Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI (10 November 1928 - 6 July 2020) was an… Read Full Bio ↴Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI (10 November 1928 - 6 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and former trumpet player. He composed a wide range of music styles, making him one of the most versatile, experimental and influential composers of all time, working in any medium.

Since 1946 Morricone composed over 500 scores for cinema and television, as well as over 100 classical works. His filmography includes over 70 award-winning films, including all Sergio Leone films since A Fistful of Dollars (including For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in America), all Giuseppe Tornatore films (since Cinema Paradiso), The Battle of Algiers, the Animal Trilogy, 1900, Exorcist II, Days of Heaven, several major films in French cinema, in particular the comedy trilogy La Cage aux Folles I, II, III and Le Professionnel, The Thing, The Mission, The Untouchables, Mission to Mars, Bugsy, Disclosure, In the Line of Fire, Bulworth, Ripley's Game and The Hateful Eight.

After playing the trumpet in jazz bands in the 1940s, he became a studio arranger for RCA Victor and in 1955 started ghost writing for film and theatre. Throughout his career, he composed music for artists such as Paul Anka, Mina, Milva, Zucchero and Andrea Bocelli. From 1960 to 1975, Morricone gained international fame for composing music for westerns. His score to 1966's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is considered one of the most influential soundtracks in history and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. With an estimated 10 million copies sold, Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the best-selling scores worldwide. He also scored seven westerns for Sergio Corbucci, Duccio Tessari's Ringo duology and Sergio Sollima's The Big Gundown and Face to Face. Morricone worked extensively for other film genres with directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Mauro Bolognini, Giuliano Montaldo, Roland Joffé, Roman Polanski and Henri Verneuil. His acclaimed soundtrack for The Mission (1986) was certified gold in the United States. The album Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone stayed 105 weeks on the Billboard Top Classical Albums.

Morricone's best-known compositions include "The Ecstasy of Gold", "Se Telefonando", "Man with a Harmonica", "Here's to You", the UK No. 2 single "Chi Mai", "Gabriel's Oboe" and "E Più Ti Penso". He functioned during the period 1966–1980 as a main member of Il Gruppo, one of the first experimental composers collectives. In 1969, he co-founded Forum Music Village, a prestigious recording studio. From the 1970s, Morricone excelled in Hollywood, composing for prolific American directors such as Don Siegel, Mike Nichols, Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Warren Beatty and Quentin Tarantino. In 1977, he composed the official theme for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He continued to compose music for European productions, such as Marco Polo, La Piovra, Nostromo, Fateless, Karol and En mai, fais ce qu'il te plait. Morricone's music has been reused in television series, including The Simpsons and The Sopranos, and in many films, including Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.

As of 2013, Ennio Morricone has sold over 70 million records worldwide. In 1971, he received a "Targa d'Oro" for the worldwide sales of 22 million.[8] In 2007, he received the Academy Honorary Award "for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music." He has been nominated for a further six Oscars. In 2016, Morricone received his first Academy Award for his score to Quentin Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight (2015), becoming the oldest person ever to win an Oscar. His other achievements include three Grammy Awards, three Golden Globes, six BAFTAs, ten David di Donatello, eleven Nastro d'Argento, two European Film Awards, the Golden Lion Honorary Award and the Polar Music Prize in 2010. He died in his home city of Rome, Italy in 2020 at the age of 91, leaving a grand legacy behind him.

La condanna
Ennio Morricone Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's good to be near you, even though I'm alone
Reviving memories of our happy home
No sign of sunlight since you ran away
These rooms get darker now every day

Even though I have broken
Even though I have broken your heart
Will you still love me?

Will you still love me?

The consequences of freedom
But now you have what you dreamed
Just understand that things are not as they seem

Even though I have broken
Even though I have broken your heart
Will you still love me?
Will you still love me?

I don't wanna be lonely
Because you're not there for me to be
I don't wanna be lonely
I wanna be loved

Even though I have broken
Even though I have broken your heart

Will you still love me?
Will you still love me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ennio Morricone's song "Dopo la condanna" convey a sense of longing and yearning for a lost love. The singer reflects on how much it means to be near the object of his affection, even if he is alone. Memories of happier times are recalled and contrasted with the current state of darkness and loneliness. The lyrics further reflect on the consequences of freedom, and the realization that even though one may have achieved their dreams, things may not be as they seem. The singer also expresses a fear of being lonely and the desire to be loved, despite knowing that he has broken the heart of the one he loves. The repeated question, "Will you still love me?" underscores the singer's vulnerability and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

It's good to be near you, even though I'm alone
Although I am alone, it feels good to be close to you and have memories of our happy home.

Reviving memories of our happy home
Thinking of our happy home brings back memories that feel alive again.

No sign of sunlight since you ran away
Since you left, there has been no light or happiness in my life.

These rooms get darker now every day
The absence of your love makes the rooms in my life feel increasingly ominous and foreboding.

Even though I have broken
Despite the fact that I hurt you,

Even though I have broken your heart
Even though I broke your heart,

Will you still love me?
Do you still love me?

The consequences of freedom
The result of having freedom and making choices is that we also have to live with the consequences.

But now you have what you dreamed
You have the things you wished for now,

Just understand that things are not as they seem
But it's important to remember that appearances can be deceiving.

I don't wanna be lonely
I don't want to feel alone,