ennio Morricone

    The Working Class Goes to Heaven from Lulu the Tool

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Bruno Nicolai.
    • GDM.
  • Ennio Morricone

    Fire from Days of Heaven

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Ennio Morricone.
    • SILVER AGE CLASSICS.
  • Ennio Morricone

    Humanity (Part 2) from The Thing

    • UNIVERSAL.
  • Ennio Morricone

    Four Studies (Nos 1 & 2)

    Performer: Uncredited pianist.
    • ARMONIA.
  • Ennio Morricone

    Bugsy

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Choir: Chorus of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Conductor: Ennio Morricone. Choir: Chorus of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Conductor: Ennio Morricone.
    • SONY.

Broadcast

  • Thu 14 Mar 2024 12:00

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

Beethoven Unleashed – the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.